Translator: Kazumi
Editor: Silavin
Kousuke’s understanding of hot springs followed the traditional principles. In his mind, these natural baths originated from a source where heated water emerged from the earth. The farther one traveled from that source, the cooler the water became, until eventually it returned to ordinary temperature. Should the source itself dry up, the entire hot spring system would fail.
When he applied this framework to the special springs discovered throughout Gazenran Tower, the pattern became remarkably clear. Every spring they had encountered thus far was positioned either extremely close to the source or was potentially the source itself.
While he doubted these locations represented the true geographical origin, Kousuke suspected they maintained proximity to the mysterious wellspring that fed them all.
The alternative explanation was equally plausible: other springs had somehow disconnected from the source’s flow, or excessive use by previous explorers had caused them to run dry. Unfortunately, without any physical connection between the springs, this theory remained impossible to verify. Nevertheless, Kousuke felt confident his reasoning was sound.
He shared these thoughts with Peach as she rested in the relaxation area. She listened thoughtfully before nodding in agreement.
“That makes perfect sense. Now that you mention it, that aligns with my own impressions of the spring distribution.”
“Yeah. I believe the theory might actually be true, but there’s one significant obstacle.”
Peach tilted her head as she noticed Kousuke’s troubled expression. “What kind of obstacle?”
“Without any physical phenomenon to trace, determining the source’s location is nearly impossible. We’re left with no choice but to investigate each new Floor through systematic exploration.”
Traditional hot springs allowed explorers to follow water flow directly to the source. The Gazenran Tower springs offered no such convenience. Brute force investigation remained their only option when ascending to unexplored Floors.
After considering Kousuke’s explanation in thoughtful silence, Peach tilted her head slightly and offered an unexpected suggestion.
“Perhaps we can find a solution to this problem after all.”
Kousuke looked at her with surprise. “What do you mean?”
“My power,” she said, puffing up slightly with indignation. “Have you forgotten about it?”
The reminder struck Kousuke like a revelation. He had indeed completely overlooked Peach’s unique ability.
Peach possessed a mysterious power that resembled fortune telling without being precisely that. Given the proper trigger, she could even glimpse into past events, though she herself remained uncertain about what activated this ability. When manifested, the power proved incredibly valuable, but its unpredictable nature made it difficult to utilize strategically.
“Have you sensed a trigger recently?” Kousuke asked with growing hope.
Peach shook her head. “Not exactly. However, I’ve noticed something interesting about this particular situation.”
“Which is?”
“My power seems to manifest most conveniently when you’re directly involved in the events, Kousuke.”
Despite the uncertainty in her voice, Peach spoke with an unusual confidence that left Kousuke without a ready response. Personal sensory experiences remained impossible for others to dispute or validate.
“If that’s how you see it, then maybe it’s true,” he replied diplomatically.
Since Peach’s feelings on the matter seemed unlikely to change quickly, they decided to extend their vacation on the Administration Floor for several additional days. This represented Kousuke’s first genuine opportunity to relax in a long while, and he treasured the chance to reconnect with the children he had not seen recently.
The respite left him thoroughly satisfied and recharged.
With his energy fully replenished, he prepared once again to tackle the conquest of Gazenran Tower.
…
Upon returning to Seichun after their brief vacation, Kousuke and his companions were astonished to find the branch office significantly busier than before. The building overflowed with adventurers seeking Crown registration and others who had transferred from headquarters locations.
Their absence had lasted only a few days, yet the entire situation had transformed dramatically.
Gazeran explained that registration requests had surged unexpectedly since the previous day. The sudden influx overwhelmed their processing capacity, forcing them to issue temporary cards as an interim solution.
Given the lukewarm reactions they had received previously, this development caught everyone off guard. While Kousuke felt somewhat uneasy about the abrupt change, he proceeded with their planned Tower investigation as scheduled.
Their current objective focused on Upper Floors, eliminating the need for carriage transportation. This meant traveling on foot, which would slow their progress considerably, but the constraint was unavoidable.
Although spring discovery remained their primary investigation goal, other clues might emerge during their exploration. Now that they could return to the Administration Floor at will, they could conduct their research at a more comfortable pace than previous expeditions allowed.
They investigated each Floor methodically and thoroughly, eventually reaching the seventieth Floor. During this systematic exploration, the number of springs they discovered increased steadily with each ascending Floor.
If Kousuke’s theory proved correct, they were drawing progressively closer to the mysterious source.
Most remarkably, Peach had demonstrated extraordinary utility throughout their investigation. She could predict whether springs matched their criteria before Kousuke could verify them with his left eye. Her consistent accuracy prompted Lirica to comment that her insights resembled “divine revelation.”
Then, on the seventieth Floor, Kousuke and his team finally discovered the validation of Peach’s premonitions.
As expected, Peach noticed the anomaly first.
“Something major lies in that direction,” she announced with quiet certainty.
The group immediately began walking toward her indicated destination. Past experience had taught them that when Peach spoke with such conviction, her guidance proved reliable. Even when Kouhi and Mitsuki detected nothing unusual, her instincts remained trustworthy.
This time, however, Lirica was the next to perceive something noteworthy.
“Wait… I’m sensing Divine Power from our destination,” she said with surprise.
“What!?” Kousuke’s astonishment was evident.
Lirica had apparently detected the Divine Power signature before anyone else. This was not due to any deficiency on Kousuke’s part, but rather reflected the fundamental principle that Humans often possessed superior sensitivity to Divine Power compared to Gods themselves.
Immediately after Lirica’s observation, both Kouhi and Mitsuki confirmed the presence she had identified.
When the Divine Power became visible to Kouhi and Mitsuki, the group knew they had drawn quite close to their objective.
Soon thereafter, the obviously artificial construction became apparent even to Kousuke’s ordinary human perception.
Unlike their previous discoveries, three springs were arranged in a perfect equilateral triangle. Someone had clearly positioned these springs in this deliberately artificial configuration.
The arrangement represented only part of Human construction. A protective ceiling sheltered the springs, supported by pillars at four corners. While the structure lacked walls, it was unmistakably crafted by Human hands or constructed using the Tower’s inherent functions.
The entire installation was far too precisely organized to claim natural formation.
As their long-sought answer finally came within reach, Kousuke’s heart began racing while he examined each spring individually.
At last, he discovered the third water source, joining the previously found Aeris Water and Laspica Water in their growing collection of mysterious magic springs.