Chapter 31. Investigation of strange hot springs
Two days after the Demon Swordsman Sakuya became a companion.
We had taken on our first quest as a full party.
The reason why the first quest was two days later instead of the day after they joined us is because these three idiots drank like idiots, and as a result, they all got a hangover and ruined the day.
Lucia and Noelle were the only two people drinking with no bottom line, so there must have been no end to Sakuya's mixing.
I went back to the inn at night, but they ended up drinking all night long.
Lucia complained that she had a headache to death and that it was painful, but it was her fault.
The money spent on drinking and cooking is also quite good. Luckily I have a lot of money now, so I don't mind splurging a little... It is a pity that I cannot take control of these three people immediately.
From now on, I feel that if I don't take care of this party. It will fall and collapse.
Good luck, me.
Then, I regained my enthusiasm and pulled the three people who were still hungover to accept the quest, which was a D-rank investigation quest.
The research quests are classified as exploration quests.
The main content is to conduct field surveys of strange places, or places where strange changes are occurring that have been normal until now.
In high-rank research quests. You will have to investigate a bad environment or a place where dangerous monsters are roaming. But this time there is almost no danger level because it is only D-rank.
The content of the research quest we received this time was to investigate the Agro Mountain, which is a little far from the town of Carmelo.
There are villages near Carmelo Town, and if something goes wrong there, a quest request will be sent to the Adventurer's Guild in Carmelo Town.
Quests that take you far from the Town have a good chance of encountering monsters, so the order is required from four party members.
The risk of encountering demons is taken, but the area around Carmelo Town is quite peaceful in the first place, and there are no strong monsters.
In other words, these exploration quests are known as so-called delicious quests, which are troublesome to go out of, but are low in danger and easy to earn rewards.
It's such a rewarding quest, but until now, I couldn't take it because we didn't have enough party members.
However, when Sakuya joined, we were able to work as an adventurer in earnest. We're moving forward step by step.
"Is this the Agro Mountain to be investigated"
After leaving the town of Carmelo early in the morning and walking for several hours, we finally reached the survey site.
"It's a big mountain, and it's been a lot of work to get here, but it's going to be quite a challenge to investigate"
You can see the tiredness in Lucia's tone.
Naturally. We have been walking for several hours, the actual investigation has already begun. I sigh too.
Agro Mountain is moderately sized. Residents search for mushrooms and wild vegetables daily, so the trails are well maintained.
If you go into the mountains, you will be afraid of getting lost, but if you don't stray too far from this climbing route, you will be fine.
"Alright, We are continuing to investigate this mountain, but let's check the quest again."
I pulled out the quest request from my bag.
In the case of a quest that goes away, they will give you a duplicate of the request text in this way.
We all look into it.
"The request is a survey of the Agro Mountains, isn't it?"
At Noelle's words, Sakuya nods.
"Yes, there has been a strange change in Agro Mountain lately, and you want me to investigate it."
"Oh, yes."
I nodded mysteriously and gave him a difficult look.
For this investigation quest, I took a simple one because it was just a start, but ...
Even if you re-read the quest request again, I can only think that it is a strange story.
Is this possible?
"But it's strange, isn't it, that there are suddenly several hot springs in the mountains, and it's creepy, so why don't you investigate ...?"
Yes, as Lucia says, this quest is to investigate a hot spring that has suddenly formed in the mountains.
It's not just that the hot springs suddenly appeared.
It is said that the hot spring is properly surrounded by rocks, and the temperature is suitable for bathing.
It seems that hot springs have just been created, and there are many of them.
This Agro Mountain is not a mountain where hot springs gush.
At least, the villagers who live near the mountain said they had never heard of such a thing.
However, a week ago, the villagers were picking mushrooms in the mountains as usual when they suddenly discovered a hot spring.
And not one or two, but five or six. Hot springs were built all over the mountain.
The villagers were surprised by the apparent abnormality and tried to hurry down the mountain, apparently seeing it there.
The figure of a young and beautiful woman soaking in a hot spring.
In addition to the phenomenon that several hot springs are suddenly created, it is also incomprehensible that a beautiful woman was immersed in the hot springs.
No, it's a hot spring, so it's okay if someone is in it, but is there anyone who enters a strange hot spring that suddenly pops up in the mountains?
"Local villagers told me that the young woman they witnessed was not a resident."
"Eighty-nine times out of 10, that woman is the culprit of this situation."
"I'm sure that's true, but is it possible to create a hot spring with any amount of money?"
Lucia tilts her head curiously.
"As expected, it seems that it is an unusual phenomenon in this world that hot springs suddenly appear, and it does not happen very often."
"I would like to wish there was such a dream-like anomaly! Ahh, I want to take a mixed bath with Akira!"
Why does this guy mind a hot spring equals a mixed bath?
"It's okay, mixed bathing... I want to soak in the hot springs with Akira and have a drink."
" I want to be ordered to flush my back!"
Due to Lucia's stupid remarks, Noelle and Sakuya also began to fantasize about mixed bathing.
These guys do a lot of stupid chain reactions.
"Let's start investigating!"
Noelle, who had recovered from her delusion, clapped her hands as if she were enthusiastic.
"This time, it's a field investigation, but if you can identify the person behind the series of situations and solve the situation by catching more, I'm sure they'll be paid a special reward."
Surprisingly, Noelle seems to be full of enthusiasm. The whole body is full of energy.
Before I came here, she had looked like she was dying of a hangover... I wonder why.
"I'm going to make a lot of money here and have the money to pay back to Akira to have sex!"
What are you talking about? It's a ridiculous minimum remark to let me have sex with tribute.
Noel, are you okay with that?
"Is Akira a person who is okay with tribute!?"
And look, an idiot says something stupid, so the rookie idiot is reacting. The stupid chain reaction has begun.
"That's right, Sakuya!"
"Oh, that's it... Is there an extra charge for swearing play or something like that...!? If possible, I'm the type of person who wants to be blamed for being a little rough for the first time and having a lascivious due to the habit of being a virgin!"
What! I don't... even if I am told.
"Hehe, both of you are still a long way off, and I think Akira is probably the type of person who will feel sorry for you and let you have sex if you take a serious dogeza even if you don't have money!"
"Is there a man in this world who only exists in such ... erotic book!?"
"It's a good situation to sit down and have sex, isn't it... it? My masochistic heart aches!"
"Shut up, you guys!"
I knew that if They continued like this, I would continue to have stupid undertones for the rest of my life, so I shouted.
My loud voice echoed through the mountains, turning me into a tree spirit.
"Look, we're going to enter this mountain! In addition, there is a risk of inadvertent distress. It took me a long time to get here, and if I failed the quest because I was caught off guard, it would be a waste of time!"
I say, and Sakuya nods enthusiastically.
"Oh, you're right, I've finally been able to form a party for the first time, so I'm happy to conquer the quest!"
Noelle and Lucia also seemed to have tightened up a little, and they were no longer buoyant.
"Leave it to me, Akira, whoever you are dealing with, I'll tie it up with my creation magic."
"A promising newcomer, Demon Swordsman Sakuya, has also joined, so you should be able to accomplish this quest without any problems!
Lucia pumped her fist into the sky, and Noelle and Sakuya followed.
"Oh!"
The battle cry of the three of them echoes through the mountains.
The three of them seem to be on the same page, so they can unite like this soon. ... They're all idiots.
"Now, Sakuya, I will allow you to walk in the front in the name of the Goddess Apprentice Lusha!"
"What?! Wow, is that me!? Ugh, I'm embarrassed to walk in front..."
"Both I and Lucia are rearguard types, so it's going to be very bad if you don't stay in front!"
Lucia and Noelle push Sakuya's back and force him to walk in front.
"Besides, Sakuya is the newest, and she's the youngest!"
"You're the youngest, so you're confident in your physical strength, aren't you? I'm a witch, so I have zero health!"
"I'm also a goddess, so I have zero physical strength!"
What are you claiming to be so confident and not physically strong?
Then, Sakuya turned around with a troubled crying face.
"Oh... I'm 23 years old."
"Huh?"
The voices of three of us were humiliated at the unexpected remark.
Ugh, that's a lie, isn't it? I thought I was older because of her appearance, but I was younger!
Even if you look at it again, she's petite and the shortest, so she looks younger. I feel like a cute little sister type.
I thought she was much younger, but I didn't expect her to be ... older.
And she's the oldest of us.
At the startling remark, Lucia and Noelle's expressions twitched.
"Oh, you were older!? No, no, it's more than that... That hairstyle! Twin tails!"
"What does it mean to have twin tails at 23 years old!? It's too bruising, Sakuya!"
... What? That's it?
"If allowed, I would still have a cute twin tail! I want to be a beautiful girl with silver hair and twin tails!"
"I had a short twin tail until last year, but it hurts too much... I stopped! I wanted to be a cute twin-tailed witch forever!"
Lucia and Noelle pull Sakuya's twin tails out of the way.
These guys react more to the fact that Sakuya is older in this look, and more to the fact that she has twin tails at his age.
Is the twin tail such a hairstyle that women in this world dream of?
Sakuya was in trouble because his twin tails were pulled.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry that I look good at a good age and my twin tails look good! I'm sorry to say it's the cutest thing in the world!"
"I didn't say that!?"
"Sakuya is the cutest girl in the world, and it seems that I, the witch Noel, is in second place."
"No, no, I'm the goddess in second place!?"
"Oh, don't fight, the second and third place."
Are these guys really okay?
Well, when you do it like an idiot, they will do it.
Believing that I decided to go into the mountains without stopping the shenanigans of these three people