Hot Spring Town

As the carriage rattled along, a massive lump of iron overtook it.

“That’s a Magical Vehicle. Do you think it’s transporting gold coins?”

Mary spoke as she watched the iron contraption pass their carriage.

The six-wheeled Magical Vehicle, roughly the size of a minivan on Earth, offered greater consistency of speed and range than a horse-drawn carriage. However, because it used high-purity magic stones as fuel, it wasn’t particularly suited to everyday use. Such vehicles were generally employed to transport valuable goods or escort important individuals.

Some clans with high-ranking adventurers owned them as well, but they were still a rare sight.

“Judging by the direction, we’re heading to the same destination.”

“Flaretalia?”

“Yeah. Though they’ll probably stop at the hot spring town along the way, just like us.”

Tōru muttered as he gazed up at the clear blue sky.

Monsters and Magical Mechanical Beasts became more active at night, so it was best to reach a town whenever possible. Given Tōru’s abilities, camping outdoors wouldn’t put his life in danger, but with a hot spring nearby, he wanted to stay the night and enjoy it.

“Come to think of it, there seem to be more adventurers around, too.”

Euphie watched the adventurers they passed from the carriage.

Most of those they encountered appeared to be in their late teens to mid-twenties. They looked enviously at Tōru and the twins riding in their carriage.

The gentle breeze carrying the scent of the forest made Tōru yawn.

“They’re heading to the same place.”

“Adventurers are surprisingly particular about cleanliness, aren’t they?”

“That’s because they don’t want their prey detecting them by smell. The hot spring we’re heading to is a natural carbonated spring, so it doesn’t have that sulfurous smell. And since it’s become a tourist destination, most of the Monsters and Magical Mechanical Beasts in the surrounding area have been exterminated. Even novice adventurers can visit without much risk to their lives.”

“Though there’s not much money to be made here, either.”

Tōru added as he looked past the head of the horse pulling their carriage toward the walls surrounding the hot spring town.

“Still, most of the adventurers we’ve been passing are probably after carbonated potions.”

“Carbonated potions?”

The twins tilted their heads in unison at the unfamiliar term.

However, having acquired extensive knowledge of Earth from books that had arrived as Otherworld Relics, the two quickly seemed to work out what he meant.

“Judging by the name, they’re potions that use carbonated spring water as a solvent, correct?”

“Does the effervescence make it easier for magical energy to permeate the potion?”

“If people are coming all this way to buy them, we can assume they’re particularly effective.”

“But how practical can carbonated potions be if the carbonation escapes when they’re shaken or subjected to impacts?”

Tōru was impressed that the twins had figured out not only what the potions were but also their shortcomings without needing any explanation.

Magical energy readily mixed with air, and some people knew that the bubbles in carbonated potions gave their restorative effects an exceptionally rapid onset.

For adventurers who regularly risked their lives in battle, a fast-acting means of recovery was extremely valuable.

Demand for carbonated potions could have been enormous, but their general distribution was limited. They were available only in hot spring towns where natural carbonated springs existed.

The reason was simple: even if someone purchased a carbonated potion, the vigorous shaking caused by travel or combat would release the carbonation, leaving them with nothing more than an ordinary potion by the time they drank it.

Because of this practical limitation, they were sold primarily as novelty items or souvenirs.

Nevertheless, plenty of novice adventurers heard incomplete rumors about their effectiveness and came to try them for themselves. Since injuries were an unavoidable part of an adventurer’s life, it was only natural that they would want to try such potions at least once, devise a method of transporting them, and dream of making a fortune.

Tōru himself had once bought carbonated water in an attempt to recreate soft drinks from Earth, only to abandon the idea when he discovered that the water was barely fizzy.

“It’s something practically every adventurer goes through. At least you get to enjoy the hot springs, so it’s not a completely wasted trip.”

After passing through the town gate and getting off the carriage, the twins immediately began looking around for shops that might sell carbonated potions.

Wondering what they were hoping to find, Tōru finished paying the carriage driver and called out to them.

“They’re not worth much beyond being souvenirs, you know?”

“Not necessarily. Besides, if they’re sold as souvenirs and beverages, and this many adventurers come here specifically to buy them, wouldn’t they be cheaper here than in other towns?”

“That’s Mary for you. You’ve got a good eye for business, just as I’d expect from a merchant’s daughter.”

Indeed, potions tended to be cheaper in this hot spring town than elsewhere. Since carbonated potions were essentially promotional products, the merchants’ basic strategy was to sell large quantities at low profit margins.

They were also counting on customers purchasing other goods while they were there to buy carbonated potions.

“Let’s find an inn first. Every inn sells carbonated potions as refreshments for guests after their baths, anyway.”

“Which inn shall we stay at?”

“We don’t have any money, you know.”

“I’ll pay. Once we reach Flaretalia, I’ll also be putting Euphie and Mary through combat training. Make the most of this chance to rest up.”

“Thank you for taking care of us.”

“We’ll wash your back for you.”

“The baths are separated by gender. And so are our rooms, for that matter. I’m not your bodyguard anymore, so there’s no reason for us to be together around the clock.”

Brushing aside the twins’ jokes, Tōru entered a nearby inn.

The two-story wooden building had a pleasantly aged appearance and a solid, dignified construction. The reception area was small, but the staff carried themselves with elegance.

“Allow me to show you to your rooms. Our hot springs are available to guests at any time throughout their stay, so please relax and enjoy yourselves.”

The room they were shown had a T-shaped layout. The living room was directly inside the entrance, with the bedroom to the right and a balcony to the left. The balcony overlooked an inner courtyard.

“Your rooms are next to each other. Would you prefer to have your meals served in your respective rooms?”

“We’d like to eat with Tōru-san.”

“We also want to discuss our plans in more detail.”

“In that case, please bring three servings to this room.”

“Certainly. As for the menu, would you prefer meat or fish? Both are sourced from the labyrinth in Flaretalia.”

“I’ll have the fish, please. What about you two?”

“I’ll have the fish.”

“And I’ll have the meat.”

“That way, we can try both.”

They certainly knew how to make the most of things.

After telling them they were free to use the bathing garments stored in the cupboard, the attendant left. Tōru watched the attendant go, then set down his luggage and looked out at the courtyard.

The garden was beautifully maintained. That alone was enough to show how prosperous the establishment was.

Euphie and Mary brought over some chairs.

“Tōru-san, let’s have some tea.”

“We can visit the hot springs afterward.”

“You’re already making yourselves at home, huh?”

Despite undoubtedly being tired from the unfamiliar experience of traveling by carriage, the twins excitedly began preparing some cold-brewed tea, apparently provided by the inn.

“This will be our first time visiting a hot spring.”

“We’ve heard that hot springs are common in Japan, your homeland, Tōru-san. Are there any particular customs we should know about?”

“Wash yourselves before getting in so you don’t dirty the water, and don’t swim around. In Japan, people bathe completely naked.”

“There must be so many hot springs that everyone can have one to themselves.”

“No, everyone bathes naked together.”

“…Oh. I see.”

“Hey, what’s with that reaction? Well, I guess I can’t blame you. But just so we’re clear, they aren’t mixed baths. Men and women bathe separately.”

Tōru gave a wry smile as the two blushed and looked away in embarrassment.

Sensing that the atmosphere was about to become strangely awkward, Tōru suddenly remembered something and rummaged through the luggage he had just set down.

He took out a single key and several sheets of paper stored inside a leather tube.

“I want you two to have these. This is the key to my warehouse, where I keep the Ancient Civilization documents and artifacts I’ve collected, along with items related to Otherworld Relics. I’d planned to sell everything off and get rid of it, but I think you two could put it to good use.”

The twins’ expressions grew serious as they looked at the key and leather tube he held out.

However, perhaps after exchanging thoughts between themselves, their expressions softened, and they accepted the key and leather tube from Tōru.

“We gratefully accept.”

“Good. But you won’t be going to collect anything from the warehouse until after you’ve trained in Flaretalia. I want both of you to learn how to perform Enchantment.”

“Understood. We’ll consider this an advance on our reward.”