This is a story set roughly between episodes 428 and 488 of the main series, during Celesta Lapal’s travel period.
“It seems like the snow melted all at once in just these past few days.”
The wind blowing through the tavern’s window was cold, but Cebory leaned her upper body against the windowsill, squinting her eyes with a look of contentment.
Hearing this, Hana, the tavern keeper commonly known as “the proprietress,” replied while continuing to prepare the food.
“Beware that there are still stubborn patches of ice left in the shady spots on the north side. Newcomers often get lured by the sunny weather into having picnics and fall right into those traps.”
“Ahh. They don’t notice the frozen ground and end up sitting down right on it.”
“If you checked first, you’d realize it. But because they have this fixed mindset that ‘if I’m resting, it’s under a tree’s shade,’ and the surrounding area has completely turned into open grassland, they just go ahead and do it. Then, after a while—‘Hiah!’ goes down.”
“Ahhaha. Surely elves wouldn’t be that clumsy.”
“Is that so? Well, when you think about it, we haven’t encountered such cases; we’ve just been living side by side. My little sermon might have been a bit presumptuous.”
“Well, I suppose so. Besides, I and Oregano look like young women of sixteen or seventeen by human standards, but actually, we’re close to thirty?”
“Oh my.”
”…Keep that secret from my master. Apparently, when you reach an age that’s halfway plausible for a human, very hard-to-define emotions tend to arise.”
“That might be so.”
“Let me tell you, elves under the age of 100 are basically treated like children, right? It’s not as if we’re exceptionally child-like!”
Cebory desperately defended herself, and Hana couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
“Hee hee hee, I get it, I get it. Besides, I don’t think you or Oregano are kids either. There are people over twenty who are still brats, aren’t there? Look at Kyle from the Ryndon household.”
“It’s complicated being called an adult when compared to him…”
Kyle boasted of a childishness—or rather, pettiness—that stood out even among the tavern’s regulars. Could they really take being told they were more reliable than him as a compliment?
While they were talking like that, Cuted opened the front door with a cheerful clang and came in.
“Meow~!”
“Hey, Cuted. Don’t use ‘meow’ as a greeting.”
“Nyu… uh, g-good morning~”
“Good girl.”
“Cebory, wouldn’t something like ‘good job’ be better in these places? It’s not even morning yet, after all.”
“No, but according to Hilda-san, in the industry there is no night or day, so the time you start working is considered your morning, which is why you always use ‘good morning.’”
“I don’t know what kind of industry that is, but we have both morning and night here, and I’d like you to do morning greetings in the morning.”
“Meow~”
“Cuted! Don’t use ‘meow’ as a substitute for a name. Speak properly!”
“Meow~…”
“Don’t use it as a substitute for ‘yes’ either!”
“Cebory… if you can distinguish so many nuances from just one ‘meow,’ wouldn’t it be easier to just let her keep doing it?”
“No way. You have to teach young ones proper manners. And being cheeky by just having cat ears is one thing, but saying ‘meow meow’ is deviously cute to a fault! Stop using gimmicks and learn some shame!”
Cebory clenched her fists and delivered a fiery speech.
“I don’t really get it, but Cuted, listen to Cebory to a certain extent.”
“Meow~”
“There! So I told you not to say ‘meow’! Did you hear what I said?!”
“I didn’t quite get it~”
The tavern was peaceful today as well.
“Actually, this is our first Polka spring.” “Hmm. That must be so, then.”
Around the same time, Irina had finished her morning paperwork and was enjoying a cup of tea prepared by Fennel, engaged in casual conversation.
“When you all emerged from Polka, was it about last year’s late autumn?”
“That is correct. It was around the time the snow started falling…”
“Had you never ventured out of the forest before then?”
“I made several attempts… partly due to my role in maintaining contact with Misty Palace. However, with weak arms that couldn’t even draw a bow, I wasn’t able to reach the human settlements.”
“It must have been hard for a slave,” Fennel murmured softly.
“Yes. Which is why this is nearly the first time I’ve had the opportunity to see grass and flowers budding up from the snow, as if reviving. It’s wonderful, isn’t it? The earth’s activity in accordance with the seasons.”
“Mm. The eternal spring of the Northern Forest is beautiful in its own way, but just as a blacksmith’s hammer tempers iron, it may be that the cold autumn and winter and warm spring and summer temper the lives of those on the outside.”
Irina sat sunk deep in an oversized chair for her frame, swinging her legs idly while unconsciously stroking the collar at her throat. Seeing this gesture, Fennel let out a faint chuckle.
“What?”
“Talking about blacksmithing makes me touch the collar. It’s just a reflex.”
”…I suppose that can’t be helped. You and I likely associate it with the same person.”
“Yes… What is Master doing right now?”
“Well, Celesta has too many places unknown to us for that. Still, I imagine his bed is quite crowded wherever he is.”
“I feel a bit jealous.”
“Mm. Honestly, that Christy, winter work hardly has any urgency, yet because she can’t run around herself due to her position, she keeps wawa held up here too.”
Irina began grumbling bitterly, but elf ears are far more acute than human ones.
“Are you the formal Ambassador of Friendship for Polka, Lord White Clan Chief? You took on that responsibility yourself, so it’s inconvenient when you delegate full authority so frequently to someone from another clan who is merely a proxy.”
Christy came naturally into the office from outside.
Fennel widened her eyes and flinched slightly, while Irina puckered her lips, looking rather embarrassed.
“Things requiring full authority likely won’t come up often in Polka. It’s this remote frontier, and Misty’s dragons are coming and going.”
“The problem usually arises when one lets their guard down. Besides, if everything could be solved with brute strength, what would be the point of an Ambassador of Friendship?”
“Mm, mmm…”
“Moreover, constantly tagging along isn’t a woman’s only talent. Sometimes, separating is what makes a man and woman’s bond stronger. Just like tempering iron with cold and heat.”
“Mm… well, I suppose that logic is sound enough. But…”
“If you tag along, you have to attract Master’s attention in the first place, even though there are already many other women around. And he has other missions. Travel fatigue works against you compared to warriors who are physically fit. Don’t you think it would be more persuasive to prepare thoroughly and wait for his return, saving your best pleasures for the right moment?”
”…That is quite cunning… I mean, crafty of you.”
“Even rephrased, it doesn’t get much better, Irina.”
“I, I acknowledge it. So please don’t get so worked up.”
Christy maintained her smile, but her voice took on a slightly frightening tone, prompting Irina to hastily offer an explanation.
“But actually, those of us who stay behind can’t match the accompanying group in the quantity of service… It’s a matter of quality, certainly.”
Noticing that the atmosphere had softened and deciding it was better to steer the conversation toward getting Irina settled down, Fennel chipped in.
Christy nodded.
“To make them think of this Polka as the place they most want to return to, I think we need to target our service carefully. For example… Master enjoys clever group sex, so we could focus on that aspect.”
“Our house is originally separated from the others by distance, so we are well-suited for such things… Shall we try waiting in a manner that stirs Master’s baser desires?”
“Basal desires? Are you going to have Oregano make us courtesan costumes?”
“That sounds good too. Oh, putting up a sign might be fun as well. Something like ‘Elves’ Marquessate Public Brothel.’”
“If we don’t keep it discreet and another clan hears about it, they’ll turn red with anger.”
“Of course. And if we put up the sign, you’ll become one of our courtesans too, won’t you, Lady Irina?”
Fennel spoke with a pleased expression, enjoying a bit of playful mischief. Irina, not looking entirely displeased herself, nodded hesitantly.
“Well, if it were only Master Smaison as the guest… perhaps taking off the collar every now and then and peddling our charms wouldn’t be such a bad thing.” “After all, everyone’s bought with a single coin and used to satisfy their lust freely. It might even be fun to restrict the play by saying something like ‘There’s an extra charge past this point’♪” “Hmm. That sounds good, not bad at all… Naturally, Christie would join in, right?” “I’m not sure if I’d feel out of place, though…” “In that case, how about Christie teams up with Lady Lyra, the Princess of Glory, and Lady Hilda to open a separate brothel? The vibe would be completely different from ours.” “I feel like I’m being treated as an old maid…” “N-no, don’t worry about it. Lady Lyra and the Princess of Glory are not much older than me.”
Andy’s Exclusive Back-Alley Brothel Plan. This later evolved to include the cat-beastfolk’s “Cat House,” eventually realized by having Jeanne mint dedicated coins for the purpose, but that is a story for another time. Also, one of Talkur’s prostitutes was involved in providing technical guidance, but again, that part is omitted.
“Setting that aside, if there’s one thing I miss more than anything upon returning to Polka, it must be the hot springs, don’t you think?” “Mm-hmm. Indeed. The sensation of travel fatigue melting away with a sound is something indescribable.” I think it about time we stopped sneaking around and properly served your master in the baths, wouldn’t you? “That’s true. However, whether it’s the men’s or women’s bath, we can’t completely shut out other customers. Moreover, asking the Baron for permission regarding branch pipe installation from the water source would be far too awkward.” “In the current situation, isn’t a barrier prison the most sensible answer?”
Irina and Fennel providing the common-sense answers. “That’s true. But actually, there might be a possibility of creating hot springs outside the town as well.” “What?” “If you go slightly into the forest, there’s an outcrop point located before the ancient barrier. It seems to be about two kilometers away from the town. The Baron has known of its existence for a long time, but since it’s in the middle of the forest, he left it alone considering it might be a provocation to the Elves. But… since we are the elves, that problem is gone now, right…” “You’re trying to steal that?” “How rude. When I consulted with the Baron on whether we could use it, he said, ‘The townspeople have hot springs nearby, so they wouldn’t go all the way deep into the forest.’ In other words, if we set up a private bathing facility there ourselves, it might become an exclusive bath for serving your master. Just… that…” “That?” “We can’t use others’ hands for construction, right? Given such a purpose.” “Ah… that’s true.” “It is indeed so… Even if we rely on the Elves’ homeward teacher, it would be difficult to say we need to keep it secret.”
Humans likely wouldn’t venture deep into the easily confusing forest for hot springs, but from an Elf’s perspective, making the location public would inevitably lead some to come look. Since all springs in the Trot Domain are (procedurally) considered the Baron’s property, if they were asked to let them in, he’d have no choice but to agree. Sharing the intent to use it comfortably for their naked trysts with Andy, the three elves racked their brains. “I hear Diane is also skilled in architecture. What do you think? When will we have time to build such a thing?” “Isn’t the bigger problem a lack of manpower? In the forest, we can’t get away using the Dragon’s massive body for leverage…” “If we take our time, couldn’t we do it ourselves? We just need an easy-to-clean bathtub and a changing room to store clothes, right?” “We’d also need meandering channels to cool the hot spring water to a suitable temperature. If possible, we should draw cold water from somewhere to make adjustments easier…” “Trying to be ambitious without sufficient specialized knowledge is not good. Christie, do you not study in that field?” “At least I haven’t practiced swinging a golden hammer…”
The three whispered around, coming up with various plans. And the half-elf ears capable of hearing such whispers are far superior to human ones. “You seem troubled!” “If it’s Andy-related, you can count on us.”
With a loud bang of the door opening, Selen emerged wearing a confident expression while supporting her full-term belly, followed by Jeanne holding Peter in her arms.
(To be continued)