Chapter 774: To the Hot Spring Labyrinth 5
The town at the entrance to the labyrinth was simply called 「Basemaze」.
“……Isn’t that a bit too obvious?”
“No, I think even if I were the first resident, I would have named it that. No matter how you look at it, the land has such a strong personality that any other name would be forgotten”
Naris defends the name.
“It’s like Red Whale, I guess. I heard that our island is called North Struma Island. The government added it later”
Galatia said. ……Come to think of it, she said there was another name for it. That name is more fitting for a place name, but if there is another name that sounds more appropriate to everyone, it may not be used.
“So, I went to take a look. The town didn’t seem particularly hostile, so I think travelers would be welcomed normally. However……”
“However?”
“How many people can speak Southern?”
“Eh?”
Come to think of it, the Southern Great Plains have a different language. Naris and Sharon are both from the Southern Great Plains, so they had no problem, but the members I brought this time…….
“Marone and Laurier……well, it’s impossible”
“I’m sorry……”
“I don’t know them at all”
They’re both young and have never left their hometown until recently. Of course it’s impossible.
“What about Galatia?”
“Well……I think I can manage if it’s just listening……I think. The Goth pirates used to hang out in Faral a lot”
“Goth pirates……”
“They’re based around the Goth Kingdom. They stop by Faral to hang out because they’re wanted in Goth”
I keep thinking of Goto who is an ogre soldier, but they’re actually the Dwarf nation that controls the western edge of the Southern Plains and the southern part of the Blue Snake Mountains. The terrain drops directly into the sea from the mountains, so there aren’t many places along the coast where people can live, and I hear that coastal towns aren’t very prosperous, but are there still pirates there?
“What about Anzeros?”
“Sorry, I have no idea”
“No need to apologize. You just showed up out of nowhere”
I thought maybe she had some kind of special education that allowed her to speak a little, but Anzeros was also useless. So.
“I can speak. I used to do all kinds of things. I even had the opportunity to come here”
“The Eastern Mountain language is too complicated, but I can manage Valerian, Southern, and Elven”
Dianne and Mira are reliable. Long life is indeed powerful. And of course, Irina and Laila can also speak.
“As the clan chief responsible for the forest, it wouldn’t do for me to not understand the language of outsiders. I’ve studied the basics for general knowledge. However, my knowledge of the forest is over a hundred years old. People might say it’s a bit outdated”
“I too once traveled across the continent. I can’t read, but I can speak without any problems”
That means……there are seven who can speak (including Galatia, who can only listen), and four who can’t, including me. That’s a better ratio than I thought.
“If we have someone to translate as needed, we shouldn’t have any problems”
“Please make an effort to learn a little. The word order isn’t that different from Valerian”
Naris says so, but I’m just going to play around in the hot spring labyrinth for a bit and then go home, and I don’t have anyone I particularly need to talk to, so I can’t really make any promises. ……If I end up staying in the Southern Plains more often in the future, it’ll be important to learn the language, but……Renfangas is one thing, but what about me?
So, the town of Basemaze. Just as Naris said, the people of Saint Gardo are very friendly. Even when a group of us in unfamiliar clothing appeared, they didn’t seem suspicious. Well, that’s probably because there are so many beautiful women there. Unlike the people of Trot and Celesta, the people of Saint Gardo basically wear long robes that cover their ankles, regardless of gender. So, it was obvious that we were all foreigners. However, they didn’t pry and were friendly.
“It’s certainly different from the image I had of a religious country. When I think of a place with strong religious beliefs, I imagine a more rigid atmosphere”
“Our religion is young. There aren’t many rules that don’t make sense. ……Old religions probably have a lot of rules like that. We don’t just accept them as old traditions and force them on people, so everyone is more relaxed”
A street vendor we met in town explained it to us. Naris translated for us.
“That sounds like it would be difficult to maintain authority and control”
“The leader doesn’t use his authority to control the believers. We are all people who love the same myths. We cooperate to protect that sensibility, not because we are afraid of being crushed by the leader”
I see. I don’t really understand it, but it seems like a free and fun religion.
“That’s how you became such a powerful country”
Irina replied, and the street vendor chuckled.
“We are living in the age when myths are born. It is our desire to see the continuation of legends that unites us”
He said it with a strange passion. ……Emm. So, the leader is a charismatic figure……is that right?
We bought lunch at a street stall (there were money changers, so we didn’t have any problems with money) and headed for the hot spring labyrinth. As we could see from the sky, the hot spring labyrinth was a so-called open-air labyrinth with no ceiling and a single level. If you tried hard, you could jump onto the walls. While our understanding was that labyrinths are meant to be explored, despite its inferior efficiency per area compared to layered structures, this design apparently still allows for the purification of 「Qi」. It’s quite well-known among those in the know that the Goth Kingdom is attempting to construct modern-style labyrinths using this design. If they were to proceed with land to suppress the emergence of monsters in the Kalwin region, such labyrinths would likely be built for that purpose. ……In any case, the labyrinth corridors were quite wide. They are 10 meters wide. The entrance area was crowded with hot spring visitors, making the passageways feel cramped.
“Here are the official maze maps! 30 gold coins! You’ll get lost without one!”
“Bathrobes are 10 gold coins to rent and 50 gold coins to buy!”
“The tour is leaving in 10 minutes!”
……Business is booming for those catering to hot spring visitors.
“Bathing suits?”
When I ask Naris for an explanation, she points to the hot spring visitors who are trying to go deeper into the labyrinth.
“Those are bathing suits. They’re thin robes that can get wet in the hot springs”
“Do you have to wear them?”
“……Well, most men don’t wear them strictly, though. In the south, there’s a strong custom that men’s nakedness is not frowned upon”
Looking around, I see that most of the ogre men who have passed by are not wearing them. Probably because they don’t have the right size. Some are wearing something underneath, some aren’t. Even though they are walking around with their huge penises dangling freely, no one seems to mind. I was distracted by the ogres, but there are also a few human and beastmen who are walking around without wearing anything.
“What should I do?”
“Basically, not wearing anything is for the tough guys! 10-man captain Smithson, isn’t that kind of character, is he?”
“But if I had ten of them, I could eat a meal. I’ll have to think about it”
Back when I was a virgin, I never would have considered walking around with my dick hanging out in a place with so many strangers, even within the unit. However, after experiencing the mixed-bath culture of Talc and gaining confidence in my crotch from over 100 women, I realized there’s actually some leeway in whether I absolutely have to hide it here. There’s also the option of wrapping a towel around my waist instead of wearing pants. If I just want to avoid borrowing a robe, I can use something else I have with me. ……So.
“Naris. Do women also have the option of not wearing it if they don’t want to?”
Mira’s casual remark made Naris flinch exaggeratedly.
“No, why would you think such a stupid thing? There are plenty of other men here!”
“But isn’t that robe a little too thin? Isn’t it more erotic than being naked?”
Mira pointed out. Now that she mentioned it, it was quite thin. In fact, looking at the people who had just come out of the hot spring in the back, you could clearly see their skin color and even their nipples. It was so thin that you could even see the outline of their nipples.
“But it’s thin! You should have covered up more! Can’t you layer it? That’s what a woman should think about! By the way, the old lady at the rental shop said it’s not forbidden to layer”
“So what’s the deal? Will women get kicked out if they don’t wear anything?”
“……Um, are you asking me? Mira, you understand the southern dialect, right?”
“That’s true”
Mira lightly brushed her short side hair and walked over to a merchant nearby. She asked calmly, 「Is it okay to go naked?」, the merchant looked surprised and looked Mira up and down. Incidentally, Mira was wearing a sleeveless bodice with a woven pattern on the sides and a long skirt-like pareo that exposed one leg. It was provocative in places, but not overly revealing at the moment. She got her answer and walked back.
“It’s okay”
“Even if you say it’s okay, I’m not going to do it! I’m a young woman!”
“Even if you say I’m young, I’m over 100 years old!”
“As an elf, you’re still in your prime! Including me!”
Ignoring Naris’ sharp remarks, Mira effortlessly undid the pareo. As she had declared earlier, she was not wearing any undergarments. The beautiful woman’s bare, firm lower body was exposed to the crowd, causing a stir. The other guests were changing behind partitions. No one but an old man would dare to strip naked on the street. But.
“If that’s the case……alright, let’s do it♪”
Sharon blushed dreamily as she unfastened the clasp of her bikini armor. Under the gaze of the other customers, her bold, large breasts, unbecoming of a pure-blooded white elf, were exposed to the daylight.
“You guys! Oh, no!”
Naris clutched her head. Following the two of them, Laila, who had no qualms about exposure, followed suit, and one by one, the other girls shed their clothes, showing varying degrees of shame while drawing attention. All the discarded clothes were gathered by Anzeros, who would probably give them to Laila later. The appearance of a group of completely naked beauties left the entrance to the labyrinth shrouded in an odd silence. And Naris.
“I, I’m going to put on my robe! Don’t stop me!”
She points at me sharply and runs toward the rental merchant. ……I won’t stop her, but if she’s going to act together, she won’t be able to cover it up. She hasn’t taken off her collar either.