She Arrives At The Ryokan

"Aye, that it is~! There's nothin' better than potato bread ta sop up tha meat gravy. Our Patsy here makes the best potato bread in the kingdom!" Ayva said proudly.

"In that case, I must try this then!" Robin said before digging into her food with an enthusiasm that only hunger could bring out. Her fork didn't stop moving until she finished dessert.

"Ah, that was delightful!" Robin sighed in satisfaction, sitting back in her chair.

"I can't believe it. You finished all that in just ten minutes!?" Jasmine noted, incredulously.

"It's amazing how fast you can eat when you aren't talking." Robin nodded.

"We aren't in any hurry. You could have taken your time." Jasmine grumbled, worried about Robin getting indigestion.

"You say that, but if I didn't hurry, you'd have less time to enjoy the hot springs." Robin pointed out.

"You're absolutely right. When are we heading over?" Jasmine asked eagerly, a bright smile lighting up her face. Chelsea chuckled as Jasmine's sudden change of tune. Robin thought Jasmine's current expression suited her much better.

"It should be soon. Ayva said she would take us over after dinner." Robin replied, as she took out her fruit water to drink.

"Wait, what is that?" Quinn asked.

"Fruit water." Robin said as a matter of fact.

"No, why is it bubling?" Quinn asked.

"Ah. I thought it was a bit flat, so I tried carbonizing it using a concentrated air stream. As I thought, sparkling is the way to go! Wanna try some?" She asked, offering him the pitcher.

"It looks like ye've thought of something interesting, Deary." A voice came out from behind Robin. It was Ayva. "Is that a new kind of drink ye've got there?"

"Not really. More like an improvement upon the drink you approved of earlier. Wanna try the new improved version?" Robin asked. Quinn was already pouring himself a glass.

"I would. I'm not sure how much adding bubbles would improve upon the taste, though." Ayva had the barkeep toss her another mug.

"Here you go." Robin poured the mug as tall as the fizz would allow her to. She paused five seconds to let the fizz disseminate. Then she topped it off.

"Try sipping it first." Robin advised.

Ayva sipped. "Oh my! OH MY!" She sipped again. "Why that's a wonderful thing you've managed to create there, Deary. How did you manage to make it bubble like that, I can't possibly imagine!"

"Robin, this..." Quinn was taken aback after trying the drink. "This is Spr*te, isn't it?"

"Well, if you're talking about the version before they added an ungodly amount of sugar to the recipe and ruined it? Yes. It does taste a bit like that." Robin replied.

"This... is someone else's recipe?" Ayva asked, feeling a bit put out that she couldn't buy the method to make the drink.

"You could say that." Robin replied.

"But where I come from, drink recipes are not as regulated as food recipes. Take this drink here, for instance." Robin lifted her glass.

"There is a rather famous mixed drink made using this as an ingredient. You don't happen to have any grenadine, do you?"

"Whazzat?" Ayva tilted her head.

"No, the dwarves don't have pomegranates here." Quinn shook his head. "Besides, it's spring now. Pomegranate is an autumn fruit. Good thing I have this." He brought out a glass decanter half-filled with red liquid.

"You made it?" Robin asked.

"No. I received it. The elves like to make concentrated fruit syrups to add to their tea. This is a mixture of strawberry and pomegranate syrup. You can have some if you make me one as well." Quinn replied.

"Great! we can make it here, then!" Robin smiled. She uncapped the decanter and poured a small stream of red into all three cups, stirring it once to make the syrup mix.

Then she brought out some preserved cherries, and dropped two into each glass via a spoon.

"Done! Enjoy your Shirley Temple!" Robin smiled as she pushed the mug towards Ayva, and the glass back towards Quinn.

"A what? Surely...Tample?" Ayva asked, confused.

"It was named after a popular delightful bubbly little dancer girl who became quite famous where I'm from." Robin replied.

"Oh! Shirley! Not surely...I get it now!" Ayva realized.

"That's right." Robin smiled. Then she glanced over at Quinn, and noticed that he hadn't tasted the drink yet.

"What's the matter? Is it not sweet enough for you?"

"Aren't you giving me back the grenadine?" Quinn asked.

"Do you want a ready-made barrel of Shirley Temple or not?" Robin asked.

"Ah. Fine then!" Quinn sat back in his chair and brought his glass up to his lips, enjoying the nostalgic taste.

Ayva's face positively beamed with delight. "I don't usually enjoy it if it isn't alcohol, but this is definitely the best drink outside of beer that I ever did taste!"She said, enjoying the rare treat slowly.

Robin also sat back enjoying her glass.

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"This way, this way!" Ayva lead them down the well lit pathway to a beautiful wrought-iron gate. There was no keyhole, but it was clearly locked.

"How are we gonna get in?" Gerard asked.

"Hold the stampede. If Ye'd just be patient, I'll let ye in." Ayva chuckled and lifted her hand. She touched a carved piece of quartz to the decorative-looking stone in the center of the gate.

Click. The door swung open, revealing a path lined with glowing stones, and flowering trees.

"This way, it's not too far now. just down this pathway." Ayva eagerly led them forward down the path.

"An don't dawdle about if'n ye dinna want ta get lost!" She warned, leading them past several branching lit pathways. Soon, they came upon what Robin recognized as a Ryokan.

"Hmm?...This building..." Robin muttered just loud enough for Ayva to hear it.

"Aye, it's a bit strange innit?" Ayva nodded. "I hear tell that the plans for this building were bestowed upon mah grandad by the hero himself a little over a hundred years ago. The water around here isn't suitable fer drinking. But the hero somehow found out that et was just perfect fer soakin. He even left a sacred tome with lots of pictures, showing us how ta properly behave. The strange thing is, the images are backwards instead. Unfortunately, the writing is hopelessly unreadable."

'Sounds like he left a manga on onsens then...' Robin thought as she nodded, continuing the conversation. "Ho? I see...So there was a hero in these parts around a hundred years ago, huh?"

Quinn rolled his eyes. 'Didn't I tell you as much earlier!?' He thought dourly.

"Yes. That's around the same time the hero cut open the great mountain rift." Ayva explained. "While we dinna know what ta do with et at tha time, it has become our main source for magic stones, currently, due to the long lasting effects of the hero's magic. It's even so powerful that the land on the other side has a completely different climate, being able ta grow potatoes, corn, and wheat. Due to that, the land over there is called the Hearthlands."

Impressive indeed!" Robin nodded, amiably.

"Ah, I do need to warn ye, shoes are nae allowed in tha building. Ye'll need ta remove them at tha entrance. An' since a lot of tha hot springs are outdoors, ye'll be issued some special footwear for the pathways. But! Ye will not wear them in the buildings. Understand?" Ayva looked sternly at the group. Aparently, she had had to say this many times to tourists.

"We understand, Ayva." Robin waved her hand to placate the dwarf woman's frustration. "Seriously, how many people have ignored the rules for you to be so distraught?"

"Too many! I kinna tell ye how many tatame I've had ta replace because of it!" Ayva sighed begrudgingly.

"Hmm? You? I thought this place was run by your cousin?" Robin asked.

"Before I started mah tavern, I used ta work here. Well, tha truth is, Ah'm actually allergic ta rice wine. So, I branched off inta makin beer instead. Then the tavern did so well, it quickly became an inn. So, I only come here fer ol time's sake." Ayva chatted. When they reached the building, Ayva slid the door open.

"Whoah!? That's a door? It totally looked like a large frame of windows! How surprising!" Jasmine exclaimed in delight. "A sliding door, huh? it's like a secret entrance~! How novel!"

Robin lowered her eyes as they stepped into the entrance way. The wooden area for them to remove their shoes...the familiar scent of sulphur, the well-preserved tatami mats...it was quite nostalgic. Robin lifted her head up to look around.