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Translator: Barnnn
On the second day of Ize and Hal’s stay in Haradory, the true heart of the festival was set to unfold. The previous day’s revelries, lively though they had been, served only as an overture to the main event.
For the townsfolk, this festival was an occasion of immense significance — yet for visitors, its allure was limited. Aside from soaking in the atmosphere, the most one could do was visit the temple to pay respects to the Goddess.
Mindful of this, the duo decided to begin their day with a visit to the temple. Here, they paused to reflect on their journey so far and offered quiet prayers for safe travels ahead.
“So, what’s next?” Ize asked as they left the temple.
“Well… even with my body de-aged to fifteen, an all-nighter still takes its toll. Let’s take it easy today and leave town tomorrow.”
“Sounds good. Oh, I heard that donut-like pastry we tried yesterday is sold on East Street. I want to grab some before we go.”
“Fair enough. I’ll head over to the butcher near the central square. That stewed meat they made with the festival herbs was fantastic.”
“Let’s also keep an eye out for anything else worth trying,” Ize added with a nod.
Their plan made, they first secured a night at an inn, ensuring they could rest comfortably after the day’s end. Then, with a sense of purpose, they set out to explore Haradory’s culinary offerings.
They had scouted the town’s most promising food stalls the previous day, making it easy to chart their courses. Many of the stalls offered exclusive festival treats, but the shops that supplied such high-quality street food were bound to have other treasures hidden in their menus. Their instincts proved spot-on — one by one, they visited the shops, stocking up on at least one item from most of them.
Before returning to the inn, they made a detour to the horsebus station to check the schedules for routes leading toward Jasted. The journey, they discovered, would have two transfers.
“From the border city, it was just one straight shot — here it’s quite roundabout…” Ize observed.
“Probably because of how much smaller this town is. Looks like the next horsebus leaves tomorrow afternoon. Let’s book our seats and head back to plan the rest of our trip.”
At the inn, they unfurled their map across the small table in their room.
Tajellia Kingdom’s southern border city was located in the continent’s western region. Jasted, their goal, was an inland city about ten days’ travel away from there.
Haradory, on the other hand, was in the complete opposite direction.
Considering that, they had two choices: either double back to Border City for the most direct route, or keep heading toward Jasted from Haradory by stringing together horsebus rides.
“Leaving from Haradory will take about three weeks,” Hal murmured. “On the road, it’s six days to the first village, three more to the next town, and then five to Jasted — then add in the stopover time. And that’s assuming there aren’t any delays with connections.”
“Do you think we can make it in time to meet up with Fieda?”
“Let’s see… We split with him in Dukatten around mid-October, and he said two months before we regroup. It’s late November now…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “We’re cutting it close.”
“What if we used Fleet Foot to skip the horsebuses entirely?” Ize suggested, her tone casual but her eyes hiding mischief.
Hal groaned, anticipating her argument. “That would mean relying too much on you. Rejected.”
“But even with rest breaks, I could cover six days of horsebus distance on foot in less than a day,” Ize countered.
“Ugh…”
“That would shrink a fourteen-day journey by horsebus to just three days.”
“Urgh…”
“And we’d save money on tickets for both of us. Though, if it’s about the cost, we could always haggle with your Water Magic or pick up side jobs along the way.”
“Ahh…!”
“Plus, we could eat warm meals without worrying about prying eyes.”
“Argh…!!”
“So, what’s the plan?”
“Ize, you’re bullying me because I have Art of Negotiation, aren’t you…?”
“I’m not bullying you — If you’re so opposed, why not use your skill to convince me?”
“I COULD, but… I mean, my head also says we should take the shortest route. BUT then again, my heart… it wants to explore other places along the way, you know?”
“If we had a way to keep Fieda updated, he wouldn’t worry even if we arrived a little late.”
“Good point. Let’s ask the Adventurers’ Guild if they’ve got a system for that. They probably keep tabs on high-ranking adventurers for emergency requests, right?”
“It’d be nice if we could use that system too.”
“All right, then — let’s go check in with the Guild. If it works, we can cancel the horsebus reservation.”
“Sounds like a plan!”
At the Adventurers’ Guild, they discovered that their movements could indeed be tracked.
However, their visit wasn’t without scolding. The Guild clerk admonished them for neglecting to report their whereabouts, explaining that it created unnecessary confusion — were they traveling, on a quest, or in trouble? In Abrol, their locations had been automatically registered due to bounty-related procedures, but here in the Tajellia Kingdom, they had to report in manually.
Apologizing for the oversight, Hal and Ize added a note to their records, permitting the Guild to inform Fieda of their location if he asked. The Guild reassured them that their whereabouts wouldn’t be shared without consent, which put their minds at ease.
Before leaving, they gathered detailed information about the route to the next village.
As they walked toward the horsebus station, Hal studied a sheet of paper intently. Suddenly, he stopped dead in his tracks.
“Ize, take a look at this,” he said, his voice full of excitement.
“Is it about the next village?” she asked, peering over. “Bezbaro, right? It says their industries are… forestry and wood processing?”
“Exactly — wood processing!” Hal’s eyes sparkled with an idea. “Maybe we can commission them to modify the bath!”
Ize’s expression shifted, realization dawning as her lips curled into a smile.
Wooden vats, after all, were crafted from wood. Some of Bezbaro’s craftsmen might just be interested enough to take on the project.
“Hal! Let’s go to Bezbaro right away!” Ize exclaimed, practically bouncing on her heels.
“Hold on, Ize…” Hal raised a hand to calm her — while the faint upward curve of his lips betrayed his own growing anticipation. “We haven’t even decided on the modifications yet, let alone know whether any workshop there would take the job immediately. Don’t get your hopes too high.”
“That’s rich coming from you, grinning like that.”
“Grinning? How rude!” Hal protested. “A-ahem! Anyway, first things first: we cancel the horsebus reservation and figure out exactly what we want for the bath modifications.”
“Got it. But just so we’re clear, we’re heading out first thing tomorrow morning!”
“Sure.”
After canceling their horsebus reservations, the duo returned to their room at the inn. They proceeded to spread out an assortment of drinks and snacks across the table — a makeshift creative workspace laden with sweets that Hal insisted were essential for fostering brilliant ideas. Ize didn’t understand his logic, but since she couldn’t exactly refute it either, she let it slide.
“First, we need to address the vats themselves… Ideally, we’ll add a shower or at least a washing area. And a proper changing room, too.”
“Agreed,” Ize said with a nod. “But there’s an issue with the vats as they are. Japanese bathtubs are only waist-deep, and these vats are way too tall.”
“Let’s cut them down to about half their current height. We’ll need walls — definitely for the shower and changing area, and maybe partial ones for the tub too. But… hey, Ize, do we really need two separate baths?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
Ize tilted her head in confusion; she had naturally assumed they would make two separate baths.
Hal held up two fingers, wiggling them slightly as he spoke.
“We’ve got two vats, right? So instead of making two baths, why not repurpose them? One can become the bathtub — we can even add some steps for reclining or half-baths — and the other can serve as a combined shower and changing area.”
Ize’s eyes followed the motion of Hal’s fingers like a cat chasing a red laser, her mind slowly piecing together his vision.
“That… actually makes sense,” she said after a moment. “Since the vats don’t leak, we can use one as-is for the tub. That’s brilliant, Hal.”
“Hahaha! Flattery will get you everywhere! Now, picture this: a gourd-shaped layout, with a divider separating the shower and changing area.”
“And we’ll need a doorway for the changing area,” Ize added.
“Right, good catch. We’ll also add shelves to the walls in the changing area — someplace to keep things dry and off the floor.”
“Shower water can be piped in from the vat… But what about drainage? Where does the used water go?”
“We’ll…” Hal hesitated, then grinned sheepishly. “…leave that part to the craftsmen.”
“Right. Specialists for specialized tasks…” Ize chuckled, though she knew it was just a fancy way of saying they’d offload the tricky details to someone else.
With the rough plan sketched out in their minds, they exchanged grins.
Ize, who had procured the vats, was visibly excited about the project, but Hal, a self-proclaimed bath connoisseur with a long history of visiting hot springs and bathhouses during his supply manager days, was equally thrilled.
The thought of having a custom bath at their disposal promised to elevate their adventures to a whole new level of comfort.
As they planned, they couldn’t help but imagine Fieda’s reaction to their creation. The unanimous conclusion: he’d scold them. Resolving to face his inevitable lecture together, they returned to their preparations.
◆
As the night deepened, they began organizing the next leg of their journey. Ize, naturally, was the “driver,” while Hal played the role of “navigator.” Since communication would be difficult once Ize started running, they held a detailed pre-meeting to iron out the details.
Before bed, they brewed a pot of tea reputed to promote restful sleep — a local blend of medicinal herbs that seemed quite popular. They’d selected it earlier with the help of Hal’s Eye of Appraisal.
“The road to Bezbaro is fairly straightforward. There’s only one fork to watch out for, and it’s marked by a signpost.”
“How far along the route is this fork?” Ize asked, leaning in to study the map more closely.
“About halfway through the fourth day if you’re traveling by horsebus.”
“Got it. I’ll slow down when we’re nearing that area.”
“Thanks, Driver.”
With the route mapped out and the details settled, the plan for tomorrow took shape: a full morning of travel, heading toward Bezbaro.
If they arrived early enough, they would visit the Crafters’ Guild to gather recommendations for skilled artisans.
Holding high hopes for finding a talented crafter, Ize drifted off into a peaceful sleep, her dreams a tapestry of adventures yet to come.
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