Chapter 118 - Chapter 118: Bath Additives
One day, Steve received a consultation from Christina about being cold-blooded. Both Christina and Nancy were troubled by worsening chilliness after childbirth.
Steve wasn't a doctor so he didn't know treatment drugs, but for chilliness he thought of hot springs and tried making bath additives with magic. Why not dig hot springs? Because this wasn't a volcanic area so there were no hot springs nearby, he thought the possibility of hot springs appearing here was low.
And the reason he didn't make hot springs with water magic was because he thought it should be possible to get the hot spring effect even when Steve wasn't there.
As a result of using magic, the Medicine Refining magic could also make bath additives which were quasi-drugs. Deciding to try it immediately, they put it in the bath and tried bathing, but due to Drug Resistance the effect couldn't be confirmed.
"The effect of the bath additive disappears due to Drug Resistance, but what about natural hot springs?"
Such doubts remained, but the problem wasn't there. Whether this bath additive had an effect or not.
Steve consulted with Christina and Nancy.
In his hand held out before the two, bath additive powder sat.
"This is called a bath additive, it's a drug that gets the hot spring effect, but I couldn't confirm its effect due to Drug Resistance. If you're okay with it, want to try using it?"
Saying that, Christina tilted her head.
"What is a hot spring?"
"It's a spring where hot water boils up from underground."
In the Kingdom of Cascade hot springs weren't common. Christina's real family also had no hot springs within their territory. Nancy only knew it as knowledge, she had never entered one.
"I heard there are such things in the west of the Empire. They say soldiers' wounds heal quickly so they're used for treatment."
"Did Nancy use it?"
"There were none at my post."
Steve struggled to explain. Also, hot springs have definitions set by the Hot Spring Law. JIS Standards Hot Spring Mark and the difference from ISO marks became news, but this world didn't even have hot spring definitions or standards.
And naturally there was no hot spring mark, nor the word upside-down jellyfish. Upside-down jellyfish was a word given because the hot spring mark looked like an upside-down jellyfish, it was a hidden word for lodging houses.
Elderly people still call love hotels upside-down jellyfish nowadays, but recently it's rarely heard. That part, naturally, couldn't be explained either.
"Hot springs don't just heal wounds, they also have effects to improve blood circulation. Let's try putting this in the bath daily."
General bath additives, even if they say hot spring effect, ingredients are thinner than natural hot springs so effects are weaker. But Steve utilized the fact it was magic, concentrating ingredients to near natural hot spring density. Therefore, the effect was excellent. Though he couldn't confirm it himself.
"If Master says so."
"Yes."
From that day Christina and Nancy bathed in the bath additives Steve made.
The two effects appeared quickly, chilliness would improve.
And the hot spring effect wasn't just chilliness improvement. There was also skin beauty effects.
One day, Mother-in-law Abigail visited to see the grandchild's face. At that time Abigail noticed the two daughters-in-law's skin was smooth.
"Oh, both of you are smoother than before. I'm envious. Won't you tell me what you do for skin care?"
"Mother-in-law-sama, actually as a countermeasure for chilliness we make hot springs and bathe in bath additives Steve-sama made, but it seems to have effects beyond just chilliness."
"Hot spring?"
For Abigail too, hot springs were something she heard for the first time. And after listening to the story...
"I will take hot water here daily too."
She declared.
Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relations were good, and there was no reason for the two to refuse. And Steve was scolded by his mother for not reporting he made bath additives.
And those seeking hot spring effects didn't stop at Abigail.
When Abigail boasted about her skin in society, saying it was thanks to hot spring effects, noble ladies all started saying they wanted to bathe.
Such ladies swarmed into Archibalt Land.
Steve panicked and made a Great Bathhouse at the inn.
And for noble ladies staying, commoners were moved to the inn in Main Village.
The Great Bathhouse had heat exchange systems besides hot spring effects, warm water always flowed.
Furthermore, shampoo, rinse, and body soap were also made with magic as quasi-drugs, superior things that made hair silky compared to general ones, and said goodbye to smell and dirt.
In this matter too, Steve was scolded by Abigail.
"Steve-chan, if you have something like this, release it sooner."
And.
The person scolding Steve wasn't just Abigail.
Aurora had also come to Steve's mansion. And she strongly said why didn't she tell her about hot springs sooner.
"Your Excellency, I thought I was trusted by Your Excellency, but this time I seem to have to change that view."
"Haa."
"Not haa! Why didn't you tell me about hot springs sooner!"
"Lord Sowell, or Aurora-san, information would be quick."
"Yes. Information came quickly, but work adjustments took until now. If Your Excellency told me quickly, I could have come sooner."
"Or rather, why come to my house not the inn?"
While being pushed by Aurora's momentum, Steve asked what he was curious about.
Other nobles were all staying at the inn and bathing in hot springs. So why did Aurora come to the mansion?
"That's because of the invitation from Archibalt Marquess Lady."
"That's right, Steve-chan."
Abigail had given permission to Aurora. Aurora predicted the Great Bathhouse and mansion bath had different efficacy, and bribed Abigail with money to get mansion stay permission.
Steve sensed something was up.
"Mother, is there anything shady?"
"No."
Abigail answered, but her eyes swam. Seeing that, Steve let out a big sigh.
As Aurora predicted, the bath at Steve's mansion had sulfur springs with strong smells also tried. There was still plenty of land, so Steve made five baths in the garden, preparing several spring qualities like alkaline springs and acidic springs.
"Then I'm busy so this is it."
"Oh, pity. You could have bathed together."
Steve replied seriously to Aurora's joke.
"Only I am the cook in my territory who can make food suitable for noble palates, so I must make meals for guests."
Yes, commoner meals inn employees could do, but food suitable for noble palates only Steve who had trained in various places could make.
Also, what House Archibalt usually ate, they made themselves. It was a remnant from poor times, and no one thought it inconvenient.
As a result, there were no cooks to send to the inn.
"Oh, I'll lend you as thanks for letting me stay."
"It would help if you did."
Now, thinking this busyness would end soon, a visitor came to the mansion.
It was Freya. She came with her child. Seeing the husband Baronet Parker's figure missing, Steve felt suspicious.
"Big Sister, incident?"
"No. Letter from Mama said Steve-chan's magic bath makes skin smooth, so I came. Bonus it seems to work on shoulder stiffness too. Stuck with paperwork, troubled by shoulder stiffness."
Freya also came to bathe in hot springs via information from Abigail. Work pushed to Baronet Parker.
And behind Freya, Bella came holding a letter.
"Steve, from Sherry."
"Thanks. What is it?"
Steve glanced at the received letter. It only said come pick me up.
"What did it say?"
Asked by Bella,
"Big Sister Sherry is coming to pick me up. Probably Mama sent a letter boasting about her skin. Going to pick her up."
"Understood."
Steve teleported to the Kingdom of Merda, waited for Sherry to prepare, and returned.
Then, Julia and Camilla who weren't there before teleporting to the Kingdom of Merda were at the mansion.
Steve asked Christina what was going on.
"Why are Julia and Camilla here?"
"They want to cleanse impurities at the Spirit Spring. They say they got Steve-sama's permission. Any idea?"
"Ah!"
Said that, Steve remembered. To search for natural hot springs, he had asked Julia if there were hot springs in the Holy Nation. At that time, she said "We have artificial hot springs so if you want, enter." He intended it as social pleasantries.
"Seems I have an idea."
Glared at by Christina, Steve shifted his gaze to Sherry.
"Big Sister, incident."
"I know without telling."
Since Steve had promised, he couldn't send them away, so Christina resigned and decided Julia and Camilla would bathe too.
Also, the garden hot springs had high fences, and you couldn't peek inside from the mansion.
While women were bathing, Steve made meals for guests.
While doing that, the women who were long-bathing also came out of the bath.
Aurora with a dissatisfied face approached Steve.
"Your Excellency, no plan to sell this hot spring?"
"If I sell bath additives, hot spring guests disappear. No merit in coming this far. Well, maybe shampoo and rinse retain added value."
"That's a pity. I'm envious of ladies who can bathe in this daily. But will you sell to me?"
Aurora pressed hard. However, Steve didn't nod. Not wanting to lose tourism income, but also strongly told by mother and wives not to lose this advantage.
After that too, Aurora changed hands and presented conditions, but Steve didn't nod.
Those wanting to buy hot springs weren't just Aurora. Noble ladies all asked their husbands to buy hot springs.
However, against Steve who was the top noble, no one could be strong, so petitions gathered to the King. And the King was also told by the Queen to buy hot springs.
The King couldn't strongly say it to Steve, so as a compromise decided to research hot springs at the Royal Research Institute. Steve also said if it was for research, so provided bath additives.
The Royal Research Institute recruited clinical trial participants to test the effect of baths made with those bath additives. Normally they pay participants for clinical trials, but this time they auctioned clinical trial participation rights instead. With that money, they raised funds for volcanic area exploration. Eventually they discovered several natural hot springs.
Nobles who had volcanic areas in their territory were troubled by territories unsuitable for farming, but with hot spring discovery income drastically increased, a solution like Archibalt Land buying crops with money was created. Roads and railways were also maintained with national budget, and they thanked Steve who made the world know the hot spring effects.
Also, there were benefits besides nobles with natural hot springs. Possibility of war decreased, and water attribute mages who had excess ability could do work making hot springs with magic.
Water made with magic becomes the imagined thing, so entering Steve's hot spring, burning the image in their head, they could reproduce it with magic.
Nobles with mages got hot springs this way. Aurora was one of them.
With this, Archibalt Land hot spring guests reduced to an appropriate number. By that, Steve also had time surplus.
And he could start the accumulated factory work.
Nick asked while reviewing approval documents with Steve.
"Hot springs were made everywhere, but shampoo and rinse aren't made yet. How about selling them?"
"Nick, such things appearance is noisy. Even a little scratch on the container ruins luxury. So won't sell. Just providing to inn guests is just right."
"Very detailed, is it experience?"
Steve had memories of his past life, heard work colleagues doing cosmetic container molding, and appearance inspection was hard.
Especially high-end cosmetics had many complaints, profit margins were bad, so he didn't want to do it.
"Well. Heard from Emmanuel."
He excused like that.
Nick scratched his head and muttered.
"Why do women want to stay beautiful at any age?"
"Why? One theory is men go to other females after making children, maybe to stop that."
"Well, young and beautiful is better."
"See, that's it. Say that, wife makes herself beautiful so other women don't catch eye."
"But Wakasama knows that, why always do things to get scolded?"
Steve had nothing to say to Nick's words.
[Author's Note]Thank you always for typo reports.