Hot Springs

Lowell stopped in front of a hotel.

The hot spring hotel is located in the eastern part of Oysast, near a tranquil forest.

The building in front of me was different from others. The exterior walls were made of a warm, light-colored stone that gleamed softly in the afternoon sunlight.

The eaves have elegant lines, and two simple stone lanterns hang in front of the door. The lanterns have intricate magical patterns on their surfaces and emit a constant, warm glow. The air is filled with the faint scent of sulfur mixed with the fragrance of grass and trees.

The entrance was paved with clean stone slabs, and two magic lamps emitted a soft, warm light.

Frieren looked up at the sign, her emerald green eyes lighting up.

"Oh~" she uttered a drawn-out, surprised syllable.

Fern's pale purple eyes widened slightly as she looked at the magnificent building before her, and she murmured unconsciously, "Wow..."

Lowell walked half a step ahead of them. Hearing the reaction behind him, he turned around, a smug look on his face. He put his hands on his hips and raised his chin slightly.

"Impressive, isn't it?" His tone was laced with undisguised pride. "This shop is the most luxurious hot spring inn in Oysast. Not only are the hot springs soothing, but the food is also absolutely superb. Ordinary people can't even get a chance to come; you have to book a month in advance!"

Fern snapped out of his initial astonishment and looked at Lowell with a reasonable question in his eyes.

"It certainly looks wonderful... Well, Lady Lowell, why were we allowed to come here?" She paused, listing several possibilities, "Is it because of your status Court Mage or Honorary Nobility? Or is this shop a business run by a graduate of some Continental United Academy, a place of acquaintances?"

Lowell's smug expression became even more pronounced; he even let out a couple of "humphs" and puffed out his chest.

"Neither." He held up one finger and shook it. "Me? --"

He deliberately dragged out his tone, looking at Fern.

I booked a month in advance.

Fern's expression froze instantly.

She looked at Lowell's "praise me" expression and remained silent for several seconds.

Finally, she sighed softly, her shoulders slumped slightly, and her tone carried an indescribable helplessness.

"... never mind."

She shook her head, as if giving up on investigating further.

"Anyway, let's go in and enjoy ourselves. Lady Frieren seems quite eager."

Frieren, who was standing to the side, had indeed reached the inn's entrance. She was looking up, studying the magical runes carved on the porch, her emerald green eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Mmm," she replied absentmindedly.

The hotel's interior was equally elegant. Warm lighting, a subtle fragrance, and waitresses in neat kimonos silently guided them.

Dinner was held in a private Japanese-style room. The dishes were exquisite, the portions were just right, and the taste was indeed excellent, just as Lowell had said.

Frieren ate with great focus, occasionally squinting her eyes slightly when a particular dish was especially to her liking, like a contented cat. Fern also ate in small bites, a relaxed expression on his face.

After the meal, the waitress brought clean yukatas and towels and pointed out the direction to the hot springs.

"Well then," Lowell picked up his own portion, "I'm going to the men's bath. You two enjoy yourselves."

"Mm." Frieren nodded, already standing up with her yukata in her arms, her silver hair swaying with her movements.

Fern also stood up. "Yes, Lord Lowell."

The men's bath area was very quiet, as it is a high-end venue and there weren't many customers.

The changing room was empty, with only the sound of flowing water coming from the depths. Lowell changed into her yukata, opened the wooden door, and stepped into the misty hot spring area.

The interior was more spacious than expected, cleverly divided into several pools of varying sizes by natural rocks. Warm spring water steamed with white vapor, and the air was filled with a faint smell of sulfur and the fragrance of herbs. Soft, magical orbs of light were embedded in the rock walls, providing illumination.

Lowell glanced around and spotted only one person in a smaller pool.

The person was facing away from the entrance, with only a head bearing the Demons's signature horn and part of a shoulder visible, submerged in the pool. Short, wet black hair clung to the back of his neck, and his skin was a strange, dark grayish-blue, barely discernible in the mist and shimmering water.

Lowell didn't stop, heading straight for another, smaller, but still large enough for one person and seemingly more private, individual spring. He untied his yukata, stepped into the comfortably warm water, sighed contentedly, and slowly sank down, leaving only his neck and above exposed.

The warm water enveloped his body, dispelling the fatigue of the past few days. He closed his eyes and leaned back on the smooth rocks by the pool.

After a while...

The sound of water came from the large pool next to us.

The dark-haired man seemed to turn around, facing Lowell. Then, a voice, tinged with surprise and uncertainty, rang out:

"Oh? Isn't this Lord Lowell?"

Lowell opened one eye, glanced at him, and looked at him with a questioning look that seemed to say, "Who are you?"

Through the mist, the man was looking at him. He had dark gray-blue skin, short black hair, and his features looked somewhat young, but his eyes held a casualness that didn't quite match his appearance. He raised a hand and waved casually as a greeting.

Lowell's gaze inadvertently fell on the man's raised wrist.

There was a stone ring there, which Lowell recognized.

Dominating Stone Ring.

That's only natural. Without wearing this thing, how many Demons would obediently soak in the hot springs here?

Lowell's expression remained unchanged; he simply uttered a soft "Hmm?" with just the right amount of doubt in his voice.

"Who are you?" he asked, his gaze calmly sweeping across the other person's face, then over the stone ring, and finally back to the other person's eyes.

Although he saw that it was Demons and that it Dominating Stone Ring, he didn't recognize the face.

"It's me, Elder." The man— Elder —said with a tone of "How could you forget?" as he relaxed and floated in the hot spring. "We met at the academy. Once, in the Star-Torch Corridor, when you were practicing 'Earth Release: Heart Decapitation Technique' there."

Lowell raised his hand and scratched his temple with his knuckles, as if deep in thought.

"Uh...? Ah...?" he repeated softly, trying to search his memory, but he really couldn't recall anything.

The main reason was that although there weren't many Demons students in the academy, there were some, and his mind wasn't on them at the time.

"You are...?" he asked tentatively, "... whose subordinate are you?"

Elder didn't seem surprised by his forgetfulness and kindly reminded him, "Oh, I'm Yūren's subordinate."

Lowell remained silent for a few more seconds.

"Oh... it's them."

His face quickly switched to an "aha!" expression, and his tone became a little warmer.

Elder looked at him with droopy eyes.

"It's obvious you haven't remembered at all."

He paused, then gave more specific information.

"Lady Yūren is a subordinate of Solitär."

"Okay, okay, I understand now." He nodded and leaned back against the pool. "Anyway, what are you doing here? This place isn't cheap, hmm... did you earn that money as a part-time adventurer?"

"Oh, no," he said casually. "I infiltrated using earth magic."

Lowell stared at him expressionlessly.

Elder added, "It's just sitting there empty... and besides, I use earth magic myself, so every time I use it, I replace it with fresh hot spring water drawn from deeper ley lines to ensure the water quality. I call it an equal exchange; it's not like I'm soaking for nothing."

Lowell was momentarily speechless, and finally only commented:

You're quite particular.

Elder nodded in deep agreement.

That is.

The two stopped talking and each enjoyed the hot spring.

Female hot spring area.

The layout is similar to the men's bath, but the decorations are more delicate, and a faint floral fragrance wafts in the air.

Frieren and Fern each occupied an adjacent small pool.

Fern gathered Frieren's long silver hair into a loose but cute bun on top of her head and secured it with a simple wooden hairpin. Frieren submerged her entire body in the slightly warm spring water, leaving only her shoulders and head exposed. Her emerald eyes narrowed comfortably, and her face showed undisguised contentment.

"Ah..." she sighed contentedly, her fair skin flushed slightly from the steam of the hot spring water.

Fern was also soaking in the pool next to her, her long, pale purple hair cascading over her shoulders. Unlike Frieren, who sank completely into the water, she leaned gracefully against the edge, looking equally relaxed.

Warm water can indeed wash away fatigue.

"Lady Frieren seems to really enjoy the hot springs," Fern said softly, watching Frieren's blissful expression.

Upon hearing this, Frieren opened her eyes a crack and looked at Fern. A smug look appeared on her face, as if to say, "You just don't understand."

"Of course," she said, sitting up straighter in the hot spring, water droplets sliding down her smooth shoulders and neck.

She cleared her throat and struck what she thought was a very imposing pose—though, because she was soaking in hot water, the pose looked more like she was stretching comfortably.

"Fern, do you know who I am?" she asked seriously.

Fern blinked, somewhat puzzled.

"Eh? Lady Frieren... isn't that Frieren?"

"No!" Frieren immediately retorted, her emerald eyes sparkling in the steam of the hot spring.

Immediately afterwards, she quietly and quickly drew a simple magic rune behind her back with her finger.

The next moment--

Centered on Frieren, the surrounding light seemed to be gathered and adjusted by some invisible force. Above the hot spring, several soft yet clearly directional beams of magical energy appeared out of thin air, like spotlights on a stage, hitting Frieren, who was posing, precisely and dazzlingly!

The light wasn't dazzling, but it perfectly created an atmosphere of "making an appearance." Even the rising water vapor took on a dreamy halo in the light.

Clearly, she used the "bluffing" magic.

Frieren maintained that pose, chin slightly raised, and under the "stage lights," spoke in a deliberately lowered, conspicuous voice, as if announcing a major secret:

"But I..."

She paused, making sure Fern's attention was fully focused.

Then, announce in the loudest voice:

"... A magician who has soaked in a hot spring for over a thousand years!"

Fern: "..."

She looked at her master, who was enveloped in the magical light she had created and had a "praise me for being amazing" expression on his face, her pale purple eyes calm and unwavering.

Several seconds passed.

She sighed softly, her shoulders relaxed slightly, and she leaned back against the pool, immersing herself in the warm spring water from her chin down.

"Alright, alright," her voice came through the steam, carrying a resigned indulgence, "Lady Frieren is the best."

The lights quietly went out.

Frieren sank back into the water contentedly, leaving behind only a string of bubbling bubbles and a mumbled, slightly amused mutter:

"Hmph~ Of course."

The previous chapter had 5200 words.

Happy New Year.