Bal grinned. “Right? I was in charge of making it today! You want seconds, gramps?”
“You don’t mind?”
“Go for it! We’ve got plenty! Right, Liam?” Bal turned to Liam, happy that someone had taken a liking to his cooking.
My brother smiled dryly. He nodded at the old man, relaxing his guard.
“All right. Feel free to join us.”
“Thanks, kid!”
The man’s white teeth glinted, contrasting against his dark skin. He tried to stand up, but groaned.
“Sorry... My age is catching up with me. My legs hurt, so it takes me a while to get up. I’ll be fine once I’m actually on my feet, but...” The man chuckled, trying to conceal his pain.
“There’s no rush, so take your time,” Liam said, approaching him.
The man smiled, embarrassed. “Thanks. You’re a good kid.”
“It’s no big deal... Also, my name is Liam Renard.”
“Renard? Wait, you’re the son of the marquis?! Where are my manners? My name’s Marcel. I used to be an adventurer, but now I’m just a retired traveler.”
Lord Reineke’s ear twitched. The man’s name sounded familiar to me as well, but I couldn’t place it.
“An adventurer?!” Bal repeated. “Then you must’ve seen all kinds of places!”
“I sure have.”
“Awesome! I wanna travel too!” Bal’s eyes were glittering.
“Aye, lad! You can join me when you’re older!” Marcel said with a laugh.
“My name’s Bal, gramps! I wanna hear all about your adventures!”
“You’ve got it, Bal. Or should I say ‘Lord Bal’?”
“Just ‘Bal’ is fine! I’m not part of the marquisate.”
“That right? Then ‘Bal’ it is!” Marcel said, then glanced my way.
“Oh! I’m Lune. It’s nice to meet you,” I said.
“She’s my adoptive sister, and Great Lord Reineke’s contractor,” Liam added with pride.
“A spirit contractor, at your age? I’m shocked, Lady Lune. In that case, is that magnificent fox the Great Lord Reineke himself?!” Marcel asked.
Lord Reineke nodded, looking quite satisfied to be recognized.
“Wait, what’s with those big cocoons? I’ve never seen anything like them,” Marcel said, staring at the cocoons curiously.
I gave Liam a worried glance, but his smile never faltered as he responded.
“They are our local specialty,” he replied a little curtly, as though silently telling Marcel not to question it any further.
Sensing the implicit meaning, Marcel gulped and nodded.
There was a moment of silence until Bal, ever unable to read the room, happily broke it.
“Mr. Marcel! I’mma tell you something awesome!” he announced, pulling on the man’s sleeve.
“Ow, ow, ow...”
“Just hold on a little longer! You see, this river is super special. It can get rid of your pain!”
Bal helped Marcel over to the part of the river where hot water flowed, as Lady Kuzunoha had shown us in the past. He helped the man slip off his shoes and soak his feet in the water.
“Ohh! It’s warm! And there are bubbles all over my legs!”
“Cool, right? This is my premium seat! I’m lending you my favorite place!”
Bal plopped himself down next to Marcel, dipping his feet into the river as well. Liam and I handed them a bowl of curry each, then sat down next to them. We listened to Marcel’s stories as we enjoyed the footbath and food. He shared some wild and amusing tales from his life of adventuring, though I had no idea if they were true or not.
We enjoyed passing the time together, but eventually the man let out a long sigh.
“What a strange river. I can feel my pain ebbing away...”
“Do other domains have anything like this?” I asked.
Marcel smiled. “I have seen lakes where hot water rises, but nothing with healing properties. Is this also a blessing from the great spirits?”
Lord Reineke puffed out his chest. “It’s a blessing from a friend of mine. I believe it’s called an onsen, also known as a hot spring.”
However, he was still cautious around Marcel, so he spoke so that only I could hear.
When I translated, Marcel gazed at me with respect, and then looked at Lord Reineke.
“Incredible. This is the first time I’ve visited a domain overflowing with divine blessings,” he remarked. A golden light of faith spilled from him.
Even I couldn’t stop myself from looking a little smug. “We’re very proud of that.”
Liam smiled, patting my head.
“Since it’s so effective, why don’t we turn this place into an official facility?” he proposed.
“A facility?”
“What’s that?”
Bal and I tilted our heads.
“It could be a place where weary people stay for a while and rest, enjoying the healing effects of the hot spring,” Liam explained, glancing at Lord Reineke to read his reaction. “These are Lord Reineke’s sacred woods, so we can’t allow too many people in. But we could run the onsen to the nearest town and set up an inn there.”
“Great idea,” Lord Reineke said with a nod. “This onsen runs underground to Renard’s castle town, so let’s find a good spot for it.”
“Lord Reineke says he’ll help us make an onsen in the castle town!” I said.
“You can do that? Incredible!” Marcel responded.
“That’s it! Praise me!”
“You’re amazing, Lord Reineke!”
“That’s the great spirit’s wisdom for you.”
Bal and Liam went along with Lord Reineke’s demand and admired him.
“If it’s going to be in a town, it’d be good to set it up alongside a hospital,” I said.
Bal raised his hand. “I know! It should feature all of Renard’s tastiest food too!”
“And you should sell souvenirs!” Marcel suggested.
Liam smiled at our ideas. “All right, I’ll consult with my father about this as soon as I can.”
He stood up, but before he could turn away, Marcel called out to him.
“Just a moment, Lord Liam. Would you mind telling me where I should go to find a job in this domain?”
“A job?”
“That’s right. I’m a bit tired from my travels, and this is a good land. If I’m to stay anywhere, this is my first choice.”
My tail wagged vigorously. A well-traveled adventurer thinks our domain is a good place to stay! I’m so glad!
However, Liam looked pensive.
“Hmm... I can introduce you to some guilds.”
Lord Reineke scoffed at that.
“He should be the gamekeeper of my forest.”
When I conveyed his words, Liam cast the spirit a puzzled look.
“But hunting in this forest is forbidden. I don’t see why a gamekeeper’s necessary.”
Gamekeepers were often hired by nobility to look after their privately owned woods. Their main job was to ensure that there was enough game for the nobles to hunt by increasing the number of prey animals and exterminating vermin.
“The animals won’t need any special care, but someone needs to protect the hot spring,” Lord Reineke said, looking at Marcel as though he were testing him. “Isn’t that right, former swordmaster?”
With that, I finally remembered. I knew I’d recognized Marcel’s name—he was once a master swordsman. He was also the very man who had trained Bal in my previous life and played a central role in the revolution.
My heart pounded in my chest as I translated Lord Reineke’s words.
“Um... Lord Reineke says we need someone to protect the hot spring. A-And...that you’re a former swordmaster.”
Marcel flinched, grabbing a hold of the bangle around his wrist.
“Wha—?!”
“There’s no fooling a spirit like me,” Lord Reineke snapped, glaring at the man.
“Lord Reineke can see through any tricks and lies,” I said.
Marcel stepped out of the onsen and prostrated himself in front of the fox, a golden light emanating from his body.