Three days of carving a path through the forest, punctuated by short breaks, finally brought us to our destination.
We had arrived.
Our rations along the way consisted of Bloody Viper and Grappler Bear meat. The snake was delicious, but the bear was honestly a bit of a letdown. Kuro and the others seemed happy enough with it, though. Regardless of the flavor, we certainly weren't lacking in quantity.
Kierbit and I handled the culinary duties together.
"With enough seasonings, even a novice can produce something edible," Kierbit claimed, but she clearly wasn't a novice. She had a respectable amount of talent in the kitchen. If the High Ogre maids had been here, they might have felt a spark of professional rivalry. Regardless, I was just glad I didn't have to do all the cooking by myself.
The spot we reached was about twenty meters up the base of the mountain. The lush greenery had vanished, replaced by a barren, rocky landscape. It was quite hot.
"There is a slight scent to the air, but no toxins," Tia reported after investigating the area.
The previous investigation team had returned safely, so I hadn't been overly worried about the air quality, but in hindsight, there was always the risk of toxic volcanic gases instead of a proper hot spring. That was a close call. I nearly put my people in danger through my own carelessness. I really need to reflect on that.
"The High Elves and Inferno Wolves are sensitive to the atmosphere in places like this, so it’s perfectly fine," Tia said, comforting me with the reminder that the right people had been chosen for the job.
I accepted her consolation and went to confirm the location of the spring. It was a small pond nestled within the rocks. There seemed to be plenty of water, but it was gurgling loudly and belching out thick clouds of steam.
"The temperature looks dangerous. Putting a hand in would be a mistake."
"It seems so... but if it’s exposed to the air like this, how does it stay so hot?" I wondered. Was there magma right beneath us? If so, wasn't this whole area a hazard?
"Perhaps it’s the nature of the rocks here?" Tia suggested.
"The nature of the rocks?"
"Yes. The stones in this area seem to retain heat."
The concept escaped me, so she gave me a demonstration. I picked up a rock about the size of my palm. To my touch, it felt like a perfectly ordinary stone. Then, Tia hit it with a burst of fire magic. I expected it to simply turn black or char, but there was no visible change.
"Try holding it now," she said.
Asking me to hold a freshly blasted rock sounded like a form of torture, but she assured me it was fine. I reached out tentatively and gripped it. It wasn't hot. In fact, it wasn't hot at all.
"Wait for it..." Tia added.
Slowly, the stone began to grow warm in my hand.
"What's going on?"
"These stones maintain heat over a long period. Think of it as absorbing a hundred units of heat and then slowly releasing one unit at a time, a hundred times over."
"I see."
"If the rocks are touching, they exchange and preserve that heat among themselves. The heat absorbed from deep underground is likely still being held by these stones today."
So that heat was being transferred to the groundwater, creating the spring. In that case, did it even count as a "hot spring"? Or was it just naturally heated groundwater? I couldn't remember the exact legal definition of a hot spring, but it didn't really matter.
I moved on to a survey of the surrounding area. The scalding pond in front of me overflowed in several places, but the runoff wasn't enough to form a proper river; after traveling a short distance, the water would vanish into the cracks between the rocks. It was likely soaking into the soil beneath the stone layer.
I asked Tia, Granmaria, and Kierbit to scout for a nearby river. If the river itself was hot, that would be perfect. If it was cold, I would dig a channel from this hot pond to the river and build a bathhouse at the confluence.
"There’s a river a short distance to the west," Granmaria reported upon her return.
"Is it cold?"
"Yes. Cold and drinkable."
"If it’s cold, then I assume the rocks over there are different from the ones here?"
"It would seem so."
"Are the stones here famous for this?"
"Not this specific location, but stones with the same properties mined elsewhere are widely used as 'heat retention stones.'"
"Heat retention stones?"
"Yes. They’re a safe way to stay warm without using an open flame. I imagine the Giants use them to heat their home during the winter."
"That makes sense. It’s a way to stay warm inside a dungeon without the risks of fire."
I wondered if I could use these stones to build something like a greenhouse. They seemed like they'd be useful for all sorts of things—maybe even cooking.
I was getting sidetracked. Tia and Kierbit returned after finding other water sources, but I decided the river Granmaria found was the most practical choice. The rest would be easy.
It was time for the Universal Farming Tool to shine.
I started by preparing the riverbank. It was an ordinary river flowing from the mountains in the north toward the south.
"Does this river connect to the one near the village?" I asked.
"No, it’s a separate system. It turns west further south of here."
Good to know. I cleared a spot right next to the river to serve as the bath. Bigger was better, so I felled trees to clear an area roughly the size of a twenty-five-meter swimming pool. Then, I dug. And dug.
In no time at all, I had a shallow pool. Since Minotaurs, Centaurs, and Giants might be using it, I made the center section a bit deeper. I set the position for the drainage waterway and the drainage pool, then connected them to the river.
Next, I built a temperature adjustment pool on the north side of the main bath. This was where the cold river water and the scalding spring water would meet to reach the perfect temperature. I was really in the zone now.
I processed the timber I’d cut to build walls, partitioning the bath into two sections: one for men and one for women. I added a changing room as well, though I decided to leave the roof for later, focusing on the floors and walls for now.
Once the structure was ready, I moved on to the channel from the hot pond. With Kuro and the others leading the way, I dug a trench back up toward the spring. It was honestly a lot of fun.
By the time I finished, about three days had passed since our arrival. We’d have to wait for the water to fill up before we could soak, so I spent the interval crafting bath accessories like wooden tubs.
Then I remembered the heat retention stones. If I used those, could I make a sauna? It was worth a shot. I’d been leaving the construction work to the High Elves lately and worried my skills might have dulled, but I still had the knack for it.
By the time I finished a small sauna hut about the size of four and a half tatami mats, the main bath had reached a perfect level.
"Alright, everyone! Time for a soak!"
The Hot Spring Investigation Team finally got to enjoy their open-air bath.
Galf the Beastman and Daga the Lizardman:
"Daga-san... the Village Head is completely absurd."
"You think? He’s pretty much always like this."
"Normal people don't build a facility like this in a few days."
"Even for the Village Head, doing this alone would be a tall order. But we helped, didn't we? We should be proud of our contribution."
"All we did was haul some supplies and hold up a few beams for the hut. He fells and processes trees in the Forest of Death—trees as hard as iron—like he’s cutting through butter. I finally understand how he built an entire village from scratch."
"Indeed. Ah, would you like a drink?"
"Is it allowed?"
"The Village Head gave us his blessing, provided we don't overdo it."
"He really is a man who understands his people. I'm envious."
"Hahaha. If you want to move in, I’ll put in a word for you."
"I’d love to, but I have my responsibilities back home. Well... I’ll give it some thought. Wait, is there food too?"
"Handmade by the Village Head himself."
"Ugh... my resolve is wavering."
Kierbit and Granmaria the Angels:
"It’s... it's so hot..."
"Oh? Kierbit, are you giving up already?"
"N-no... not yet..."
"Shall I add some more water, then?"
"No! Definitely not that!"
"How about a blast of hot air?"
"Absolutely not! How are you so calm in here?"
"Fufu. Because I heard a sauna is excellent for one's beauty."
"...Seriously?"
"Seriously."
"............I'll endure it a little longer."
Kuro’s Offspring:
"Whoa. That water is incredible. It feels amazing."
"For real?"
"To think you’d say that, and you usually hate getting wet."
"I hope it’s our turn soon."
"Hey, stay focused. We’re on perimeter watch. A Bloody Viper or a Grappler Bear could show up at any moment."
"I know, I know. But the Boss took out a ton of them while he was working, didn't he?"
"That wasn't us. That was the Angel sisters."
"Man, those ladies are ruthless."
"They're tough enough one-on-one, but when they work as a trio, they’re terrifying."
"That’s what they call 'coordination.' We need to step up our game."
"True. For now, let’s make sure we don't miss any alarms."
Tia and I:
"That was wonderful. I feel like I've finally been able to relax."
"I agree."
"Is this the first time you and I have been alone together like this outside the house?"
"Outside of our private room? Yes, I believe it is."
"Next time, let's bring Tiselle along."
"I would like that very much."
The Hot Spring Investigation Team thoroughly enjoyed their time at the "hot spring."