That's why we decided to have a secret meeting while taking a bath.

　According to Haruka, the "bathing place of the Dragon Emperor era" near the village has a two-stage transformation.
　Separate baths for men and women, with a wall dividing the middle of the baths.
　The "family bath style" with the partition removed.

　I insisted on the gender-separated form, but...

"Oh, no. Didn't you say 'we're a family'?

　I got a complaint from Haruka.

Isn't it natural for a family to take a 'family bath'? That's strange. It's strange... My brother, the king, would never lie to me.
You know what, Haruka?
What, big brother?
I asked everyone in the village and they said they've never heard of a family bath.
Oh, really?
"All they said was 'separate baths for men and women' and 'mixed baths'.
"I see. That's strange.
Haruka. You coined the term 'family bath' after I said 'family'.
I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know.

　Pee-pee.

　Turn away and stop whistling. Haruka.

But... You said we're family. If we're family, we can take a bath together.
All right. Let's hear what everyone has to say.

　I decided to take a survey.
　A five-point scale.
　1 for those who want to take a mixed bath. 5 for those who are not so keen.


　Results of the survey...

　Lisette: 4 (I think we should be polite.)
　Haruka: 1 (Because we're family)
　Yukino: 3 (...... I'm not that respectable)
　Prim: 1 (I don't know, I'm a child. I'm 18 years old.)
　Bonus points: -5 (Haruka says: Because you said we're a family, brother!

　4 + 1 + 3 + 1 - 5 = 4 (1 when divided by the number of people)
　The height of the divider is now one meter.



"Woohoo. It's warm. Brother.
"I've never been to these springs before.
...... Yes, it is. ...... It feels good.
"...... Ah.

　So, we're all in the bath together.
　I'm leaning on the divider, the soldier of will.

...... Sure feels good, doesn't it?

　The surface of the bathtub, made with technology from the time of the Dragon Emperor, is smooth. The surface of the bathtub is smooth, even though it was originally made of rock.
　The milky white water is flowing down from the rock wall. You can use it as a shower by sticking your head out there, and the dirty water will be sucked into the ground and flow somewhere else.
　Soft steam is drifting around. The atmosphere is fantastic.

　The bathtub is divided into left and right by "soldiers of will.
　I am on the left and the women are on the right.
　Normally, the fence stands vertically, and is two and a half meters high.
　In this case, it is horizontal and about one meter high.
　I'm doing it, but...

I'll convince my sister Liz and Yukino to come with us next time.
I understand, Miss Haruka. I'll come up with a plan.

　Haruka and Prim are leaning over the wall with their cheeks pressed together.
　The divider is one meter high. It's high enough to climb over.

　The water is clear and you can't see her body if you're in the bathtub.
　Maybe I'm overly concerned, but it's hard to break out of the old world. And I'm Alaska. I'm not that good at switching.
　As a family, it's unnatural to be so aware.

Let's have a strategy meeting. Prim.
"Oh, yes, of course. Heck.


Get in the tub. Prim.

　Zappan.

　Behind the fence, I heard two people getting into the hot water.

"Huh.
Haruka, Prim, and .........
I'm jealous that you can touch the real Lord's bare skin, it's such a trifle.
"Yes.

　I'm not sure what to make of this.
　I think it's time to start talking.

"First, let's reconfirm our purpose.

　I said.

I want to meet the current emperor, the Dragon Emperor. I want to tell him about the situation in the frontier and talk to him about what the Ten Sages are doing. I also want to know why the emperor is neglecting the Ten Wise Men. I told you this, didn't I?
"Yes, sir. I did.
Are you sure this is possible?
It's possible. But you have to enter the capital first.

　Prim's voice comes back.
　I think about it for a while and say something back.

But you have to go through the 'Dengoku Kan' to get into the capital. Right now, that place is under strict control of people heading for the capital. Yukino and I have no family register or pass. We don't know anyone in King's Landing. I think it's unlikely we can get through. What about Lisette and Haruka?
Lysette and the others are subhuman.
I don't think they'll let us through if they're cracking down on us.
Then we'll have to think of another way. But what I've come up with is a way to use physics to break through the Distant Country barrier. This will lead to an all-out war with the Ten Sages. I'd like to hear Prim's opinion on that.
"Let's hear it.

　I heard Prim's voice in my ear.
　You're leaning over the partition again, Prim.

I'm going to make a fortress out of it with my 'soldiers of will' and have them ram it.

　I held up one finger and said.

"A mass attack. The enemy won't expect the castle to rush in, so we can take them by surprise. It's impossible for soldiers to stop a rushing castle.
"Even siege weapons won't be able to stop it.

　Lysette's words came back to her.

I agree with you," said Lysette, "that stone throwers, ladders and turrets are useless against a moving castle.
I agree with you. But if you do that, it's going to be an all-out war,......, Lizette-sama and Yukino-sama!
I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's worth it.

　Jabon.

　Prim's voice faded away and I heard someone sink into the hot water.
　Instead, Yukino took over the conversation.

And you need a ward to use a moving castle, right?　The warding of the True Zanjinshijo in the Kittle Domain does not reach the Far Country Castle. We have to look for the warding in the Kittle territory, but right now, it's ...... not a good idea to move around too much in that territory.
It's conspicuous.
It's not good to attract the attention of the enemy. Those who dwell in the dark will sense your movements and attack you. I have learned in my previous life not to provoke the dark ones.
I understand.

　I understand what Yukino is saying.
　The other side is in a precarious state because their lord is missing. I don't want to provoke them.

There's another way to break through the far country barrier, one that doesn't require a ward.
　But I don't want to use that one.
　It's hard to aim, and if you miss, the damage is too great.
　Besides, it makes the "soldiers of will" disposable.

　So let's leave ...... out of it for now.

The next step is to bypass the far country barrier.

　I said.

"Is that possible?　Prim.
Yes, it is. There is a route through the mountains that goes around to the south to the territory of the Gurutra Guard. The barrier there will still be easy to pass. But it will take time.
How long will it take?
More than a month if we take the safe, unguarded route.
And then we'll all be out in the middle of nowhere.


It's a thin defense.

　Of course, if it's just the frontier, the Demons, Harpies, and the Soldiers of Will can protect it.
　However, when Princess Sylvia is attacked by the Ten Sages, you won't be able to help her.

　If the Ten Wise Men invade the other side, it will be meaningless.

The only thing left to do is for me to fly over the mountains near the Far Country Guan.
There's a watchtower there, and the wind is strong.
It takes a long time to fly over. ......
We've been soaked in sand, too.

　I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.

I'm sure it's a lot of work for you, Liz and Yukino.
"It was enemy territory. It can't be helped.
"It was for Shoma's sake. It was nothing.
So, what did you do after you were all crushed up?
............
Why don't you both shut up?　Whoa . Why are you sinking into the hot water?
I see your point. I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure you'll do fine.

　I'm not sure what to make of it, but I think it's a good idea.

You're right. I'd like to postpone the all-out confrontation with the Ten Wise Men.
I agree with you. First, we need to know the situation of the Dragon Emperor. If possible, get the Emperor's authority on your side. That would be the quickest way to rule this turbulent world... or at least bring peace to the frontier.
"Do you have a plan?
Yes, sir.

　Prim leaned over the partition again.
　Her silvery-white hair, wet, was in front of her.

The Distant Guan is protected by its walls and the stormy winds that blow above it. But a few times a year. But there are a few times a year when the storm subsides.
Seriously?
This is something that only those skilled in astronomy know. I'm a trained fortune teller. Prim, I'm not an unwanted child.
""Oh!"

　Lysette, Haruka and Yukino clapped their hands.

We will be able to cross the mountain quickly on the king's wings without being spotted by the soldiers.
What is the exact time?
I can't tell you exactly when without looking at the astronomical data, but as usual, it will be in a few months .......
Okay. But just to be safe, I'd like to check again if there are any 'ruins from the Dragon Emperor era' in the territory of Grand Protector Kittle.

　The more insurance, the better.
　It's a turbulent time. You never know what might happen.
I want to secure a way to break through the Yuanguo Guan with a moving castle, whether I use it or not.

Then it would be better for us to get in touch with the people and get information from them.
Trade?
Trade? I think it would be better to get to know the people of the governor's domain and gather information from them.
That would be .......

　The distance from Kittle's territory to the frontier is surprisingly far.
　Until now, all of the demon tribe only had a relationship with each other, occasionally going to sell crops.
　The frontier was poor, and the only thing we could sell was "magic crystals. 　

　But it's different now.
Thanks to the warding, the land has been revitalized and crops are starting to grow.
　We're cultivating the area around the village, so we're getting a lot of good quality lumber. We're also hunting demons efficiently, so we have a lot of magic crystals. We have more and more things to sell.
　In order to sell them efficiently and promote trade...

How about we build a trading post in the middle of nowhere?
"Trading posts?　Brother.
Yes. Didn't we build a castle in Mirva the other day?　Why don't we expand it and turn it into a trading post? Make it a place to exchange crops from the frontier.
"...... I see.
We'll accept customers from the Kitor territory, and we'll use it as a base to sell our crops. The more people come and go, the easier it is to get rumors. In other words, we're building a base for information gathering and trade.

　There was a silence.
　Lysette, Haruka, Yukino and Prim seemed to be thinking about how to respond to my words.
　Then, after a while...

"I think it's a good idea, brother!　Lisette agrees!
"The tools you've 'enhanced' me with have made my job easier. I can afford it.


"My ice magic will be useful in defending the base.
I think it's a good idea. My king.

　Everyone agreed.

The plan is to have Prim watch the astronomy and find out when the winds at the Yuan Guan will weaken. In the meantime, we'll build and operate a trading post and gather information on the ruins of the Dragon Emperor era, where the magic circle of warding is located.
「「「「 Yes 」」」」
I'll write a letter. I'll write her a letter.
"Your actions will be the link between subhuman and human.

　Prim nodded.

The king wants sub-humans and humans to blend in and live in harmony. "The king wants sub-humans and humans to blend in and live in harmony, so he will not forget his connection to the world. That's wonderful. The King.
No, this is more due to my experience as a working man in my former world.

　It's important to make appointments.
　It's dangerous to rely only on your midlife crisis skills.
　As an ex-junior high school student with a high ability to deal with reality, I do my best to get to know people.

"Can you work out the details of the plan?　Prim.
"Yes, sir. ...... Hmm.
What's wrong?
No, I think I'm just a little overheated.
Lysette too. ...... The thought of my brother next to me ...... made my head feel warm.
I'm still all right.
You're amazing, Haruka. I'm almost ...... there too.
Okay. I'll leave it at that.

The meeting about the capture of the Yuanguo Guan was over.
　If it's about building a trading post, there's no need to keep it a secret.

　I checked the location of the change of clothes.
　Right now, we're in a bathtub divided into left and right, with me on the left and the women on the right.
　The women are on the right and I am on the left. The rocks are slippery, so you have to be careful.

Well, good work. Everyone, please be careful getting out of the tub. Okay.
Okay. I'm fine. I'm warmed up." "That was a nice hot spring." "Hey.


　Zababang.


　The bathtub shook.
　At the same time, I heard the sound of something big moving.



　We both looked in the direction of the sound at the same time.



　We could see each other's figures.
　The dividing wall was gone.

　What did I say earlier at ......?
　I think I said, "All of you, be careful getting out of the bathtub.

".................. Oh.

　It was just me, Lisette, Haruka, Yukino, Prim and...
　I don't know.

I'm not sure what to say.

　The fence that got out of the bathtub first asked, "Did I do something wrong? He's looking at me like, "Did I do something wrong?
　Yeah. It's not your fault.
　I accidentally said "all of them"... is that a narrative trick?



　...... That's why.



I'm not sure what to say.
"Your back is wide after all, big brother.
I can feel the power of the king.

　Sorry, Lisette, Yukino.
　Haruka and Prim, you can rub my back after you get dressed.

　And so, the strategy meeting is over...
　We decided to set up a "frontier trading post" near the Kittle territory.






　After that, after we all went back to Hazama Village...



"Sister Liz, you're too surprised. You're being rude to your brother.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It came out of nowhere. ......
"Well, I can understand how she feels. Liz's mother was a very serious person.
...... Was that right?
I'm sure it's normal for her, but from the demon tribe's point of view, she was too serious. Loyalty to the king is not forgotten. He will lay down his life to complete his mission. He would only show his skin to those who would obey him. Even with family, except when they're children, right?　I think it's fine with family.
What?　What?　Is that what you teach?


"Oh, you can't remember because it's so ingrained in you. I can't even remember how to use a technique without it being explained to me.
You should only show your skin to someone you're comfortable with. ......
Yeah. But it's okay, right?　I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one who's a fan of your work. I'm not sure what to make of this, but I'm sure it's a good idea.　What is it?
"I'm going to ...... make it happen.

　Dusk after a bath. The two of them alone in the house.
　I never knew that Lisette and Haruka were having such a conversation...



　I'm sure you'll be able to understand why.