Chapter 73

As soon as I got home, I brought it up during dinner.

“Angelica, is there anywhere you’d like to go?”

“A dungeon where rare items are sleeping!”

“No. Not that kind of place.”

Hearing a comment like that really makes it sink in that she’s an adventurer through and through.

“I mean more like… a tourist spot, or a hot spring—somewhere like that.”

“I’ve heard rumors that there’s a hidden dungeon in the back of the northern hot spring district. Apparently, there’s a fountainhead shaped like a lion’s mouth that never stops spitting out hot water.”

“I told you, stop linking everything to dungeons.”

Also, if she made off with that lion’s head, the water would probably stop, so I’d appreciate it if she didn’t go looking for it. The whole district would be ruined.

“Still, a hot spring isn’t a bad idea. Angelica, wouldn’t you want to go to one? Somewhere we could stay overnight would be fine.”

“Eh? Overnight? That sounds like a pain. I’m not really interested in hot springs…”

Ugh… does it just not appeal to the younger generation? To me, a hot spring scores incredibly high.

“A hot spring sounds lovely~. I’d love to go every once in a while~”

Lateia said with a soft, airy smile.

“Right?! Then let’s definitely go to a hot spring!”

If it was Lateia’s wish, I couldn’t possibly ignore it. At this point, it was less about “family service” and more about me going because I wanted to.

However, Angelica was looking at me with a look of utter exasperation.

“Yeah, yeah, you two are as lovey-dovey as ever. Well, I guess going on a trip for your beloved wife isn’t a bad thing, right?”

I reflected on the fact that my bad habits were showing again.

In my usual fashion, I had only listened to Lateia’s request. If this were a birthday present she’d asked for, there would be no problem.

But the reason I’d thought of a trip in the first place was for family service. If Angelica’s wishes weren’t reflected in the plan, its value as family service was low.

I leaned forward, bringing my face a bit closer to Angelica’s.

“Angelica, is there any hot spring you’d actually want to visit? Like one you’ve really wanted to soak in, or one that’s a hot topic among adventurers?”

“No… like I said, I’m not that into hot springs… I feel like it’s more of an ‘old man’ hobby…”

Being called an “old man” was a bit of a shock, but considering it was hard to imagine a flashy character like Jaunis the Thief having “hot springs” as a hobby, she might be right.

“Well, I’ll look into it. I have something that compiles information from all over the country.”

Angelica went to her room for a moment and brought back a book.

The title was National Travel Guide. It was printed on low-quality paper, so it didn’t look like it would last long.

“You actually own a book like that?”

“The ownership rate among adventurers is pretty high. It lists where the good rest stops are along the roads and which inns are luxurious. Especially for female adventurers, we care about where the toilets are and if they’re clean. Things like that are all listed.”

In my younger days, I don’t think human adventurers gave a single thought to toilet locations while traveling, but it seems times have changed.

“I suppose the profession of ‘adventurer’ is basically being a traveler who moves across the whole country.”

In a way, Angelica might be a travel expert. But that makes providing family service even more difficult.

“This book has tourist info, too. I wonder if there’s a place that has a hot spring but also something else that makes me want to go. Let’s see, let’s see…”

Angelica began flipping through the pages.

I wanted to tell her to wait until after we finished eating, but since I was the one who brought up the topic, it was hard to say. Being a preachy father isn’t good either, so I kept my mouth shut.

“Ah! This place has a hot spring too!”

About a minute later, Angelica let out a cheerful cry.

Given the excited look on her face, she had clearly found a good spot.

“Hey, Demon King! I’d actually want to go here!”

Angelica held the book open toward me.

There was an illustration of a sandy beach alongside the following description:

Sirha Hot Springs

A tropical resort where white sandy beaches stretch as far as the eye can see. Many tourists visit to swim in the blue ocean. Furthermore, it features hot springs, making it enjoyable even for middle-aged and elderly visitors.

The last sentence bothered me a bit. There are plenty of people who love hot springs even if they aren’t middle-aged. And I’m sure there are plenty of middle-aged people who want to swim in a blue ocean.

Then again, I wasn’t reading a dense geographical treatise; it was a guidebook for adventurers. I decided to stop nitpicking the content…

“I see, Sirha Hot Springs. It’s a bit far, but not an impossible distance.”

“I’ve never been to the southern regions for an adventure, so I’ve never seen a truly beautiful ocean. The ones I know were all more black than blue. And the beaches were always covered in trash…”

That was true; the scenery of the sea changed drastically depending on the region.

“That sounds wonderful~. As long as there’s a hot spring, I’m more than happy. And if the ocean is beautiful too, that’s just the best~”

Lateia was full of praise as well. At this point, there was no reason not to choose this place.

“Alright! The three of us shall go to Sirha Hot Springs!”

Once the decision was made, it was time for action.

First, I checked for a period where my time off from work would align. I couldn’t exactly just stop showing up at the castle for several days starting tomorrow. There were documents that required a Demon King’s approval, so unannounced vacations were generally frowned upon.

I found a spot with consecutive holidays. The schedule wouldn’t be an issue.

Next, I dispatched a Messenger Raven toward the hotels at Sirha Hot Springs.

This was to ensure we secured a place to stay. If we arrived only to find every room booked and had to wander around looking for a vacancy, the vacation mood would be completely ruined.

A few days later, the Raven returned carrying a slip of paper confirming our reservation.

“Mm! The family trip schedule is perfect!”

I rewarded the Raven with a generous portion of beast meat as a prize.