Isurd

At Colony Lambda, the group and Isurd were standing at the elevated platform outside the commander's tent, overlooking the other infrastructures. Isurd asked, "Looking at Colony Lambda now, wouldn't you agree that it's recovered some of its spirit?"

Mio agreed, "Definitely. The atmosphere feels different to how things were, even a little while ago."

"Perhaps the change isn't a vast one, but something is indeed different. If we hadn't met you, perhaps this change wouldn't have taken place. We'd have retreated into our shells."

Noah pushed back the praises, "All we did was give things a little push. I'm sure you'd have managed this by yourself, Isurd."

"Hm. You are most kind. Either way, that doesn't change the heap of problems I'm facing. They need fixing, but I can only manage a few at a time."

Taion: "It's not good if you push yourself too hard, Commander. Getting some rest is important too."

As if 'are you kidding me?', "Rest? Hmm... Not sure how I'd go about getting some rest... The way things are here, I always end up busy, almost without intending to."

Sena: "I suppose as long as you're at your home colony, things just turn out that way, huh..."

Lanz added, "And you know, we ain't exactly experts in the art of taking a load off."

Taion had something in his mind, "That reminds me..."

Noah asked, "Do you have an idea, Taion?"

To not keep them being too optimistic, "Well... This could turn out to be nothing. But earlier, I heard a Nopon merchant talking about something called a 'natural spa'."

Isurd: "A 'spa'?" What does that even mean?

He nodded, "Supposedly it's in a remote place, not easily reachable by people."

Eunie didn't manage to join the dots, teasingly questioned, "What's remoteness got to do with getting poor Isurd here to relax?"

Taion relate to it scientifically, "The Nopon also said it contained lots of nutrients, stimulated metabolism, promoted blood circulation..."

Mio asked for a more humane explanation, "So you're saying, if we get our hands on this 'spa', then even Isurd could get some rest... He'll be able to recover, basically?"

"Like I said before, the information is questionable. It's only something I heard in passing."

"...Taion." That was very kind of you, to care about me.

"Commander! I'm sorry, I know it's hardly a credible source..."

He's getting excited, "I think I like the sound of this!"

"Huh?"

"I say we go out, and we find this 'spa' thing!"

Eunie got a little excited, "I'm not really one to talk, but I didn't think you'd be so into this."

"Well, I have a passing interest in things of that ilk. But... ah. I don't want to keep you from your journey..."

Lanz shook that thought off, "Naaaaahhhh, don't you worry about that. More importantly, how do we go about finding this thing?"

Noah suggested, "Why don't we ask somebody in the City?"¹

Mio agreed, "Right, better than just us racking our brains about it."

"My thanks, all of you."

Taion: "Just leave it to us, Commander. We'll give this our undivided attention."

Seated at the City's square where they'd been promised cooking outside the dorm, after asking around the city, Taion refocused on the main question, "So... what do we know about natural spas? To summarize, hardly much of anything, except that they can heal and restore you."

Sena: "We didn't get the most concrete info, huh? Nobody's even been to one."

Eunie: "Look at this poor clod... Isurd's so haggard, I think we're gonna lose him."

Isurd actually followed them to the City, can't believe what he'd just heard, "Just how do I look to you...?"

Noah: "One thing for sure, we're not gonna find one with what we've got so far."

Mio added: "We've no clue where one actually could be... Like, in a forest, under a cliff?"

Lanz: "Yeah, realistically, we can't just blindly search everywhere."

Sena: "But it does sound kinda cool, right? Just soaking your body and somehow healing?"

Eunie: "Yeah, but soaking in what? It sounds a lot like a bath. It can't just be a bath, right?" Their visual experience limit their imaginations so far.

Taion: "From the way they talked, I thought the same, but I've never been in a bath that healed my wounds."

"Maybe it's a question of using the right soap?"²

Taion didn't dwell on that topic for too long, turned to apologize to Isurd, "Sir, I hate to think we've wasted your time, but if we can't come up with any more results..."

"Heh, I'm grateful for your concern, but honestly, I've been enjoying myself. We might not find anything, after all our searching, but there's just something in all this talk... Just hearing that gave my heart a much-needed jolt... Though that might not be the best way to put it." Being around with friends are always refreshing, eh!

Noah: "No, I think you have it right."

Mio agreed, "Yeah, I'd be lying if I said I didn't care what happens. Let's keep searching for a little bit longer."

Eunie: "Then let's go ask the bloke that people said would know about this whole spa business."

Sena: "What, that trivia king guy? Or the supposedly-dead guy?³"

Taion noted, "The report of his death could still turn out to have been a mite exaggerated."

Noah added another doubt, "We don't know whether trivia king and this dead-or-not guy are the same person, but it's worth finding out."

Isurd: "I know I've said it before, but I've certainly saddled you with a tough task..."

Lanz got impatient hearing that, "Ah, enough of that! We're giving you spirits a lift and all that. Once we find this natural spa, we'll chuck you right in it!"

"Haha! Then you had better really find it!"

At the top of some building in the City, they found a guy overlooking the City from atop. There was little fence on the edge, so if he wanted to just jump off and kill himself, he could. While he had his attention on the horizon, Isurd started speaking, "Excuse me, kind sir."

The guy named Kotan turned around with heightened adrenaline, "What, what? A bunch of hoodlums. Trying to, gang up on an old man, eh?" He wore a hat, short-sleeves T-shirt and long pants, all black.

"No sir. We are searching for a natural spa."

"What did you say?"

"Uh we're searching-..."

He didn't wait for him to finish explaining, cut him, "If it's spas you're asking about, I am who you need to be talking to!"

Lanz can't take this old man, "We are talking to you, mate!"⁴

"Well then. So you're the kids going round making NOISE about SPAS! YOU THINK talking to ME, is the way to get at ALL. MY. SECRETS? You might be whippersnappers, ahah, but I can respect that kind of grit!"

Sena started to asked quietly, feeling the guy's sanity is questionable, "Um... You think he actually knows anything?"

Mio didn't have her hopes high, "I'm wondering..."

Taion explained to Kotan: "We heard that there was someone who knew much about spas, but that he had passed away."

And he got mad, "What did that old codger tell you?! I ain't dying anytime soon!"

Lanz snap to the point, "Mind telling us about the spas, then?"

Then he started preaching, "When I was young, I used to go around them all, ANNNDDD a lot. Hehehe there were about... f-four of them. The one that I liked the most, was the Nordil- Natural- Spa. At the time my back was killing me, BUT ONE DIP ho ha he and it was healed. AMAZING! The odd thing was, it was just a footbath! I did my feet in, and it HEALED MY BACK! Huh huh oh, what genius came up with that, eh? I only ever found, FOUR, natural spas, but I'd also heard rumors of another, SECRET one, huh huh I bet it'd do marvels for one's back!"

Eunie lost her patience, "Mate, we didn't come here to chat about your flippin' back!"

"Eh?"

Noah explained their objectives, "We want to know where we can find a spa. If there's four of them, then you can-"

He shook his head, "OHHH, they're long gone."

Sena, in a high-pitched tone of 'amusement', "WHAAAATTTTT???"

Isurd: "Gone, you say?"

"Thanks to kids like you, with your wars, and whatever... They've been blown up, filled in..."

Taion: "Huh?"

"Natural spas need water that gushes out of the ground. No gush, no spring. Errr you might find something if you start- digging, though."

Lanz can't believe what he'd just heard, "Dig. That's your advice?"

And he shook his head, "Though in times like these, start digging holes and people'll think you're crazy.⁵"

Taion, with a sigh, "Well, you certainly turned out to be a font of knowledge. I don't regret this at all."

Isurd turned to calm him, "Don't take it to heart, Taion. We tried our best. We'll just have to accept the result. We may not have found a natural spa but, the time we spent was still worthwhile."

"I suppose, Commander..."

"YOU- suppose- nothing! You should let someone finish when they're talking!⁶ Huh, There's still the... secret spa that I couldn't find. O-o-o-o-o-or, to be more precise, err there might be... urm..."

Lanz: "What, REALLY?"

"I-I-I-I heard this when I was still young, so it- might- not- be- ummm... too credible... B-b-but uh, the rumor goes that there was one in the urrr Brasa- Geothermal- Belt. But I... couldn't make it. The place, was crawling with monsters, IN-SIDE and out."

Isurd: "So there is hope after all?"

"Looong time ago... lots of people took refuge there, but... not- one- of- them- came- back. That's, how dangerous the place is. So... the spa, might be there, it might not. That's why I couldn't, recommend the place to you."

Lanz was excited to hear new news, "There we go then, eh Isurd?" As for the monsters, to hell with the monsters!

Adventurous, he was equally excited, "Indeed! It might be there... it might not... The more uncertain it sounds, the more it gets me excited!"

Eunie couldn't understand, "Weirdo. What if it turns out to be a massive waste of time?"

"I never thought I'd get so excited at searching for something unknown."

Kotan can empathize with his excitement, "Ho ho ho! Soak yourself in the spa the way you're getting NOW, and you're liable to BROIL yourself to death uhuh!"

"Hmph. I'll take care. Thank you kindly!"

"Oops! Ur urg... Nearly forgot to tell you."

Noah: "Hm?"

"How to properly use the spa heh! Pin your ears back, and listen."

They went to the place and found a pond with evaporating liquid, clearly warmer pool of liquid. Isurd questioned, "So, this is the... 'spa'?"

Eunie exclaimed, "So it IS just a great big stonking bath!" A great pool of warm water, eh! The surrounding was rocky with a few desert-ish plants.

Taion disagreed, "Looks can be deceiving. They told us it has special properties, remember?"

Sena noted, "The humidity is insane... Do you think the water's hot?" Then, she knelt down and held her hand over the evaporating mist.

Just then, Noah and the others felt something, "Huh? Hold it, something's here!" And some tirkins emerged out from underneath the bath.

Isurd: "Seems we're not the first visitors today."

Mio: "Weapons ready!"

After resolving the tirkins, Lanz sighed, "Huh! Those guys... They healed up something CRAZY!"⁷

That made Isurd thinking, "Was that... an effect of the spa's waters?"

Eunie refused to think too much about it, "Does it matter any more? Now you can just dive right on it."

Sena hesitated, "Huh? But, err..."

Eunie peered over her shoulder to the left at Lanz, whom got her message, "Right! Ready, Isurd?"

He turned around to look at the approaching two, with Eunie adding, "As promised, time for us to chuck you in!"

"HUH H-HOLD UP!!! I DON'T REMEMBER MAKING ANY-" He hadn't finished shouting when two hands shoved him forward and he fell on his back onto the waters.

Taion was shocked at such brutality, "WHA-? What is the meaning of this? Commander! Are you OK?"

"HURRRRRR" He floated back up from below the waters, gasped for air, before replying, "Other than my heart, I believe I'm quite all right, thank you."

Lanz: "Just like the old man said. If there's nobody there, it's good manners to jump right in."

To which Taion immediately rebut, "Even so, that's not-"

Isurd cut him short, stating his observations, "However, the water is good."

Noah knelt down so he could look at him without tilting his head down too large an angle before questioning, "What does it feel like?"

"The- temperature is very pleasant."

Eunie had her 'proof': "So like I've been saying, it's just a bath!"

"Look! My wounds are closing as we speak!"

Mio was impressed, "Wow! So what that man was saying... It wasn't entirely wrong, it looks like."

"Yes... Now that I'm in here... I don't think I ever want to leave."

"Right, my turn then." And he start taking steps forward and slid himself into the pool. Sitting down in the water beside Isurd, he looked up at the others, questioned, "Oi! What's wrong with you? Everybody get in!"

Mio was surprised, "HUH?" And she exchanged glance with Sena. Not just for Isurd? And...

Isurd continued to make observations: "My word... I'm healing in places I didn't even know I had! Aren't you coming in? The water's fine."

"B-but I, uh..." Mio and Sena were standing behind, hands and heads down on the floor, as if they didn't heard. Taion, standing in front of both of them, was trying to find an excuse to not, looked back at Sena to try find help from them. Alas, they're not even looking at him.

Lanz was too tired hearing his excuse, "URRRRRRHHHHHaaahhh, I'm coming baaaacccck to life! Uh, not that I was dead or anything."

"Umm..." Noah now joined the three that was hesitant, with Sena trying to break the ice. "Would I... have to strip down?" Mio blushed a bit at the question, still looking down at the floor, changing to a more pleasant posture.

Noah scratched his head, answering the question with a proxy answer, "Ohhhh, right... The old man, he did say there's a proper way for getting in the water."

Mio: "But I-... I mean....R-... r-... right here?"

Lanz urged: "Hey guys, where's your sense of culture? Get in already! You don't want it getting cold!"

Isurd added, "It's perfect for healing your wounds after a grueling battle."

"Um! B-but... Commander..."

"You can be hopeless... Eunie, boot him in already, will ya?"

Teasingly and eagerly, "Roger that!" She bent down and get herself targeting Taion, whom tilted back defensively.

"Now, WAIT HERE A MINUTE, EUNIE!!! I NEVER SAID I WAS GOING INNNN-!!!" Too late!

After the bath, everyone got up and formed a circle beside the pool, Taion was still having his head huge, "Spark! Why did it have to end like this?"

Isurd was having fun, "Hahahah! Taion, it's a good experience for you! It wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Uh, well... Now that you ask..."

Eunie agreed, "Yeah, takin' a dip wasn't bad at all!"

Sena weakly agreed, "Right..."

Mio agreed with full of energy, "All my tiredness is just completely gone!"

Noah asked Isurd, "Did you enjoy your break?"

"I did! Thanks to you, I feel as if a weight's been lifted from my heart. I believed I was working for the colony but, really, I was running myself into the ground."

Mio: "So it was worth coming here."

Isurd: "It just shows that there's room in any heart to appreciate the finer things. This has given me a lot to think about. At some point I'll have to bring everyone in the colony here."

Eunie teased: "If you could make everyone fit. In a space like this, people will have to take turns. The lines will get long."

"Heh... Then perhaps we need to dig some more holes. We might even discover some new springs."

Sena can't believe her ears, "You're really serious?"

"Once the fighting ends, and people have more free time, then I might give it some serious thought. Digging a few holes shouldn't pose us too much of a challenge. We are miners, after all. But wait... If we can discover many more of these spas, we could bring in people from other colonies..."

Lanz foreseen the situation, shook his head, "Uh-oh..."

Noah excitedly replied, "Looks like you've caught the spa bug, Isurd!"

Taion knew him well enough, explained to the others, "Times like this are when the commander shines the brightest."

Mio: "Uhuh... Bet you're glad we helped him, Taion."

"Yes. I think he's going to be an even greater help to us now."

Isurd urged, "Shall we be off? Our next objective awaits."

Translator's note: We skipped the first part of Isurd's story, which was about some modified levnises losing control inside the mine⁸. If you're interested you can look at it. It's totally unrelated to this story, which one think this is more interesting than that, but you may have different opinion.

Footnotes:

---

1: As if people there would have heard of it? Why not track down the Nopon earlier and ask him/her about it? Isn't that more straightforward?

2: AHAHAHAHA medical soap.

3: Bro, supposedly-dead guy? He was supposed to be dead but climbed out of his grave to tell you stories?

4: Yeah, this isn't the first time Lanz can't take an old man. If you'd read Melia, you'd know he also cannot take on another old man.

5: So you know and you asked us to dig???

6: Now that rhymes!

7: Surprisingly, there's no blood or any body juice or any body shards that tainted the pool, eh!

8: The place where Taion lose Nimue when he was younger is the mine.