This story takes place roughly around chapters 428–488 of the main story, during Celesta Lapar’s travels.
“The lingering snow has melted quite rapidly over the last few days, hasn’t it?”
The wind blowing through the tavern window was cold, but Sebory, leaning against the windowsill, narrowed her eyes with a look of contentment.
Hearing this, Hannah—the tavern keeper, commonly known as “the Madam”—replied while tending to her preparations.
“The frozen patches in the shade on the north side are still stubbornly there, so watch your step. People who have just arrived often get lured into a picnic by the sunshine and fall into that trap.”
“Ah. They sit down without realizing the ground is frozen.”
“You’d notice if you checked a little first. But they’ve decided that if they’re taking a break, they’ll sit in the shade, and since the surroundings have turned all grassy, they fall for it. And then, after a while, they go ‘Eek!’”
“Ahahaha! Surely an Elf wouldn’t be that foolish!”
“Is that so? Well, come to think of it, we’ve lived side-by-side without actually meeting. Perhaps my sermon was a bit presumptuous.”
“Well, that’s just how it is. Besides, I think I and Oregano look like human girls of about sixteen or seventeen, but we’re actually nearly thirty, you know?”
“Oh my.”
”…Well, keep that a secret from my Master. Apparently, when you’re at an age that’s halfway plausible for a human, it brings up certain emotions that are very difficult to express.”
“Perhaps so.”
“Just so you know, Elves are basically treated like children as long as they’re under a hundred. It’s not that we’re being particularly childish, okay?”
Hannah couldn’t help but burst out laughing at Sebory’s desperate attempt at a defense.
“Fufufufu, I know, I know. Besides, I don’t think of you or Oregano-chan as children. There are plenty of people who are brats even after they’ve turned twenty. Like little Kiel from Lindon-san’s place.”
“It’s complicated being called an adult when compared to Kare…”
Kiel, who boasted a level of childishness—or rather, insignificance—that stood out even among the tavern regulars. Should one take being called “more mature” than him as a compliment?
As they were talking, the front door swung open with a cheerful clack, and Cute entered.
“Nya~!”
“Hey, Cute. Don’t use ‘nya’ as a substitute for a greeting.”
“Nyu… G-Good morning!”
“There, there.”
“Sebory, in a place like this, wouldn’t ‘Good job’ or something similar suffice? It’s not even morning time anymore.”
“Well, but Hilda-san says that in our industry, there is no day or night, so you should always use ‘Good morning’ with the mindset that the moment you start work is ‘morning’ for you.”
“I don’t know what industry that is, but we have both mornings and nights here, and I’d prefer morning greetings to be delivered in the morning.”
“Nya~”
“Cute! Don’t use ‘nya’ to get my attention. Speak to me with actual words.”
“Nya…”
“And don’t use it instead of saying ‘yes’!”
“Sebory… If you can distinguish between different ‘nyas’ that well, why not just let it be?”
“No way. I have to teach the young ones proper manners. Besides, relying on cat ears alone is cheating enough; constantly saying ‘nya-nya’ is beyond being calculated. Have some shame and stop using such gimmicks!”
Sebory spoke passionately, her fists clenched.
“I don’t quite follow, but Cute, you should take what Sebory says with a grain of salt.”
“Nya.”
“Hey! I said don’t ‘nya’! Were you even listening to me!?”
“I didn’t really get it~”
The tavern was peaceful as always today.
“Truth be told, this is our first time experiencing spring in Polka.”
“Hmm. Now that you mention it, that makes sense.”
At around the same time, Fennel was enjoying some idle chatter with Irina, who had just finished her morning paperwork, while preparing some tea.
“Was it around late autumn of last year when you all first appeared in Polka?”
“That’s right. It was just as the snow was beginning to fall…”
“Did you never venture out from the forest before then?”
“I have a few times… to act as a liaison with Misty Palace. However, with arms too slender to even draw a bow, I couldn’t venture toward the human settlements.”
“Well, Silver was in quite a state back then.”
“Yes. That is why… this is almost the first time I have seen flowers and greenery sprout from the snow as if being reborn. It is lovely, isn’t it? The way the earth works in harmony with the seasons.”
“Indeed. The eternal spring of the northern forest has its beauty, but perhaps the cold of autumn and winter and the warmth of spring and summer forge the life of the outside world, much like a blacksmith’s hammer forges iron.”
Deep in the oversized chair, Irina sat with her legs dangling, unconsciously stroking the collar at her throat. Fennel let out a soft chuckle at the gesture.
“What is it?”
“It’s just… being talked about blacksmithing makes me stroke my collar.”
”…I-it can’t be helped. I suppose you associate the same thing.”
“Yes. …I wonder what Master is doing right now.”
“Who knows. There are far too many places Celesta visits that remain unknown to us. Though, I expect wherever he goes, his bed is likely in high demand.”
“I’m a little jealous.”
“Indeed. Honestly, that Christie… there is hardly any urgency to work in the winter, yet just because she cannot travel herself due to her position, she goes and holds me back as well.”
As Irina began to grumble incessantly, Fennel noted that an elf’s hearing is far superior to a human’s.
“You are the official Goodwill Ambassador of Polka, are you not, Lady Clan Chief? Since you took that responsibility upon yourself, it’s quite troublesome when you delegate full authority to me, a mere representative of another clan.”
Christie entered the office with a natural air of ease.
Fennel widened her eyes in slight trepidation, and Irina pouted, looking awkward.
“Issues rarely arise in Polka that require the use of full authority. This is the frontier, and the dragons of Misty pass through here.”
“It’s precisely when we let our guard down that problems arise. Besides, if everything could be solved with brute strength, what would be the point of having a Goodwill Ambassador?”
“M-mu…”
“Furthermore, a woman’s skill does not lie in simply following him everywhere. Sometimes, by staying apart, the bond between a man and a woman can grow even stronger. Just as iron is forged by cold and heat.”
“Mmm… w-well, I cannot say I don’t understand the logic. However…”
“If I were to follow him, I would have to compete for Master’s attention with all those other women, even while he has other missions to attend to. The fatigue of travel would put me at a disadvantage compared to the warriors. Don’t you think it’s more effective to prepare thoroughly and await his return, only to greet him with a special pleasure when the moment is right?”
”…How cunning… no, rather underhanded.”
“Changing the word doesn’t make it any better, Irina.”
“I-I admit it. Don’t be so prickly.”
Irina scrambled to defend herself against Christie, whose voice had grown a little intimidating despite her smiling face.
“But in reality, as those of us who stay behind, we can’t match the frequency of service provided by the traveling party… It’s about quality, certainly.”
Sensing that the tension had eased slightly and guessing that steering the conversation toward a topic where Irina could settle in would be best, Fennel chimed in.
Christie nodded.
“I believe that in order to make Polka the place they most want to return to, we need to focus our efforts. For example… Master enjoys well-coordinated group sex, so we could put some creative thought into that.”
“Since our four houses are originally separated from the others, we are well-suited for that sort of thing… Perhaps I should wait for him in an outfit designed to stir his lust.”
“Lust? Are you going to have Oregano make you a courtesan’s outfit?”
“That sounds good too. Oh, maybe we could even hang a sign. ‘The Elf Territory Public Brothel.’”
“If you don’t keep that secret, the other clans will turn bright red with rage when they hear it.”
“Of course, once the sign is up, Lady Irina, you’ll become one of our courtesans too, right?”
Fennel spoke with joyful mischief. Irina nodded hesitantly, though she didn’t seem entirely opposed to the idea.
“Well, I suppose… if you are the only guest, Mr. Smyson… it might not be such a bad idea to take off the collar once in a while and try selling a little spring.”
“Everyone is bought for a single coin, used freely to satisfy their carnal desires. It might even be fun to deliberately limit the ‘play’ and say things like, ‘Anything beyond this point requires an extra fee♪’”
“Hmm. I like it. It’s not bad… Naturally, Christie, you shall participate as well, right?”
“I wonder if I would just look out of place…”
“In that case, how about you team up with Lady Lyra, the Princess of Glory, or Lady Hilda, and start a separate brothel? It could have a completely different flavor from ours.”
“I feel like I’m being treated like an old hag…”
“N-no, it is your imagination. The Princess of Glory and Lady Lyra are likely no different from yourself.”
The Andy-Exclusive Back-Alley Brothel Project. Later, it would involve the “Cat Mansion” of the feline beastmen and involve having Jeanne mint dedicated coins to bring it to fruition, but that is another story. And while a certain courtesan from Tarc’s camp would eventually become involved as a technical instructor, that, too, shall be omitted for brevity.
“Setting that aside, the thing I miss most since returning to Polka is definitely the hot springs.”
“Indeed. That sensation of the fatigue from traveling melting away with a roar… it is truly indescribable.”
“I was thinking that it’s about time I found a way to serve Master in the hot springs without having to be so secretive.”
“In my opinion, the most straightforward answer would be the Barrier Prison.”
Aulina and Fennel offered the most common-sense responses.
“That’s true, but actually, there is a possibility of creating a hot spring outside of town.”
“What?”
“It’s a spot just a little way into the forest, before you reach the ancient barrier. There seems to be a spring located about two kilometers from the town. Apparently, the Baron has known of its existence since ancient times, but because the location is deep in the forest, he left it untouched to avoid provoking the elves. However, since we are those elves, the problem has been resolved…”
“Are you planning to snatch it away?”
“How scandalous. When I consulted the Baron about utilizing it, he said, ‘Since the townspeople have hot springs nearby, they won’t bother venturing deep into the forest.’ In other words, if we were to establish our own bathhouse there, we could turn it into a private bath dedicated to serving Master. However…”
“However?”
“We can’t use outside labor for construction if we want to keep it for that purpose.”
“Ah…”
“True… even if we were to ask an elven craftsman, it would be difficult to tell them that it’s for a secret purpose.”
Humans likely wouldn’t bother trekking deep into the forest just for a hot spring, but from an elf’s perspective, if the location becomes public, people will inevitably come to see it. Since (procedurally) all springs on the Trot territory side are the Baron’s property, if someone asks for entry, he has no choice but to agree.
Sharing the desire to use the spring for intimate, naked trysts with Andy without hesitation, the three elves racked their brains.
“I hear Diane is skilled in architecture, but I wonder. I can’t imagine when we would even find the time to build such a thing.”
“More importantly, I think we’ll lack the manpower. We can’t exactly use a dragon’s massive size to take shortcuts in the middle of the forest…”
“If we take our time, could we not do it ourselves? All we need is a bathtub that is easy to clean and a changing hut to place our clothes.”
“And a winding channel to cool the hot spring to a comfortable temperature. If possible, we should draw in cold water from somewhere to make adjustment easier…”
“I lack the specialized knowledge to be this greedy. Christie, do you not study those subjects?”
“At the very least, I haven’t trained in the wielding of a hammer…”
The three continued to whisper various ideas to one another. And the ears of a half-elf are far more sensitive than those of a human.
“You seem to be in trouble!”
“If it involves Andy, you should call us!”
The door swung open with a click, and appearing with faces full of confidence were Selene, cradling her late-term pregnancy bump, and Jeanne, holding Peter.
(To be continued)