Lord of Disease (JP-GL) 476

476: A Month of Blank Space

I declared, in a loud voice, to everyone who had gathered.

“Now, the name has been decided, and we have received the official approval of the First Army! The ‘Lital Hot Springs’ project has begun!”

“…To hear that after a month, I still think he’s crazy, Harken.”

“Indeed, Rebecca-dono. …Even though it’s only been a month.”

“The master’s words seem to have sunk in.”

“…No, Samarkand. If I do say so myself, it’s a little strange for this to have sunk in.”

“You’re only sensible with Samarkand.” Rebecca, with an exasperated expression.

Since it had been a month, the harshness of her exasperated, narrowed eyes was, on the contrary, a comfort, as if I had returned to my parents’ home. In fact, it might have been my ‘parents’ home,’ in front of the former mansion of the Lord of Disease.

The core members of the Sixth Army—or rather, the former Sixth Army—were all here, in their former order of rank: me, the Lord of Disease, my vice-commander, Liz, Rebecca, Samarkand, and Harken.

It had been a faster reunion than I had expected. But Rebecca’s words could not be ignored.

“I’m sensible.”

As I said that, Rebecca twisted the corner of her mouth. A smile that was making fun of me.

“…Oh? A sensible person would say that they’re going to renovate Fort Four and run a hot spring inn? And the name is ‘Lital Hot Springs’? …You should take a break from your jokes.”

With her naturally beautiful, cute face, and her usually polite demeanor, the gap was a provocation that grated on one’s nerves. A truly model provocative expression. I rather liked it.

“I feel Rebecca’s kindness, in not saying, ‘You should say your sleep talk when you’re asleep.’”

“Hmph.” Rebecca scoffed.

“—Now, well, that’s enough of that. Everyone, are you ready? Especially you, Liz.”

“Yes, of course.”

Since I had become a Greater Wraith, the ratio of undead had increased from forty percent to sixty percent. And besides, Samarkand, though a living being, was a demon, so the one who was most anxious about the coming journey was Liz. In addition to her usual maid uniform, which was actually her most defensive outfit, she had prepared some winter clothes.

“Well then, let’s go. —‘Confirmation of the condition of Fort Four upon its transfer,’ and a ‘survey of the local water veins.’”

Rebecca had said that she had returned to her former position as the seventh in command of the Fourth Army. Incidentally, since the six positions of the commander-in-chief, the vice-commander, the death knights, and the leaders of the other divisions were already filled, the seventh position was the highest for someone without a title.

According to Harken, there had been no complaints about her returning to her original rank, despite her return, and she had been welcomed. As expected of Rebecca.

And to my surprise, Rebecca had said that this ‘preliminary survey’ had been incorporated into a military mission, under the pretext I had mentioned. It was true that the price of Fort Four, even with the surrounding land, was considerable, and if it were to make a profit, then they could expect a tax revenue.

“By the way, why the Lital Mountains? There are other places where there are hot springs… or rather, where there are hot springs.” Rebecca asked. A reasonable question.

“In wartime, you remember the time when we… ‘welcomed’… the Order of Evangel in the Lital Mountains.”

“Of course I remember.”

“There’s no way I could forget…” Liz’s cheeks turned a little red.

It had been before we had become lovers. …A time when we had been feeling each other out, and we had been hesitant to… make up our minds.

“It was cold, as a living being… but I thought.”

It was a region where your breath would turn white, even with winter clothes and [Enchanted Resist Cold].

“It would be the best, to be able to soak in a bath in a place like this.”

“…It was a more normal reason than I had thought, but to make a plan like this just for that… you’re crazy, after all.”

“How much do you like bathing, Master?”

Rebecca and Liz, with a matching exasperated expression.

“I won’t deny that, but I think the people of Listrea like bathing.”

The number of public bathhouses and their users was large, and the hot springs in Liverit Village had been, on the whole, a very good hot spring.

“The other places would be competing with the existing hot springs… and there don’t seem to be any high-end hot spring inns, so we have to aim for a niche.”

“…And besides, what if the amount of hot water is small? It’s true that there’s a hot spring in Fort Four, but for now, it’s mainly used for water work, and the bath is just enough to be filled with ooze.”

I had considered that possibility. Of course, I had also considered canceling the plan and retreating. But for now…

“We’ll make it a public bath style, with [Create Ooze].”

Rebecca shook her head, with an exasperated expression.

“…That would be… the highest public bath on the continent…”

“That’s a good catchphrase. Can I use it?”

“Do as you please. I hope you can make it a ‘hot spring’ and not a ‘public bath.’”

“Indeed.”

If a business was impossible, then perhaps a villa. Though I had a feeling it was a ‘haunted’ land.

Once, the militia, led by the Order of Evangel of the Holy Kingdom of Etrantal—one of the most renowned knightly orders on the continent—had been the prey of an avalanche on the mountaintop.

That had been in the winter, which was a big factor. Even now, in early summer, there was still snow, and it sometimes fell, but I had heard that the temperature was not as violent as in the winter, and the weather was rarely rough.

There were a few ideas for the ‘transportation,’ but for now, we would go to the foot of the mountain by carriage, and then on foot. At that time, I had been carried up on Samarkand’s back, along with the luggage, but now, I was on my own.

I looked at the snow-capped mountain range, which was clearly visible, though distant. The former border, and the front line of defense, along with Fort Litalside. To be heading there again… I had never dreamed that it would be like this.

“Well then, my master, to the carriage.”

“I’m counting on you, Samarkand. —And you, too.” I lightly touched the noses of the two skeleton horses that were attached to the carriage.

In the past, I had borrowed a carriage from the royal castle, but after the war, a carriage and a horse had been officially given to the Sixth Army. The members of the Sixth Army had, for the most part, become the Fourth Army, but they were still being treated as a facility attached to the mansion.

A military carriage usually had an emblem flag hanging on the side, but since the emblem of the Sixth Army was too imposing, we had been using the emblem of the Listrean Kingdom. So, it was still the same.

Samarkand opened the door for me in a gentlemanly manner, and I stepped up and got in. Liz sat down beside me, and Rebecca was about to sit in front of me—when I grabbed her hand and pulled her.

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Rebecca is here.”

“No, Liz is next to you, isn’t she?”

This carriage had a passenger car for four. There was a luggage compartment in the back, similar to the trunk of a car, and a driver’s seat in the front. Samarkand and Harken would sit side by side in the driver’s seat, and we would use the empty seat for our luggage, or we would have Aithys or a death knight ride with us. Once, Harken had returned to his spine summoning device, and we had packed the death knights in the back.

I opened my arms to Rebecca.

“Come on, sit on your big sister’s lap.”

“…………” Rebecca looked at Liz, as if by reflex.

She chuckled, with an exasperated expression.

“Well, since it’s Master.”

“…I see. Since it’s Master.”

I wanted to ask what she meant by that, but I also didn’t.

Rebecca obediently sat on my lap. She was, as always, thin and light. So much so that I had once asked her if she was eating properly. Since she didn’t grow, she would always be like this. —Me, too.

The ‘existence limit,’ which I usually didn’t think about, was suddenly remembered.

As I hugged her, a warmth seeped into not just my lap, but also my arms. As long as I could feel this sensation, I would be ‘alive.’

Rebecca lightly patted my arm, which was wrapped around her stomach, as if to reassure me. And she said, in a whisper.

“…I thought something… would have changed a little more… in a month.”

For a moment, I regretted having her on my lap. Because I didn’t know what kind of an expression Rebecca had had when she had said that.

But Rebecca’s voice was mixed with a laugh.

“I was a fool to have worried.”

For some reason, I had a feeling that I was the one who had been called a fool.