Chapter 146: She Steps Out For A Bit
Robin and Ayva continued to chat for a while, with her completely exposing the fruit infusion method, much to Jasmine's chagrin. And after a while, others at Robin's table joined into the conversation.
"So you're really the owner?" Gerard asked.
"Yes, as real as rainbows, deary." Ayva laughed, sipping her drink. "I do like to bake a bit every now and then. Here, this pie was made from tha apples you saved fer me earlier. Think of it as my thanks."
"Really!?" Gerard's eyes lit up in delight.
"Ahem! Of course after you finish your food." Robin pointed out.
Gerard then attacked his steak like a vicious carnivore. He looked like such, too. Everyone at the table laughed, including Ayva.
"I suppose I'll take that as a compliment." Ayva shook her head as she chuckled.
"Incidentally, I am slightly interested. What would have happened earlier if you hadn't approved of Robin's drink?" Christian asked.
"Then every dwarf here would have pummelled ye, smashed yer drink on the floor and you would have been bound to buy everyone a round of ale, as well as take place in a drinking contest." Ayva replied. "It's quite costly, but we dwarves take our liquor seriously, and are right proud of et, you see."
"I'm glad my drink suited your tastes, then!" Robin laughed.
"Oh, that's right.." Robin noticed Jasmine's particularly intent stare at her.
"We heard on our way here that you have hot springs in these parts. Me and my party is interested in experiencing them."
"Ah yes, the hot springs. My uncle's aunt's cousin's Grand-nephew Marlgurn is in charge of a nice private one near here. I can inquire if you can use it, if ye'd like?" Ayva asked.
"Would that be too much of a bother?" Robin asked.
"Oh, pshaww! No trouble at all, deary. The public one is usually so packed, you can't really rest easy. Spending some time in a private hot spring will give you the real experience. Besides, the rest of his family is gone to the log-hurling festival competition down in Laglorn Town to the west for three weeks. So, no problems with people walking in on you." Ayva waved her hands.
"I'll get back to you with an answer tomorrow morning after breakfast, then." Ayva nodded, finishing her mug. Then she left to take a round about the dining room, to gather empty mugs.
Robin turned to Jasmine. "Satisfied?" Robin asked.
"Very!" Jasmine beamed a smile. Chelsea was also slightly interested in the experience.
Quinn nodded. "In that case, do you all know the hot springs ettiquette?" He asked.
"Is it the same as in Japan?" Robin asked.
"Indeed. So you've been there too, huh?" Quinn noted. "In that case, you don't need an explanation. But, for the sake of first-timers, I'll go over the rules."
Quin held up his pointer finger.
"First, you must thoroughly clean yourselves before entering the hot spring. You and others can't really enjoy the experience if the water isn't clean, so this is the first rule."
"Second." Robin added. "If you begin to feel dizzy, get out and cool yourself down. At higher temperatures, it's easier for people to get heat stroke and faint, so do not continue soaking if the room begins to spin."
"Third." Quinn nodded. "There are usually three sections. A men's side. A woman's side. And a mixed s3ction. If you prefer not to be seen by the opposite gender, keep to the section of your own gender. The mixed section is for families to spend time together."
"Wait. So we would all jump into the hot spring together in the same pool?" Jasmine asked, slightly frowning.
"Towels will be provided if you are uncomfortable with others seeing you exposed." Robin explained. "There are also robes you can wear around the hot spring after getting out so you can slowly return to normal body temperature, without catching a chill."
"Oh...That doesn't sound so bad." Chelsea nodded.
"Is that the same for the men?" Christian asked, now a bit more interested..
Robin nodded. "But still, I'm surprised, really. With how active this volcano is, you'd think there'd be a higher temperature."
"That's because the majority of the volcanic magma flows into the grand sword ravine behind the mountain. I heard the city legend is that a great swordsman cut the earth right in two, to stop the volcano from erupting on a dwarven village. That village eventually grew into what we see today." He quaffed his beer.
"Well, it was more or less a swordsman, to be fair. But his blade looked eerily similar to what you carry on your belt there, Hero." Quinn said.
"You heard this somewhere?" Robin asked.
"I didn't have to hear it. I saw it myself." Quinn replied. "I wanted to take a look at the current hero back then, before I had mastered this form. He wasn't as understanding as you were, so I had no choice but to pretend he had killed me and hide."
"Is this the same one that was in the war over 15 years ago?" Robin asked.
"That's the one. He died alongside the previous demon king." Quinn explained. "At that time, dwarves were still considered a friendly race to humans."
"They aren't now?" Robin asked.
"Now they are considered a neutral race, neither hostile nor friendly. This is due to the dwarf-demon trading agreement. A lot of people didn't like the fact that the Dwarven leader became a Demon Protectorate-ah, excuse me. I heard that recently, a vote went through, and we are now going to call ourselves Guardians." Quinn interrupted himself.
Robin almost spit out her fruit water. "Cough cough! Er, is that so?" She said, trying to hide her awkwardness. The members in her party that had accompanied her to Oracle's palace were looking at her and smiling knowingly, which caused a rare blush to emerge on her face.
"Well, at least now I don't have to say such a large mouthful. How do the locals view this name change?" She asked.
Quinn shrugged. "I haven't heard any backlash yet, but the human realms are probably wondering why we suddenly changed names."
"Indeed. They may view this as an attempt to separate ourselves from the peace treaty in preparation for another war." Christian sighed. "Even though we know the truth of the matter." He glanced at Robin, who shot him a warning gaze.
"Oh? And what is the truth? I only heard about this idea a few nights ago." Quinn asked. Robin, having finished her food, quickly stood up.
"I need to go for a bit." She excused herself before fleeing as fast as her walking pace could take her without looking like she was running away. Even so, Christian could clearly see that the tips of Robin's ears had turned a bright shade of red.
"What's wrong with him?" Quinn asked.
"Nothing. He probably needed to find the loo." Christian replied. "Now, do you want to know thereal reason why this name change came up?..."
He instantly began to brag about Robin's part in it.
Robin stepped out into the night, feeling a blast of warm air as she emerged. She quickly vanished into the alley next to the tavern hiding in between a few stacks of crates.
She held her head in her hands, trying to calm herself down enough to return.
It's not like she was against Quinn knowing about it. It was just...Hearing someone tell stories about her right in front of her face was just too embarrassing! Robin's skin wasn't thick enough to ignore being placed upon a verbal pedestal.
After struggling with herself for a few minutes, Robin was drawn out from her sheepish self-agony by some sudden noise.
"Quiet, ye noodle-legged drunkard!" An audible whisper lashed out. "Do ye want us to alarm the owner? We have a job to do! Keep to the plan!"
Robin was instantly alert. Dwarves were coming into the alley to do something they didn't want Ayva to know about?
She silently climbed up a stack of crates that no dwarf could reach. Luckily the crates were made of sturdy enough wood not to creak.
It was common sense. People only search for other people in places they can get to themselves. No one expects to see people looking down on them from above. That's half the reason why assassins sticking to the rooftops was so effective in medieval times.
Robin flattened herself on top of the crates, spying upon the tip-toeing childlike bundles below. She had a good impression of Ayva, so if they meant a bit of harmless mischief, she might let it pass. But if they meant Ayva harm...
Then she would not let them off.
Weekly Power Status
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