A Mountaintop Footbath

The main peak of the Etovis Mountains is like a sharp sword piercing the gray sky of the Northern Frontier. The wind on the summit is as fierce as a knife, carrying fine, hard ice crystals that lash against the bare rocks with a "rustling" sound. The air is thin and cold, and every breath is like being pricked by needles, as if the lungs are about to Frozen.

After several days of grueling climbing, the four finally reached the platform above the snow line, shrouded in legend. The platform was small, with a sheer drop at its edge, and clouds swirling below. And in the center of the platform lay their destination—the "legendary hot spring."

However, the scene before my eyes was quite different from what I had imagined.

There was no steaming, warm pool large enough to hold several people; there was only a shallow, naturally formed stone pit, about half an arm's length deep.

The bottom of the pit was covered with smooth pebbles, and a pool of crystal-clear warm water was gushing out from the cracks in the rocks, with extremely faint white steam rising from the surface, almost blown away by the mountain breeze. It was more like a large foot bath than a hot spring.

Lupa loosened her grip on the axe, her pink twin ponytails ruffled by the wind. Her heterochromatic eyes stared at the shallow water, her small face filled with disbelief. "After all that hardship, this is it?" Her voice was breathless with exhaustion and disappointment.

"Ugh... no way... after climbing for so long, my legs are practically giving out... we've been climbing for three days, almost getting hit by falling rocks, braving strong winds that could blow a person away, and even slipping on a snow slope and almost falling down the mountain... after going through so many hardships and trekking through mountains and rivers, this 'legendary hot spring'... is only this shallow?"

She bent down and tested the water temperature with her hand; it was warm and pleasant. "This shouldn't even cover my knees, right?"

Lowell unbuckled his backpack and tossed it casually onto a nearby rock. Looking at the shallow water, a knowing, slightly amused expression crossed his face. He even chuckled easily, his tone carrying his characteristic lazy dislike of trouble yet fondness for small pleasures.

"Haha, isn't this interesting? A hot spring for soaking your feet only. Looks like the legends can be misleading." He said, already taking off his boots, which were covered in snow and mud.

Hearing this, Lupa rolled her eyes in annoyance, her heterochromatic pupils conveying a sarcastic tone that seemed to say, "Master, your tastes are really strange." She stretched her aching arms and resignedly began to take off her boots, muttering, "I could treat this as a special training session for warriors to relieve leg fatigue after climbing to the summit... but look at Lady Frieren..."

Her gaze shifted to the side.

Frieren stood there, her long silver hair flying wildly in the mountain wind, her emerald eyes fixed on the shallow water. Her usually expressionless face was now clearly shrouded in a visible layer of low pressure.

It was a mixture of disappointment and helplessness after huge expectations were dashed, along with a hint of anger at being "deceived." She narrowed her eyes slightly, her lips turned down, and her entire face clearly conveyed one message—"That's it?"

Lowell followed Lupa's gaze and couldn't help but laugh again. He had already sat down by the hot spring, immersing his slightly reddened feet in the warm water, and sighed contentedly.

"Phew... soaking feet is fine too. That way, the four of us can soak together without having to take turns waiting, which saves time. Plus, the view from the mountaintop is amazing; this is like having a VIP foot bath all to ourselves."

Frieren slowly turned her head, her emerald eyes glancing sideways at Lowell. Her tone was calm, yet carried a deadly precision. "You can soak in the other hot springs together. You clearly soaked your whole body with me before. This one is too small; it's defective."

"Pfft--!" Lupa, who was drinking water, almost choked. She quickly covered her mouth, her heterochromatic eyes widened, and her face instantly flushed red. Her eyes darted back and forth between Lowell and Frieren, filled with shock and gossip.

Even Linié, who had been as quiet as a doll, paused almost imperceptibly as she was taking off her little leather boots, her deep blue pupils seemingly turning slightly towards Lowell.

Lowell's smile froze instantly, then crumbled, replaced by a look of utter exasperation—"Why bring up that sore spot?" He awkwardly touched his nose, his eyes darting around, trying to change the subject, his voice tinged with helpless embarrassment.

"Ahem... well... it's all old news, no need to dwell on the details... the important thing is to enjoy the present! As for why we can't soak together... ask Lupa..."

Lupa blushed, stammering "Ah... um..." before quickly lowering her head, pretending to be engrossed in struggling with her bootlaces, while inwardly screaming: 'Master! Don't throw this kind of question at me! Lady Frieren, you're too direct!'

Looking at Frieren 'Lowell embarrassed appearance and then at the disappointing "foot bath," a faint hint of satisfaction, like "getting back at someone," flashed in Frillie's emerald eyes, but it was quickly replaced by the harsh reality that the "hot spring had turned into a small puddle."

She eventually walked slowly to the hot spring, sat down next to Lowell, and silently took off her muddy little leather boots and white socks, revealing a pair of fair and delicate feet with slender ankles, but now bearing the marks of dust and fatigue.

She carefully dipped her feet into the warm water, the warmth spreading from the soles of her feet, causing her to let out a barely perceptible soft "hmm." Her tense face relaxed slightly, but she still muttered under her breath, as if unwilling to admit defeat, "... Too small, a fraudulent hot spring."

Then, she even lifted her feet out of the water a little, watching the water droplets fall, as if measuring how pitifully shallow the "hot spring" was. Then, as if to compensate for her disappointment, she pulled her calves as far into the water as possible, her body unconsciously leaning towards the only stable heat source beside her— Lowell.

Lowell felt her approach and his lips curved into a barely perceptible smile. He didn't pull away, but instead adjusted his posture slightly to make her more comfortable. He even casually splashed some warm water onto the small section of Frieren's leg that was above the water, helping her to ward off the chill.

"Make do with this, Frieren. It's better than nothing. I'll buy you a biscuit with double the honey and nuts when we get to the next city."

Frieren glanced at him without saying a word, but she didn't refuse the warm water either. Instead, she sank her calves deeper into the water, her emerald eyes narrowing like a cat being stroked, and she let out a very soft hum from her nose, indicating "deal".

In contrast, Linié appeared very content.

She sat quietly on the other side of Frieren, her little feet dipped into the water, her deep blue eyes watching the ripples on the surface. Her face remained expressionless, but her posture exuded a rare sense of relaxation and comfort, as if she found this "foot soaking" experience novel and enjoyable.

She even tried to immerse her calves in the water, just like Frieren did, but because she was short, she almost slipped in completely before Lupa, who was quick-witted and agile, pulled her back.

"Be careful, Linié!" Lupa said, both amused and exasperated. She took off her boots and socks, soaked her well-worn, resilient feet in the water, and let out a long, comfortable sigh. "Ah... but to be honest, even though they're small, soaking them really feels so much better. I feel like the chill in my bones has dissipated a bit."

As she wiggled her toes in the hot water, feeling the soreness gradually subside, she looked down at the churning sea of clouds and couldn't help but exclaim, "This feeling is truly indescribable! It's like relaxing after training! It was all worth climbing up!"

Lowell leaned against the rock behind him, eyes closed, enjoying the moment of tranquility and the rare quiet respite Frieren. Hearing this, he lazily replied, "Yeah, and it's less crowded and quieter. If there were a big hot spring, we'd probably have to squeeze in with other adventurers, that would be troublesome."

As he spoke, he felt Frieren's head unconsciously nuzzle against his shoulder, searching for a more comfortable position, and the smile on his lips deepened.

Frieren didn't speak, but silently took out a crumpled booklet that looked like some kind of plant encyclopedia from her small bag. She flipped through it in the daylight, accepting the "downgraded" hot spring experience and "compensation plan." However, one of her feet was still gently dangling in the water, stirring up small ripples, showing that she was not completely focused on the book.

After soaking for about fifteen minutes, Frieren suddenly closed her book, her emerald eyes looking at Lowell, her tone calm yet undeniably authoritative:

"Baked flatbread, I'll have it when I get back. Double the honey and nuts, you said it."

"Yes, I remember. I'll buy it when I get back." Lowell replied with a smile, naturally reaching out to tidy the silver strands of hair that had been blown across her cheek by the wind.

Frieren looked into the distance and added softly, "And next time, we should still go for the big ones."

Lowell chuckled and replied, "I know, next time I'll definitely find a large hot spring that meets your expectations."

Lupa watched this scene and chuckled to herself, then said to Linié, "See, this is the real effect of a 'hot spring,' it can really lift your spirits."

Linié tilted her head, her deep blue eyes reflecting the rising steam from the hot spring. She first mimicked Lupa's earlier gesture and secretly smiled, then suddenly reached out and gently tugged at Lupa's sleeve.

"Then... can the 'better mood' effect be used to give Linié an apple?"

She paused, then added, "Or, like them?" Her gaze drifted to Lowell and Frieren, who were splashing water on each other, their shoulders touching.

Before Lupa could even react to what "like that" meant, Linié had already moved closer, almost touching Lupa's ear, her breath warm with the scent of the hot spring, her voice soft. "Lupa smells of sunshine and... apples. It smells wonderful."

As she spoke, she even Imitation Lowell's earlier action, extending her fingertip to carefully touch Lupa's smooth but strong calf, which was soaking in the hot spring. "It's warm here."

Lupa's face flushed red instantly. Caught off guard by this sudden, clumsy, and direct "offensive," she stammered, "Li- Linié! Where... where did you learn all this?!"

Linié withdrew her hand innocently, replying in her usual calm tone, "What I saw... Imitation... is that not allowed?" She tilted her head, "An apple, is that okay?"

Where did you see that?!

The mountain wind still howled, yet it seemed unable to penetrate this small, warm haven. The four sat around, their eight feet barely visible in the clear hot spring water. Wispy white steam rose around them, carrying the scent of sulfur, mixed with a strange tranquility and... a subtle, warm whisper belonging to the journey.