Chapter 7

Maria Kudan.

The eldest daughter of the king, with her younger brother Arc as the next in line for the throne.

In other words, I am the strongest woman, and it's not an exaggeration to say so!

This time, I have come to the Heran territory incognito.

The reason for coming incognito is that I really wanted to try the hot springs in Heran, which are said to be good for the skin, but I thought it might not be appropriate for a princess to follow the latest trends.

In the end, I couldn't resist and came anyway.

It was the right decision.

My skin feels smooth, and the scent is soothing.

What a wonderful hot spring this is!

Even though I'm here incognito, I should probably thank Kururi, who has maintained this hot spring.

After all, my mother and brother have also been taken care of here.

Hmm, as I heard, the scent lingers even after getting out of the hot spring.

This will make the journey back enjoyable.

"I will go to Lord Heran's residence to express my gratitude and then return to the capital."

"Hai."

The attendant responded, and the carriage headed for the Heran residence.

"Princess!?"

The lord welcomed me but was clearly surprised.

Well, I am the strongest woman, so his reaction is understandable.

"I have come to thank Kururi Heran for the hot spring and to express my gratitude for the care my mother and brother received."

"Ah, Kururi is currently in Ronsu Falls, developing a summer resort.

I am truly sorry, Princess, for your trouble in coming all this way."

"That's fine. I will come back another day to greet Kururi."

"That is very kind of you. Please feel welcome to visit whenever you like."

"By the way, what exactly is Kururi doing at the summer resort?"

"I apologize, but I don't fully understand what my son is doing.

He mentioned something about a power spot or something like that."

"Power spot!?"

I almost lost my composure.

"What is that?"

"I'm not sure either, but I think he said it has something to do with mysticism and good fortune."

Mysticism!? Good fortune!?

"Surveying the territory is an important duty of the royal family.

I will take the opportunity to visit the territory and greet Kururi at the falls."

"But, the road is not well-developed and not easy to travel."

"That's fine. It will be a good opportunity to learn about the lives of the people."

"Ha, I will arrange a guide for you."

"Thank you."

"Kururi-sama!!" "Kururi-sama!!" "Kururi-sama!!"

Ronsu Falls is incredibly large.

The messenger, who arrived on a fast horse, had to call out several times before Kururi noticed.

"What is it!!"

"Guests from the capital!!"

"Who is it!!"

We were shouting even though we were right next to each other.

"I don't know, but the guest has curly hair and is here incognito, as the lord instructed me to inform you."

Hmm, curly hair? Who could it be?

"Kururi-sama!! It might be a famous musician from the capital!! Probably to thank you for the hot spring!!"

One of the 50 workers called out. He was also shouting.

"Why a musician!!?"

"Not just a musician!! It seems that curly hair is a trend among artists in the capital!!"

"Really? Who are you, by the way!!?"

"I'm Rotsuon!! I usually work the fields, but I take on temporary jobs like this!! I was also there when the hot spring was excavated!!"

"Oh, I remember you!! You worked really hard!!"

"Not really."

"What!!? I can't hear you!!"

"No!! Nothing!!"

"If it's a famous musician, my father will probably handle it, so it's fine."

"What did you say, Kururi-sama!!? I can't hear you!!"

"Nothing!! The survey here is done, everyone!! Let's move to the next destination!!"

I was worried if they could hear me over the waterfall, but the message seemed to have reached everyone.

"We are about to reach the falls."

The attendant explained the guide.

I need to see this power spot with my own eyes.

Ronsu Falls.

As I approached, it was incredibly large.

The sound was so loud that it drowned out everything else.

Fine mist flew around, making it easy to breathe.

Is this a power spot?

Is something supposed to happen?

Or has it already happened?

But standing here, I feel a surge of energy.

Could this be the power?

I'll close my eyes and feel it for a while.

"Princess!!" "Princess!!" "Princess!!"

The attendant called out several times, but I didn't notice.

This power spot must have dominated my will!

The power spot is amazing.

"According to the nearby villagers, Kururi-sama has already left and is heading to the next development site. Should we follow?"

"No, I will stay here a bit longer."

"Eh!!? What!!?"

"I will stay here a bit longer!! By the way, where did Kururi-sama go!!"

"They are heading to Kirilake!! They were talking about the water of the spirits and heading there in a group!!"

"Spirit water!?"

"What!!?"

I almost lost my composure.

"What is this spirit water!!?"

"Well!! Normally, fish can't survive in very clean water, but apparently, this lake has crystal-clear water and a diverse range of fish living in it!!"

A secret place!?

"If we can uncover the secret of this water, it could benefit the country!! I will head there immediately!!"

"Hai!!"

"Kururi-sama, it seems a villager has something to report."

Rotsuon called out during the lake survey.

A villager was waiting behind him.

"What is it!!?"

"Ah!!"

I almost shouted like at the falls.

"What is it?" I asked more politely.

"Kururi-sama, the falls you surveyed earlier had a woman standing there with a determined look. She might be planning to jump."

"Jump!!?

That's a problem. It's a key attraction for tourism.

If rumors start, it could be bad.

Thank you for letting me know.

Here, this is for your trouble."

"Thank you."

This kind of information is valuable.

It's better to be generous with gratitude.

I gave the villager a silver coin as a reward.

"Kururi-sama," Rotsuon spoke up.

"The falls are a natural attraction, but the loud sound might be scary for some people.

If we put up a fence, it could prevent accidents and make it safer for tourists. Having a caretaker could also prevent people from attempting to jump."

"Good idea. We'll put up the fence later.

Rotsuon, you're amazing.

Did you study something in the past?"

"No, I'm just a farmer. But if you need a caretaker, my brother can start tomorrow."

"Then I'll ask your brother. Everyone, let's move on!!"

"Yay!!"

"We are about to reach Kirilake."

"Hai."

Next is the spirit water after the power spot.

I wonder how much more fun this will be.

"Hehehehehe"

Oops, that was inappropriate.

Kirilake is a beautiful place.

The trees surrounding the lake provide a sense of security.

The lake is calm and clear, and you can see the bottom.

It's a large lake, but the flat surface makes it easy to see to the other side.

Now, how should I use this spirit water?

Should I drink it?

I took a sip.

"Delicious! I think!"

I wonder what the fish in this water taste like.

I turned around and saw no attendants.

They must have gone to gather more information since Kururi and his team were not there.

Hmph. I am the strongest woman.

I can catch a fish with my own hands!!

I took off my clothes that might get wet and did some light stretching.

Here we go!!

Diving started!

Fish spotted!

Surface for a breath!

Dive again!

Approach the fish like an inanimate object and strike the gills with a hand knife!

Surface immediately!

"Hmph, that was easy!"

"Princess!! What are you doing!!?"

The attendant, who had just returned, was panicking.

"Just catching some fish. Can you clean them for me?"

"Sure, but Princess! Please don't do such things. It could be dangerous!"

"I will be more careful in the future."

"Ha, understood.

I also have information on Kururi-sama. They seem to have found a site for a villa and are heading to Totaile Hill."

"Understood!

By the way, is there any special story about that villa site?"

"Apparently, there is a story about a sick child who spent a night on the hill and was cured, but it's just a rumor and hard to believe."

"Got it.

I will head there immediately."

"Princess, do you believe that story?"

"Of course not."

"Kururi-sama, another villager is here."

"What is it?"

Rotsuon brought a villager with news.

"Kururi-sama, the lake you surveyed earlier had a woman who was drowning, according to the children. There are no such incidents usually, but please be careful."

"Again!?

This day is not going well.

Thank you for the report. Here is a reward."

"Thank you."

"That's a problem. I was thinking of using it as a beach."

"Kururi-sama, I have another idea."

"Go on, Rotsuon."

"The lake is beautiful and easy to swim in, but it's 30 meters deep in some places, which is dangerous.

Also, it gets cold in the morning, even in summer.

Since there are many fish, why not make it a boat-only area for fishing?

My sister is a good swimmer and can manage the lake to prevent drownings.

If you like, I can send her tomorrow."

"Rotsuon, you're amazing. I'll take your suggestion. My sister can manage Kirilake."

"Thank you."

"Rotsuon, would you like to be the caretaker of the villa site?"

"Thank you. I will accept the position."

"Great.

Let's head back.

Everyone, that's it for today. Collect your wages and go home."

"Yay!!"

"Today was tiring, but Rotsuon was a great help."

"Thank you, Princess. I appreciate the jobs for my brother and sister."

"No, no, this will help the summer resort plan succeed."

"Ah, Kururi-sama, look ahead."

"Ah! Curly hair!"

On the way back, I saw a man in a carriage who looked like an artist. His hair was curly, just as Rotsuon said.

The carriage was luxurious, so it must be the guest from the capital.

"I'll go greet them."

"No, they seem relaxed after the hot spring. If you greet them, they might feel obligated to be formal. It's better to let them go peacefully."

"You're right. You're very considerate, Rotsuon."

"No, I don't deserve the praise."

When we got home, I wanted to rest after a long day, but my father rushed in.

"Kururi, the guest from the capital—"

"Ah, I saw them earlier. They were on their way back, so I just bowed and let them go."

"Ah, that was a good decision. It was a stormy day for me."

"Same here. By the way, I heard there was a barbarian who defeated a bear with his bare hands at Totaile Hill. Did you encounter them?"

"No, I didn't. Impressive, though.

Tomorrow, I'll go put up the fence at Ronsu Falls, so please provide the funds."

"Ho ho, your hot spring is making a lot of money. It's fine."