Chirem Act 6-12.1
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Act 6-12: Wanting to Be the One by His Side
TL :<t0/> Cnine
ED/<t0/>PF :
R1[1-3], R2[4-6], R3[7-9]
Part 1
The centrepiece of the Danshelmare Spa Resort was its dome-shaped grand bath, Spring Heaven. But in truth, it felt much less like a bathhouse and far more like an indoor leisure pool built around hot spring water.
With magic enhancing everything, the place offers upgraded classics: an aerial lazy river drifting through the air, a water slide that races across the floor, ceiling, and anywhere the enchanted currents decide to go, and even a strange bathing area where you can swim around in breathable hot water. There are outdoor baths and saunas too, and if you get hungry, the festival-style food street inside the venue has you covered. Their claim that you could spend the whole day here really didn’t seem like an exaggeration.
「Alright! First stop, over there!」
Ein, charging ahead of us, made a beeline for the massive lazy river in the centre. It was the most eye-catching thing in the whole place, so I suppose he wants to start there and ease into the day.
「Wooooo—!」
Without slowing down, AEn dived head-first into the pool, sending up a spectacular splash that made the nearby visitors squeal. Honestly… I understand the excitement, but he’s completely overdoing it.
「Please refrain from running along the poolside!」
There you have it, a warning called out by the lifeguard stationed nearby.
However, the person being scolded didn’t seem to care at all. Ein beckoned us over while riding the current, slowly rising into the air.
「That fool! I told him countless times not to do anything embarrassing!」
Lillian entered the pool quietly after Ein. She gave the lifeguard an apology, then stormed after him, visibly irritated. We too gave the lifeguard a small bow before plunging ourselves into the warm water. And just so you know, we all completed our warm-up stretches earlier in the shower room at the entrance.
「WOIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII?!」
With only Ein and Lillian separated from us, the rest of us floated along together. But as soon as the water current began to flow upward, the speed suddenly increased. The propulsion was so intense that even moving our arms became difficult. Before we knew it, powerless against the force, we were carried straight up into the sky.
Before long, the rushing stream of water finally reached its highest point.
「WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!」
「Ahahaha! That’s amazing, so amazing!」
The shock of the hot water moving against gravity, the thrill of speeding through the air, and the breathtaking view over the entire venue drew cheers from the surrounding crowd. Though we couldn’t move our bodies, we shouted with everything we had and revelled in the moment.
Afterwards, the water descended along a spiralling path, carrying us safely back to the pool. As the force of the water subsided, we regained control of our bodies. We hurriedly began treading water, excitedly talking about what we’d just experienced, when Ein and Lilian came over.
「Hahaha!! This is incredible!」
「That startled me… It suddenly sped up like that.」
「Apparently it speeds up the water flow on the way up so people don’t fall while they’re airborne, right? And on top of that, it uses water pressure to intentionally stop you from moving, so it can carry you back down safely. It was written in the brochure.」
「You should tell us things like that in advance! You might be fine with it, but we didn’t have time to brace ourselves!」
「Alright, alright, sorry. Anyway, what now? Shall we go for another round?」
「I don't really mind...」
「Hmm, I think I’ll pass. I’d rather do something a bit calmer.」
「I-I mean… it was cool and all, but… I’m kinda bad with that stuff you know?」
The men seemed to enjoy it, but the women’s reactions were far less positive. Just as Lilian had said, things might have been different if they’d been given a proper explanation beforehand.
「I see! Then let’s move on! There are still loads of fun places!」
Even so, Ein didn’t seem to dwell on it and swam over to the poolside, clearly in full play mode. What happened to that talk about getting a girlfriend?
「“If you want something calmer, that’s the one! The 『Fancy Canal』!」
Climbing out of the lazy river, we followed Ein’s pointing finger to a short waterslide-like attraction built on a small hill. Without waiting for anyone’s reply, he hurried off, and we reluctantly followed, lining up at the end of the queue stretching up the hill.
「It doesn’t look as scary as before, but isn’t it a bit short? This is a children’s ride, right?」
While watching the attraction, I leaned over and asked Ein about it. The ride, called Fancy Canal, was… Honestly tiny. You got into a two-person inflatable float shaped like a figure eight, then slid down what looked like a very short tube slide. It was so ridiculously small that I genuinely couldn’t understand why there was a queue long enough to start a village.
「Tut-tut-tut. You’re mistaken, my dear clueless companion. Sure, it looks like it’s for toddlers, but this isn’t your average kiddie slide.」
「Oh, care to explain?」
I raised an eyebrow, and Ein gave a smug little nod, clearly enjoying himself far too much.
「That slide might look short, but the space-time inside it is completely warped. It’s actually really long. While you’re sliding through, you get shoved through loads of magical, fantastical worlds and experiences... Well, that’s what the brochure said, anyway. You basically travel through different dimensions with just the two of you together. That’s why it’s marketed as a ‘romantic attraction’.」
I see, so that was the reason why the queue was so long. Now that I really looked at the queue, it was wall-to-wall couples. Hand-holding. Shoulder-touching. Whispering. Flirting.
「It kinda feels like a couple zone...」
Just then, a faint little voice drifted out from right behind me. When I turned around, there was Elsie, her face twisted into a look full of worry and unspoken thoughts.
「Okaaay! Next guests, please!」
Howeverm the line moved unnaturally fast, and before I could ask her what on earth was going on, it was suddenly our turn, sending a strange knot of unease into my chest.
「Right then! Who’s going to pair up with me?」
Standing at the slide entrance, Ein shouted, not at me behind him, but straight toward the girls. He clearly didn’t want to go into a couples-only attraction with another man. Honestly, neither did I.
「Well then… Looks like it’s Lilian」
「Yep, Lilian’s the only one for the job.」
「My thought exactly.」
Once that was said, there was really only one possible conclusion. Not just me, everyone seemed to be thinking the exact same thing. In perfect teamwork, we ushered Lilian forward towards Ein.