Flying at full speed, Aya didn't take long to fly from Gilliast to Godcust. Even before the three of them finished reading the novel written by Aya, the iconic extinct volcano of Godcust had already appeared in the vast view after piercing through the clouds.
"Wow! This is quite spectacular!"
There was only one volcano in Godcust, but its scale was so majestic that it resembled the corpse of a dead god lying across the land in its iron-gray mountain body. Despite appearing as just a slight rise from the ground due to the high-altitude perspective and relatively gentle slope of the mountain, the snow-capped peak reflecting golden light under the sunset proved that this mountain's height was still quite daunting for ordinary people to climb.
"Chirp! How beautiful!"
Chirp couldn't help but climb out of Tiran's arms and run to the edge of the dragon's back to admire the beautiful scenery of Godcust below.
Descending along the mountain slope were fertile delta plains, with estates scattered like stars, a winding river running through them, and eventually flowing into the sea below.
"Speaking of which, should we deliver the goods first? With so many estates down there... which one was it again?" Aya glanced down at the maze of buildings below, looking puzzled.
"Now that you mention it, I don't think I paid much attention either. I was too focused on vacationing at that time," the princess scratched her head, chuckling apologetically.
Oh well, habits die hard.
Aya sighed. There were solutions, like checking the order records at the guild or similar places, but such methods would take up quite a lot of time, especially in a place crowded with estates like this, conducting individual investigations would be too troublesome.
"Oh, come to think of it, Alex seemed to have given me the name of that estate."
"Just having a name without a delivery address is still useless... But at least it saves us some trouble. What's the name? Let's just find a place to land and ask around."
"Let me see... 'The Nearest to the Mountain Peak' Estate."
".... Huh?"
"You heard me right." Tiran raised an eyebrow and, with an expression of speechlessness, repeated the name written on the order, "'The Nearest to the Mountain Peak' Estate."
"...."
Well, even though the name had its flaws, a name that solves the problem is a good name. At least they wouldn't have to worry about causing a commotion by landing in dragon form to ask around.
But, the nearest to the mountain peak? Aya noticed that the water used in these estates didn't seem to come from the river that flowed into the sea beside them but from the melting snow of the mountains. Under this premise, naturally the higher the terrain, the better the water conditions. It seemed like the owner of the destination estate had quite a wealth.
"... Really? In this whole area, aren't these all plantations? There isn't even a single building here, and further down, there are several rows of estates with almost the same altitude."
"Maybe it's the one above?" Tiran pointed upwards.
"That thing up there was also considered an estate?!"
Slowing down their flight to hover at the highest point of the terrain, Aya was astonished.
They were almost at an altitude that could be called a "plateau," overlooking the plantations built along the mountain slope, the seaside town below, and the white sandy beaches. The temperature here had turned considerably cooler, almost making one forget that it was still the hottest time at the cusp of summer and autumn.
The location of that estate was practically reaching the area covered in snow on the peak of the mountain. And more importantly, those contiguous buildings didn't look like ordinary estates at all; rather, they seemed more like...
"Ah? Are you referring to that estate?" Yes, besides the plantations below, we also welcome visitors here at any time for vacationing. The detached villas and hotel rooms on the mountain are all available for accommodation - as you may have seen, this location offers the best view on the entire volcano of Godcust, and the plantations below provide self-picking services. If you are interested in the beach, we can provide a carriage for your transportation."
Behind the counter in the estate, similar to a hotel reception, a female attendant in a black and white formal outfit welcomed the group while also checking the inventory list in the warehouse.
"Whew... Aya, this is really something else," Tiran turned back to Aya, amazed. This had completely shifted from agriculture to tourism, where green hills and clear waters became mountains of gold and silver. It was like developing a new form of agriculture... a rural revitalization strategy?
Lost in reminiscences, the princess recalled a time during some party class when she had half-heartedly listened to the teacher's endless ramblings on the platform.
"That may be the case, but isn't this place a bit too far from the beach?"
Aya shook her head, "Besides, didn't you say you wanted to come here for the hot springs?"
"We do have hot springs."
The hostess extended her hand towards the mountainside behind, "Going up this way, you'll find the only snow-covered hot spring existing in the summer at the surroundings of Godcust. Unlimited complimentary access upon check-in."
"Miss Tiran, let's stay here!" "Chirp! Dad! Chirp wants to stay too!" Angel standing beside Chirp, holding Chirp's right hand, their eyes gleaming.
Compared to the scorching sun below, the climate in the estate on the mountain was undoubtedly pleasant, with scattered detached villas on the hillside, appearing haphazard yet quite reasonable in their positioning, providing optimum space utilization without obstructing each other.
"Tsk tsk, this place is not inferior to our home, and the price is so cheap... Could it be some kind of scam?" Led to one of the villas, Tiran couldn't help but be a bit more cautious at the spacious and brightly lit room design and the meticulous decorations.
"Mr. Alex had already informed us, and this time the fees are merely symbolic as a token of gratitude for Your Highness's help. If Your Highness doesn't mind, we are willing to cover any other expenses during this stay."
"Well, thank you then. But let's make it clear beforehand: if there's any intention to use this for publicity, it's better to skip it. This trip is private for me, and I prefer not to be known by others."
Thinking for a moment, Tiran added.
Well, I regret not bringing Mimi along now; otherwise, I could have entrusted her with these trivial matters without any worry.
"Your Highness, please jest not. We are well aware of this matter - if it weren't for Your Highness delivering the tree species in time, the losses to the estate would have been unbearable. Compared to the losses Your Highness averted for us, this discount is merely a drop in the bucket. Please rest assured."
Bowing politely, the female attendant said, "Well then, I won't disturb you any further. If you require any services, feel free to ring the bell at the entrance of the first floor. 'The Nearest to the Mountain Peak' Estate is always at your service."
After repeating the straightforward yet blunt name, the hostess turned and left.
With a click, the door locked, and the first floor of the villa returned to silence.