It was only midday, but I decided to soak in the hot spring.
Phew...
A hot bath in the dead of winter really warms you to the bone.
The lion family was right there in front of me. This was technically the men's bath, but they clearly didn't care about gender boundaries. I reached out and patted the back of one of the cubs. They were tiny when we first met, but now they had grown almost as large as their parents. The lack of a mane suggested this one was a female.
"Alright, alright. You guys want some too?"
The other cubs crowded around, nudging me to pet their backs as well. I didn't mind, but they really had gotten big. Being surrounded by them was quite overwhelming.
"One at a time, now. I came here to relax, too, you know."
Beside me, a relaxed Death Knight soaked leisurely in the tub while I rubbed the cubs' backs. I wondered who had taught him to balance a towel on his head like that.
A bit further off, the Earth Dragon—also known as the Dungeon Walker—lay submerged. It had grown to about three meters long. I worried about whether it could actually hold its breath that long, but apparently, it was perfectly fine staying underwater for several days at a time. I wondered if it was similar to a turtle. I’d assumed it stayed inside the dungeon constantly, but I heard it occasionally visited the hot spring area just to sink to the bottom of the bath.
Arako, the Arachne, had come along as its chaperone. Normally they bathed together, but since I was here today, she had moved to the women's side. Come to think of it, shouldn't the dragon have just gone to the women's bath with her? I wasn't actually sure if the creature was male or female. Arako told me not to worry about it, though, so I didn't.
Suddenly, the dragon poked its head above the surface and looked around expectantly. Was it looking for Arako? When I pointed toward the women's bath, it seemed to understand and swam off in that direction. It was surprisingly fast.
The moment the dragon moved, one of Kuro's children leaped into the empty spot. Once the first one jumped in, the others followed suit one after another.
"Hey, now. This isn't a swimming pool, so try to be quiet. No swimming! And don't cut in front of the lions. Wait your turn. You guys are the priority today, anyway."
I told them not to pout. The ones jumping into the spring were the pups born this year. Their bodies were much larger than at birth, but their hearts were still very much those of children. They were at that mischievous age where they just wanted to run wild. They’d been out hunting with the adults near the hot spring area until just recently. Since they’d come to the spring, I assumed they were finished for the day.
Before jumping into the main bath with me, they seemed to have used the separate pool I’d built for the lions to wash the mud off their fur. We had to keep the water clean, after all.
A little later, the older wolves who had been guiding the youngsters arrived. They entered the water quietly.
"Good, good. And thanks for your hard work. Did you catch anything?"
They had taken down a Panic Caribou? Well done. I made a mental note to praise them properly later, but for the moment, I was busy petting the lion cubs.
The older wolves were clever. They formed a silent, orderly line, though there was really no need for them to queue up while still inside the water.
"It’s deep over there, isn't it? Look at you—only your snout is above the surface. You hate getting water in your ears, don't you? You don't have to push yourselves."
I convinced them to move, and once I finished with the lion cubs, I gave the wolves their turn. I certainly worked hard for my relaxation.
One of the pups born this year looked particularly proud of itself. Ah, were you the one who found the Panic Caribou? I gave its belly a thorough rubbing.
Before I knew it, the line had formed again.
"Oh, boy... alright, alright. Don't look at me with those expectant eyes. I'll do my best."
I was just glad there weren't more of them here today.
I could understand the animals, but I had no idea what the Death Knights were planning by joining the queue. I certainly had no intention of rubbing their ribcages.
Soaking in the spring wasn't the only reason I had come to the area. I had vegetables to deliver to the lions and some minor repairs to make to the facilities, but my primary objective was to speak with Asa Fougma, the manager of the Teleportation Gate.
To put it simply, our talk was about the duration of his assignment. I had assumed that focusing on a single, specialized task would be appreciated, but after speaking with Bell and Gou, it seemed I was mistaken. Even Miyo mentioned that people generally preferred having a variety of responsibilities. This led to a discussion about whether Asa was doing alright, and since talking behind his back was useless, I decided to ask him directly.
The verdict? There weren't any problems at all.
Even as the manager, he wasn't glued to the Teleportation Gate twenty-four hours a day. His job consisted of checking if the gate was functioning, explaining rules to first-time users, and keeping a log of who passed through. As long as he handled those three things, his time was his own. Since the lion family and the Death Knights helped out with security, his life was relatively easy.
I was convinced once I saw his private room attached to the gate hut. It was a sanctuary for his various interests. Currently, he was obsessed with fishing and had several handmade rods on display. He felt perfectly safe while fishing because either the lion cubs or Kuro's children were always nearby.
"With the Teleportation Gate right there, I can get to the Village of the Great Tree or Village Five in an instant, so I have no complaints. Thank you for your concern," Asa said.
"I see."
"Actually, I'm more concerned about Futa than myself."
"Hm?"
"I've heard that Hii, Roku, and Nana have been working quite energetically under the Acting Village Head in Village Five. I was worried Futa might be feeling unfulfilled just managing a gate."
"Ah, that’s fine. She actually came to me with a suggestion herself."
"She did? I apologize for her being so forward. That was disrespectful of her."
"Don't worry about it. It’s better than having someone work while harboring secret dissatisfaction."
"Is that so? And what was the result?"
"Miyo has her helping out with the paperwork—with a smile on her face, no less. She's still managing her gate on the side, of course."
Asa went silent for a moment.
"The lack of manpower for the paperwork is my own blunder," I continued. "Big Roof Shashato and Village Five generated work far beyond my expectations. I'm taking measures now, so things should get easier by spring. Futa should be released from the extra work by then."
Probably.
"I see. That is joyful news... Ahem. On another note, have you heard anything new regarding the relationship between Gou and Lady Holly?"
"Are you following the progress of Gou's love life?" I asked. Or perhaps Asa had his own designs on Holly?
"She is a wonderful woman, but I wouldn't dream of interfering. I truly wish for Gou's happiness. It's just that whenever Lady Holly is the topic, Gou becomes unusually tight-lipped."
"That’s true. But it’s the same for Holly. They seem to be exchanging letters, though..."
"Letters? I hadn't heard about that. I'll have to ask Bell to keep an eye on them."
"No peeking, now."
"Of course not. As I said, I only wish for his happiness."
"And your real thoughts?"
"Hahaha. Well... I just want to tell him to stop being so slow and be more proactive! But I suppose everyone moves at their own pace. I'll just watch over them."
Asa muttered something about wishing he could give them some advice. He really did seem to enjoy romantic gossip. He began lamenting Gou's shy tendencies, citing several examples. Personally, since they looked like an elderly couple despite their actual ages, I didn't really want to hear anything too graphic.
"Ah, that reminds me. Village Head, how do you feel about Bell?"
Oh no. The conversation was turning toward me. Time for a strategic withdrawal.
"I should go prepare dinner."
The meal would feature a dish made with Panic Caribou horn. I wasn't going to keep it all for myself, of course. The women were scheduled to arrive at the hot spring area by dinner time, and we all enjoyed a pleasantly lively meal together.