In a small clearing within the forest, a natural hot spring bubbled up from a hollow among the rocks.
It wasn’t maintained, and the hollow had leaves and other plant debris settled at the bottom, giving the water a slightly brownish tint. The smell—it was reminiscent of boiled vegetables. So this is what that phrase means.
“Who would have thought there’d be a hot spring here?”
“Indeed… Judging by the lack of maintenance, it seems even the former Duke of Baltia didn’t know about it.”
“Thanks to Arte, we found it.”
I placed a hand on Arte’s head and gave it a gentle ruffle.
Yes! Using praise as an excuse, I could indulge in the texture of her fur. Well-maintained as it was, my fingers glided smoothly through it, and her ears twitched adorably, making me want to keep petting her forever.
“U-um…”
Lost in the moment, I hadn’t noticed Arte’s hesitant voice. She looked at me with a troubled expression, her brows drawn together like an upside-down “八”.
“Ah, sorry.”
Damn it! Stroking her tail’s fur would still be pushing my luck…
Anyway—
“The real question is whether this hot spring is usable.”
“I believe it should be fine.”
There wasn’t the smell of rotten eggs that would indicate sulfur, but somehow I couldn’t fully trust it. When I glanced over at the knight accompanying me, he pointed to the ground around the hot spring.
“Judging by the tracks, it seems wild birds and animals use this spring. There are no signs of dead animals nearby, so it should be safe.”
“Ah, I see.”
That’s a good point.
If wild animals use it without issue, it should be fine for us too.
We approached the spring, and I dipped my arm into the water. The temperature felt slightly on the hot side but still comfortable. Scooping up a little of the brownish, murky water, I brought it closer to my nose. Up close, the scent of boiled plants was even more noticeable.
I’d heard that hot spring experts sometimes taste the water, but I wasn’t about to go that far.
It seemed safe to use, but the next question was—
“How to make use of it, huh?”
“Indeed, that’s the question,” the knight agreed.
A typical noble might turn it into a private retreat for the aristocracy, but that felt wasteful.
Should I try to develop it into a hot spring town, like the tourist spots I remembered from my previous life? The idea crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed it. In these war-torn times, the common folk likely wouldn’t have much use for such a luxury. Building a large town would require immense time and resources.
Besides, this spot was over three hours from the nearest village.
“A simple setup for now, turning it into a recovery facility for soldiers, seems like the most practical option.”
The knights nodded in agreement.
Depending on the amount of water the spring produced, it might be possible to develop it into a hot spring town in the future. For now, though, the realistic approach would be to establish it as a military recovery site and gradually improve it over time.
“Honestly, I’d love to try it out right now, but…”
“My lord, that might be…”
“Ah, I know.”
As someone with a Japanese soul from my past life, I felt a deep, almost spiritual pull toward the hot spring. But there could be bacteria in the water, so I had to exercise restraint.
With regret in my heart, I gave up for now.
“For the time being, let’s finish inspecting the other villages and return to the capital as soon as possible.”
“Understood!”
Turning on my heels, I began walking back along the path we had taken.
Wait for me… hot spring.
