"I want to go to a hot spring."
Standing on the deck of the ship, Rhydian crossed her arms in front of everyone and stated.
"...Hot springs? Do they even have those here?" Dominique muttered, taking out a map and looking for any notable "hot springs areas". However, she shook her head in disappointment, as the Crystal Spire likely didn't deem such information necessary; thus, they didn't include it. "I don't see anything like that here on the map."
"I don't care." Rhydian refused to budge. "Mira promised we'd do what I wanted if I helped her. This is what I want, so we're going."
"..."
"...Fine…." Mira grumbled after a long pause. She was still lost in thought about her brief meeting with Aroth, along with Aelina's warning. For the first time since the two had met, the Sect Master seemed oddly concerned, constantly telling Mira to be careful and to try and lay low for a while.
When she tried to ask who this 'Aroth' was and where he was from, Aelina shrugged it off, saying she didn't know, but she speculated the Central Continent. It could be from some hidden power on another continent that's been biding their time, but she doubted that.
Anything from the Era of Mystics has mostly been lost. There are probably inheritances somewhere spread out across the world, but Aelina was 99% sure they wouldn't have anything as powerful as that teleportation/communication device in those places.
'That old man likely won't pursue you himself, but it wouldn't be weird for him to send someone just to keep an eye on you. However, from my experience, those bastards don't know how to scout. So, just please, try not to cause any more trouble for the time being. I really don't want to have to come over there and save your ass.' Those were Aelina's final words before she disconnected the call.
For Aelina to be that worried, even contemplating coming to the Northern Continent, made Mira skeptical. That captain, Varik, didn't seem all that strong.
Sure, he was powerful, but not overly so. He wasn't anything she couldn't handle, but Aelina made it sound like he was just some grunt.
'It also seems like the people from the Central Continent are quite prideful. If I were to kill one of those idiots, it's almost guaranteed they'll continue to pester me by sending stronger people until one of us is dead.' Mira speculated, feeling like she wasn't too far off from the truth.
Unfortunately, this time, she couldn't take care of the root of the problem all at once, either.
'....I guess I should heed her advice… For now.' Mira concluded before turning her attention back to Rhydian.
"Hot spring, huh? So, we just need to go find a volcano, right?" She asked, but the wolf shook her head.
"NO! I want to visit a real facility! I want the full spa and relaxation treatment, with nice food, skincare, meridian cleansing, everything!"
A vein throbbed in Mira's head, as this was a bit more than a single request. "You don't even care about those things!"
"Well, now I do! My fur and feathers need to be brushed, but none of you will do it!"
"Hey, we're always willing to do it for you!" Hana and Dominique raised their hands, looking aggrieved, but Rhydian glared at them.
"That's not brushing! You always end up plucking me like a chicken! What? Are you two birds building a nest or something?!"
Elenei, standing on the side, had a contemplative look on her face hearing that. Now that she thought about it, having her wings massaged didn't sound so bad. And they have been traveling quite a bit. 'It'd be nice to relax a little.'
The only problem was Mira herself. That woman was a walking bad omen. She wouldn't be surprised if the hot springs they decided to go to exploded as soon as they arrived.
Seeing that everyone else, not just Rhydian, was interested in this trip, Mira sighed and shook her head. She couldn't care less about some hot, steamy water, but she couldn't go back on her word.
"Alright…. Let's search for information regarding the best hot springs on the Continent." She declared, causing everyone's eyes to widen before they smiled and nodded.
"Understood!" Without hesitation, Elenei grabbed the map away from Dominique and steered the ship toward the nearest city.
As the ship shot through the sky like a comet, the mood on deck lightened considerably. The promise of relaxation and indulgence at a hot spring was an enticing prospect for everyone.
Rhydian, now somewhat placated, sat down on the deck, her tail swishing in anticipation. "It's been ages since I had a proper pampering. You'll all see how shiny my fur can be!"
'You've never had a pampering before.' Everyone thought but didn't want to ruin the mood.
Dominique and Hana excitedly discussed the different spa treatments they'd heard of. "I heard there's this mud bath that's great for the skin," Hana said, her eyes sparkling.
"And I want to try that stone massage thing!" Dominique added, her enthusiasm infectious.
Coralia, floating beside the ship, chimed in, "Oh, and we should definitely try the herbal baths. They're amazing for rejuvenation."
The ship smoothly sailed towards the nearest city. What they found was a bustling town called Yinxue City, built around a large icy lake that was located almost right in the middle of the Continent. There wasn't much around it other than snow, ice, and more snow.
However, the icy lake seemed to draw in some of the cold, making the rest of the town warmer than its surroundings.
As they approached, the city's vibrant lights and lively sounds greeted them.
Dominique, Hana, and Linnea were visibly excited. They pressed their faces against the ship's railing. "Look at all those lights! It's like a festival!" Dominique exclaimed.
Rhydian hopped off the boat, crashing onto the ground with a mini explosion before she ran off, exclaiming. "Let's go! Rest and relaxation can't wait another day!"
Elenei docked the ship and stored it in a Spatial Ring. The group disembarked, making their way into the city without much issue blending in with the crowd due to Mira's illusions, making them appear a bit more normal. The city was alive with people running around talking with one another, entertainers showcasing their talents, and locals going about their business.
They listened to the conversations around them and quickly understood where the best places to obtain information would be. Mira and Elenei led them to a well-known tavern, where information was often spread and traded.
"This place is a hub for travelers. We should be able to find what we're looking for here." Mira said, much to the delight of the others.
Inside the tavern, the group split up. Mira and Elenei went to the bar, casually striking up conversations with the locals. Rhydian, Dominique, Hana, and Linnea explored the tavern, listening in on conversations and asking around. As for Coralia… Mira sent her off to go 'charm' some of the more powerful people and try to pull information out of them.
After a while, they regrouped, sharing what they had learned. "There's a hot spring resort on the Northern part of the continent. It's called the Celestial Springs and resides along the Auroravolc Peaks. Supposedly, it's the best in the region," Mira reported.
Everyone else reported their findings, with there being a surprising number of Hot Springs in the North, Rhydian was more interested in the one Mira found. "That's it! That's where we're going."
Without waiting for anyone to say anything, she darted out of the city and waited for them as if to try and speed up the process.
The group chuckled at her antics, having never seen Rhydian so excited about something before.
While they were walking back, Elenei spoke up about something a bit more serious, "I also heard some rumors about the treasure 'I' grabbed. It seems Varik's appearance and apparent death have caused more ripples than we thought. People aren't openly talking about the Central Continent, but there does seem to be a bit of dissatisfaction among everyone. Apparently, this kind of thing is pretty common. There was also talk about how in the past few hours, more and more resources were taken away by an unknown group of people."
Mira's expression turned serious. "Haaa… I get it. We'll lay low for a bit. No need to stir up trouble for no reason."
Elenei instantly had a bad feeling. Mira? Lay low? Staying out of trouble?
Is the sky about to collapse? They literally just got caught up in something annoying regarding Aroth, yet Mira has the gall to say that she'll stay out of trouble?
'I promise–if I see Mira getting greedy, I'm going to do my best to stop her. Please, just give me a few days to relax. We can kill whoever you want afterward, but please, give us these few days.'
She gave a silent prayer before they decided to head to the Celestial Springs.
