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Translator: Barnnn
On the first day of their stay in Ducatten, Ize and Hal encountered an unexpected yet formidable challenge outside the door of a quaint shop they had chosen to visit.
“Hal! This is bad! Really bad!” Ize’s voice wavered with desperation.
Hal nodded gravely. “Yeah… it’s definitely bad.”
“W-W-What are we supposed to do? Should we just… buy them all?”
“I want to… believe me, I do. But is that really a good idea?”
For a brief moment, the two stared at each other. The air grew thick with indecision. Then, with a sudden gasp, Ize clutched her chest, her face twisted in exaggerated anguish.
“Gah… just the thought of never seeing them again… it feels like my heart’s about to tear apart!”
“A bit over the top, don’t you think? But… I get it. I really do.” He sighed deeply, then added, “I know Fieda warned us about… you know, THAT, but maybe — just maybe — we should buy them all.”
“Of course we should! The only question is: how many of each?”
“If we buy too many at once, we’ll definitely draw attention…”
“T-That would be terrible!” Ize’s eyes grew wide, her imagination running wild. “What if people find out you have a Magic Bag? They might come after you… and then, and then–“
“And then?” Hal asked, swallowing hard.
Ize leaned closer, speaking with the solemnity of an old fortune teller, “They’ll kidnap you, imprison you… and to access your bio-locked Magic Bag, they’ll do the you-know-what — a classic light novel harem will form around you, and you’ll lose your right to be a Mage!”
Hal’s face contorted into a mixture of disbelief and annoyance. “Stop that! It’s ‘wizard,’ not ‘mage,’ for that meme! Besides, I’m already a full-fledged Mage!”
Before their exchange could escalate further, a familiar, gravelly voice interrupted from behind them.
“What in the world are you two doing?”
They turned as one, and their faces lit up with bright smiles.
“”Fieda! Perfect timing!””
Earlier, the two had followed Fieda’s advice, confirming at the union office that their next horsebus wouldn’t depart for another three days. With time to kill, they decided to explore Ducatten’s streets.
This city was known for its unique cuisine, especially dishes made with a particular potato variety that resembled Earth’s sweet potatoes. Without the time to visit every establishment, they had sought the recommendations of fellow travelers at the inn.
It wasn’t long before they found themselves outside the most highly rated sweets shop, famed for its signature dish: a delicate, multi-layered pastry made of sweet potato cream and crispy baked potato, all wrapped in a caramel-like glaze. It was reminiscent of a mille-feuille, but what truly caught their attention were the fruit variations woven into the layers. The endless combinations, which elevated the already sublime dessert, left them in awe.
“W-wait… look over there, Hal! The zuzubu version!” Ize pointed eagerly at the display. “The citrus one looks tempting, but zuzubu’s a must-have!”
“Oh yeah, that fruit we had in the capital… it tasted like peaches, right? Yeah, we need a few of those, for sure.”
“Hey…” Fieda’s gravelly voice cut through their chatter once more. “Are you two ignoring me already?”
“Fieda,” Ize said with dead seriousness, locking eyes with the much taller man, “There are moments in life when one must make bold decisions. This is one of those moments.”
Fieda blinked, taken aback by the intensity of her gaze. He had gotten so used to calling her a “little shrimp,” but now she looked more like a predator sizing him up. He felt an unexpected chill run down his spine.
“Ize, what’s with you all of a sudden? You’re scaring me.”
“…Fieda.”
“Y-yeah?”
“I have a request,” Ize said, her voice low and serious.
Fieda’s brow furrowed. “W-what kind of request?”
“First, you have to promise not to refuse. If you do…”
Fieda gulped, sensing something momentous was coming.
“I-If I do…?”
Ize’s gaze sharpened, her face deadpan. “…I’ll cry.”
“Uh… what?”
“I’ll throw myself to the ground and bawl right here. Imagine it — a little kid like me, sobbing at the feet of an old man with a gravelly voice. The onlookers will judge you so hard–” Ize’s threat was cut short when Hal flicked her forehead. “Ouch!” she yelped, clutching where Hal had hit her. “Hey, what was that for!?”
“Ize, my bro…” Hal sighed. “That’s not how you negotiate. You’ve got to play to their weaknesses. Appeal to something more concrete — money, possessions, power–“
“You’re not making this any better, Hal,” Fieda groaned, holding up his hands in surrender. “Look, just tell me what you want already!”
With Fieda now thoroughly shaken, Ize and Hal seized the moment. Together, they convinced him to help them order a staggering variety of desserts — three of each, from every single variety in the shop. They paid the bill immediately, though they pretended to have the charges sent to the horsebus union, hiding the fact that all the sweets were for their personal stash.
To ensure their stockpile was complete, they made arrangements for two more trips back to the shop, promising to purchase another round each day. By the end of it, they would have secured a grand total of 27 of each dessert, safely stored away in their Magic Bags for future indulgence.
As it happened, Fieda had been making his way to the inn where Ize and Hal were staying when their paths crossed earlier than expected. He had just managed to secure ten days’ leave before his return trip, and he had planned to deliver the news to them personally.
As they were leaving the shop, Hal hesitated for a moment before speaking up, “So, uh, Ize… was THAT, you know, the real you?”
Ize stiffened slightly, and her reply came in a stiff, mechanical tone, “What. Are. You. Talking. About?”
“Don’t play dumb. You’ve been acting like this polite, innocent kid the whole time, haven’t you?”
“I never said I was — Fieda was the one who assumed I was some kid. I just didn’t bother correcting him… or, wait, no, I DID try!” Ize’s expression twisted into one of exasperated defeat. “But he didn’t believe me! …Ugh, why do I feel like my own words are turning against me? It’s gotta be my imagination, right? Hahaha…”
“Ize, bro…” Hal shook his head. “There are moments in life when you just have to face reality. This is one of those moments.”
“Hey! That sounds awfully familiar!”
“Kids, enough already,” Fieda, who had been trying to follow their rapid back-and-forth with growing exasperation, stepped in. “And stop leaving me out of it!”
The two paused, finally realizing they had dragged Fieda into their antics without so much as an explanation.
Hal offered a quick, apologetic smile. “Sorry, Fieda. Didn’t mean to drag you into our mess. It’s just… we don’t know when we’d be able to visit this city again, so we thought we’d stock up on the best sweets to last a year… Though, with Ize’s appetite, it’ll probably be gone long before that.”
“Well, I didn’t mind that at all, but… Hal, there’s something I didn’t mention earlier about Magic Bags. It didn’t seem all that important at the time, but now…” Fieda’s voice trailed off, growing more serious.
“Huh? If it wasn’t important before, then surely we’re fine not knowing it, right?”
“No, now it’s VERY important.” Fieda glanced around as if to ensure no one was eavesdropping. “Magic Bags… they’re not all the same. Dungeon Magic Bags, at best, only slow the passage of time inside them. The food you put in them isn’t going to last a whole year. You’d need an Internal Stasis Magic Bag, which freezes time completely. Only descendants of Sages — basically, the heads of noble houses — are supposed to have those. And you’ve got one. There’s no hiding that.”
“…Oh no,” Hal groaned.
He hadn’t even considered that Magic Bags might come in different grades.
Ize, for her part, had gone pale, her hand pressed to her forehead.
“Hal, we really messed up.”
“We sure did,” he admitted, rubbing his temples. “But, Ize… the blip on your map is still blue, right?”
“Yes, it’s been blue the whole time.”
“Then it should be fine, right?”
Ize nodded. “…I think we’re good.”
“There you go again!” Fieda threw his hands up. “Stop leaving me out of the discussion!”
Fieda had been watching Ize and Hal closely for some time now, even during his guard duties. He likely knew more than he had ever let on, especially regarding their Magic Bags. Perhaps it was out of respect, or perhaps because he had seen no reason to, that he hadn’t pressed them for details.
Ize’s Perception map had always shown Fieda as an ally, marked in blue. But it wasn’t just the map; both she and Hal knew, deep down, that Fieda could be trusted.
And so, with a shared nod, she and Hal decided there was no point in hiding anymore.
◆
They had Fieda lead them to a private room in a nearby restaurant. Although their first thought had been to invite him back to the inn, they quickly reconsidered — that would have made the situation seem too unusual, and Fieda might start to grow suspicious.
Once seated, they let Fieda handle the ordering, trusting he knew the local specialties better than they did, and asked for everything to be served at once.
“Sooo…” Hal broke the silence. “Is everything here?”
Ize glanced around, her eyes moving over the array of dishes. “Yes, looks like we’ve got it all.”
“Okay, then,” Hal said with a slight nod, “Ize, do your thing.”
“…All set. No one else can hear us now.”
Suddenly…
The scrape of wood echoed harshly as Fieda’s chair toppled to the floor. He had leaped up, eyes wide with shock, his lips trembling as if he’d seen a ghost.
“Fieda, what’s wrong?” Ize asked, alarmed by the man’s sudden reaction.
“A soundproof barrier… without a chant!? Are you… Are you kids… Sages!?”
“Uh, we haven’t exactly done anything grand for the world yet, so we’re still Sage Candidates… Close enough, I guess?”
Hal chuckled lightly, shaking his head. “Wow, Ize, you’re being pretty generous today.” He turned back to Fieda, gesturing to the fallen chair. “Fieda, can you sit down? It’s hard to explain things when you’re standing like that.”
Fieda stumbled back, mumbling apologies as he awkwardly righted his chair. But instead of sitting, he dropped to his knees, bowing low with his forehead pressed against the wooden floor.
“A-Apologies!”
“Huh?” Ize blinked in confusion.
“Fieda, why the sudden formal tone?” Hal asked, bewildered. “I only asked you to sit! Why are you–“
“I… I had no idea! S-Sages are sacred beings sent by the Goddess herself! You outrank even royalty! Someone like me has no right to be in your presence!”
“Oh, great… This is exactly the reaction we didn’t want. What do we do, Ize?”
“What SHOULD we do…?”
They had imagined this moment so differently. Confiding in Fieda, someone they trusted, had felt like a step toward shedding their secrecy.
In their minds, the revelation of their identities would be met with understanding, perhaps even a little humor.
They hadn’t counted on this — Fieda’s reverence, his overwhelming awe.
They hadn’t realized just how deeply the people of this world revered Heroes and Sages — those summoned from other worlds, who had saved and guided their lands time and time again.
They had no idea what it meant to Fieda — how could they have known about the boy he had once been? A boy who had saved every coin he could, just to buy volumes of the Sage Encyclopedias. A boy who read and re-read those stories. And how, as a young man, he had joined the horsebus union just so he could touch the vehicle a Sage had invented.
They couldn’t possibly have understood the emotions crashing through Fieda as he knelt before them now.
After a moment of contemplation, Ize stood up. She crossed the room until she was standing over Fieda, who remained prostrate on the floor.
“Fieda,” she said, her voice gentle but firm, “stand up.”
The command sent a visible shiver through his body, but still, he didn’t move.
“Fieda,” she repeated, more insistent this time, “stand up. Now!”
The second command snapped him into action. He sprang to his feet.
But even then, his eyes remained tightly shut, his head bowed. He refused to meet her gaze.
Ize sighed, stepping closer until she stood directly before him. She reached out, her hands trembling slightly as they cupped Fieda’s weathered, sunburnt cheeks.
“Fieda,” she whispered, “Open your eyes. Look at me.”
The unexpected touch made him flinch. His eyelids fluttered, and his eyes slowly opened, though they roamed uncertainly, unable to focus.
“Fieda, what do you see?”
“A…” His voice faltered. “A Sage Candidate…”
“No,” Ize shook her head. “That’s not it. Look again. What do you really see?”
“I… I see Master Ize.”
“Still wrong,” she said, though her voice was softer now, her lips curving into a sad smile. “One more time, Fieda. You can do it. What do you see in front of you?”
Ize’s lips trembled, and her voice wavered. Fieda noticed the faint glimmer of tears gathering in her eyes.
What he saw before him was…
…A child, on the verge of breaking down.
“…Ize?”
“Almost there. Get rid of that question mark.”
“…Ize.”
“Finally.” She let out a small laugh, a tear escaping and sliding down her cheek. “Took you long enough, Fieda.”
Before Fieda stood not Sage Candidates.
They were simply children from another world.
In that moment, Fieda — the man who had once dreamed of the greatness of Sages — swore with every fiber of his being that he would protect these children, no matter the cost.
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