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Translator: Barnnn
Fieda’s inability to read the room had left the atmosphere tinged with awkwardness, but they had at least managed to arrive at a conclusion.
There were still a few lingering matters that needed to be discussed before embarking on their journey together, but remaining in the restaurant’s private room for any longer would be impolite.
And so, they decided to move the conversation to the inn where Ize and Hal were staying.
“Oh, wow, is this really food from another world?” Fieda marveled, his eyes wide with wonder as he examined the transparent container in his hands. “And this container — it’s incredible! I remember seeing relics like this in a museum once, ones that belonged to the ancient Sages. The craftsmanship on their belongings, whether books or pens, was on another level entirely.”
“Fieda, quit gawking at the container and just open it already,” Ize interrupted, barely concealing her exasperation. “And really — after eating so much, are you still planning to stuff more into your stomach? You too, Hal.”
Hal let out a low chuckle. “Heh, Ize, your stomach must be as small as you are — ow! Okay, okay, no need to pinch me!”
“I want some hot tea,” Ize declared, casting a sidelong glance at the food. “So hurry up and pour the water. Make it come out like the frog statue at the bathhouse — and don’t forget to croak.”
“Oh, wonderful. I’ve been downgraded from a fancy Singaporean tourist spot to a croaking bathhouse frog, huh?”
Ize smirked, handing him the pot of tea leaves with a raised eyebrow. “The frog suits you better, Hal. Go on, croak ‘ribbit-ribbit’ and get on with it.”
Resigned, Hal set about pouring the water, careful to get the temperature just right. He’d learned the hard way not to overheat it — his first attempts with his newly acquired water magic had left the tea leaves scorched, earning him a round of Ize’s merciless scolding. After much practice, he’d more or less mastered the delicate art of temperature adjusting, an achievement he was rather proud of.
“You’ve got the otherworlder’s edge, that’s for sure,” Fieda commented. “Normal water mages here can’t summon warm water, let alone control its temperature.”
Hal frowned slightly as he poured. “Still not quite there,” he muttered.
“Yeah, totally missed the mark,” Ize nodded in agreement.
As they bickered, Fieda was too distracted by the mizumanju’s container in his hands to join in. He was inspecting it from every possible angle, and Ize, growing impatient, plucked it from his grasp. She proceeded to place it on the table beside the freshly brewed tea.
Despite that, Fieda was still mesmerized by the jiggling of the mizumanju, only snapping out of his trance when Ize picked one for herself with a toothpick.
“…S-so, anyway,” Fieda finally began, “I stopped by the Union’s office today to ask about the process for quitting.”
He proceeded to explain that, after they had parted ways the previous afternoon, he had returned to his lodging and thought carefully about their upcoming journey.
He had considered the idea of using the Union’s recruitment network to arrange for an adventurer or two to act as bodyguards.
But in the end, there was no guarantee he’d find someone reliable, let alone willing to stay with us for the long haul.
As such, he had made the decision to quit his job and travel with them. He had already confirmed everything with the Union today, and the resignation process was in motion.
He was, to put it mildly, a man of swift action.
“I wanted to get everything sorted while you two were still in town,” Fieda continued. “But I’ll have to guard the horsebus back to the capital one last time and handle the final paperwork at the headquarters. After that, I’m free.”
“Of course,” Ize said with a nod. “If you dropped everything too abruptly, we wouldn’t trust you. Make sure to tie up all your loose ends. And you should say goodbye to your friends in the capital. You’ve got a lot of connections there, right?”
“Yeah. I’ll drop by to see my coworkers and boss. Pick up the rest of my stuff too.”
“So where do we meet once we part ways here? The border city?” Ize asked, looking content as she blew on her cup of freshly brewed hojicha.
Thanks to how close this region was to the Tajellia Kingdom, she had managed to procure some of the prized hojicha leaves, a personal victory she had been savoring since their encounter with the Goddess.
If only she could get her hands on matcha, she mused, the combination would be perfect.
“First, focus on getting out of the Kingdom. It might be best to meet up a little further down the line — in a city a couple of stops past the border.”
Hal leaned forward. “And what’s the name of this city?”
“I think it’s…” Fieda paused for a moment, eyes narrowing as he searched his memory. “Jasted — yeah, that’s it. Named after a pair of Sages who used the place as their base of operations, if I remember correctly.”
“Jasted, huh…” Hal mused, then broke into a chuckle. “So maybe these Sages were called Jas and Ted?”
Ize shrugged. “As long as the place’s got good food, I don’t care what they were called.”
Fieda shook his head. “Is that all you ever think about? Well, you’re in luck. Jasted’s famous for its Dungeon beast meat. There’s a Rank 2 Dungeon nearby where Mystic Beasts appear fairly often. You could even venture in yourselves, hunt the meat, and cook it fresh.”
“What about skewers!? Do they have skewers!?”
“Of course they do.”
Ize turned to Hal, her expression suddenly decisive. “It’s settled, then! We’ll wait for Fieda there!”
The abruptness of her decision drew blank stares from both Fieda and Hal.
But the resolute look on Ize’s face was unmistakable — to her, the quality of the food in the place they’d be staying was practically a matter of life and death. And Hal, ever the opportunist when it came to indulgence, seemed equally on board.
“With the Dungeon so close,” Hal added, “there will be plenty of apprentice adventurers flocking to the city. We’ll blend right in.”
Fieda nodded. “Good catch, Hal. You’ve got good instincts — even if you’re still a bit rough around the edges as an adventurer, you can pass it off as being from some remote countryside. If you make regular check-ins at the Adventurers’ Guild, I’ll be able to track your location.”
“Got it. How long do you think all of this will take?”
“Let’s see… I’ve arranged for my shift to start earlier than originally planned — day after tomorrow, in fact. Once I’m back in the capital and take care of the necessary paperwork, it shouldn’t take more than two months for me to wrap everything up.”
“Well, don’t rush, and make sure you travel safely. Also, you don’t have a Magic Bag like us, so you won’t be able to carry much. How are you planning to manage that?”
“I’ve been living on the road for a while now. I don’t have much in the first place — just some armor, a few books, and clothes. I’ll manage. Besides, I might be able to buy myself a horse through the Union.”
According to Fieda, retired coachmen in the city were often allowed to buy the horses they had worked with during their years of service, and some continued offering rides independently. Though Fieda was a guard, he planned to negotiate a similar arrangement.
“I’d love to buy a whole horsebus, with two horses if possible, but money’s tight,” Fieda admitted. “Besides, if I tried crossing the border with an empty horsebus, it might get me caught at the checkpoint.”
“Is that supposed to be… suspicious?” Ize asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Not suspicious exactly, but it would make them wonder if I’m planning to smuggle something on my way out.”
“Got it,” Hal nodded. “So, it sounds like you’ll need to find another horse and a horsebus once you’re in Jasted. Should we get them ready while we wait?”
Fieda shook his head. “No, the horse I bring will need to get along with the new one, and that’s something only I can assess. Besides, you two aren’t exactly experts in horsebuses. I’ll handle it when I arrive.”
“Fair enough,” Hal shrugged.
“You’re so reliable, Fieda,” Ize added.
“You bet I am,” Fieda said, his expression shifting to a mix of pride and bashfulness at the compliment.
Ize mumbled something to herself — something about “demand and supply.” Ignoring her, Hal continued his conversation with Fieda, seeking advice on what else they should be mindful of during their travels.
“Right, let’s see… I’ve arranged for someone I trust to escort you both from Dukatten to Rinzuda. I haven’t told them about your situation, but they’ll be discreet. Rizunda’s a small town, so you shouldn’t have any trouble there… but there are two bits of news that might concern you.”
With a look of mild regret, he popped the last piece of mizumanju into his mouth, savoring it.
Seeing him like that, Ize and Hal realized they hadn’t yet told Fieda the secret of their endlessly replenishing Earth food supplies. They exchanged cautious glances, waiting patiently for Fieda to explain the worrying news.
“The first thing you should know,” Fieda began again, “is that there’s been a rumor floating around about a Mystic Beast. A powerful one, appearing somewhere between Rinzuda and the border city, Abrol. No one’s gotten a clear look at it, but the talk’s spreading fast. A few horsebuses have gone missing along that route recently. And the second thing… there’s a young guy who joined the Union this spring. Name’s Hekirt. If you ever find yourselves in a caravan he’s guarding, change your plans — immediately. Even if it means switching to a slower group or paying extra, do it. Trust me on this.”
Hal asked, his curiosity piqued, “Is there something wrong with this Hekirt guy?”
“Plenty wrong with him,” Fieda replied grimly. “There’s no solid proof yet, but people are starting to talk. Rumor has it, the last time Mystic Beasts attacked, he bailed — left the passengers behind to fend for themselves. I wouldn’t be surprised if he used the chaos as cover to slip away, hoping the Beasts would focus on the others while he saved his own skin.”
“But isn’t it just a rumor?”
“It’s enough reason to stay clear of him. You have to understand — when someone’s reputation is bad in this line of work, you don’t take chances. Assume the worst, because your life might depend on it. Act like every warning is the truth.”
A somber silence fell over the table as the weight of Fieda’s words settled in. Hal nodded slowly — but then a sharp poke jabbed into his side, startling him.
“Ow! What the hell, Ize!?” he cried.
“Hal, that was a flag.”
“A… what?” Hal blinked in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“A flag! A massive flag’s just been raised!” Ize insisted, still staring intently at him.
Fieda tilted his head, puzzled. “A flag? Is this some kind of prophecy? Should I be worried?”
“No, it’s not–” Hal began, but Ize interrupted him.
“You see, a ‘flag’ is like… a signal, a near-certainty dressed up as a vague intuition– ouch!” she yelped as Hal gave her a thump on the head. “Hal, that hurt!”
“Ize, stop breaking the fourth wall,” Hal said through his teeth.
“…Okay,” Ize mumbled, rubbing the sore spot and falling silent.
Hal resumed asking Fieda more detailed questions, eager to gather any additional tips.
Fieda advised them on how to handle the border crossing, mentioning that while most guards wouldn’t give them any trouble, a shady officer might try to shake them down for bribes. Jewelry would make them more likely targets, so it was better to take them off beforehand. He gestured to Ize and Hal’s rings and bangles.
Without missing a beat, Ize transformed her ring into a simple band of wood, right before Fieda’s eyes. He simply sighed and shook his head in mild exasperation, before saying that would do just fine.
◆
The morning sun hadn’t yet fully risen when Fieda met them at the horsebus station, just as he had promised the evening before.
“Thanks for coming to see us off so early,” Hal said, his voice full of gratitude.
“Yeah, we appreciate it,” Ize added with a smile.
Fieda shrugged. “It’s no trouble. The Union lodgings are right around the corner, so once you’re off, I’m heading straight back to bed.”
His casual words made them both smile.
Hal, having dropped the formalities for the most part just as he’d been told to, now spoke politely, sensing the importance of it at this moment,
“You’ve helped us more than we could’ve asked for. The knowledge you’ve shared — it’s invaluable. We’ll take things slowly, and prioritize our safety until we all meet again. Please, don’t overwork yourself either, Fieda.”
Ize chimed in, “Fieda, make sure to say your proper goodbyes when you get back. And… if, for any reason, you decide not to join us, don’t feel pressured to chase after us, okay?”
Fieda scoffed at that, shaking his head. “You fool. Don’t think like that. You just keep eating and sleeping properly — maybe you’ll grow a bit taller by the time I catch up.”
With a playful ruffle of her hair, he sent Ize’s head wobbling, and she nearly lost her balance. Hal reached out to steady her before she could stumble.
“Well, take care of yourselves,” Fieda said quietly.
“We will,” Ize nodded. “You too, Fieda.”
“Sure.”
And with that, the horsebus was ready to depart. After a brief, almost bashful hug, Ize and Hal climbed aboard.
Through the small window, they could see Fieda standing there, waving them off.
“Fieda! We’re off!”
“See you later!”
“Yeah, go on! Get out there!”
Their shouted goodbyes faded into the morning air as the horsebus rumbled down the road. Inside, Hal and Ize settled into their seats, feeling the eyes of the other passengers on them — fond, amused glances at their loud and heartfelt farewell.
Embarrassed, they nudged each other, laughter bubbling between them despite their flushed faces.
Though left behind for the time being, they were happy to have already found a trusted companion.
And now, a new journey awaited them.
What surprises, what dangers, and what joys would await them before they saw Fieda again?
Ize gazed out of the window, while Hal’s shoulder rested lightly against hers. Already, her mind was filled with anticipation for the adventures yet to come.
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