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Translator: Barnnn
The truth about traveling in another world was a subject vast enough to fill countless pages. Yet, let’s be honest — who would want to read such exhaustive accounts?
The average light novel reader wasn’t looking for a gritty exposé on the unforgiving realities of a quasi-medieval-Scandinavian realm. Instead, they crave escapism: a casual narrative unburdened by the messiness of survival.
Perhaps the first author to introduce cleansing magic into novels had done so to sidestep the grime and deliver a streamlined adventure.
While not every Japanese person was a hot spring fanatic, for many, the comfort of a daily bath wasn’t merely a preference but a cornerstone of mental well-being. This sentiment rang particularly true for Ize and Hal, two unwavering devotees of their homeland’s bathing culture.
As Ize leaned back in her portable bathtub, gazing up at the vast, star-strewn night sky, this very thought crossed her mind.
“Hey, Ize!”
“Yes?”
“You done yet?”
“Not quite.”
“Don’t you think it’s about time?”
“Just a bit longer.”
“Fine, fine. Just don’t catch cold, okay?”
“I won’t. Thanks for the bath, by the way.”
“No problem. Behold the unrivaled skill of the bathhouse frog!”
“Ribbit ribbit?”
“Ribbit ribbit ribbiiiit!”
Hal’s retreating footsteps, accompanied by his off-key attempt at frog mimicry, faded into the distance. Left alone with the rising steam, the dark silhouette of the woods stretched out before her.
Two weeks had passed since they left Abrol, the northern border city of the Lazulseed Kingdom.
Without a horsebus to speed their journey, they had taken their time, savoring the not-so-slow rhythm of on-foot travel.
◆
On their second afternoon in the border city of the Tajellia Kingdom, while Hal negotiated at the horsebus reception desk for a ride to Jasted, news reached their ears that changed their course.
“An autumn festival?” Ize repeated, her head tilted in curiosity.
“Yeah. Apparently, it’s happening the day after tomorrow in a town about two days away. That’s why all the horsebuses are heading in that direction.”
“The timing is perfect… but can we even get there in time?”
“Barely,” Hal replied, his voice brimming with excitement. “But only if we leave right now. What do you think?”
“It’s a rare opportunity. Let’s do it.”
“Autumn festivals mean harvest celebrations…”
“And harvest celebrations mean delicious food.”
“Ize, we’re going!”
“Yes!”
Their enthusiastic decision, however, soon collided with the cruel logistics of reality. The horsebus station was eerily quiet; all the day’s departures had already left. The next bus wouldn’t depart until morning, far too late to reach the festival in time.
They watched the last horsebus trundle away, dust trailing behind its wheels, and shared a look of mutual dismay.
“No horsebus today,” Ize murmured.
“Guess not.”
“It’s a straight road from here.”
“Yup.”
“At a horse’s pace, it’s two days.”
“Right again.”
“Hal?”
“…Yeah, Ize?”
“Get on.”
Hal groaned, already dreading the answer. “We’re doing this AGAIN!?”
“Obviously. What’s more important — your dignity or the festival? The choice is as clear as a crisp spring morning!”
“What’s with the overly dramatic phrasing?”
“Less talk, more climbing aboard.”
“Fine, fine…”
They moved off the main road, activated a Stealth barrier to avoid unwanted attention, and stowed their decoy luggage into their Magic Bags.
Hal hesitated as Ize knelt slightly, arms outstretched in readiness, feeling a wave of complicated emotions as he observed her.
Her slender frame, her delicate shoulders, and her slim arms seemed almost too fragile to bear the burden.
[This kid’s gonna snap like a twig if I climb on…]
“Hal?”
“Yeah, yeah. Just… safe driving, okay?”
“No problem. I never go above eighty percent of max speed when carrying passengers.”
“THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT I’M WORRIED ABOUT!”
Hal’s indignation was lost to the wind as Ize launched into a sprint.
Whatever protests he had, whether it be against his bruised dignity or the seatbelt-free nature of the ride, they were silenced by the undeniable truth: no one could hear the complaints in his head.
◆
To avoid interfering with the occasional passing horsebuses, Ize instinctively adjusted her pace. She darted to the side of the road whenever the sound of hooves and wheels approached, ensuring they remained unseen.
In just over an hour, she’d covered two-thirds of the journey — a feat that amazed even her. Never before had she used her Fleet Foot skill for such an extended period. In fact, she’d previously only activated it in short bursts, never for more than a minute at a time. The strain was painfully felt now — not in her legs, as one might expect, but in her arms, aching from carrying Hal.
Finally conceding to the burn in her muscles, Ize veered off the road and into the shelter of the woods. She set Hal down and started shaking her arms out with a grimace.
“I didn’t think my arms would give out before my legs,” she admitted.
“What’s weird is that you can carry me at all. Fleet Foot’s just a speed skill, isn’t it?”
“I think it enhances everything else to keep up — balance, reflexes, even vision so I don’t slam into trees or trip over roots. Otherwise, if my legs moved faster than the rest of me… it’d be like something out of a horror story.”
Hal grimaced. “Yeah, hard pass on that mental image. But okay, your explanation makes sense.”
“And to think you’re only questioning it now…”
“Well, you remember that one time at the training grounds? You lugged around that statue like it was no big deal. I figured I was probably within the weight limit.”
“Oh…” Ize’s shoulders tensed. “You mean the knight statue from the training grounds? The one everyone thought was possessed because it ‘moved’ by itself?”
For Ize, it was a memory best left buried. That incident had birthed a ghost story about a brawny general haunting the grounds.
She sighed, deciding not to dwell on it further — at least her identity had stayed hidden.
If she used Fleet Foot again, they could reach the festival town in under half an hour. But the odds of securing a place to stay so late were slim.
After a short break, the two of them reassembled their dummy luggage, hefting the bags onto their shoulders before resuming their journey on foot.
“You know,” Hal remarked, “I think my stamina’s gotten a lot better.”
“That’s good. Stamina’s essential for adventurers.”
Hal grinned wryly. “Still would’ve been embarrassing if I wore out before you, especially after you carried me the whole way here. But I guess your endurance comes from all those years in the basketball club.”
“Ex-basketball club…” Ize corrected. “I can’t play anymore. Guess I’ll have to find something else to throw myself into. Maybe exploring Dungeons will do the trick.”
“Sure — and if that doesn’t work out, you can just try something else.”
“That’s true.”
After about two hours of walking, the sun dipped below the horizon, and they began scouting for a place to spend the night.
The crisp autumn air carried a bite that made camping less appealing with each passing week, but the two were prepared well enough. With the cover of Ize’s Stealth and their Magic Bags stocked with provisions, all they needed was a dry patch of ground to spread their blankets.
That evening, they settled for preparing a simple meal of instant noodles and heated barley tea.
Ize cradled her mug of tea, staring into the flickering flames as her thoughts drifted to Fieda, who had promised to join them later on their journey.
[Is he managing all right on his own? Hopefully he’s not pushing himself too hard.]
The firelight reflected in her eyes, and for a fleeting moment, the rasp of a familiar voice echoed in her memory.
“Jasted should have plenty of accommodations for long-term stays, considering there’s a Dungeon nearby,” Hal mused aloud. “We can take it slow — shop around for the gear and supplies we’ll need.”
“That’s true… By the way, there’s something else I’d like to think about eventually.”
“Like what?”
“A staple of protagonists with extradimensional space skills. You know, whether it’s an infinite-capacity Magic Bag or an item box.”
Hal raised an eyebrow. “You mean those tricks where they launch tons of water or rocks for some massive attack?”
“Wrong. I’m talking about living arrangements. Something practical and convenient. There’s really only one answer.”
“Magic Bag… for living? A bed? No, wait — a camper? Or a cabin?”
“Exactly! A dream portable home. Perfect for resting comfortably, wherever we go.”
Hal froze, his eyes widening as the realization hit him. “Ize, why…”
“Yes, Hal?”
“Why didn’t I think of this!?”
“Heh… Your inner edgelord must be sobbing.”
“I’m not an edgelord! Argh, I can’t believe it totally slipped my mind! Crap!”
“If you must do it, go deeper into the woods,” Ize teased, her tone deadpan.
“I was swearing! It’s not supposed to be literal! I’m just… frustrated I didn’t think of it sooner!”
Ize shrugged, her expression softening. “In Lazulseed, it made sense to stick to public transport and avoid standing out. But once Fieda catches up with us, we’ll have more flexibility to travel through secluded areas.”
“Fair point. But wait a minute — it’s almost like you’re saying those enormous vats you got were for–”
Hal trailed off, turning to Ize as the pieces fell into place. Ize’s sly smile said it all.
“You figured it out?”
“Ize!” Hal’s voice rose in awe. “Those vats — you’re going to turn them into baths, aren’t you!?”
“Bingo.”
The inspiration had struck her the moment she’d laid eyes on the towering vats in the back of the liquor store.
Since their arrival in this world, their bathing habits had been reduced to practicality at best, deprivation at worst. The royal castle had showers, and some inns had private or communal baths, provided they paid a premium. But on the road, it was buckets and rivers, if even that.
During the sweltering summer days following their summoning, Ize had longed for a cool, refreshing soak. Now, with autumn’s chill deepening, her yearning had shifted to the comforting embrace of a hot tub.
The vats, left unused, had seemed like the perfect solution — a chance to reclaim a small luxury in a world that offered few. She’d known she had to have them.
At Hal’s insistence, they found a spacious clearing where they could examine their vats.
They pulled out the oversized vats, each one a marvel of size and sturdiness. Set side by side, they towered over Ize, tall enough to submerge her entirely and so wide she couldn’t reach both edges even with her arms spread.
“Think they’ll work?” Ize asked, eyeing the vats skeptically.
“It’s hard to say… Let’s fill them tonight and see how much water leaks out by morning. As long as they hold enough for a bath, we’re good.”
“Fair enough. But what about the height?”
“Oh yeah… these things are, what, at least a hundred and sixty centimeters tall? You’d be completely underwater.”
“You’d sink too if you wanted to sit while soaking,” Ize replied. “We won’t fill them all the way, but… staring at those walls while bathing doesn’t sound relaxing. Climbing in would be a hassle, too.”
“True. A normal bathtub’s maybe a third of this height.”
“How about we keep the height on one side, like a backrest, for privacy? We could cut down the rest to make it more… tub-like.”
“Works for me,” Hal nodded. “We could even use the taller side to hang clothes or towels. Makes changing easier.”
“Then let’s sketch out the modifications. We’ll figure out where to have the work done later.”
“One step at a time — for now, I’ll give these things a wash and fill them up.”
“Please do,” Ize said, stepping back to check the terrain.
Humming a tune about baths, Hal poured water into the vats with the gusto of someone wielding a power washer.
Meanwhile, Ize ensured the area was safe, noting how any leaks would drain away from their sleeping spot.
“No chance of waking up in a puddle,” she confirmed with a nod.
“Good. I’ve filled them enough for testing. Can’t wait to see how this works out tomorrow.”
“It’s the first step toward our luxurious portable home.”
“Starting with a bath instead of a bedroom or kitchen…”
“Fitting for us, don’t you think?”
“Sure is.”
In the middle of the forest, the two of them stood before the towering vats, nodding in satisfaction at their ambitious new project.
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