The Hot Spring Realm, Continued

Hot water pooled in a hollow surrounded by rocks.

Steam rose from it.

However, the moisture did not linger there, instead dispersing into the air.

Since there were no walls or ceiling enclosing the bath, that could not be helped.

This was what one would call an open-air bath.

The name of this bathhouse was Valhalla Hot Spring.

An open-air bath that gently healed wounded and fallen warriors.

Was this the present world, or the eternal world…? No one knew, and they merely soaked in the water.

And now… there were two people soaking in the bath…

“Sarnare. Look at that. That is not a bird, is it?”

“…It is not a bird. It is quite far away, so I cannot say for certain… but that is probably a dragon.”

“W-will we be all right? It will not come this way, will it?”

“…Who can say? There is no way to predict how that thing will fly.”

“…Even if it is only for comfort, could you tell me it will not come this way?”

“For comfort, then: it will not come this way.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…Phew. As expected, soaking in hot water relaxes the heart.”

“…My heart is more frayed than it has ever been, you know?”

“Is that so? How tasteless.”

“Is this my fault…?”

“I would say so.”

“…Well, fine. I suppose I was being tasteless.”

“Even that dragon would surely not commit the folly of burning this bath.”

“That is true… If that one soaked in the bath too, it would surely cast aside such thoughts… No, did dragons not breathe fire from afar? Would it not attack before soaking?”

“Your Majesty has become quite concerned with minor details. It would have been better if you had been that cautious while alive.”

“Have you not become far too liberated in various ways?”

“Well, is that not fine? After all, there are no troublesome people here besides Your Majesty.”

“…If I ever come back to life, I am starting to feel confident that I would be called an exceptionally magnanimous king.”

“How splendid.”

“…By the way, changing the subject, do you not think our country would have become the strongest if we could have tamed a dragon?”

“…Hmm. Certainly, if one could tame a dragon, one would gain extraordinary military power.”

“Fortunately, our country had Dragon’s Roost, where dragons were said to dwell. Commanding dragons, hm… Not bad… In that case, I would become the Dragon King.”

“Indeed. Well, aside from the fact that the part about how you would do it is empty as ever, it is perfect.”

“…Not bad… Dragon King…”

“This part of you does not change even after death… Oh? Your Majesty, look over there.”

“Hm…? Is that… a human figure?”

“Yes. The steam made visibility poor, so I did not notice, but it seems someone else was soaking in this bath besides us.”

“Hmm… Meeting in this mysterious situation must be some kind of fate.”

“Since we have the chance, let us greet him. Sir over there, if you do not mind, how about joining us for a drink?”

“…Hm? Me…?”

“Indeed. I know not where this liquor came from, but it tastes very fine. It will soak through a body warmed by the bath.”

“…Then, I think I shall accept your kind offer and join you.”

“Then take this cup… Oh?”

“…Is something the matter?”

“No… Could you perhaps be Chancellor Rangas of the Lufelon Holy Kingdom?”

“…I am… a chancellor…?”

“Hm? Sarnare, do you know him?”

“Yes. I met him once when I visited the Lufelon Holy Kingdom before. Well, at the time, he was wearing clothes, so the impression is somewhat different.”

“…Clothing is important, after all. It can change one’s impression entirely… but are you certain?”

“Yes… I would hardly misremember someone as important as Chancellor Rangas.”

“…Rangas… Chancellor… Lufelon Holy Kingdom…?”

“It seems his consciousness is not clear.”

“Come to think of it, we were like that at first as well.”

“…Yes… That is right… Yes, I am Rigaro-Rangas. Why had I forgotten something like that…?”

“It seems everyone becomes like that immediately after coming here.”

“What exactly is this place…? Hm, now that I think of it, you two… No, you are Count Harekukku of the Lumoria Kingdom, are you not?”

“Yes… Though that title means nothing now. More importantly, if Chancellor Rangas has come here as well…”

“Come here…? No, more importantly, what exactly is this place?”

“I cannot answer the question of what this place is. We too found ourselves soaking here after dying.”

“…After dying? Come to think of it… I should have been executed…”

“Chancellor Rangas was executed? Was there a political upheaval in the Lufelon Holy Kingdom?”

“Yes, unfortunately… There was intervention from a neighboring country, and in an instant…”

“For someone of Chancellor Rangas’s caliber… What neighboring country was it?”

“A country called Einheria.”

“Einheria? I have never heard of it.”

“…No, Your Majesty. I feel as though I have heard that name… Yet for some reason, something deep in my chest feels unsettled…”

“Einheria is the country formed by annexing the Lumoria Kingdom.”

“The country founded by those bandits!?”

“Bandits… Hmm, I suppose the way they keep taking pieces from other countries could indeed be called something like banditry…”

“Are they waging war against other countries? Are my people being oppressed after all?”

“…My people? Could you perhaps be His Majesty the king of the Lumoria Kingdom?”

“Indeed. I am the seventeenth king of the Lumoria Kingdom, and the one known as the Dragon King.”

“Ah… I see.”

“Chancellor Rangas, it is best to simply let what that man says pass by. Ah, unfortunately, it is true that he was the king.”

“…Has Count Harekukku changed somewhat?”

“Yes. Perhaps because I have been separated from the mundane world, I feel as though I have been freed from all sorts of worldly restraints. I believe Chancellor Rangas will understand eventually.”

“Is that how it works…? To be honest, I do not understand the current situation at all… but if this is the afterlife, it feels terribly empty.”

“Ha ha ha! You are called Lord Rangas, yes? There is nothing empty about it. Here, kings, counts, chancellors… no, even the borders between countries do not matter! You are free to say whatever you wish and do whatever you wish!”

“Free… you say?”

“Just as His Majesty says, drinking while using each other’s lives as side dishes… We never had that sort of leisure while alive, but it is a surprisingly pleasant way to pass the time.”

“…It seems the two of you were good lord and retainer.”

“That is a misunderstanding, Lord Rangas. This fellow had the nerve to say he had turned me into a puppet and manipulated me however he liked.”

“Well, there were times when you subtly failed to listen, so I had a fair amount of trouble… and honestly, I have more complaints than apologies.”

“How many times did I think of sinking you into the bath?”

“…Is that… acceptable in various ways…?”

“This body is already dead. There is no longer any need to endure or suffer further. Even now I call him Your Majesty, but I do not feel even the slightest bit of respect for him.”

“I think you could stand to be a little more considerate. That said, what Sarnare says is true. Here, worldly power has no meaning. We soak naked in hot water, drink liquor, and talk… That is all.”

“That is all…?”

“The day when you can laugh and speak of your own failures is not far away, Lord Rangas. As a start, today I shall tell you one of my own failures.”

“Your Majesty’s entire life is like a tale of failure, so I envy you for never running out of topics.”

“You died halfway through your own path too, so you are hardly different!”

“Most of my life was such a success story that it would sound like sarcasm. Well, I admit that I failed at the very end, but compared to Your Majesty’s clownishness, I am nowhere near…”

“…So this is the afterlife. Indeed, in a place like this, no matter what one did in the living world, it becomes nothing more than a side dish for liquor.”

Valhalla Hot Spring vanished beyond the steam.

Welcoming a noisy lord and retainer and a new guest, it simply existed there—a world complete merely by being.

As the fleeting cry of a dragon flying in the distance could be heard from far away, the surroundings were painted white, hiding the three men from view.