第４７７堀：街の未来はみんなの手で (Part1)
### Chapter 477: The Future of the City is in Everyone’s Hands
**Side: Yuki**
It was already 6:30 PM.
In winter, the sun sets early, and the twilight had long since faded, leaving the night to wrap the world in its veil.
Under normal circumstances, with the technological level of this medieval-European-esque world, once night fell, one would have little choice but to sleep quietly and prepare for the next day. However...
"Alright! Let's go grab a drink."
"Yeah!"
Groups heading out for a drink after work exist in this world, too, but...
"We're eating out tonight."
"Yay! Papa, I want sushi!"
"That’s right, sushi sounds good, doesn't it?"
It’s quite rare for parents with children to go out for dinner.
For starters, there isn't really a custom of eating raw fish like sushi.
In other words, this is Weed.
And beyond that...
"Tonight, we're hitting the super sento."
"Yes, let's go play there."
"I won't lose at table tennis this time!"
"Looks like we'll have to take another bath after that, though."
Such conversations were unfolding everywhere.
Truth be told, even with the veil of night falling, the lives of Weed’s residents were only just beginning.
"It’s time to relax after work. Well, some people prefer to stay home, of course."
"My, the vitality here is incredible. It seems the night is just as profitable a time as the day."
"Exactly. Shops close between nine and ten. Super Ratz even stays open twenty-four hours."
"That is staggering. Despite it being night, the streets are lined with electric lights; it isn't dark at all. The benefits of bringing light to the night are clear."
"True. Though, I can't say much about the public safety side of things."
"Hmm. Indeed, with the night this bright and so many people about, it is difficult to distinguish those with ill intent."
"That just increases the burden on the patrols. If you want to increase the number of lights and the night's vitality, you have to consider the security budget, too."
"I see. Everything has its pros and cons."
Horst and I walked through the night streets, discussing such matters.
Horst was the former lord of Betan, but since I believe his skill and the trust he commands are invaluable, I’ve left the governance of Betan in his hands.
To begin with, we were the ones who occupied Betan due to various circumstances.
We took the land under Zilba’s orders, but for some reason, I ended up being the one responsible for it.
Well, it became a sort of joint-managed territory between Zilba and Enaria, and it was shoved onto me.
They probably intended it to be a shackle for me, but since I had no reason to earn resentment by kicking Horst out, I made him my subordinate, left him in charge of Betan, and have been wandering the New Continent ever since.
Honestly, I was grateful for Betan, as it allowed me to conduct various tests in the New Continent quite openly.
Because of that, by incorporating technology from Weed, Betan itself has developed significantly of late.
Since it also plays the role of dismantling the artificial magic circles we discovered later, Betan’s growth is indispensable.
And so, with both the Weed continent and the New Continent having settled down to some extent, I decided to invite Horst—and the Magic Sword Users who happened to be in Betan—to Weed as a test for initiating mutual exchange.
"However, Yuki-dono, where are we heading now? Is it for a meal?"
"That’s right!! Is Yuki going to introduce us to more delicious food?!"
Agil, who had been holding a camera, popped up beside Horst.
"Hey, stop being rude to Yuki-dono!"
Prism, the dual-wielding Magic Sword User, rushed over to restrain her.
"Eh, it’s unofficial, so it’s fine, right? The people in this city call him Yuki normally, too. Ria, Jessica-san, Cleena-jo, and Samantha-jo don't say anything about it."
"You..."
Prism twitched, seemingly wanting to say something, but I decided to stop it there.
"Well, she says she knows when to be proper, so it’s fine. It was all very sudden for you, too."
"...Thank you."
Prism bowed deeply.
Thinking about it, this dynamic reminds me of Comet and Hifi.
Ah, was there talk about them being similar?
As I was thinking that, Marly spoke up.
"Hey, Yuki. So, where are we actually going?"
"I’m not sure about more delicious food... that might be a bit much."
"My weight... but, delicious food..."
Marly aside, Olive and Mist seemed to be going through a tremendous internal struggle.
Being a woman is tough, huh?
"Well then, just a little further..."
We turned the corner, and we had arrived.
Seeing everyone turn the corner and look ahead, I opened my mouth.
"It’s a sento, like the one in Betan. But this is a further improvement—a super sento. First, why don't you wash off the sweat from the day?"
They wouldn't be able to understand Weed in a single day anyway, and a bit of a breather is necessary.
Agil might have just found a new toy, but the other members likely had more than their fair share of worries.
And so, I took them to a public sento under the guise of a tour.
Since there are sentos in Betan, it should be somewhat familiar.
Naturally, men and women bathe separately.
*Splash.*
The characteristic sounds of a bathhouse echoed through the air.
"Ahhh. The fatigue of the day just melts away. This feels wonderful."
"Doesn't it?"
Well, there is a saying that taking a bath can be tiring, but it promotes health and cleanses the skin, so in terms of washing away the day's weariness, I don't think it's wrong to say it blows the fatigue away.
"Still, Horst, you’re well-trained."
"I must protect my people with my own hands. Well, such a thing should never happen, but to maintain that mindset, one must start with the body."
I think Horst’s mindset is admirable, but for a middle-aged man, his muscles are truly impressive.
"However, this is amazing. I didn't know there were so many types of baths..."
"Yeah, the ones back there are just for washing off sweat and dirt."
The sentos in Betan are strictly for cleaning off sweat and grime; they aren't equipped with the variety of baths and hot springs like this one.
It’s not that they couldn't be built, but getting people to understand them is a lot of work.
Even on this continent, Weed is the only place that uses this much hot water.
"I have taken a liking to this 'sauna.' One can train by enduring that heat. And the cold water bath afterward is also excellent training."
"No, no... it’s not really for training."
"Is that so?"
There are idiots who use it for tests of guts or endurance, but it’s life-threatening.
It’s the kind of thing where you have to tell the kids, "Don't try this at home."
"Still, a bath where you can see the night sky is also quite nice."
"Yeah, it is."
We were in the open-air bath, the final stop.
Instead of cypress, it was made of stacked rocks.
Aside from us, some old men and middle-aged guys were submerged in the tub, looking perfectly content.