Chapter 64: Hot Springs

Chapter 64: Hot Springs

We returned to the inn in the evening, and after eating a delicious dinner, we went back to our room. About half an hour later, there was a knock on the door.

“Who could that be?” Liz wondered as she walked over to the door and opened it, revealing Chloe, who appeared to be somewhat annoyed.

“Good evening,” Chloe said with an eerie smile. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything?”

“Not at all,” Liz replied, seemingly oblivious to Chloe’s expression. “Please come in.”

Chloe entered the room and locked eyes with me, who was relaxing on the bed.

“To what do we owe the pleasure?” I asked with a slight smirk as I sat up on the edge of the bed. “We usually visit you.”

“How was your trip?” Chloe asked me, still wearing the same eerie smile.

Did I do something again?

“Uhm, it was okay, I guess?” I replied, glancing at Liz. “We had a good time, right?”

“I think so,” Liz said, unsure as to what Chloe was referring to. “We went to a village south of the capital and met a nice old man who taught us about taming.”

“I see. And what did you learn?” Chloe asked, retaining her smile.

“Uhm, some basic information about taming,” I pondered, tapping a finger on my chin. “And it’s just speculation, but Kaydossa might have a way to get more gryphons.”

“I see, I see,” Chloe said, her eyes not matching her expression. “And when did you plan to come and leave a report?”

Oh... Did she tell us to do that? Even if she didn’t, she probably expected some kind of reply to her letter.

“Tomorrow morning?” I said, trying my best to make it sound like that was the plan all along.

Chloe, who clearly didn’t buy it, closed her eyes, sighed, and opened her eyes again after a moment’s silence. Her expression had returned to normal.

“Look, I understand that this might not exactly be a concern for you,” Chloe said. “But for us, more gryphons would be a disaster. If Kaydossa has more of them then we have to prepare accordingly. And that takes time we might not have.”

“They sent over a hundred of them here recently, and they disappeared without a trace. I doubt they would send more haphazardly,” I replied. “And even if they did, I would personally go and kill every single one.”

“Why would you go so far?” Chloe wondered, studying my expression. “I thought petty wars among us humans was something you didn’t get involved in.”

I want a few of a particular feather that only about one in every thirty gryphons have. Their army sounds like the best place to try and get some. And I also haven’t forgiven them for what they did.

“I’m personally invested in this one,” I said with a smile. “But we will go on a trip soon, so don’t rely on me forever.”

“I appreciate it. It gives us some more time to prepare,” Chloe replied. “Though I find it hard to believe they have more of them. Where did they even find a hundred to begin with?”

“It’s not that hard to force a lot of a single type of monster to spawn if you have time,” I shrugged.

“You can do that?” Chloe asked with a surprised expression. “How?”

“Liz can tell you,” I said, glancing at Liz with a grin on my face.

“Me?” Liz said with a flustered voice. “Why would I know?”

“I held an entire lecture about it, and you have already forgotten?” I asked, pouting my lips. “Don’t you remember what I said about the territories?”

“Uhm, about expanding them?” Liz pondered, trying to remember. “But how would that work?”

“Explain it in a way that I can understand,” Chloe glared at me, clearly not amused by my antics.

“Most people wouldn’t treat a dangerous dragon like this,” I smirked jokingly, pulling out a piece of paper and drawing a circle on it, followed by four similar shapes around it. “For example, The territory in the middle is the gryphons. The four around are, well, it doesn’t really matter what they are. You simply exterminate all the monsters in the surrounding areas. If there is enough mana there, the gryphons will eventually expand their territory and multiply. Then you go in, tame a few gryphons, and leave to let more spawn. Unless the mana vein changes, it will continue to work like that.”

“Mana vein?” Chloe asked. “And even if it worked like you say it does, it’s not something you could do easily.”

“You’re right. It’s not something you could do easily, but Kaydossa might be another matter,” I replied. “Adventurers handle most of the monsters, but adventurers are free. They go where they want and do what they want. For you to organize something of the scale of manipulating a monster territory might be hard, but Kaydossa doesn’t have any adventurers. Considering the amount of soldiers that crossed the border, I would say they have more than enough manpower to get the job done.”

“And you are certain it works like that?” Chloe wondered. “I would prefer not to rely on uncertain information.”

“Am I certain that territories work like that? Yes. You humans also figured that out way back in the past,” I assured her. “And we dragons used to purge some monsters to let others flourish long before that.”

“I see...” Chloe mumbled. “So you know exactly how territories work?”

Right, I just assumed Chloe had all the information I had already given Liz, but I guess not.

I gave Chloe a quick summary of the key points of how monsters behaved, and even though she was more knowledgeable than Liz, there still seemed to be a lack of information in this time period.

Sometimes, I wonder if I influence the world too much when I talk about things like this, but then again, I did play a hand in them losing it in the first place. I wonder how this continent would have looked if I hadn’t restarted civilization all those years ago.

As I finished up yet another lecture, there was another knock on the door.

“We appear to be popular today,” I chuckled as Liz walked over and opened the door, this time revealing Mira.

“Hi, do—” Mira said, stopping as she noticed Chloe in the room. “I’m sorry. Did I interrupt something?”

“Not at all. We are just about done,” I said, glancing at Chloe, who was busy scribbling down some notes. “Did you need something?”

“Ah, not exactly, but...” Mira replied, eyes moving between me, Liz, and Chloe. “I was wondering if you had any plans tonight?”

“I don’t think so?” Liz pondered, glancing at me before looking back at Mira. “Why do you ask?”

“We are about to go into a hot spring. Why would I get dressed before that?” I wondered.

“Luna isn’t a big fan of clothes,” Liz interjected.

“Don’t make it sound like I’m running around naked all the time,” I chuckled as we arrived at the hot spring. “Well, here we are.”

“This doesn’t look like a natural hot spring,” Mira said, looking around with the help of the balls of light I had created.

“I made a few adjustments when I found it,” I replied as I sat down on one of the stones that lined the edges and put my feet in the water. “Don’t be shy now.”

Liz and Mira began undressing when Mira noticed Liz’s new underwear. “Just what are you wearing?”

“I forgot I wore those,” Liz muttered with a slight blush on her face. “It was a gift from Luna.”

“They look expensive,” Mira said as she kept looking at Liz’s underwear. “... And daring.”

“Please don’t stare so much,” Liz groaned, taking off the last of her clothes. “Get into the water already.”

They entered the hot spring and sat down, Liz to my left and Mira opposite us.

“This feels so surreal,” Mira said, scooping up some water in her cupped hands. “Is this how every day is for you, Liz?”

“Not every day,” Liz answered, glancing up at me. “But I have been quite eventful compared to before.”

“I can imagine,” Mira muttered, glancing at me. “I want my own dragon.”

“I told you that might be difficult,” I replied with a smirk as I moved from the stone and submerged myself in the water. “I think you might have to settle for a human.”

“Aren’t there any other dragons at all?” Mira wondered.

“No idea. I haven’t met anyone in ages,” I said, tapping a finger on my cheek. “But I will be sure to introduce you if I ever meet one.”

“You promise?!” Mira blurted out.

Unless they want to attack me... or vice versa.

“Sure, but don’t get your hopes up,” I replied with a laugh, stretching my arms over my head.

“I hope they are beautiful like you,” Mira said, looking at me. “You have a great figure.”

“Oh, you flatterer,” I grinned, putting a hand on Liz’s thigh. “But I’m already taken.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Mira muttered, putting a hand on her stomach. “I’m just jealous. I’m getting pudgy.”

“You’re not getting pudgy,” Liz assured her. “Where did you even get that from?”

“I am,” Mira groaned. “I probably spend too much time drinking.”

“Either way, you can’t compare yourself to Luna,” Liz replied. “She is cheating.”

“Cheating?” Mira asked. “What do you mean?”

“That spell she uses lets her choose her own appearance,” Liz said, poking my cheek.

“I spent years researching that spell, you know,” I muttered.

“How does that work?” Mira asked with curious eyes. “Do you think I could learn it?”

“I doubt it,” I said with a teasing chuckle. “And for how it works, that lecture would be far longer than what you could endure in a hot spring. Not to mention that I’m a bit tired of holding them at the moment.”

“I see...” Mira mumbled to herself.

“Don’t forget your promise with the guildmaster in the capital,” Liz reminded me.

“Oh right, that,” I said, closing my eyes and leaning back toward the stone behind me. “Can you go instead? I don’t feel like it anymore.”

“Of course not,” Liz frowned. “You have to go yourself.”

“I know, I know,” I muttered. “What good is a promise if I go around and break them.”

“What are you going to do in the capital?” Mira wondered.

“I have to go to the magic institute and hold a lecture about chantless casting,” I replied with an annoyed tone. “I accepted it in a moment of weakness.”

“Weakness? Yeah, right,” Liz said mockingly. “You did it out of spite for a noble you don’t like. I’m scared to think what could happen.”

“Nothing will happen,” I chuckled. “He was all bark and no bite.”

“That doesn’t mean you have to antagonize him,” Liz sighed. “I’m worried.”

“I’m just holding a lecture. It’s not like I’m doing anything specifically to him,” I replied. “At most, he will be annoyed.”

“If you say so,” Liz muttered, her concern showing on her face. “Just don’t do anything... Stupid.”

“Me? Stupid? Perish the thought,” I grinned. “Enough talk about him. We came here to enjoy the hot spring.”

We spent about an hour soaking in the hot water, even enjoying a drink, much to Mira’s faked protests before we decided to return to Baruda.