The town we travelled to was at the foot of the mountains. It was protected by a stone wall and looked heavily fortified.

"Are there problems with monster attacks?" I wondered.

"Yes and no." Helena replied. "Monsters are the reason for the fortifications. The town is attacked occasionally but the wall has held so far. This location is not ideal for a town but the hot springs are too profitable. There is something special about the water here."

"Special?" I asked.

"It is great for your skin. It might even have a minor healing effect. The hot springs here are famous!" Helena bragged.

"Oh, this is Wellia. I have heard about it." Cassie said.

"Wellia? Is that the name of the town?" I asked.

"Yes!" Helena confirmed. "The entire town is based around the hot springs. There are restaurants, inns, taverns,... Essentially the entire economy is tourism based. Except for some adventurers who hunt in the area and use it as a base. And there is a garrison to keep everyone safe."

"So it is expensive?" I asked.

"Hehehe. Sure, if you are not the daughter of the count." Helena replied with a smug grin.

"Wait, does your family own the hot spring?" Skadi asked.

"We own parts of it. And we provide security. That means I stay here for free. So do my friends." Helena replied.

As we rode towards the gate the guards saluted. "Welcome, Lady Frost."

Helena nodded towards them as we passed.

The town had an interesting architecture. The lower part of the buildings was made from stone while the upper part seemed to be wood. It looked kind of nice. Also, it became clear that this was a place for the wealthy. Everything was clean and very well maintained. The people were decently dressed. The signs on the buildings were decorated.

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Helena led us to a big house. The sign above the door read 'Golden Springs'. There was a stable next to it and a well dressed man approached us immediately.

"Greetings. May I take care of your horses?" He inquired. His gaze briefly landed on Hatsumi's eyes but he said nothing. He also ignored the cats. We had left Chariot at the fort but Frank was with us.

"Yes, please stable the horses. And Frank here will stay with them. He is an undead." Helena replied.

"As you wish." The man said and gave a small bow.

"That was the best dressed stablemaster I have ever seen." I replied. "Even during my maid training the stablemasters I encountered were more casual."

"True." Cassie replied. "In the south you would have a butler greeting you who then directs a servant to take care of the horses."

"They also tend to use more slaves, right?" Helena asked.

Now that she mentioned it, I had not seen too many slaves here in the north. Helena's family did not use any, as far as I could tell.

Cassie nodded. "It's a big business in the south."

"I can't imagine someone like Archibald saying no to slaves though." I said.

"Duke Winston does have slaves. It's not like no one here has them. They are just not as common." Helena replied.

As we entered the building we found ourselves inside a reception area. A young man was behind the counter and smiled at us.

"Welcome to the Golden Springs! How can I help you?" He asked.

"Helena! It's good to see you." I heard a different voice. An older woman emerged from a door in the back.

"Hello Frida! Good to see that you are still alive." Helena said with a grin.

"Pft. I have no intention of dying. With our spring water I plan to live forever!" The woman had grey hair and her face was covered in wrinkles. But she still moved around without an issue. She approached Helena and the two hugged.

"This is Frida! She owns this establishment." Helena said.

"A pleasure to meet you, I am Koyuki."

"Greetings, I am Skadi."

"Hello. I am Cassie Ashburn."

"I am Hatsumi, a humble maid." Hatsumi curtsied. Although she was still dressed in normal clothes. Her maid outfit was not ideal for riding.

"Meow." Nyx said.

"Huh? Skeleton cat? Looks clean… Make sure you don't dirty my pools." Frida said.

"Nyx is a very clean undead. She is also a tier three." Hatsumi explained. "I am an undead myself." She added.

"Well… you are with Helena. You can't be too bad, I suppose." Frida said. "Also, you are in luck. The golden suite is empty, you can stay there!"

"The golden suite?" I asked.

"It's our most luxurious accommodation. It sleeps four plus a servant and has a private hot spring." Frida said.

"Awesome, thanks Frida!" Helena replied.

"Enjoy your stay!" Frida said.

Helena knew the way and led us to the golden suite.

"Wow." I said, as I explored the suite. There was a living room, of sorts. It held two couches, a small table and a big chair. There was a small fireplace as well. I spotted a small bar in a corner.

The suite had two sizable bedrooms, a smaller room with one bed for a servant and a luxurious bathroom with a big shower. From the living room and the bathroom you could go outside into a private garden. There was the hot spring. A tub had been carved into the stone making all surfaces smooth. Steam rose from the hot water which looked really inviting.

The area around it was nicely landscaped. Poles with light crystals illuminated the area, since it was already getting dark.

"Ah, I have been looking forward to this. Let's relax in the water!" Helena suggested.

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