Now, Riveria's set of swimsuit still quietly lay in the room's wardrobe.
"Princess Riveria," Ryuu noticed Riveria's figure, and immediately stepped forward respectfully to greet her.
Seeing Ryuu parting the mist, walking towards her, Riveria hurriedly waved her hand, quickly stopping her, "Stop… I mean, Ryuu, here, there's no need to be so formal."
Her voice carried a hint of panic, completely losing her usual composure.
As she spoke, Riveria unconsciously retreated a few steps, until she backed into the corner of the hot spring pool, doing her best to sink her body below the neck into the warm spring water, trying to hide her nervousness.
Fortunately, the natural hot spring here, rich in minerals, made the water appear emerald-green, unlike ordinary hot springs which are clear and transparent. Coupled with the thick steam hovering above the pool, Riveria at least didn't have to worry about being seen clearly.
Even so, she still felt a wave of anxiety. After all, Ryuu's gaze was still lingering on her, without noticing the subtle awkwardness at all.
"Princess Riveria, are you alright?", Ryuu asked in confusion, clearly unaware of the situation in front of her.
"I'm fine…",nRiveria forced a smile.
At that moment, Emiya suddenly stood up, startling Riveria so much her heart tensed, almost letting out a scream. However, she soon breathed a sigh of relief, Emiya was also wearing knee-length beach swim trunks.
Emiya walked to the cold-water bucket beside the hot spring pool, and took out two towels soaked in cold water.
He handed one towel to Ryuu, saying, "Put it on your head, it'll feel much better, and also prevent dizziness from soaking in the hot spring too long."
Ryuu slightly nodded, and following Emiya's advice, gently placed the towel on her head. As expected, she felt a wave of coolness and much more comfort.
Then, Emiya turned to Riveria and asked, "Riveria, do you need a towel?"
Riveria paused slightly, still feeling somewhat nervous in her heart, but on the surface she remained calm, and naturally shook her head, "No need."
Obviously, she couldn't take the initiative to get the towel, nor could she let Emiya bring it over.
Emiya also placed a towel on his own head, then reached out and gently patted Ryuu's hair, smiling as he said, "You've finished all your homework. Really impressive."
Ryuu's pretty face flushed slightly. Although a bit embarrassed, she still couldn't help but softly complain, "Princess Riveria was really too strict."
Seeing their natural interaction, Riveria couldn't help but feel helpless, and softly muttered, "Which one of you is really the older one here!"
'So hot…', Riveria thought inwardly.
Elves are inherently not good at enduring high temperatures. She had already soaked in the hot spring for a long time, and to avoid Emiya and Ryuu, had deliberately hidden in the innermost part of the hot spring pool.
However, this happened to be the outlet, where the temperature was higher than other areas, and the continuous rising heat made her feel more and more unbearable.
Ryuu accidentally noticed that Riveria was somewhat far from them and asked in confusion, "Shirou, why is Princess Riveria so far away from us?"
Emiya glanced at Riveria's position, then explained, "That seems to be where the water outlet is, the temperature is higher than our side."
Ryuu nodded thoughtfully, "Oh, so Princess Riveria thinks the water is too cold?"
Emiya nodded, "I see, it is a bit cold. Then let's heat it up a bit."
Hearing their conversation, Riveria almost couldn't stop herself from speaking out. Yet she didn't know how to explain and could only scream internally, 'NOOOO! that's not the reason at all!'
To Emiya, the water temperature indeed felt a bit low.
He himself was a blacksmith, often working in the forge workshop, giving him strong tolerance to high temperatures.
Moreover, his body was stronger than an ordinary person's. The current water temperature simply couldn't satisfy him.
Emiya turned his head to Ryuu and tentatively asked, "Can the temperature be increased a bit more? If you can endure it."
Ryuu gently nodded and replied, "I can endure it, don't worry."
Hearing Ryuu's agreement, Emiya got up and walked to the water valve, adjusting the ratio of hot and cold water. Soon, the hot spring's water temperature gradually rose, becoming warmer.
Feeling the change in water temperature, Emiya then turned to Riveria and said with concern, "Riveria, if you think it's too hot, come over here. This side is far from the water outlet, so the temperature is much lower."
Riveria forced herself to speak stiffly, "…No, not hot!"
Hearing Riveria's firm response, Emiya felt reassured, and casually increased the proportion of hot water even more.
The water temperature of the hot spring rose again, and the steam became denser.
And in the corner, Riveria's heart was already in chaos. She felt she was about to break down. In her mind, there was even a fleeting thought of releasing the magic [Wynn Fimbulvetr] to drive away the suffocating heat with snow and ice.
Although as a Level 6 adventurer with high endurance, her body was strong enough to withstand a hellhound's breath, the current temperature did not pose real harm to her body.
However, not being injured did not mean she wasn't uncomfortable. Instantaneous heat and long-term immersion in hot springs were completely different experiences.
Riveria's body was not damaged, yet at this moment she felt an unprecedented chaos and discomfort. The surrounding heat made her consciousness gradually blur, her head beginning to feel dizzy.
She struggled to maintain a calm appearance, but inwardly she was already crying out in pain. If this continued, she might really faint in the hot spring.
'If this keeps going and I faint, then get scooped up by Shirou… my life might really be over…'
Just as she was struggling mentally, Ryuu's voice broke the tense atmosphere, "Shirou, the water's a bit too hot for me, I want to go take a shower."
After saying that, Ryuu got up and left the hot spring pool.
Emiya still soaked in the pool, expression calm, clearly unaffected by the increased temperature.
But seeing Emiya so relaxed, Riveria felt even more pressure.
"Riveria, I'll head back first too," After a while, Emiya said goodbye to Riveria and left the hot spring pool.
The moment his figure disappeared behind the screen, Riveria hurriedly stood up and jumped out of the pool.
However, due to the long time soaking in high heat, she suddenly felt dizzy, slipped, and lost control, falling back into the hot spring with a big splash.
Hearing the sound behind him, Emiya immediately turned back and saw Riveria fall into the water, his expression tightened, and he quickly ran back.
Seeing her condition was bad, Emiya didn't hesitate to jump into the water and pull Riveria out.
However, just as he lifted Riveria from the spring, his gaze involuntarily dropped. With no mist or water to block his view, what he held in his arms was pure white… golden and emerald eyes stared at each other.
The exhaled breaths tangled together, dissipating into the steam, drifting toward the distant sky.
———
Early the next morning, as soon as the gates of [Spring City] opened, Riveria and the others became the first group of travelers to leave the city, once again setting off on the journey back to Orario.
The morning air was especially refreshing. The wheels turned slowly on the flat road, but the atmosphere inside the carriage felt a bit subtle.
Although Emiya and Riveria both appeared calm, their glances at each other seemed to carry a trace more awkwardness than usual.
What happened in the hot spring last night still lingered in their memories…
After a brief exchange of looks, Emiya understood the meaning in Riveria's eyes, "Please forget what happened last night."
"It was just a moment of impulse, nothing went too far… not too far, let's just forget it...", Riveria murmured to herself.
.
.
.
.
As time passed, a few days went by, and the subtle tension between Emiya and Riveria gradually eased, slowly returning to their usual natural state.
In fact, after this unexpected event and a shared experience of keeping a secret, the relationship between the two seemed even more harmonious than before. Their conversations and interactions carried a sense of effortless understanding.
This subtle change left Ryuu somewhat puzzled. She would often observe them, with a trace of confusion in her heart, vaguely sensing that something had changed.
But this Elven girl held immense trust in Lady Riveria. Out of respect for royalty, she did not speak much, simply followed quietly at their side, continuing her journey.
'Lady Riveria definitely isn't a perverted elf like Alise,' Thinking this, Ryuu let out a breath of relief, and the slight worry she had also dissipated.
During this period, they passed through quite a few countries and cities. Although none of the places could compare in prosperity and pleasure to the City of Hot Springs, the adventurers still witnessed the unique cultures and sceneries of different regions.
Besides that, the adventurers also encountered monster attacks more than once during their journey, even experiencing an incident where a large number of monsters assaulted a city.
That city wasn't large, but its defensive force was relatively well-prepared. Although there were only about a dozen soldiers blessed by the gods, they were well-organized and not weak in combat power.
The local garrison had also hired many adventurers in advance to assist with the defense, further strengthening the city's protection.
At first, Emiya and Ryuu intended to take the initiative to help them clear the monster wave and solve the crisis. However, Riveria stopped them.
"This city has already prepared sufficiently to fight off the monsters," She patiently explained, "What they need now is a victory to prove themselves, to boost morale and confidence, to accumulate real combat experience, and to establish the authority of their leadership."
"If we intervene, while we can ensure they get through the crisis unharmed, we would be taking away their chance to grow. Let them fight with their own hands. Someone might get injured, even die, but next time they're attacked, they'll be able to do better."
After hearing this, Emiya accepted Riveria's suggestion. They maintained a watching posture, only acting as the city's final insurance, ready to step in during an emergency.
In the end, the results did not disappoint Riveria. The city's defenders and adventurers fought bravely, and after half a day of fierce battle, they successfully wiped out the monster wave and defended the city.
After this victory, the morale and fighting spirit of the city's guards and the adventurers who participated clearly changed for the better.
After leaving that city, Riveria said, "Monsters outside the dungeon are generally weaker. Most of them fall within the range that adult men without god's blessing can deal with by forming teams. However, in recent years, the number of monsters on the surface has obviously increased, and their strength is gradually rising as well."
To cope with the growing threat, many small countries began to emulate major powers such as the [Empire], [Kingdom], [Magic Nation], and [Amazon Country], focusing on cultivating powerful individuals blessed by the gods.
During this time, some small nations perished either from monster invasions or being annexed by larger countries. Meanwhile, many powerful individuals emerged amidst this chaotic situation, displaying their talent and strength.
Even so, Orario still firmly held the top position among the world's powers, maintaining an overwhelming advantage over all other countries. Almost no nation dared challenge Orario's status.
And the only exception was—the Kingdom of Rakia.
The Kingdom of Rakia was located in the western part of the continent and was the closest of all major countries to Orario.
This country was a typical military nation. Though called a kingdom, the real ruler was the war god Ares and his familia. Essentially, it was a nation-type familia.
Ares claimed himself to be the "God of War." Based on his divine will, the Kingdom of Rakia had always been fond of war.
Whether against other nations or city-states, so long as the opportunity arose, Rakia would always ignite a conflict.
There was once a time when the Kingdom of Rakia, relying on its powerful military might, especially its possession of the [Crozzo's Magic Swords], could be called the overlord of the western continent.
However, with the loss of this core technology, Rakia's combat power drastically dropped, and they could no longer maintain their former glory. In front of Orario, they became utterly insignificant.
Even so, the Kingdom of Rakia never abandoned its warmongering nature, keeping up the "tradition" of challenging Orario every few years.
They had launched wars multiple times, only to be effortlessly defeated by Orario each time, even being forced to pay huge amounts in reparations.
Because of this, the people of the city called Ares the "God of War Who Only Starts Wars, Not Wins Them."
The Kingdom of Rakia was also a necessary pass-through for adventurers returning to Orario. From the moment they neared Rakia's borders, the atmosphere among the Elves in the party clearly became heavier, with unspoken tension and hostility.
"Your Highness, we can't hesitate anymore. We must strike hard," Hedin had already approached Riveria multiple times, his expression serious and his tone resolute.
"With the mindset of a beast, shoot straight into the heart of the kingdom!"
The Elves and the Kingdom of Rakia had deep-rooted blood feuds.
Rakia once relied on the power of magic swords, sweeping across battlefields with astonishing firepower. The devastating power of the magic swords could easily destroy enemy forces, requiring no strategy or tactics.
Countless battlefields were turned to scorched earth by that overwhelming firepower, where not a single blade of grass remained.
These wars, fueled by the reckless use of magic swords, eventually spilled over into the forests of the Elves. Many Elven villages and entire forests were burned to ash.
Countless Elves lost their homes, were separated from their families, and many were captured by the Kingdom of Rakia and enslaved.
Because of their rarity and delicate appearance, Elves were highly prized in the slave market and became frequent targets of enslavement.
Later, the homeless Elves, with the help of a certain god, that is, after receiving the [Blessing of the Gods], joined her [Familia] and swore revenge.
They united and launched a fierce counterattack against the Kingdom of Rakia, which had once destroyed their forests and villages.
At that time, Rakia had already lost the magic swords it once prided itself on. Facing the offensive from the Elven [Familia], the kingdom suffered immense losses.
The Elves displayed incredible power and unyielding determination on the battlefield. Many of Rakia's cities and troops were heavily damaged in that war.
However, the Kingdom of Rakia was still a dominant superpower. Even without the magic swords, it still possessed a vast army and powerful resources. Under the kingdom's fierce counterattack, the Elven [Familia] eventually could not hold out and was completely destroyed in the flames of war.
Thus, the Elves' revenge came to an end, but the hatred between the race and the kingdom only deepened further.
"The nation of sin that traffics in war", this was how the Elves referred to the Kingdom of Rakia, with profound resentment.
Although Hedin's homeland had not suffered an invasion by the Kingdom of Rakia, his hatred toward them remained deep.
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