Honkai: Star Rail: I Can Fix This Gender-Bent World — Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Taking a Bath

Two Silvermane Guards escorted Chen’s group to the heavy, cold city gates of Belobog and completed the handover with the guards stationed there.

“Alright, you can go on in,” one of the guards stated, his tone a practiced monotone. “Remember, leaving the city again without permission is strictly forbidden for the time being.” He gave a perfunctory wave, dismissing them.

Passing through the towering, echoing passage of the city gate, the sounds and smells of civilization rushed to greet them—a stark contrast to the deathly silence and bitter cold of the world outside. The distant clang of machinery, the murmur of unseen crowds, and the faint scent of coal smoke and cooked food filled the air.

According to their plan, the first order of business was to find a place to stay. Chen deliberately avoided the grand Goethe Hotel from the original story; it was far too conspicuous, and he knew too many important eyes would be watching it. Instead, he led them down a side street and found a random, unassuming inn.

He pushed open the heavy wooden door, and a wave of warm, stuffy air surged out to meet them.

Behind a worn wooden counter sat a drowsy attendant, his cheeks rosy from the indoor heat. He was listlessly prodding the keys of an old, clunky calculator, the picture of deep boredom.

“Lodging,” Chen said, stepping forward. His voice was concise, cutting through the quiet room.

The attendant’s eyelids fluttered open. He slowly scanned the four people who had just disturbed his peace. He saw a young man who looked quite well-off, and behind him, three girls, each with a distinct style but all possessing outstanding looks.

His gaze drifted lazily between the four of them. It lingered for a few extra seconds on Chen and his three female companions, and a sly, knowing expression began to form on his face. He was clearly building a narrative in his head.

“Rooms, huh…” he drawled, pretending to be troubled as he theatrically flipped through the dusty register beside him. “Oh, my esteemed guests, what a coincidence. Lately, the city… well, you know, there have been many people coming and going, so rooms are a bit tight. It seems there’s only… one room with a large bed left.”

After delivering his line, he pointedly winked at Chen, his lips curling into an ambiguous smile that screamed, ‘I get it, buddy. We men understand.’ As if for emphasis, he gave Chen a subtle thumbs-up from below the counter.

Chen was stunned for a moment, his first thought being, ‘Wow, the hotel business in this frozen wasteland is actually booming?’But then he saw the attendant’s sleazy, conspiratorial expression—a look that practically shouted,’I admire you, you magnificent bastard, for bringing three girls to a hotel’—and he understood instantly.

This guy was doing it on purpose! He was trying to invoke the classic, time-honored trope of there being only one room left. He thought they were some young couple looking for a bit of excitement, or maybe a super ‘normie’ 1v3 version, and was intentionally trying to play matchmaker for his own amusement!

Chen almost choked. Before he could even form a retort, he heard March 7th let out a surprised “Ah!” from behind him.

“Only one room left? Then how are we all supposed to stay?” he asked, his voice full of genuine confusion.

Dan Heng remained expressionless, seemingly indifferent to the concept of sharing accommodations. Caelus just tilted her head, her silver eyes blank as she failed to grasp the necessary connection between ‘one room’and’a problem.’

Chen’s face darkened. He slammed his hand flat on the counter, the sharp sound startling the grinning attendant. He leaned in, lowered his voice, and gritted his teeth. “Cut the crap. I can see at least five empty lines on your register from here. We want four single rooms. Two doubles will also do. Hurry up!”

The attendant was taken aback by Chen’s sudden shift to a more forceful demeanor. Seeing his little scheme so thoroughly exposed, he rubbed his nose sheepishly. Muttering under his breath about ‘young people having such short tempers’and’no sense of romance,’ he flipped through the register again, his enthusiasm gone.

“Alright, alright… four singles, you said? Yes, yes, we have those…” He paused, and a new, almost gloating smile spread across his face as he raised his eyelids. “But let’s get this straight: hot water is a scarce commodity here. Bathing costs extra, and…” He let the word hang in the air. “It’s wicked expensive. More expensive than a night’s stay, in fact. So, I suggest you go home and bathe before coming back. Of course,” he added magnanimously, “if you want to take a cold shower, you can do so as much as you like. It’s completely free.”

‘More expensive than the lodging?’

Chen’s lip twitched. What kind of rip-off joint was this? As for a cold bath, that wasn’t even a consideration. He had no desire to freeze to death in a Belobog shower stall.

He eventually nodded, sighing in defeat. “Four rooms. We’ll stay first. As for the bath… we’ll see.”

He pulled out a small stack of Credits and slid it across the counter.

Taking the four keys, they trudged up the creaking wooden stairs. The rooms were decent enough, each containing a bed, a small table, and a steaming, old-fashioned radiator that clanked and hissed with effort.

Once they were settled, the biggest problem immediately arose. After trekking across the ice fields and then walking all over the city, their bodies were cold, clammy, and sticky. The thought of not bathing was simply unbearable.

March 7th was the first to snap, clamoring that he absolutely, positively had to take a bath.

When they arrived at the hotel’s designated bath area, they found it was a communal setup. Two large rooms, separated for men and women, each contained a massive stone pool that looked like it hadn’t seen a thorough cleaning in a very long time.

A prominent price list was posted on the wall. The first line read: Cold baths are free.

The long string of zeros behind the price for a hot bath made Chen’s eyelids twitch. The attendant hadn’t been exaggerating; it was indeed significantly higher than the lodging fee. And it seemed that because the price was so utterly ridiculous… both the men’s and women’s baths were currently empty.

“This… this is highway robbery, isn’t it?!” March 7th shrieked, pointing at the price list as his voice rose an octave.

Dan Heng studied the murky pool water and then the price, analyzing the situation calmly. “Considering the scarcity of geothermal energy and the cost of water purification systems in the Underworld, this price might reflect the actual cost. But it is indeed… difficult to bear.”

“No wonder the hotel is so deserted…” Chen’s lip twitched as he stared at the empty bath area and the offending price list. He finally understood why there were almost no other guests besides them. Any sane resident of Belobog would likely make do with a basin of heated water at home rather than indulge in such an absurd luxury. The only other potential customers—the sort of ‘amorous couples’ the attendant had imagined them to be—would probably prefer to spend their limited budget on other, more tangible pleasures.

Looking at the staggering price and the empty, echoing bathhouse, Chen silently cursed the hotel attendant and the entire Belobogian economic system.

But the sticky, cold feeling clinging to his skin was truly getting on his nerves.

He gritted his teeth and fished out the small, heavy bag of Credits that Young Master Asta had stuffed into his hands before he left the space station. That young master, who was thoroughly convinced Chen was one of Herta’s advanced puppets, had been quite generous with supplies and financial support.

“We wash,” Chen announced, making the final decision. “Money is meant to be spent. We can’t stay dirty forever. Young Master Asta gave us more than enough; we can afford it.”

Hearing that the funds were secured, March 7th immediately let out a cheer and practically bounced on his heels, ready to rush toward the men’s bath.

Seeing this, Caelus naturally lifted a foot to follow Chen, her movements as fluid and logical as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

“Caelus.”

Dan Heng’s voice was sharp, and her hand shot out, grabbing Caelus’s arm. A rare look of obvious helplessness flashed across her usually cold and composed face.

“This way,” she said, pointing firmly towards the door marked for the women’s bath.

Caelus stopped, looking back at Chen and then at Dan Heng, a hint of pure confusion surfacing in her golden eyes. She didn’t seem to understand why she couldn’t go with Chen.

Chen also hurriedly waved his hands, trying to explain. “Uh, Caelus, bathing has to be separate. Men and women don’t go to the same place.”

Caelus blinked, her expression suggesting she understood the words but not the reason. still, she obediently allowed Dan Heng to pull her away.

Chen watched as Dan Heng led Caelus into the women’s bath without further argument. The door closed, cutting off Caelus’s slightly puzzled backward glance. He sighed helplessly and turned toward the door of the men’s bath.

He pushed it open. A cloud of warm, humid vapor, even thicker than the air in the hotel lobby, rushed out to envelop him.

While looking down to unbutton the top button of his coat, which had grown stiff from the cold, he instinctively glanced inside.

And then, he froze.

In the dim light and swirling steam of the bathroom, March 7th had already taken off his coat, draping it casually over a nearby wooden stool. He was wearing a form-fitting white undershirt, the kind designed for easy movement.

At that moment, his back was to the door. He was bent over at the waist, seemingly preparing to take off his pants.

The movement caused the slender, flexible lines of March 7th’s back—a back that looked for all the world like that of a delicate young girl—to be fully revealed, outlining a clear, graceful silhouette in the hazy steam.