Carefree Journey of the Fugitive Sage Candidates

Chapter 83, Determination Required for Interaction

Translator: Barnnn

The trio hadn’t even finished cashing in their drops before being whisked off to the back room. Now that the meeting was over and Duris had returned to his duties, they found themselves back in line at the front desk.

“…We should’ve had the loot appraised while we were in there,” Fieda muttered.

“…Too late now,” Hal said.

“…Far too late,” Ize agreed.

The meeting had been intense — dense, even — and none of them were in a particularly talkative mood. When their turn came and they saw Kikuno’s usual faint, unreadable smile, it was oddly comforting.

“Fieda, Hal, Ize. You’re here for a loot appraisal today?” she asked politely.

“Yes, please,” Hal replied.

“Then just place everything here.”

As always, she slid the box toward them, and Hal and Ize began piling in the items they’d collected.

Their last trip to the forty-ninth floor had been especially fruitful. Encouraged by how well the Cockatrice loot had sold before, they’d made a point of hunting more.

Technically, they’d just walked away from a deal worth an eye-popping sum, but somehow, the familiar anticipation of a loot appraisal was still more exciting.

“Thank you. Please wait just a moment,” Kikuno said, and then paused. “Ah — pardon me, Hal, there’s a message here for you. It’s from the Crafters’ Guild.”

She slid a small slip of paper across the counter and vanished into the back once again.

Hal blinked in surprise. Then, as he read the note, a sigh slipped from his lips.

“It’s from Wailie.”

“Wailie…” Ize said warily.

“…Of course it is,” Fieda groaned.

They all let out a sigh in unison. It wasn’t that Wailie was a bad person — he wasn’t. But this wasn’t the day for him.

Ize rubbed at her temple with a groan and leaned over to peek at the note. Her shoulders slumped even further as she read:

[Your order has arrived via Master Zoddoa. Please report to the Guild at once. Make haste if at all–]

“…Did this get cut off?” she asked.

“Probably,” Hal said. “His messages are always too long.”

“Wait, that happens?” she blinked. “I thought there wasn’t a character limit.”

“There isn’t. But if a message goes on too long, the Guild staff just start trimming it mid-sentence.”

“…Classic Wailie,” Fieda muttered.

It was a moment of silent exchange. The unspoken question — “Who’s going to deal with this?” — hovered in the air. No one volunteered.

With a resigned sigh, Fieda finally broke the stalemate. He suggested that they discuss this further after getting something to eat, seeing that it was already quite a while past lunchtime. A decision-by-delay, perhaps, but Ize and Hal weren’t about to argue.

By the time Kikuno returned with their appraisal results and deposit slips, the conversation had already turned toward food as they stepped out of the Guild.

“What are we eating?” Hal asked.

“Something sweet!” Ize declared.

“It’s lunch. That’s a no. Sweets come after.”

“Hmm… I want something that doesn’t make my jaw work too hard.”

“What does that even mean?” Hal scoffed. “If you’re not going to take this seriously, I’ll just pick something myself.”

“I am serious,” she insisted. “What about you, Fieda?”

“…Stewed white fish and a grain soup,” he replied after a pause.

“You sound tired, old man,” Ize said with a grin.

“Let’s just go with that,” Hal said, already walking. “My stomach and my brain are both out of juice.”

An hour later, they were walking toward the Crafters’ Guild — refreshed, fed, and considerably more cheerful. Each of them had a delicate, cutesy candy sculpture in hand. Yes, even Fieda, as much as it didn’t match his image.

“Sweet things really do help when you’re drained,” Ize sighed happily.

“Yup, Arachne’s Blanket’s new candy is amazing,” Hal added. “That sweet and tart flavor — what fruit is that?”

“Chesh, probably,” Fieda said. “Reddish berries that show up in early summer.”

“Ooh, we’ll have to check the fruit shop for them next time.”

Crunch. Crackle. Snap.

Each of them enjoyed their candy in their own way, until not a scrap was left — and with that, they straightened up and recharged their focus.

“Once we confirm the delivery, we’ll need to test everything properly.”

“Another overnight Dungeon run, right?”

“We’ll want to plan our route — floor targets, gathering spots, loot.”

“I want Fire Bull meat,” Hal said.

“Then that means Fire Magon too,” Fieda replied.

“Let’s bring back a lot for the road,” Ize said. “Oh, and some Peppear and Poe-Apo?”

“Hard to do both in one run,” Fieda pointed out. “Poe-Apo’s on the fortieth floor, Fire Bulls are on thirty-seven, and Peppear’s twenty-eight.”

“If we’re going as far down as forty, we should hit the forty-first too — the Orc General drops tenderloin!”

“All right,” Fieda nodded. “We’ll work around the fortieth. And let’s check if we need anything else for Origin of Thievery before we go.”

“Ugh,” Ize groaned.

“Joe’s always handing out weird requests…”

“You say that, but the way you three treat Joe…” Fieda gave both Ize and Hal a look.

Ize blinked innocently.

As far as she was concerned, they’d been nothing but kind to Joe. They’d shared their boiled Chestnut Bombers, treated him to grilled Bambush, and even let him sample that rare Velveteel dish. Sure, every time they handed him something, his shoulders had twitched like he was fighting a seizure — but he never actually refused.

[Yeah. Nothing but good deeds.] Ize nodded to herself, entirely satisfied.

Fieda gave her a suspicious side-eye as he reached for the door to the Crafters’ Guild.

“We’ve been expecting you!”

And there he was — Wailie, beaming from ear to ear as if they were long-lost friends reunited at last.

None of them said a word, but at that moment, their hearts all spoke the same resigned truth:

[This is going to take a while…]

◆

The new delivery, as Wailie explained with no small amount of enthusiasm, was too large for the front entrance. He promptly led the trio around the back of the Crafters’ Guild, to a busy work yard used for inspecting and sorting incoming goods.

The area bustled with workers in uniforms. In one corner of it sat an unmistakable highlight: a large, imposing container house. Even the workers couldn’t help but steal curious glances at the trio as they approached it.

“This wasn’t something that could be delivered by regular freight, was it?” Hal asked, eyeing the sheer bulk of the thing. “I don’t mind covering the shipping costs.”

“No need to worry,” Wailie replied. “Master Zoddoa made special arrangements.”

“Huh… he did?”

“Yes. It just so happened that a noble in Jasted placed a lavatory order scheduled for delivery around the same time. Since the noble’s horsebuses were already making the trip, Master Zoddoa simply had this shipped along with it.”

“Well played,” Hal said with a nod. “As long as it didn’t cause any trouble.”

“Not at all. Now then, let’s begin.”

From one of the bags he’d brought, Wailie pulled out a small bundle of keys and handed it to Fieda.

“This is the outer lock. It wasn’t part of the original specifications, but we thought it prudent for security.”

“Good idea,” Fieda replied. “Didn’t even cross my mind.”

“You’ll find it can also be locked from the inside. Please verify that later.”

“I will.”

“Then let’s take a look inside, shall we?”

Wailie set off ahead of them with a spring in his step, clearly pleased to finally unveil the thing.

Hal, a few paces behind, made the mistake of engaging him.

“So… you’ve already seen the inside?”

“Oh yes! Of course!” Wailie beamed, as if he’d been waiting his entire life for someone to ask. “The moment it arrived, I had to see it for myself! I’d been counting the days. And when the Guild Master tried to send me off on some external errand just as it was arriving, I was THIS CLOSE to sabotaging his precious health tonic with some laxatives to get out of it! Fortunately, another staff member volunteered enthusiastically to go in my place, so that solved that nicely.” He turned to them with a sparkle in his eye. “But yes, the interior! It’s simply exquisite. Master Zoddoa outdid himself. And your design specifications, Master Hal, were truly inspired — built-in shelving, dual-purpose furnishings, spring-loaded mechanisms — it’s the kind of ingenuity that’s easy to overlook but difficult to conceive. The table with two separate functions — Brilliant! And Master Zoddoa’s craftsmanship… divine!”

As Wailie launched into his praise, Ize shot Hal a sharp look, catching the exact moment regret crossed his face. He’d stepped on the wrong tile, and now the trap had triggered. Fieda, uncharacteristically expressive, jabbed Hal in the backside with his knee — twice — eliciting a muffled laugh from Ize.

Miraculously, that single chuckle was enough to pause Wailie’s monologue.

“Is something the matter?”

“Ah, no, not at all,” Ize replied quickly. “Just tried to stifle a sneeze and it came out strange. Embarrassing, really.”

“Ah, I see. It could be sawdust in the air. My apologies.” Without missing another beat, Wailie turned back to the container. “Now then, please step inside. There’s a ledge just past the door you can sit on to remove your shoes.”

He demonstrated, slipping off his shoes and tucking them into a cloth bag before stepping inside.

“There’s a shoe cubby just inside the door,” he added.

Fieda and Hal followed him in. Ize brought up the rear, stepping into the compact interior — and stopping short.

“It’s huge in here!”

“Indeed,” Wailie said, pleased by the reaction. “It feels even roomier with the furniture stowed away. Let’s go over everything. There’s a collapsible table, one bench-bed, and two drop-down beds.”

He strode to the far end of the rectangular space and pulled a few components from a box built into the wall.

“This is the collapsible table. I know you mentioned you carry a table in your Magic Bag, but having one ready here may prove more convenient.”

“Definitely,” Hal replied. “Pulling things in and out of the bag can get annoying.”

“I’m glad to hear it. This one just slots into place — very simple.”

Wailie demonstrated, then moved on.

“The bench-bed is mounted on the wall here. Just pull the panel down and insert the support legs. To convert it to a bed, extend the upper slat here and move the foot supports accordingly.”

He put the table away and performed the assembly with ease. The bench unfolded with a satisfying clack, and then expanded further into a surprisingly spacious bed. Still, it was too small for Hal and Fieda.

“I was told that this one is for you, Ize,” he said.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“If you don’t mind, could you test it for size? Just to ensure the height and width are comfortable.”

“Sure. Excuse me.”

Ize stepped to the end of the room, knelt on the platform, and lay back with a soft thud.

The fit was surprisingly perfect — not too tight, not too roomy. She let her arms fall to either side, savoring the snug feel.

Wailie asked her to check for creaks or instability, so she rolled from side to side. She came to a stop only when she lightly bumped into the far wall.

“…Seems solid,” she said, her voice slightly sheepish.

It wasn’t until she sat up and saw the others watching her that her cheeks burned crimson.

“Pfft. You’re totally red,” Hal snorted.

“Shut up,” she muttered, flustered. “Let’s move on to YOUR bed now — your shared bed for two grown men.”

“Gah! That phrasing!” Hal recoiled.

“Please don’t say it like that, Ize…” Fieda added, clearly pained.

“I-I’ll start setting up the other beds now!” Wailie said hurriedly, diving back into the center of the room with almost comic timing.