Chapter 770: To the Hot Spring Labyrinth 1
The Saint Gardo Kingdom is a relatively new religious state. It was founded about 40 years ago. The founding king and first high priest is still alive, though he has apparently abdicated. Religious states are difficult to maintain, so the consensus among the higher-ups is that it probably won’t last very long, but so far it seems to be running smoothly.
“The unusually long greetings are something I just can’t get used to no matter how many times I hear them. But other than that, it’s a pretty nice country. Though I have to say, the conditions for the Arcans and Luxians were particularly harsh”
“……Naris”
“Ah, no, I didn’t mean to disparage the knight chief. You see, I’m a grel elf, so I actually face more hostility from the Arcans than from humans. Every single thing I do is met with complete rejection……it’s so bad that the other party members started saying they wanted to leave early out of consideration for me”
“In a way, it’s harder than being called names directly……”
“Uh……th, that’s not it! The problem is Saint Gardo! I’m talking about Saint Gardo!”
While carrying the luggage, Naris explains about Saint Gardo. It’s located in the Southern Great Plains, relatively north, near Renfangas and Celesta. Therefore, if you stop at Renneast to rest, you can directly fly to that hot spring labyrinth within a day from there. Resting is, of course, for humans, not dragons. Flying non-stop would tire the passengers more. ……No.
“Speaking of which, since you can sleep in this 『Flying Bedroom』, wouldn’t it be less tiring than a carriage trip? Maybe we could even fly straight for two whole days……”
“Andy. ……It’s not just about physical strength. What about the bathroom? You can’t just let it hang out of the sky, can you?”
Anzeros looked at her in exasperation. But Laila sat on the roof and chuckled.
“Just do it. That’s what all the birds do”
“What if there are people below? More importantly, I don’t want to defecate in such an unsettling place”
Anzeros threw Zack’s bag at Laila. She caught it with one hand and tossed it behind her. The heavy bag, which would have made me stagger if I had caught it, disappeared lightly into the attic entrance behind her. Inside, Aurora was sorting it and packing it efficiently.
“But someday we may have to take a trip like that. Even with dragon wings, it takes days to reach the Western Continent”
“Why do we have to go there?”
Anzeros pouts. I stroke her head to calm her down.
“Come on. It’s just a possibility. ……It’s where Laila’s friends moved to. I don’t plan on going anytime soon, but I’d like to visit someday”
“Andy……”
“I’m a dragon rider. I want to use a dragon’s wings to go somewhere so far away that it would take a lifetime to walk there. I’m not looking for a fight or anything, that’s fine too”
“……As long as you don’t leave me behind”
“Of course not”
I stroke Anzeros’ head again. I’m so cute. Actually, Anzeros is Laila’s 「Dragon Knight」, so there’s no way I’d leave her behind. But if we’re talking about days of flying, we’d need to stockpile food and water, and this kind of hut wouldn’t work. There might be magic to make seawater drinkable, but flying nonstop would make it hard to use magic or even fetch water, and if we had to fish for food, we’d need the ability to land……wait, does that mean the best solution is to carry a ship with us? Even if we find a ship somewhere and modify it……ships are expensive, aren’t they? Could we build one? But that would mean spending more years studying. ……Wait, I think Elmo, my master, is blue. Could he build a ship? Blue clan people are good at fishing, after all. If I ask him to build it directly, I’d have to pay him, so I’ll just ask him to teach me how to do it. The wood used in this hut would be perfect for building a ship. It’s strong and light. I’m not sure how much he’ll teach me, though, since I’m relying on Irina. Yeah, this is good. I feel like it might actually happen. It’ll take a few years, though.
“……Andy, you’re laughing weirdly……”
“What do you mean, creepy? I’m not thinking anything bad”
“Really? ……We’re going on an erotic trip with everyone else?”
“……No, I mean, of course I’m happy about that, but that’s not what I was thinking about”
How should I explain this to Anzeros’s suspicious gaze? In my case, it’s complicated because sometimes thinking about erotic things and making a creepy face is actually the right thing to do.
This trip is a test run for the 「Flying Bedroom」. It’s not military duty at all, and there’s no necessity to bring only strong girls. However, if I casually say, 「Anyone who wants to come, gather here!」 I might end up with everyone except Breakcore. It’s impossible to fit nearly 40 people into a 5-meter-square hut. So, I’ve decided to arbitrarily choose the companions who will accompany me. First, me and Naris are confirmed. Since it was her idea, we can’t start without her. Then, Laila as the pilot. I could say it’s fine if it’s Maia, Emma, or Leda, but it makes sense to test the flying capabilities with a powerful adult dragon first. The total weight should be lighter than a carriage since we’re not carrying any unnecessary items, but having extra power would be better for unforeseen circumstances. And finally, Anzeros. There’s also a bit of a joke about Laila being a 「Dragon Knight」, but given that it’s a hot spring labyrinth, I chose her for her combat strength even in light armor. Though, apparently there aren’t many monsters, but I’m super weak. And for the same reason, Dianne. Anzeros is my personal bodyguard, but when it comes to leading a group of ten people, no one can match Dianme. And Sharon. She’s also strong even unarmed. Plus, she’s a bit of an exhibitionist, so a hot spring labyrinth is the perfect situation for her to be exposed without actually being exposed. I’ll have them as bodyguards. Irina. Since she provided the hut, it wouldn’t be awkward to let her come along first. Marone. She seems to be struggling with her future lately, so I want to take her out. Galatia. She’s the only one from Lapal, so she’s a bit isolated. I want to take her out first for this kind of event. Laurier. The temple’s children’s class is on summer break, so she seems bored. Mira. Since it’s a mixed group, I thought I’d include one of the three sisters, and she happened to be the first one I met. So, that’s a total of 11 people. I promised to take the remaining female slaves on another journey, so for now, this is the group.
“The hot spring labyrinth, you see, was probably not originally a facility like that. It’s an open-air labyrinth the size of a town……no, maybe two towns? It’s half submerged in hot spring water that emerged from below. I don’t know if that’s why, but the labyrinth’s ability to refine 『Qi』 is almost nonexistent, so even though it’s a labyrinth, there are hardly any monsters. Well, considering that this probably means there are other areas where monsters are spawning, it’s not really something to laugh about……oh no, someone’s talking!”
Just as everyone got into the 「Hut」 and Naris sat down on the bed and started talking about the hot spring labyrinth, the crew members who had boarded the vehicle were led by Anzeros and Sharon and stripped off their clothes.
“The bath is still far away!?”
“You’re being stubborn, Naris. We have a nice bed and plenty of time, and no one is watching. It’s just female slaves here, so there’s only one thing to do, isn’t there?”
“Well, that’s true! ……Ugh, fine!”
Naris also started undressing in a fit of desperation. After undressing, she carefully put on the white collar and snorted.
“Don’t you have any self-control to at least listen to the destination before starting?”
“No, you could have waited until I finished talking”
“Don’t say that now!”
As I grabbed Laurier’s small naked body, Naris scolded me.