The story begins with Yuo Reinhardt, a young woman of noble birth, reflecting on her current situation: having been banished to the frontier, she has managed to establish an independent nation centered around a hot spring. Yuo was raised in the magic-centric Reinhardt Dukedom, where her adoptive father favored children with magical talent and neglected those without. Lacking any magical aptitude, Yuo was ostracized and eventually exiled. Her life took a significant turn at the age of sixteen during her skill-granting ceremony. To her family's dismay, she received the skill "Heater," which allows her to warm anything she touches, and its classification, "Scorching Heat." This skill, which she had unknowingly possessed as a peculiar trait of always having warm hands, was met with ridicule and disappointment, as it was not considered useful magic. Her father declared her disowned and banished her to the remote territory of Japan, a sparsely populated frontier.
Despite her family's harsh treatment, Yuo's loyal maid, Lara, insisted on accompanying her. Together, they embarked on their journey to the frontier. Shortly after entering her family's territory, their carriage was ambushed by bandits. Yuo, initially annoyed by the interruption to her sleep and angered by the bandits' threat to the other passengers, decided to test her "Heater" skill. To the bandits' surprise, Yuo discovered that by channeling heat into the ground, she could cause it to explode, incapacitating them. Lara, a capable and strong maid, also assisted by subduing the remaining bandits. They handed the captured bandits over to a nearby village, who were grateful as the bandits were local fugitives.
Upon finally reaching her assigned territory, Yuo found a dilapidated village named Japan. The villagers were impoverished and malnourished, and the village was plagued by monsters. The village chief, Sunrise, a former knight, explained their plight. Yuo, determined to improve the lives of her new subjects, explored the village and discovered an old, dusty book in a "Japan Archive" within her assigned residence. This book contained vivid illustrations of a foreign culture and depicted people bathing in murky, warm pools. Intrigued, Yuo decided to investigate a peculiar pool of water near the "Noboribetsu Cave," which emitted a strange smell and was lukewarm. Recalling the book, she used her "Heater" skill to warm the water, transforming it into a soothing hot spring.
The hot spring proved to be incredibly beneficial. When a monstrous, two-headed fish attacked the village, Yuo, with Lara's support, used her "Heater" skill to defeat it by causing its head to explode. The villagers, witnessing this feat and the subsequent healing properties of the hot spring, began to believe Yuo was a "Scorching Witch," a powerful being from legends. Despite Yuo's protests that she had no magic and was merely using her skill, the villagers, particularly the young girl Hanna, were convinced. The hot spring's restorative properties were evident when the injured village chief was able to walk again after bathing. Yuo, inspired by the villagers' positive reaction and Lara's encouragement, decided to develop the hot spring into a thriving resort, aiming to make her frontier territory prosperous and prove her worth to her estranged family.
Meanwhile, back in the capital, Yuo's father, Gagan Reinhardt, received a report from the Skill Temple. The report indicated that Yuo's "Heater" skill, when fully manifested, was of an unprecedented and dangerous level (SSS+++), potentially posing a threat to the entire nation. This revelation caused Gagan immense panic, as he had disowned and banished Yuo, a decision that could now have severe repercussions for his family and himself. He realized the potential power Yuo now wielded and the danger of his past actions, but ultimately decided to suppress the report, fearing the consequences and clinging to his pride.
