"Ma'am, to be honest, the weather was fine when we set out this afternoon. It was so hot we had to use the AC," Alex said, glancing at the snow outside. "It's July. A sudden blizzard is a bit strange, don't you think?"
"Is that so?" The hostess looked genuinely surprised. To Alex, it didn't look like an act. "Is it really July? My apologies. It's so remote here, and guests are so rare, that my sense of time has become blurred."
"Even if your sense of time is blurred, the fact remains that it's summer. Why does the weather change so drastically here?"
Alex's tone was aggressive, which would have been rude to a stranger, but Mila and Shiho supported him, staring at the hostess.
They were applying pressure. Alex knew the seasons weren't a matter of opinion. This place was wrong.
"I'm not sure myself," the beautiful hostess said, seemingly unbothered by Alex's tone. "Actually, blizzards happen quite often around here, especially at night. It's easy to get lost in the forest. I don't know the exact reason, but..."
She paused for a few seconds, her bright eyes lingering on Alex. "But I think it might be related to a certain villa in the forest."
"A villa?"
Another building? She probably didn't mean the Hihara estate. The Hihara villa was in the suburbs, not deep in the mountains.
"Yes. I've never been there, but I've heard rumors. In a solitary villa deep in the mountains lives a mother and daughter. It's said that people lost in a blizzard can only find it if guided by a certain power..."
"It's just a rumor, but I think the weather might be because of them."
A mother and daughter... Alex instinctively glanced at Shiho and Reina. They didn't know what he was thinking, assuming he was asking if they knew the legend. Shiho shook her head. She had never heard of it.
This is Hihara land. How did so many weird things get in here?
"Let's go soak in the hot spring, then. Since we're here," Alex said. He had no intention of leaving or using his spatial powers yet. He acted like a normal person, touching Mila's cold body. She was a bit stiff from the chill. "Otherwise, we'll get sick."
"Besides, since I came to... Japan, I haven't had a chance to visit a hot spring."
He also wanted to try a "hot spring episode"... like having sex in the water.
"If you want that, Alex, I can take you on a real trip later. I own several private springs. No need to stay in this suspicious place..." Mila, the rich woman, frowned and lowered her voice. "Who knows if the water here is even clean."
"Please rest assured, guest. This is a respectable establishment. The men's and women's baths are separate; there is no mixed bathing," the hostess said patiently, having overheard Mila.
Alex nodded to Mila and pinched her cheek. "She's telling the truth. My instincts say there's nothing gross in the water. Trust me."
He was being quite gentle. Mila felt like a pampered schoolgirl, the heroine of a romance novel. At my age, I'm still daydreaming about this?
"Fine, then." Since Alex's Ultra Instinct gave the all-clear, it was fine.
Maybe they were overthinking it. Maybe it was just a normal inn.
In the hot spring, Alex removed his towel and sat in the water. He felt the warmth spreading through his body. Soaking in a hot spring in the middle of summer... tsk.
Mila and the others should be fine. With his [Lust Crests], he didn't need to worry about them.
As for the mystery of this inn, Alex still didn't know the truth. His Ultra Instinct just said there was no danger. He kept his doubts to himself.
Creak—
Alex's eyes widened. A slender woman walked through the door. "Ma'am? If I remember correctly, you said there was no mixed bathing?"
She had just walked straight into the men's bath.
"Of course, the men's bath is off-limits to female guests," the hostess smiled. "But the staff is an exception~"
"I brought some tea. If you were older, some sake would be perfect with a soak," she said, setting down a tray. "So? How is it? The spring is one of our specialties."
"It's good," Alex said, his eyes scanning her. she had changed into a different kimono. "Very good."
"I'm glad you're satisfied." She stood there silently.
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Is there something else?"
This young guest really doesn't understand the atmosphere. The hostess blinked. "Guest, aren't you curious about our second specialty?"
"Honestly? No," Alex said, noticing her slight frustration. He smirked. "But if you want to tell me, go ahead."
"You really are... Our second specialty is a very tempting service for men. Guests are rare, but... the travelers who come here never refuse our special service."
Special service?
Alex realized what she meant. His lip twitched. The next second, the hostess's clothes shifted. The kimono slid off her shoulders, revealing her pale, delicate collarbones, her plump breasts, and a very skimpy piece of black lingerie...
The boy was stunned. Not because of the erotic sight, but because he hadn't expected her to be so blunt. He finally understood what "specialty" meant.
Her pose was tempting, her body seductive, her movements a direct invitation. Any man would have been powerless against her... except Alex.
"I think I get it now. This isn't an inn; it's a brothel." Alex said flatly.
The hostess giggled behind her hand, not denying it.
"But unfortunately, I'm not interested. To be precise, I'm not interested in hookers."
Alex shrugged. He had sex every day. Between the school and the women around him, he had plenty. Did people really think he'd take just anyone?
Even when he was weak, he would never have slept with a prostitute.
"You really are... unexpected," the hostess said, looking at him intently. "So far, you're the first guest to refuse us. Whether they have female companions or not, you're the first to say no."
"You really are special."
Alex felt there was a hidden meaning in her words. "What do you mean?"