I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 603

604. [Side Story] Vacation (3)

Lake Kingdom Dungeon, Area 5. Hot Spring Facility.

The Lake Kingdom water park, commonly known as the Dungeon Spa.

Flash!

We entered this place, filled with the smell of sulfur and hazy steam, through a teleport gate.

This is a place where simply soaking in the bath provides regeneration of stamina and magic power, as well as other minor buff effects.

It doesn’t have any dramatic healing effects or miraculous benefits, but it’s still a place where simple recuperation is possible.

In the meantime, we’ve been putting injured troops here between stages to help them recover.

Everyone is in tatters from the fierce battles, so it would be good for us all to soak together.

Since it’s a place that can only be used once per stage, I just took this opportunity to summon all my subordinate heroes and bring them along.

Swarm….

“Hey, there are quite a lot of them.”

I was amazed as I looked at the heroes crowding and swarming in the lobby of the hot spring facility.

Each of them had towels and changes of clothes tucked under their arms, and the heroes were shuffling into the lobby of the hot spring facility.

It’s a new realization that my heroes are so diverse, young and old, male and female.

“Lord, what should we do with this?”

Director Aider was naturally among the heroes who had gathered like this. He was pulling a large cart loaded with roasted eggs and honey water.

I ordered it. It was around lunchtime, so I thought it would be good to eat after the bath.

“Put it in the common hall inside the facility. We’ll gather and eat after the bath.”

“Yes, sir.”

Inside the hot spring facility, there is a common hall built like a large auditorium.

Since I was planning to gather everyone here after the bath to talk, I had Aider deliver the eggs, honey water, and so on there.

It seems like most of the people have gathered. I looked back at the heroes awkwardly lined up in the lobby and shouted.

“Is everyone here?”

“Yeees~!”

The answer came back with a more relaxed tone than usual. Whether it’s from exhaustion or just being worn out, everyone’s voices lack energy. It’s time for a break.

“Some of you may have already heard, but today is a vacation!”

“Waaah!”

“Some of you might be thinking, ‘What vacation when the monster invasion is still going on?’ But for now, put those thoughts aside and let your bodies melt in the hot spring. After the bath, we’ll gather in that hall and talk properly about what to do next. Got it?”

“Yes~!”

“Good, then go in! Go and wash away all your fatigue, headaches, toothaches, backaches, belly fat, everything!”

With my command, the heroes split into the men’s and women’s baths and entered.

Since the heroes came from all over the world, their bathing cultures were different. The bathing equipment they brought to the bathhouse was also different. I found this interesting to observe.

Some had soap, some had sponges, some had rough towels, and some had….

Squeak, squeak, squeak.

Hamsters….

“……?”

What is this?

I looked in shock to see who had brought the hamster cage, and I saw Damian blinking calmly. What kind of crazy thing is this, boy, with that innocent face?

“Damian, this friend is…?”

“Ah, this is Podong!”

No, I know his name is Podong, but why did you bring him to the bathhouse?

“Podong has gotten a bit older, and he’s not moving as well as he used to… When I came here before, there was a sand bath inside. I thought Podong might feel better if he had a sand bath there.”

“Ah, so you brought Podong to bathe too.”

“Yes. Water baths aren’t good for hamsters, but they like sand baths. I thought it would be good if I could pick out some clean sand for him….”

Well, it would be good for him to get the stamina and magic power regeneration buff too.

The plump hamster was brought into the dungeon in its cage, but it was lying comfortably as if it didn’t care where it was going. I looked at the hamster’s tiny eyes.

“Do hamsters usually live for about 2 or 3 years?”

“Yes. Podong is a little over 2 years old now….”

“He doesn’t look like it, but he’s quite an experienced hamster, Podong.”

Podong, listen to your owner and stay healthy~ Okay?

Anyway, Damian carefully held Podong in his cage and entered the men’s bath.

Around him, muscular men surrounded the hamster cage, not knowing what to do, and chanted things like ‘Podong!’ ‘Podong!’ before entering together… You guys should all take a sand bath like hamsters.

I chuckled and looked away. Then.

“…….”

This time, I saw Quillan carrying a cage… no, a stretcher with a person on it.

Of course, the person on the stretcher was Yoon, and the people of the Arian Kingdom standing in front and behind the stretcher were glaring at Quillan.

“What are you doing, Quillan! Return the princess at once!”

Quillan glared back at the people of the Arian Kingdom without backing down.

“It would be a big problem if you took Yoon away like this and went north.”

“We wouldn’t! And, are you going to bathe Princess Yoon just because you suspect us?! Are you planning to take the princess into the men’s bath?!”

“…I can’t take Yoon to the men’s bath.”

Quillan closed his eyes tightly and then, as if making a firm decision, spoke in a resolute voice.

“There’s no choice. I have no choice but to go into the women’s bath….”

“What kind of crazy conclusion is that-!”

I shouted without realizing it and smacked Quillan on the back of the head.

Do you think I’d let you commit such a happy privilege… no, an act against public order and social ethics! Gah!

In the end, as a compromise, the female priests of Crossroad decided to take care of Yoon. They said they would put her in the hot spring and wash her body.

“We’ve done this so many times, helping the sick bathe, so you don’t have to worry.”

Rosetta, the head of the church and the head priest of Crossroad, smiled kindly. She’s a great priest except for the heresy points she accumulates, so I can trust her.

But a problem arose. As soon as Yoon was separated from Quillan, her complexion turned dark as if she was having a nightmare.

Moreover, she started to shiver as if she was cold.

“This person, she must really like you….”

“Hmm….”

When I looked up at him as if I was dumbfounded, Quillan groaned and suddenly started to brush his body with his hands. What are you doing?

After a while, Quillan had a pile of fur that had fallen from his body in his hands. Is he really a shedding dog?

“Here, a ball made of fur. This should do it.”

Quillan skillfully made a fluffy silver-red fur ball and placed it in Yoon’s arms.

Yoon’s face relaxed as she held the rolled-up fur of Quillan. No, is she really unconscious? Huh? Isn’t she just pretending to be sick?

After this difficult process, Yoon was surrounded by several priests and disappeared into the women’s bath on a stretcher. I hope she warms up and comes to her senses soon.

“…….”

Quillan, who had been staring at the entrance of the women’s bath where Yoon had disappeared, turned around and disappeared into the men’s bath.

Now, there were only a few people left in the lobby. The only ones left by my side were Lucas and Evangeline.

“Hehe, it feels like we’re on a trip since we all came together!”

Evangeline, who had already taken a bunch of the eggs that were supposed to be eaten after the bath, said with a bright smile. Look at all those egg pieces on her mouth.

I was about to scold her, but I suddenly pondered the words Evangeline had said.

‘…Is this a trip?’

This hot spring facility has the effect of providing stamina and magic power regeneration buffs. That’s actually the main reason for visiting this place.

If we were just going to wash our bodies, we would just go to a public bathhouse, there’s no need to come all the way to the dungeon.

In short, this hot spring is also visited for functional purposes. It’s an extension of the capture routine that we repeat between stages.

‘Even though it’s a vacation, we can’t fully enjoy it….’

Evangeline said something like that when we first came to this hot spring. She said that we should all go to the beach and play next time.

If we wanted to, we could go on a picnic to the sea, mountains, or valleys… We could pack a lunch and go on a picnic.

We don’t have the mental space to do that right now.

Once we save the world from destruction… then will I be able to go to the beach with these kids?

“…….”

Trying to imagine a future that is as hazy as the steam of the hot spring that filled my vision… I grabbed my towel and entered the bath.

“…Let’s wash up too.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“I’ll go in after I finish eating this. Nom.”

With that, Evangeline cracked another egg and put it in her mouth.

Eat moderately, you belly fat!

***

The first thing I saw when I entered the men’s bath was.

Muscular pig-like men rolling around in the sand bath with Podong. Their faces were full of smiles.

“…….”

I tried to ignore them and walked into the bath. The steam was so thick that the lord couldn’t see anything.

‘Everyone must be under a lot of stress, I guess….’

If rolling around with a hamster helps them recover their mental state, that’s a good thing. Hmm….

‘Huh?’

At the entrance of the bath, Zenith and Hannibal were standing awkwardly, looking embarrassed.

Zenith’s body was marked with the stigmata unique to inquisitors [a mark indicating their role in the church], and water spirits were giggling and spinning around Hannibal.

It seems like this awkward father and son are coming to the bathhouse together for the first time.

I approached them from behind and lightly slapped them on the back.

“Ouch! Your Highness?!”

“You two. Rub each other’s backs. Do it.”

“Huh? Rub our backs?”

“There’s no culture of… scrubbing here. Anyway, it’s hard to wash your back. Sit there and at least splash water on each other’s backs.”

It’s… no, it’s a memory from when I was young, Go Deok.

I don’t have many happy memories with my father. But the memory of coming to the bathhouse together and rubbing each other’s backs is precious.

My father, who was always difficult to approach, had a gentle touch when he carefully washed my back.

These trivial memories can become precious in the future.

When I urged them, Zenith and Hannibal reluctantly sat in front of the washbasin, and then they started splashing water on each other awkwardly, laughing.

When Zenith rubbed soap on Hannibal’s head with his rough hands and pressed down, Hannibal let out a scream that was hard to tell whether it was painful or joyful.

I was smiling at this heartwarming scene when I turned my head to the side,

“…….”

“…….”

I found some men emitting a dark aura like hell.

In the hot bath, Diarmuidin, with a long beard wrapped around his neck like a scarf, was doing a half-body bath with a dark face.

Next to him, Nobody and Chain were sitting with their chins in the bath, staring blankly into the air with hollow eyes.

And… Kellybay, who was still unable to enter the bath and was squatting on the floor, thanks to the sturdy skin unique to dwarves, his burns had healed a lot.

These hot bath uncles were watching Zenith and Hannibal washing each other’s backs with gloomy faces.

“…Come to think of it, I never went to the bathhouse with that Kellyson.”

Kellybay muttered gloomily,

“…I also, I’ve never spent any time with those children other than magic lessons.”

Diarmuidin also uttered a line full of regret.

Nobody and Chain were also making gloomy faces, just bubbling in the hot bath.

“Those old men….”

I dragged them all the way to the hot spring to melt their stiff faces, but their expressions are frozen like food that has been stored in the freezer for a long time.

The atmosphere was so gloomy that Torkel, who was looking around for a private bath while wearing his helmet, was startled and trembled when he saw this side.

“…Hoo.”

Suddenly, I felt a surge of annoyance, so I strode up to these hot bath uncles and-

Splash!

I scooped up the water in the bath with my hands and splashed it on their faces!

“Kyaaaak?!”

“My eyes! I can’t see anyway, but my eyes!”

Chain and Nobody screamed and fell over,

“What are you doing, Prince Ash?! Ah, it’s hot!”

Diarmuidin screamed with his beard soaked.

“You crazy bastard! I’m burned, I’m burned!”

Kellybay rolled on the floor to avoid the hot water.

After a while of furious splashing, I smiled fiercely and loosened my fists.

“This won’t do. It seems like we need to have a recreation time this afternoon.”

“Re, recreation…? What is that…?”

I grinned evilly at the uncles who were looking at me with terrified eyes.

“I was just going to wash up in the hot spring and announce the future schedule, but I’ve changed my mind.”

Even though it’s a vacation, if you guys keep being so down, I’ll force you to cheer up!

‘It’s not the sea, the mountains, or the valleys, but even if we don’t go to a far and nice place! We can have fun even here at the neighborhood bathhouse!’

I clenched my fist and made a decision. Okay, the schedule is changed!

“It’s called… Dungeon Training Camp!”

I’ll show you the taste of the hellish K-training camp meta [a reference to the intense training programs popular in South Korea]!

From the first day of vacation, just accept that you’re all dead!