Chapter 48
#48. The Hot-Spring Town's Mascot
Winterwald Hot-Spring Resort.
"Nngh…… Nngh……."
An adorable creature was walking in circles around the employee lounge.
The hot-spring spirit, in the form of a golden hatchling, hugged a sheet of parchment tightly with its short forepaws.
'If I just collect 50 stamps….'
An adorable uniform cap bearing the Winterwald crest sat atop its head.
An armband hung diagonally across its tiny shoulder.
When the large cap kept slipping down and covering its eyes, the spirit pushed it back up with a short forepaw.
Its tiny snout twitched.
***
A few hours earlier.
Kylan held out a large fragment of a magic stone toward the spirit.
"It's the King Slime's magic stone. If a water spirit consumes it, it can shorten decades of training."
A thick fragrance wafted from the blue gem.
It smelled like ripe fruit mixed with honey water.
The spirit's short tail flapped wildly.
A strand of hot drool dripped from its mouth.
'What a delicious smell……! If I eat that, could I become a real dragon too……!?'
Its trembling short forepaws stretched toward the gem.
'My snack…!'
It was just about to touch the gem with its short forepaw.
Whoosh─.
"……?"
The gem before its eyes vanished in an instant.
The spirit's round pupils searched the empty air.
"Did you not hear what I said?"
Kylan's cold voice fell from above its head.
"I said rewards are given to those who prove their worth."
"W-Worth……."
"Prove your usefulness. Then this magic stone will be yours."
"M-My snack……!"
The spirit flailed its short forepaws and desperately clung to Kylan's arms.
The etiquette drilled into it throughout the night had already been thrown somewhere out of sight.
It looked up with the most pitiful expression it could manage, but the person before it was Kylan, not Eleanor.
He never showed mercy.
"Starting today, your position is water-quality manager and security guard at the hot-spring inn. Purify the hot spring with your power, and drive out anyone who trespasses without paying."
"……?"
“Whenever you do your assigned work well, I'll give you one stamp. Once you fill this parchment, the magic stone will be yours."
The spirit accepted the parchment Kylan held out and slowly nodded.
For a magic stone that big and beautiful, it could do anything!
Kylan then tossed it a tiny uniform cap and armband and added indifferently,
"And a name. Now that you've become a citizen of Winterwald, I'll give you one."
Only then did its round eyes sparkle. The spirit once again placed a forepaw smartly against its head and pledged its loyalty.
'My… name!'
Gulp.
It swallowed dryly.
How wonderful would its name be? Invincible Dragon? Gold Dragon?
Thump, thump.
Just as its chest was swelling with anticipation, Kylan opened his mouth.
"Yongyongi."
"……Y-Yongyongi?!"
The spirit's expression crumpled completely.
"It seems you don't like it. Then, since you like bananas, how about Banana? Monkey?"
"……."
"Choose one of the three."
"……."
The spirit had no choice but to choose the least humiliating name while holding back tears.
That wicked man never gave it long to decide.
"……Y-Yongyongi is fine……."
"Then it's settled. I'll be counting on you, Yongyongi. Heh heh… If I'm going to turn you into a mascot, your name has to be cute and friendly."
What was a mascot?
After tossing out another incomprehensible word, Kylan coldly left the prison.
***
"Nngh…… My name is Yongyongi……."
Yongyongi pushed its slipping uniform cap back into place with a forepaw.
"Still, I…… I'll work hard and get the magic stone……!"
Yongyongi was muttering while staring intently at the parchment in its arms when—
"That's right. A man ought to have ambition!"
“Huh?"
A large hand suddenly appeared behind Yongyongi and lifted it into the air.
Then it put Yongyongi on its broad shoulder.
It was Krok, a bathhouse attendant at the hot-spring inn.
"I'm working hard to collect stamps too. We're all friends. Let's rely on each other and do our best."
"F-Friends? Hehe."
Yongyongi smiled.
Its face was even brighter than when it drank banana milk.
"I'm Krok."
"I'm Yongyongi!"
Yongyongi was secretly delighted to have made a friend.
Its short tail began to move.
'I-I have a friend too……!'
Yongyongi thought as it clenched its short forepaw.
'Yes! Behold this imposing figure of mine! Anyone can see I'm a great dragon! Guarding a little nest like this should be a cinch……!'
Completely forgetting that it was rather small itself, Yongyongi burned with enthusiasm.
All it had to do was collect stamps.
Just 50 stamps.
If it could do only that…
'The magic stone……! Banana milk……! I'll get lots of both……!'
Flap, flap!
Hot-spring mascot, water-quality manager, and security guard.
Yongyongi's great first day at work was getting underway, burdened with heavy responsibilities from the very start.
***
In front of the hot-spring inn's souvenir shop.
“Ms. Aria. There are so many people!?"
"I didn't expect there to be this many, either."
Aria, the master of the Green Magic Tower, and Lumiela, the master of the North's magical workshop.
The two women swallowed nervously as they looked at the long line.
"I guess the people of the North really have gotten rich. The aroma bath salts we made cost six silver a bottle, after all."
"They're buying the face masks by the bundle, too. I think we've seen enough."
They had come to see how well their inventions were selling.
There was no need to look any further. They were already a huge success.
That left only one thing to do.
"By the way, Ms. Lumiela. Did you hear? They say that if adventurers soak in this hot spring just once, even old injuries heal and all their fatigue disappears."
"Ah… Actually, I'd been overdoing it for a while and was a little tired."
"Tell me about it. Then…… since we're here, shall we enjoy it too before we leave?"
"Hehe. Sure. This is my first time coming somewhere like this with a friend."
"Huh!? I never said I'd be your friend?"
"Aww. You're mean."
In fact, the two women had been excited since the previous night and had even packed their underwear.
The lounge.
After their body scrubs, the two women were peeling eggs and eating them in the hallway.
Both had identical sheep-head towels wrapped around their heads.
"Ms. Lumiela! The hot spring was amazing, wasn't it!?"
"Exactly…! The fatigue just melted away…! I want to come every week!"
"I loved the body scrubbing. My skin is completely like a baby's now! I feel like I've gone back ten years!"
"Aria. How old are you, by any chance……?"
"I-I'm probably about your age, Ms. Lumiela?"
"Aha! I'm twenty-four."
"……."
Aria quietly shoved the egg into her mouth.
Then she walked ahead down the hallway as though nothing had happened.
A little later.
Lumiela, who had been following behind, hurried up beside Aria, grabbed her arm, and pointed at the sky.
"Aria! Look over there!"
"Yes?"
When they looked up, something was bobbing in the sky.
It was a golden hatchling.
The baby dragon wore an armband labeled Yongyongi and surveyed its surroundings with keen eyes.
As though it were out on patrol.
Before long, Yongyongi and the two women locked eyes.
After hesitating as though briefly startled, Yongyongi raised a short forepaw and offered an awkward greeting.
"W-Welcome to our inn……!"
It was an incredibly awkward greeting.
But—
"Kyaaaah!"
"So cute!!"
The two women stamped their feet, unable to contain themselves at Yongyongi's cuteness.
"Could that hatchling be…?"
When Aria asked, a passing female orc employee kindly answered her.
"Hohoho. You've heard the rumor that His Highness the Grand Duke succeeded in hunting a dragon, right?"
"Gasp…! It was true?"
Lumiela's eyes widened.
"Of course. It's true. That dragon is working under His Highness the Grand Duke now, you know. Isn't it such a good and adorable little thing? We even sell related merchandise over there."
The shop the female orc employee pointed to was filled with merchandise featuring an adorable baby dragon.
Figurines, aprons, handkerchiefs, and so on.
People were lining up to buy them.
"Why won't you sell me more? I'm offering money!?"
"Krrk! No! Lots of people want them! One per person!"
"I came from far away… Three! Can't you make it three? I'll spread the word in the South for you!"
"Krrk! I said no!"
Business was booming, with even scalpers showing up.
"Ahem……. They're just ordinary handkerchiefs and aprons, but people sure are odd. Right?"
Even as she said this, Aria couldn't take her eyes off the Yongyongi pictured on the souvenirs.
Meanwhile, the real Yongyongi was blowing air from its little mouth to dust the display shelves.
"Mom! There's Yongyongi over there! Yongyongi!"
"Oh my! A real dragon is working at the inn!"
As people's gazes gathered, Yongyongi bashfully scampered into a corner of the ceiling.
"Nngh…… This won't do!"
Lumiela finally couldn't resist and joined the line at the back.
"M-Maybe I'll buy just one handkerchief too……?"
Aria opened her wallet too, pretending she had no choice.
Yongyongi, peeking down from the corner of the ceiling, seemed embarrassed but pleased, for its tail was flapping back and forth.
"N-Nngh! I'm not cute! I'm great!"
***
Since we're here, let's look around first. We'll finish buying souvenirs next time we come.
"Yes!"
As the two women passed through the hallway, cheers rang out from somewhere.
"Woooooah!"
"We've already passed six hours!!"
It was a place with a sign that read 'Fire-Kiln Sauna'.
"What could it be this time?"
"Let's go take a look! Ms. Aria!"
The two women entered, curiosity piqued, and found a crowd gathered to watch.
An orc employee was selling tickets at the front.
He spoke very fluently.
"Step right up! Who will be the last one standing? Place your bets!"
Inside the enormous fire-kiln sauna.
In the searing heat, five people sat cross-legged in meditation.
Cedric, commander of the First Knight Order, drenched in sweat.
One-eyed Sir Walter, trembling all over.
Two Southern adventurers on the verge of collapse.
And Hans, a Mithril-rank adventurer, sitting peacefully without a flicker of expression.
"Gaaaah……."
“B-Big brother…… I'm going first. I-I feel like I'm really going to die……."
Thud.
One of the Southern adventurers collapsed first and crawled toward the lounge.
At that, Hans opened his eyes with a relaxed expression.
"Oh, Rick. Leaving already? You need to hold out longer for it to count as training."
"……."
As the two women stared blankly at the scene, an orc approached Aria.
"So, who will you bet on? Bet on Mithril-rank Hans and get 1.5 times your stake. The Great Shield of the North, Commander Cedric, pays double! Guild Master Sir Walter pays triple. Gold-rank adventurer Gale pays seven times! For reference, you can't bet more than 10 silver. Those are His Highness the Grand Duke's instructions."
"Hmm… Then I'll put 10 silver on Commander Cedric!"
"No way. Even if he's the commander of the knights, he's getting on in years…… I'll go with Hans!"
"Age doesn't matter! Commander Cedric! Hang in there!"
For some reason, Aria was rooting for Commander Cedric.
Despite the two women's encouragement,
the match was decided before long.