落とし穴外伝：冬のお風呂はまた格別 (Part1)
Dungeon Side Story: Winter Baths are Simply Exceptional
Winter Baths are Simply Exceptional
Side: Yuki
*Whoosh…*
A sudden gust of wind swept through, the biting chill piercing cheeks that had only just begun to warm.
"Oof. It’s cold."
"Indeed. It seems winter has truly settled in."
"Yes. While I understand that even within the Weed dungeon, the environment mimics the outside world to provide a sense of the four seasons, I do wonder if we really needed to replicate the harshness of winter quite so faithfully."
Indeed, I was walking through the town of Weed in this freezing weather, accompanied by Eupia and Schow of the Zurable Empire. We weren't hatching any grand conspiracies; we had simply just finished a visit to the super sento.
"Still, Yuki-dono, there is nothing like a bath when it’s cold. It warms the body and soul alike. Ah, these 'super sento' are truly marvelous. I was recommended one by the kings of other nations, and I must say, they are excellent. Truly excellent."
"Indeed. While traditional ryokan open-air baths and cypress tubs are lovely, these super sento offer so much more—bedrock baths, saunas, and a variety of other amenities. Best of all, one can dine inside and find comfortable places to rest."
"Well, that is the nature of the place, after all."
A super sento is a public bathhouse that combines bathing, dining, and relaxation—often referred to as a "health land." Beyond the baths, they offer a plethora of services like esthetics and massages. However, the fact that the kings of various nations are constantly camping out there is a bit of a concern. Whenever they hold their little "mini-summits" there, the staff inevitably comes to me with complaints or requests—demanding extra guards or exclusive areas.
That said, they haven't caused any major trouble yet, so I can't exactly tell them to stop coming. But building a facility exclusively for royalty? That doesn't sit right with me either. Besides, they seem to have made friends with the regular patrons, and none of them are the type to throw their weight around or act like arrogant fools.
*What a hassle…* I thought, though I suppose I can’t complain too much, given that we enjoy going there ourselves.
"That said, Eupia-dono, I won't be joining you for another soak."
"And why is that?"
"Because I’m heading home now. If we go back to the super sento, it’ll be far too late."
"Ah, true. You wouldn't want to leave your family waiting, Yuki-dono. In that case, why not have everyone come along?"
"Indeed. A brilliant suggestion, Schow. Let us contact my friend Aslin and the others."
"Wait, didn't you two just come from there?"
"One can never bathe too many times."
Before I could stop them, they were already making the calls. Even Schow, following Eupia’s lead, was already reaching out to Rurua. As I stood there wondering what to do, a voice chimed in.
"Yuki-san, a super sento every now and then isn't so bad, is it?"
"Indeed. We go occasionally as well, and I think it would be perfectly fine to treat today as 'one of those days' by coincidence."
"Well, I suppose you're right. Let's call it a night for cooking."
"Yes!"
And so, we found ourselves heading back to enjoy the super sento with Eupia and the others. As a man, however, I was actually quite pleased; I would be able to enjoy the baths in peace on my own. I could have invited Taizo-san, Taiki-kun, or Sota-san, but today, I felt like having some solitude. I had assumed that even in a super sento, no one would force me to "bring a guard"—but I was wrong.
"Yo."
"Oh, Mauve and the others. Sorry for the sudden company."
"Don't worry about it. Besides, it’d be stranger for the head of the nation to be wandering around a public bathhouse alone."
"I get that, but you know that the heads of states are always showing up here, right?"
"Yeah, it’s a real headache. But today, having your guards around will be a relief."
"Exactly. It’s exhausting having to be on guard around other heads of state."
And so, my guards for the day were the adventurers, Mauve and his group. I hadn't kept close tabs on their recent activities, so this was a good chance to catch up. As I undressed in the locker room, I struck up a casual conversation.
"By the way, what have you guys been working on lately?"
"Hmm? Mostly guiding and educating the students at the Weed school and the newcomers at the adventurer's guild."
Ah, right. That was their primary role.
"So you've been able to return to that? Things have settled down a bit, then?"
"Not exactly. It’s not just that. We’re involved with the Zurable Empire’s adventurer guild—the situation there is quite different between the East and the West. We’re also investigating the monsters in that region. For dungeon-related intel, we’ve been coordinating with Comet, Reye, and Arwin."
"Come to think of it, I haven't heard reports from Reye or Arwin lately."
Those were names that brought back memories. In truth, I saw them around Weed occasionally. Reye was Deryu’s younger brother, and Arwin was a master who held numerous dungeons across the Rogari continent. We’d chat about whether there were any problems or share a meal, but we rarely discussed work in any serious capacity.
"They’re maintaining different dungeons than yours, after all. Reye is mainly handling the internal dungeon operations, while Arwin is managing the numerical data for a whole host of them. They’re both saying they need more hands on deck. Arwin, in particular, was complaining that he hasn't had any time for sword training."
"Leave him be. Though, I suppose I can't really do that. But why hasn't that information reached me until now?"
It struck me as odd, even now. Seeing my confusion, Curse spoke up.
"Yuki, your current role is 'diplomacy.' They’ve been handling those matters internally among the dungeon masters out of consideration for your position. They’ve been coordinating with Labyris, who is the public face of the dungeon masters, and only bringing issues to you if they can't resolve them themselves."