Chapter 79: The Hot Spring, and The Peeking
[That’s right, the current situation is bad, you see. The number of visitors has decreased. Father tries to liven up the town with shougi, however it can’t quite become a good publicity ]
I visited [The Silver Moon] in Rifuretto after a long time, and heard this from Mika-san. I didn’t visit for a while, but for things to have come to this.
A guest has to stay overnight for an inn to make a profit. For that, there has be a reason for them to stay in this town. Isn’t Rifuretto in itself something like a specialty or a tourist spot?… is it?
It would be a different story if they had something like a hot spring though.
….. Dig one up? No no, since it is not even a volcanic area there is no way an onsen will come out.
[There has to be something sort of event, I wonder… Like a festival… ]
[Festival? Festival of what?]
[What sort?… Even if you asked, I can’t think of one. In the country where I lived there is something like a snow festival or the Tanabata festival]
[It doesn’t snow that much around here, and what is Tanabata?]
Not good, is it? And even with a festival it would only be crowded temporarily. Once a year, even though it would be bursting with tourists, anytime else it would be deserted……
In order to always attract tourists, there’s no choice but to have something that can only be found here. Having a hot spring would be best after all… With an inn, just having hot spring, it would be possible to attract customers. Boiling the water with magic, should I make a hot spring even if it’s artificial? However even if I have to boil every day as well, it won’t be much effect, I think. It would just be a big bath in that case. Is there any other way…?
[… I can make one. A hot spring]
[Eh?]
Yes, it’s possible. Furthermore, it’s quite easy. From a hot spring, if I pull hot water with [Gate], let it flow freely, and return the hot water again with [Gate] there won’t be any problem.
[Is it really possible to make a hot spring?]
[It is possible, probably. And it shouldn’t take much time either]
[It would be a great help if that’s true… So, what should I do?]
In a place where Mika-san started hurrying, her old father Doran-san came back. Doran-san jumps at the talk of making a hot spring, and confirmed the contents.
[In other word are you saying that with your magic you will connect a distant hot spring to here? Is that possible? ]
[Yeah, probably. Well, I will try whether I can do it in any case.]
I take out my smartphone and search for [Hot Spring]. At the outskirts of Meris.h.i.+a Mountains, there is one in the forest to the south. I had Mika-san confirm it, but she says she has never heard of something like a hot spring in that place. Is it a secluded hot spring? Perfect.
I use [Gate] to return home at once, take s.h.i.+zuka along and travel with the [Garden] this time. Then we head towards the location of the secluded hot spring.
[For master going so far as to take me out that far to the hot spring in the mountains, just to see me naked… despite that if you gave a single word, I would take everything off in a flash.]
[ I don’t have such reason. So try to lower your skirt!]
I chop the head of this robogirl who keeps uttering s.e.xual hara.s.sments, to quiet her. Seriously this fellow has too much pink fantasy flowing through her head.
Eventually the [Garden] reaches its destination, and I go to the ground. Oh, this smell. This is indeed the sign of a hot spring.
When I made my way through the bushes, I found the hot spring inside the forest. The water quality appears to be good, and it’s not so murky. I approach it and try to lower my hand into the water. Is it a bit hot? Well, it is better than lukewarm, there’s no problem with temperature.
I take a good look, with sources being here and there, there seems to be no problem with water quant.i.ty as well.
Here I will install a pipe with [Gate] enchantment, lead it all the way to [The Silver Moon] bath, and bring the water back through this pipe with [Gate] again. It is like putting [The Silver Moon] between the flows of hot spring.
First I take a ma.s.s of mithril out from [Storage] (I had a feeling it would rust if it was iron), then make a few 10cm diameter, and 30cm long pipes. I install those pipes in several sources. Using [Modelling], I fix it perfectly so it doesn’t wash away.
[Good, the preparation is okay with this.]
Then with [Gate] I return to Rifuretto……ah whoops! I totally forgot s.h.i.+zuka! I don’t know what she’d say if I left her back again too.
While being relieved for noticing, I moved to [Garden] where s.h.i.+zuka was waiting with [Gate].
I come out at the back garden of [The Silver Moon], then using earth magic I build a waterway about 30 centimeters deep. 1 meter length should be okay, I guess. The surroundings are hardened with stones to prevent the water from getting muddy.
I retrieved a ma.s.s of mithril from inside [Storage], made the usual statue of lion face with open mouth, and installed it on one side of the waterway. If I bestow [Gate] on it right now the hot water will flow out immediately……
I use [Program], and make it so it opens and closes [Gate] with [Open • Close] keywords. I leave it temporarily at [Close], and bury a mithril pipe above the waterway on other side. The pipe here is the mechanism to return the hot water back to the secluded hot spring again.
[With this I believe everything should be fine. ]
While Doran-san and Mika-san are looking, I touch the head of the lion statue, and the instant I recite [Open], the hot water poured out from inside the mouth.
[Ooh!?]
[Hot water came out!]
Eventually the hot water coming out from the lion mouth filled out the waterway, and halted when it reached the height of the pipe in the opposite side. The hot water flows into the drainage pipe, returning to the secluded hot spring, I think.
I went barefoot, and poke my feet in the hot water. Yup, it feels a little hot but it should be fine.
[Wah… This is amazing… ]
[But even if the hot spring appears, does our house have enough grounds to make an outdoor bath?]
While Doran-san was looking at the flowing hot water with utter amazement, Mira-san frowns on the real issue. I had already thought about it.
[If I am not mistaken the big house in the back is empty, right?]
[That’s correct… What will you do?]
[Let’s buy it]
[[Eh!?]]
Yes, this is the quickest way. At once I went to the real estate agent, and when I confirmed how much the house in the back costs, I immediately paid when I was told the price was 8 white gold coins. When I sold the broken pieces of the Mithril Golem, it was unexpectedly a huge sum by itself, so I am not troubled with money at present, and the house has its own uses.
I signed a contract, and returned to [The Silver Moon] after officially purchasing it.
[Did you really go and buy it!?]
[Now, should I do it quickly in one go~?]
While Mika-san was leering and expressing an amazed voice, I invoke [Gate] on the ground, and then transfer the [Whole house] in the back to [Sky Garden]. Suto~n, the house sinks into the ground, and instantly vanish.
[[Eeh!?]]
Aloof from the two surprised people, I made the fence around [The Silver Moon] disappear one by one in the same way.
I roughly changed the shape of the bathhouse with earth magic. I could make it spread quite widely. After that I modified the minute details with [Modeling].
/* Need someone to check the 2nd sentence. Sounds like there should be a negative in there but there wasn’t before I edited it. */
[Ah, how should I make the men’s and ladies’ bath? Should I completely separate them?]
[Eh? Oh, right, can you separate them?]
[E~as~ily!]
I separate the baths completely, making two. I surrounded it with rock walls, a stone pavement for the was.h.i.+ng place, made the roof and pillars with Hinoki, and the wall dividing both men’s and ladies’ bath are made with Hinoki. In addition, I apply [Paralysis] to the wall. A divine punishment for peeping guys.
[TL: Hinoki = j.a.panese cypress]
I create a small dressing room for both sides, and hang the curtains, the external appearance is done for now.
Finally with [Program] I applied [Mirage] on the outdoor bath roof, to completely block the sight from the top.
It has completely become a j.a.panese style open air bath, and it was done considerably well, too.
I feel a sense of satisfaction towards my own work, nodding by myself, while out of the corner of my eye Mika-san and Doran-san are reflected.
[Ugh… I already got tired of getting surprised… ]
[You made it in a blink of an eye…]
Hmm, did I overdo it? Because it was really interesting I made it really quickly. I even ended up making the bucket and stool as well.
[Wait, can we use this open air bath for business? The land and the bath itself is yours right?]
[I will lend it to you indefinitely. When you make profits using it, you may buy it eventually. It’s 8 white gold pieces though. ]
I showed them the land certificate, with the purchase amount indicated. The house disappeared, but a hot spring was built instead, how about considering the difference zero?
[Fumu… My bad. Not only do I get sale from the inn, I also earn from the bath. In that case, I will use it gratefully. ]
[This hot spring is not effective against diseases, but it is considerably effective against physical ailments. Like having poor eyesight, or waist pain, or even the effects of poison if you soak in it for a while]
[Does it really have that kind of effect? ]
It does. I left [Recovery] and [Program] after all. Because it could cause a commotion if it was able to recover instantly, it would just gradually soak in the hot water, and the effects will slowly appear.
For now it is just a trial run. Men’s bath and ladies’ bath, I [Open] both, and acc.u.mulate the hot water. Meanwhile Mika-san and Doran-san called their acquaintances because today is free of charge.
In the men’s bath besides Doran-san, the owner of [Eight Bear Weapon Shop], Bear-san, Dealer of the secondhand shop Simon-san, [Fas.h.i.+on King Zanuck] Zanuck-san came. Wait, the ratio of old uncles in the men’s bath is too high! ]
While soaked in the hot spring, and I was having such thoughts, a bench was brought to the edge of the was.h.i.+ng place, and Doran-san and Balal-san started playing shougi. Even in a place like this.
In the ladies’ bath besides Mika-san there was the [Parent] coffeeshop Aeru-san and her employees, and our s.h.i.+zuka also went inside. Is she fine soaking in hot water even though she is a robogirl? Is what I thought, but if it’s that pervert professor she would not make a mistake around that area.
[Master, should I wash your back?]
[Don’t say such stupid remarks, and just take bath silently!]
I yell at her from the other side of the wall. How much pink is it, that fellow’s mind!
[maa maa, don’t be so reserved.]
[Cho, s.h.i.+zuka-chan! Why you are climbing the wall!? ]
[Fuguu!?]
I heard Mika-san’s voice calling for that idiot, then s.h.i.+zuka’s m.u.f.fled voice afterward, and finally the sound of someone falling from the ladies’ bath. It was effective even on her, the [Paralysis]. She did say she also used biological parts as well.
[If you try to climb the wall like this and peep you are going to have a bad time, so please be careful]
I explain it to the old uncles, whose smiles became stiff, and everyone nodded obediently. By no means did I think the first insolent person would come from the ladies’ bath.
Well, now that I removed the nuisance, I can slowly soak in the hot water. Ah~ This is such a good bath.