Chapter 52

Bathhouse Plan: The Fragrance of Home and Family Hot Springs (1)
The hot spring discovered under the guidance of the Sacred Beast was nothing short of a divine blessing for Akio’s village. With life in the newly completed “Central Hall” at the foot of the World Tree settling into place, the village’s next great undertaking turned toward building a bathhouse to make use of this spring. The villagers’ expectations were high, and Akio poured his passion into the design. Separate baths for men and women, as well as accommodations for those like Kina who disliked the smell of sulfur, were all part of the plan.

Yet in Akio’s mind there was one more image, one special bath he was determined to bring to life.

(A hinoki tub… that unique fragrance, the smooth feel against the skin. If I could recreate it in this world, it’d be the finest form of healing…)

On Earth, in Japan, hinoki baths were considered the pinnacle of luxury. The memory rose vividly within him, and he began to seriously wonder: was there in this forest a type of wood—fragrant, durable, resistant to water—that could serve as a substitute?

“Sylvia, Dolgan-dono, may I ask your advice on something?” Akio confided his “dream of a hinoki bath” to his wife Sylvia, the sage of the forest, and Dolgan, the seasoned dwarven blacksmith whose knowledge of architecture was vast.

“Hinoki, you say? A tree from your homeland, is it? And what sort of qualities does it possess?” Dolgan asked, intrigued.

Akio eagerly explained its smooth grain, the distinctive fragrance it released when wet, and its remarkable durability. Sylvia listened quietly, thought for a while, then spoke.

“I cannot say if it matches completely with what you call ‘hinoki’… but deep in this forest grows a tree known as Silvermoon Wood. Its timber is white and fine-grained, and when it absorbs water, it gives off a refreshing scent that calms the heart. They say even the spirits favor resting their wings upon its branches. But… it is rare, and not easily found.”

“Silvermoon Wood…!” Akio’s eyes lit up. “I’d love to see it with my own eyes!”

At the same time, Akio had another vision he wanted to add to the bathhouse.

“Also, besides the large men’s and women’s baths, I’d like to make smaller, private baths that families can use together without worry. Two, perhaps—that way, folks can take turns enjoying them at leisure. Especially since, well… my household’s pretty big.”

He said it with a bit of embarrassment, and Sylvia smiled while Dolgan nodded approvingly.

“Mm, a fine idea. Families with children would feel at ease, too.”

In Akio’s mind, he pictured warm family scenes—spaces where parents and children, husbands and wives, could share time together in the soothing water. The private baths, usable by families or as mixed bathing, would surely be loved by the villagers as well.

“All right. First, let’s search for that Silvermoon Wood. If we find it, I’d like to use it for one of the private baths.”

“Aye, if your elven lady speaks so highly of it, I’d like to see it myself. And as a craftsman, I must test its quality as lumber,” Dolgan agreed with enthusiasm.

Thus, Akio, Sylvia, and Dolgan set off on a small adventure to find the fabled Silvermoon Wood. Meanwhile, the other villagers, led by Alto, began laying the bathhouse foundation and preparing the more common timber to be used for the larger baths. Kina didn’t forget to chime in with, “Don’t forget to make my bath with less smell, hubby!”—though her face shone with anticipation.

Blending Akio’s longing for his homeland with his love for his new family and villagers, the bathhouse project took on fresh life, now shaped by the quest for a rare and wondrous tree. Slowly, but surely, it was beginning to take form.

What do you think about this chapter?