Volume 2, Chapter 28 – In Search of a Hot Spring

We arrived at the port town of Silverfield, the gateway to the Far North.

The Far North is apparently a large island that doesn’t belong to any nation, and aside from Silverfield, only a few small villages are scattered here and there.

The primary industry is almost entirely fishing. I’m told they occasionally hunt and eat reindeer or seals, but otherwise, it’s a peaceful place with no other notable industries.

And even though it’s only the end of September, the mountain ranges are already dyed white. Apparently, there are days when it already snows, and in another month, they’ll need dog sleds.

Moreover, I hear the port gets closed off by ice in November, so I want to wrap up our business quickly before we get trapped here.

“”Land!!””

The seasick trio was rejoicing with innocent glee. For even the usually serious Chris-san to be in such a state, the seasickness must have been truly grueling.

“Saint-sama, may you all be safe. I shall pray for the success of your journey.”

“Likewise, thank you for bringing us this far. We shall return once we’ve fulfilled our purpose.”

“We look forward to having you on board again.”

We bid farewell to the captain and entered the port town.

“Come on, don’t just stand there stretching in sync; let’s find an inn first.”

I called out to the three of them, who were lined up on the wharf stretching in identical poses, and turned my steps toward the town.

There didn’t seem to be any particular welcoming reception in this town.

As I thought, the Blue Star Republic was just excessive—no, scratch that, it was special .

I was grateful not to have to worry about travel expenses, but having that much of a fuss made over us was trouble in its own way.

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Still, it was thanks to that fame that we were able to rescue Liera-san, so being well-known can definitely work in your favor if you use it right.

If I ever have business in the Blue Star Republic again, I’ll use that fame without mercy.

Thanks, Blue Star. See you again!

◇ ◇ ◇

Chris-san did some scouting for us, and we ended up staying at the most expensive inn in town.

Yes, an inn, not a hotel. Apparently, this town doesn’t have the kind of high-class hotels where VIPs would stay; it’s either an inn with an attached tavern or a guesthouse.

Among them, we rented two twin rooms at the inn with the best facilities.

I’m sharing a room with Chris-san, and Lu-chan is with Liera-san.

I want to let the mother and daughter spend some time together for a while, after all.

“Is this… a pipe heater?”

Metal pipes snaked through the room.

“I’m told there are multiple spots in this town where hot water bubbles up from the ground, so they draw the water from there to use for heating and domestic chores.”

“An onsen (hot spring)!?”

“An… onsen?”

“Yes, exactly. An onsen. Chris-san, don’t tell me you don’t know what an onsen is? You soak in naturally heated water to clean yourself and wash away your fatigue.”

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“Um, is it something like a bath?”

“Well, yeah, something like that. And once you get out of the onsen, you drink milk or coffee milk.”

“C-Coffee?”

“Some people prefer fruit milk, too. Now, come on, let’s go find an outdoor bath!”

“O-Outdoor?”

What was going on? Why weren’t we on the same page at all?

“Now, grab your bath towels and let’s head out!”

“Um, there were no inns with bathtubs. If you wish to bathe, please do so in that room. I shall go fetch some hot water.”

“Huh?”

“Eh?”

“Wait, is there no such thing as a communal bathhouse?”

“No, there is not.”

Wh-What in the world? Is this one of those famed Zhuge Liang traps ¹ “Zhuge Liang’s trap” is a Japanese meme referring to an unexpectedly clever or frustrating situation. ? I’ve been completely had.

“Then, are there any facilities like that in town?”

“I don’t believe so, but shall I go and check?”

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“No, let’s go check together!”

Hot springs are bubbling up right here, and you’re telling me nobody bathes in them!? I refuse to accept that!

We headed out into the town.

“Excuse me. Is there an outdoor bath around here?”

“Outdoor? What’s that?”

This wasn’t getting through at all. It seemed the term “rotenburo” wasn’t common here. ² A rotenburo (露天風呂) is a traditional Japanese open-air hot spring bath. Translating literally to “outdoor bath,” these are typically nestled in natural, scenic environments like mountains or gardens, allowing bathers to relax in the warm water while enjoying the fresh air and surrounding nature.

“Excuse me. Is there a communal bathhouse around here?”

“Communal? Hm? Ah, with those looks, are you that type? Sorry, but I’ve got a wife. Try some other guy.”

No, no. I’m not selling “spring” here.

“Excuse me. Is there a place where we can soak in the hot spring water?”

“Onsen? What’s that?”

“Eeeeh…”

Apparently, the kind of hot springs I had in mind simply didn’t exist here. If this were Japan, hot spring tourism would definitely be a major industry!

Grrr, if that’s how it’s going to be…

“Chris-san. It seems there aren’t any, so change of plans. Let’s find a suitable spring and make our own open-air bath.”

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“An… open-air bath?”

“That’s right. We’ll find a spring the locals aren’t using and take a bath there.”

“What?! No, you can’t! It’s unseemly for young women to expose their skin outdoors like that!”

“No, it’s good for your health and it feels great, you know? Chris-san, once you try it, you’ll understand how wonderful it is!”

“D-Do you think so?”

“I do. Plus, it’ll make your skin all smooth and silky.”

“I… I see…”

Chris-san sounded unconvinced.

After dragging Chris-san all over town, we finally wrapped up our inquiries and returned to the inn.

As a result, we learned that there are several hot spring sources in town, but they were already being used for other purposes, so it would be difficult to bathe in them.

So, we decided to visit a hot spring outside town, some distance away.

Apparently, hot spring sources are all over the place, and if you get close, you can see the steam rising, so they’re easy to find.

“Alright, let’s head off toward the onsen~♪!”

“””Ohh.”””

Why was everyone else’s enthusiasm so low? It made no sense.