Chapter 121

Which Will You Choose?
Since it didn’t seem like anything was going to change at this rate, I decided to try a different method of research. Instead of searching for “hot springs” on the slate, I switched to searching in the library.

Library search:
“Hot springs” – no results.
“World Tree” – 2 results found.

I copied those two books onto blank books and read them.
One was a book based on a true story about an adventurer who was attacked by monsters and left behind in the Great Forest, but found the World Tree and managed to return safely.
The other was a collection of rumors about the World Tree.

In the adventurer’s story, he wasn’t attacked by monsters while he was near the World Tree. One day, while sleeping at the base of the World Tree, a sudden downpour soaked him, but it said the pain and wounds he got from monster attacks eased.

The rumor collection also said the leaves of the World Tree supposedly have the power to ease pain and wounds, and even suppress curses.
Could it be that the fruit of the World Tree is like a hot spring catalyst?
If I dig into the red-marked spot, hit an aquifer, and put in the World Tree fruit, will it become a hot spring?

When I told Father my idea, he called in a dowsing specialist to check for water veins, but apparently the result was that there weren’t any.
Every day I went to the spot where I buried the World Tree fruit, but nothing changed. Even now, ten days later, I haven’t found a solution.
What should I do?

“Hey, what if the condition for a hot spring isn’t just the World Tree fruit?” said Brother Gerald.

“In that case, could my mana level also be a condition?”

My mana levels after returning from the World Tree:
Water: 18 → 20
Healing: 10 → 12
So, is it water magic? Or maybe both?

I went to the place where we buried the World Tree fruit with Brother Gerald and Georges, and while imagining a hot spring, I poured water magic into the earth saying, “Turn into a hot spring!”

Then, I heard a bubbling sound from the ground, and in an instant, hot water erupted.
Hot water splashed over to me too, so I hurriedly stepped back and just stood there, stunned, staring at the gushing spring.

Once they came to their senses, Georges and Brother Gerald said:
“I’ll go get an earth mage from the Knights Order.”
“I’ll go get Father and the others,” and they ran off, leaving me still frozen in place, staring at the hot water shooting out.

The earth mage who came to the backyard built a reservoir so the water wouldn’t spill out, and discussed with my parents how to handle drainage. They brought up the idea of piping it into the Knights’ barracks, and so the hot spring was directed there.

The Knights’ barracks had two large baths that could hold about 20 people each (separated by gender), and it looked like they could handle a continuous flow of hot spring water.

Now that the backyard wouldn’t get flooded by hot spring water, I felt relieved.
Next, we just needed to build a bathhouse for the staff and families in the backyard. I couldn’t wait to get in the hot spring.

If I’m going to bathe in the hot spring, the indoor bath should be cypress, and the outdoor bath made of stone.
I’ll request both. I wonder if we even have cypress? If there’s a similar wood with a nice scent and strong water resistance, that’s fine too. I’ll leave that to the experts.

Remembering that building a hot spring would bring my mana capacity to 10,000, I checked on the slate.

Mana level:
Water: 20
Healing: 12
Mana capacity: 10,000

My mana capacity had reached 10,000, and the mail icon was blinking.
When I opened the message—

Wait, I can’t pick both?

Ugh, ugh... I want to eat curry bread.
But if I think of everyone... it’s gotta be the dragon.
I’ll choose B right away.

What do you think about this chapter?