After emerging from the "water surface," the "door" to the Mirror World closed, and Abner and Xio immediately fell back into the hot spring, sending up a huge splash.
Xio pulled out the dagger that had been passed beneath Abner's armpit and released the arm around his neck. Only then did she free herself from that hanging position and plant her feet firmly on the bottom of the pool.
—This hot spring pool was barely over half a meter deep, only reaching Xio's thighs.
Back in the labyrinth hall, Abner had half-turned to glance at Leon, the lion who had swallowed the Light Priest. Xio had no choice but to pretend to stab with her dagger and crash into his arms, after which they had fallen from the Mirror World into reality together. That was why their posture had looked so strange.
In an unfamiliar environment, Abner cautiously surveyed Zhou's surroundings and discovered that this seemed to be a hot spring inn nestled in the mountains.
There were no guests in this pool or in the other enclosed hot spring pools around Zhou. Only a few curly-haired baboons had climbed over the fence while the innkeeper was not paying attention and were soaking comfortably in the warm water.
Business was clearly terrible.
That was rather strange. By all rights, November should have been peak season for mountain hot springs, whether in Loen, Feysac, or Intis...
Moreover, the surroundings were pleasant and the decor tasteful. Why was no one coming? Had there been some kind of accident before? Or was the location too remote?
But this was not his previous life, not the twenty-first century where information spread with incredible speed. How could an inn make any business by opening in such a remote place? No normal person would be that