Dream Life

After noon on February 24th.

On the tenth day after leaving Gilsall, the Seagal, a small sailboat with us on board, made a smooth voyage and arrived at the port of Gartbrek on Finis Island.

Although there was minor trouble on the first day of departure, after that there was no particular trouble thanks to the control of the Captain's decker. It just felt like the sailors were avoiding it somehow.

Finis is an island in the shape of a trapezoidal diagonal diagonal of about one hundred and fifty kilometres east and west and about one hundred and fifty kilometres north and south.

In the central part of the island is Mount Silex, a thousand metre active volcano, which is constantly spraying up smoke.

The port of Gartbreck is a natural good port in the bay on the north side of the island. There is a port town that uses the slopes of the harbour and mountains where large merchant and military ships can enter.

Originally on the main route connecting Imperial Primus to the commercial city of Aurelia, it should be crawling with many merchant ships, but the pier had only a small vessel about the same size as the Seagal and felt lonely.

As we descend the Seagal, we head straight to the branch of the commercial guild.

Unlike the warm island of Gilsall, it feels a little chilly. Still, the temperature feels like fifteen degrees, not enough to freeze. Latitude is very much the same as Jilsor, but I guess the power of the gods is affecting it.

The branch is located in a commercial district close to the harbor, but the district was also sparsely populated and idle.

The situation was the same even when entering the building of the branch, where there were few people in the business space and reception counter, and the receptionist staff were blurred out of hand.

I'll listen to you, but you give me an explanation with a slightly troubled face.

"Is this the ship to Aurelia? Do you know the story of the war with Lukes?

"Yeah, I hear war is inevitable. But I heard that full-scale invasion is a little further."

"The war on land is true, but things are a little different at sea."

"Things are different?

"Yeah, Luke's using a Periplus ship to try to seal off the sea. To disrupt the transport of supplies to Lark Hill…"

Staff stories indicate that the Order Headquarters of the Light Divine Church has requested cooperation from Periplus, the western maritime state, and that military vessels are being dispatched.

"Did Periples put his sword to the Empire?

Peripulus is a neutral state that distances itself from both the Holy Kingdom and the Empire. Joining the Holy King's kingdom would turn the Caerm Empire, the world's most powerful military state, against its enemies.

"No, the surface is not a Periplus ship, the flag of the Holy King is flying. Well, the truth is, they're the Peripples from the commander to the terminal sailor..."

Apparently, it is pre-built that the Holy King employs it in the form of mercenaries per ship.

"Isn't that why the commercial guild hasn't shut up? I ask," but the officials say, "Yes, but I can't boil it down the top. I wonder what you're thinking," he said.

Imagine, but the upper echelons of the commercial guild are also lost.

Luke's Holy Kingdom is a nation that is helping commercial guilds not be affected by the empire's inflation policies in the first place. If that shield, the Holy Kingdom, perishes, it is self-evident that it is our turn next, and we must do everything in our power to ensure that the Holy Kingdom can survive.

Commercial guild home Aurelia and Periples, on the other hand, are rivals contending for maritime hegemony. For the Alliance, Periples is the opponent you want to beat, but because he works for the survival of the Holy King, it's hard to get his hands on him.

Until now, the guild worked on the Holy King's Palace to keep it from shaking hands with Peripulus, but I guess the denominational headquarters, which boiled its business to the passive attitude of the commercial guild, arbitrarily and secretly tied it to Peripulus.

"That's why there have been few boats to Aurelia since February. Well, with any luck, a ship headed for the Imperial Capital the other day might be back in about six months, but this is also subject to the condition that it is not requisitioned by the Imperial Army."

After leaving the branch of the commercial guild, we head to the inn.

Unlike Gilsall, there were many inns in the port town. However, all of them were idle and, thanks to this, the luxury inn suites were also able to stay at a cheap price.

"We spent time in a narrow cabin, so this is heaven," Beatrice said with a full grin in the room.

After removing the gear, gather everyone in the living room.

"When we sort out the information we get in the guild, for the time being, the ship to Aurelia doesn't show up. I'm going to take a tour of Finnish Island because it's a corner, what do you think?"

"I agree. Even so, I don't know what it is," Liddy agrees.

"I do think this is the only big town and all we had to do was have a small rural and fishing village along the coast. The specialties are processed chestnuts and pork, so I don't think there was anything like sightseeing."

That's what Sharon explains.

"What about the volcano? There's going to be hot springs and stuff."

As a bath lover, Beatrice seems to want to find a hot spring. I do agree with that idea because I haven't been properly soaked in a hot tub in the last few months.

"You might want to hear about the hot springs. Do you have anything for Mel?

"I'd like to come in if I have a hot spring, too. And the volcano might have a strong demon, so it would be better if we could fight it."

Though there has been a battle against private looters, we have not fought a decent battle for nearly five months since the beginning of October. That's why I care if my arms aren't blunt.

We rolled out to the city of Gartbreck the next day and decided to gather information.

Gartbrek is a port town with a population of about 5,000, but adding the surrounding countryside and fishing villages makes it a city with a population of nearly 10,000.

The main industry concerns shipping, with many shipyards carrying out repairs of damaged ships, as well as timber mills processing wood for ships. There are other shops that sell supplies needed for sailing, such as food and alcohol, but most of them were closed due to the war recession.

Collect information by going around the store and looking at specialties. The specialty was chestnut, as per prior information. It had already been nearly six months since harvest time and there were not many raw chestnuts, but many dried powders and candied etc were sold.

"This powdered dish is delicious," the shop general recommended, so I tried it in the nearby dining room.

The dish was rustic with water and seasoning added to the chestnut powder and baked in puree form, and the sweetness like sweet potatoes of the slightly powdery kanji produced a unique flavor, making it a good knob of wine.

Also, the pork grown from feeding chestnuts was delicious. Especially with excellent fat, the balance was excellent between a fat that felt sweet like a fine basque pig or an Iberico pig and a refreshing yet moist lean one.

Information about the hot springs was readily available.

The name of the hot spring was Kulat village, about twenty kilometers south of Gartbrek, and the fact that the road was also maintained meant that a carriage could be used in about half a day.

When asked in more detail, they were dealing with the passengers and senior sailors of the ships moored in the harbor, which meant that there were also passenger carriages.

Because passengers and sailors often use it, they can ask the commercial guild to contact them in case of rescheduling, etc. We're also asking the Alliance to send us a call when the ship arrives.

The next day, we boarded a ride carriage to the village of Kurat.

There were no other passengers in the carriage, but they also had the task of transporting supplies to the village, with three mercenaries attached as escorts. Unlike the island of Gilsall, it was because there are demons on this island, but because it is relatively safe to reach the village of Coulato, it meant that it is rarely attacked.

As soon as I leave town, it becomes a mountain road. Originally there were few plains on Finnish Island and rural areas in mountainous basins and hills. Unlike Gilsol Island, however, wheat cultivation flourishes and sells wheat and beer not only to gartbreakers, but also to ships that come to port.

After about an hour down the mountain road, it turns into a flat ground. The altitude is about two or three hundred meters.

There were many fields around here and several villages. Turning first, there is Mount Silex, which blows smoke, and it doesn't feel strange where the hot springs are gushing out.

We take a break in the village on the way, and the carriage moves on towards the south again.

The altitude gradually rises and the forest deepens. It's at the foot of an active volcano, but it doesn't look like it has a volcanic effect, either because there's no smoke coming this way.

Sometimes the altitude has risen and I feel the winter cold. Until then, a jacket would have been enough, but the more you need to weave a cape.

We go through the woods, but it feels peaceful for the rich woods.

"I smell a little unusual. I think it's close to sulfur, but there's another smell in it."

We don't feel it, but Beatrice, the Beast Man, can already smell the hot springs.

I saw hot smoke after noon. Soon the forest ran out and we arrived at the village of Kulat, our destination.

It is lined with stone inns and relatively large wooden houses, with clean gorges flowing in the centre of the village.

"Sounds like a good place," Liddy said, as did Mel and Sharon. "Right. Somehow I remember the village of Rasmore," he says.

In fact, the atmosphere was somewhat similar in the hilly villages of Rasmore and Kulat, in the mountains, although they looked completely different, with plenty of water and lots of flowers planted around the house.

We have obtained information about the inn in advance at Gartbrek, and we know that there are five inns. Heading to the most prestigious inn of them all, but there were few travellers here as well as Gartbrek.

I entered the inn and had lunch in the dining room.

It was just the best inn in the village and the specialty pork dish was excellent. Unfortunately, the liquor was the only wine and local beer brought from Teito, all because of poor selling, or the flavor was not good.

"Looks like you should go buy your own beer."

When asked by the innkeeper, there was a brewery in the village where he could get a beer that could be made.

"Why don't you go to the brewery after this?"

When I say that, Liddy disagrees with me, "I want to go into the hot spring," and Beatrice nods, "I'm refreshed first, too."

"You're going to have a beer in the bath," Mel said with a laugh, and Liddy and Beatrice all snorted loudly.

"Master Zach and Mel and I will buy it for the three of us. Lydia, please soak up the hot springs slowly."

Sharon said that with a laugh, too, and in the afternoon we were to split into two groups for now.

Hot springs, but not public bathing areas like the village of Rasmore, like spas in Europe, where you enter wearing swimsuits and hot tubs. That was why it was a mixed bath.

"I'll rendezvous with you later," he said, breaking up with the two of them and heading to the brewery with Mel and Sharon.

The brewery was on the south side of the village, drawing in water from the gorge. I try the water, but I didn't smell the hot springs at all.

Enter the brewery and let them taste the beer that has been aged.

Slightly dark-eyed beer with superficial fermentation, cloudy as white beer. Although slightly sour, the aroma itself is not bad.

I could drink enough of this, so I had it packed in a barrel of about twenty liters.

Returning to the inn, Liddy and Beatrice returned from the hot spring as if they had weighed.

The two are in a ruffled outfit called a skirt on a thin blouse, staring at the barrel as they fan their faces with patties and hands.

"It was good water. Oh, you got the beer. Then I want you to taste it."

"Right. Give me a nice cold one, too."

I've asked for a cup of bath as if nothing had happened. Laughter leaks unexpectedly at the quality of the collaboration.

"Okay, okay. I'll let you in right away, just sit on the couch and wait."

Remove the two jocks from the storage magic (inventory) and pour the beer. Chill to the kink with the magic of a more pseudo-perche effect.

When I hand the jock to the two of them, I immediately mouth them without saying anything and drink them up all at once.

They both said at the same time, "" Pha! "" my father breathed out in a stink, offering a jock with a satisfied look.

When I gave him the second cup, he just started to taste and drink it this time.

"That's surprisingly delicious. I'd like you to serve this at dinner."

"I think so, too. Well, whatever you drink now, I feel delicious."

cooling each barrel because I don't think the two of them will end in two glasses, but

"We drink in the bath, too. Don't let it drink you up," he stabs the nail.

I don't think the two of us can drink enough because we have twenty liters, but I didn't think it would be too good to drink.

"Exactly. I can't do it all. Hey, Beatrice."

"Oh, I guess it's half as good as it gets."

"Then we won't have enough for dinner, will we? Well, when I run out of them, I'll go buy them again. That's all right."

Mel and Sharon were ready while we had that conversation. The two of them have their hair down and are waiting in their hands to get dressed, etc.

My preparation is easy so I headed right to the hot spring.

The hot spring was a few minutes walk away, and there was a management building with a stripping room. When you pay for bathing at the entrance to the management building, you are handed hand tufted and hot tub clothes. Once inside, there is an easy locker room, where you change into blue half pants and head to the hot spring.

There are no other customers, they are rented out.

The hot springs were cloudy and clear. If it is cloudy, it is a sulfur spring because it smells like sulfur, but if it is transparent, I do not know what kind of hot spring it is.

With that in mind, Mel and Sharon came. They both look like blue shirts and half pants for the hot tub, shy and hand-tuffed to hide their bodies.

The three of us relax and soak in the water.

"It feels good to soak in hot water for the first time in a long time," Mel spoke.

Sharon has joined the story.

"It feels really good. But I want to get back to the village as soon as possible. I haven't seen you in a long time, so I can't go home until May."

I left the village in mid-July last year. You will have been away from the village for more than seven months already.

"Right," he answers, looking up at the sky.

White clouds were flowing from among the trees, and he thought blurry as if Vanitas was never about to destroy the world.