As the carriage traveled along the main road, the hot spring town drew closer and closer. The buildings gradually took shape before my eyes, and I soon recognized several places I had visited years ago.
It was strange how some towns could remain practically unchanged despite the passage of time.
While Vailor continued to grow constantly and other regions underwent frequent changes, this place seemed to preserve the same peaceful atmosphere it had always had.
The columns of steam rising from the natural hot springs could be seen from various parts of the region. Some rose between the buildings, others appeared near the hillsides, and some even emerged in more remote areas.
The town itself had been built around those springs.
That was why the steam was part of the local landscape.
Liriel's assistant observed everything through the window.
Her gaze moved from side to side, following every detail.
"So this is the place."
"Yes."
"It's very different from the towns I know."
"That's because you've probably seen very few towns."
She remained silent for a few seconds.
"You're right."
Scarlett started laughing.
"She admitted it."
"I know how to admit when I'm wrong."
"That's already more than can be said for a lot of people."
"Are you talking about yourself?"
Scarlett immediately pretended not to hear.
Her reaction drew laughter from inside the carriage.
Shortly afterward, we passed through the main gates.
As soon as we entered the town, I noticed that it was much busier than the last time I had visited.
The streets were full of visitors.
Merchants walked around transporting goods.
Workers carried crates and barrels.
Travelers strolled along the sidewalks, looking at the shops.
Numerous inns displayed signs announcing available rooms.
Tourism was clearly one of the region's main sources of income.
And from the looks of it, business was going very well.
As we moved forward, some people began to notice our presence.
At first, it was just a few glances.
Then came a few whispers.
Soon the comments began.
"Isn't that..."
"It's him."
"The Hero."
"The Heroines are here too."
"Look, it's the whole group."
I tried to pretend I wasn't hearing them.
Unfortunately, that never worked.
My fame had truly reached a point where it was becoming difficult to ignore.
Even so, most people simply watched us respectfully.
No one tried to approach us in an inappropriate way.
Some simply waved.
Others looked at us with admiration.
It was a much better situation than being surrounded by crowds.
The carriage continued through the streets until it reached the central district of the town.
That was when I noticed a small group waiting near a plaza.
Among them was a man dressed in elegant clothes, accompanied by several guards.
As soon as our carriage stopped, he walked toward us.
I got out first.
The girls followed shortly afterward.
The man gave a slight bow.
"It is an honor to welcome you to our town."
Judging by the way he spoke and the clothes he wore, it wasn't difficult to figure out who he was.
Most likely the local lord.
"Thank you for the warm welcome."
He smiled.
"When we received the news that the Hero intended to visit our town, we decided to prepare a proper reception."
I scratched the back of my neck.
I still couldn't get used to that title.
But correcting him at that moment would have been pointless.
The man continued.
"My name is Alveric. I am responsible for the administration of this town."
"It's a pleasure to meet you."
He then greeted each of the girls one by one.
Showing great courtesy.
Even Liriel's assistant received a respectful greeting.
After that, he began accompanying us through the streets.
"I hope you enjoy your stay."
"We came here to relax."
"Then you've chosen the right place."
That sounded like a very fitting answer.
As we walked, Alveric began introducing us to different parts of the town.
He talked about the best-known establishments.
He commented on the history of the hot springs.
He explained how the town had grown over the years.
He also mentioned a few events that would take place over the next several days.
I listened while observing the activity around us.
Despite being a relatively modest-sized town, it was full of life.
The shops were busy.
The restaurants constantly welcomed visitors.
The streets gave off a pleasant atmosphere.
It was easy to understand why so many people traveled to this place.
After several minutes of walking, we arrived in front of a large inn.
The building was much bigger than I remembered.
It had probably been expanded since my last visit.
The lord spread his arms toward the building.
"We have reserved the best rooms available."
I looked at the building.
"That seems unnecessary."
"Not at all."
He replied immediately.
"The entire town is grateful for what you have done."
Before I could argue, Scarlett decided to help.
Or make things worse.
It was hard to tell.
"See? I told you we should accept."
"You'd accept anything if it were free."
"Because it's free."
"That doesn't make your argument any better."
Alveric tried to hide a laugh.
With little else we could do, we accepted.
We entered the inn and were welcomed by the staff.
Just like the rest of the town, everyone seemed genuinely happy to receive us.
After a few minutes, the room keys were handed out.
Each of us received a room.
Liriel's assistant was especially impressed.
As soon as she entered her room, she looked around at everything.
"This room is bigger than my old residence."
I stopped at the doorway.
"Where exactly did you live?"
"In a tower."
"That explains a lot."
She nodded seriously.
As if that were a perfectly normal answer.
After organizing our belongings, we decided to rest for a while.
The journey had been peaceful, but we had still spent several hours on the road.
Having a little time to relax seemed like a good idea.
I took the opportunity to sit near the window.
From there, I could see part of the town.
Steam continued to rise constantly from the hot springs.
Some people walked through the streets.
Others enjoyed the local establishments.
Everything seemed peaceful.
Very different from the atmosphere of the battlefields.
After some time, someone knocked on the door.
It was Elara.
"We're thinking about going out to explore the town."
I stood up.
"That sounds like a good idea."
A few minutes later, everyone had gathered once again.
Then we went out to explore the surroundings.
We walked through several streets.
Visited a few shops.
Looked at food stalls.
Discovered small plazas.
The assistant seemed fascinated by almost everything.
She kept asking questions.
Some were quite simple.
Others were surprisingly specific.
At one point, she stopped in front of a shop selling sweets.
"And this?"
"A sweet."
"I figured that out."
"Then why did you ask?"
"I wanted to know the flavor."
That made more sense.
We ended up buying a few to try.
Her reaction after tasting the first one was interesting.
She looked like someone discovering something completely new.
"This is really good."
"You've never had a sweet like this before?"
"No."
"You really need to get out more."
She didn't argue.
Probably because she knew it was true.
We continued walking for most of the afternoon.
Without rushing.
Without any particular destination.
Simply enjoying the atmosphere.
At one point, we reached a higher area of the town.
From there, it was possible to overlook much of the town.
The hot springs.
The streets.
The surrounding mountains.
The view was beautiful.
We spent several minutes enjoying the scenery.
The wind blew gently.
The weather was pleasant.
Everything contributed to that feeling of tranquility.
As I admired the view, I realized something.
It had been a very long time since I had simply enjoyed a day without thinking about problems.
Without thinking about wars.
Without thinking about demons.
Without thinking about the future.
Just living in the moment.
Maybe that was exactly why this trip had been so enjoyable.
When the sun began to sink below the horizon, we decided to return to the inn.
The streets were still lively.
But now the lights were gradually beginning to appear.
The town took on a different atmosphere at dusk.
Calmer.
More welcoming.
As soon as we returned to the inn, we found several staff members preparing dinner.
The aroma of the food already filled part of the building.
We all sat down together to eat.
The conversation revolved around the day's experiences.
The shops we had visited.
The interesting places we had seen.
The sweets that the assistant apparently intended to buy again.
The atmosphere remained light throughout the entire meal.
By the time we finished, night had already fallen over the town.
Some people were still walking through the streets, but the activity was beginning to die down.
I went up to my room shortly afterward.
Before going to bed, I walked over to the window once again.
I looked at the lights scattered throughout the town.
The steam rising between the buildings.
The distant mountains.
This place truly felt far removed from all the worries of the world.
I took a deep breath.
Then I closed the window.
Tomorrow we would have even more time to enjoy the town.
And, for the first time in quite a while, I wasn't worried about what the next day would bring.
I was simply looking forward to enjoying it.