Chapter 93
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: Wanderers in the Forest - 5
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Two days into Koon's unofficial break.
After catching slimes to complete requests and passing through the entrance, his footsteps felt awkward.
A sense of something missing, a feeling of emptiness.
He looked at the summoned beast standing guard as ordered.
Where a person's face should be, there was a helmet wrapped in flames.
It seemed to understand his words without issue, but the only communication the summon could manage was creaking body movements and flames roaring more intensely.
"Feels empty."
Thinking about it, every day when he entered to hunt slimes or finished and came out, there had been brief chances to chat with Koon.
Not necessarily productive talks, but light greetings or small talk.
Koon would often add comments like how he came out earlier than usual today or hunted longer than expected.
With the voiceless summon standing there instead, even mundane experiences felt hollow.
Just as receiving requests from Ellie every day had become routine, stopping by the forest and exchanging idle chatter with Koon had also become familiar daily life.
"What are you doing just standing there? Something wrong with the summon?"
"Nothing. Just checking for a bit."
Park Sua, who had hunted together with him, suddenly appeared behind his back.
"Hmm, looks like you gave it orders properly. Isn't this your first time doing something like this?"
"First time using someone else's summon like this. Who contracts for something like this?"
"But I can't be bothered to summon and dismiss it every day, right?"
Forget Sua willingly taking on that hassle; he didn't want that method either.
He had summoned it to stand in for Koon avoiding Delion, but having Sua—who got along even worse with him—run into Delion would be counterproductive.
For now, this was the best way.
"Still, I get the mindset."
"Whose? Koon's?"
"Yeah. I've used it often myself, and once you get a taste, it's hard to give up."
Her perspective seemed a bit different from Koon's situation, but it was an intriguing take from someone who didn't know the full story.
"Having one summon handle what used to tire you out every day—how convenient is that? Once you experience it, you can't go back."
"Doesn't seem like an addiction issue. The real reason is he feels uncomfortable running into Delion and avoids the spot altogether."
"If mental stress counts as fatigue, it's the same thing. I've sent summons in my place plenty for people I don't want to see."
When he asked for specifics, an absurd answer came back.
A bit realistic, something ordinary folk wouldn't know.
"You know guild masters often have meetings, right?"
"Guild master meetings? Why use a summon there?"
"Too many jerks picking fights every time we meet, so I've sent summons instead of going myself."
"Picking fights?"
Looks like guild masters played hardball too.
If fights broke out even at meetings, the rivalry between guilds was no joke.
"Yeah. Especially Luna, that son of a... never mind."
"Right. No need to care about a former guild master."
"...She's still getting under my skin. She's climbing the tower just to rile me up, clearly."
Among them, Moonlight Guild's guild master seemed to poke at Sua's temper the most.
He knew Sua didn't have summons capable of communication yet.
So sending one to a meeting meant no talking...
"Well, the vice guild master nagged so much it became a method I never used again."
"They probably took it as a declaration of war."
"Anyway, point is, she'd do the same."
Sending a speechless summon to a meeting was deliberate.
The most aggressive way to say he didn't want to talk to them.
Sua placed a hand on the summon's shoulder.
"I often had them handle paperwork too."
"Fire-attribute summons?"
"Told them to burn all the docs I didn't want to read."
"Does that count as paperwork?"
If she said so, it probably did.
Sua continued.
"Compared to paperwork, guard duty is just a time issue—way simpler in complexity, right?"
"Hard to deny it's a job suited for a summon substitute."
"And no need to run into the guy you're feuding with. From Koon's view, it'd be weirder not to borrow the summon's help."
Avoiding awkward shift handoffs with Delion while keeping duties on track.
Asking Sua to maintain the summon might have been an irresistible temptation for Koon.
Delion resented a mere summon replacing a guard's role, while Koon saw it as convenient.
Their hostility toward Sua likely influenced their judgments, leading two in the same job to opposite stances.
"Sounds like... Koon has no intention of returning to work anytime soon."
"He'll come back if they make up. They got along fine before, right?"
"Yeah. Guess time will sort it out."
"People who never clicked fight no matter what. Ones who fell out after getting along can talk it through if emotions cool."
Advice steeped in Sua's vast experience.
His own past agreed.
They hadn't climbed the tower together from the start, and even at the end of runs with the Sword Saint, differing opinions made him abandon long-honed methods.
What if he visited Koon's house today?
No hangover excuse like yesterday.
Unclear what answer he'd get.
That the day felt too easy with the summon covering, so why go back?
Or still no desire to face Delion?
Hard to picture.
Either way, it'd put Koon in a tough spot.
"One or two more days, and he'll either reconcile or return to work, right?"
"Yeah. Best to think of it as an extended vacation."
Unlike his words, the worry wouldn't shake off easily.
No optimism because the conflict didn't just involve those two.
Sua, chatting like a third party, was entangled too, broadly speaking.
"Delion said that wizard's definitely been up to something all night."
"The presence started the day Sua settled in town."
Overheard from Koon at the festival banquet.
He'd dismissed it as Delion's bias-fueled paranoia at first, but last night's noise fueled the suspicion.
Sua really was leaving the inn at night.
Casually, like an offhand question.
"By the way, why do you struggle so much getting up in the morning? Even today, I knocked and waited ages till you woke."
"Oh, but I got up early today, didn't I?"
"Yesterday you skipped hunting 'cause you were sleepy. Staying up late at night?"
"No? N-nothing like that?"
She really couldn't lie.
The bold speaker from moments ago now rolled her eyes and stammered nonstop.
Into Koon's unofficial break...
"Fifth day already. He didn't show today either."
"......"
"Sheesh, guards should learn magic first from now on."
Delion finally headed home for some late sleep after witnessing the summon deployed again.
Koon still hadn't returned.
What he did with free time sans guard duty was a mystery.
Hadn't spotted him around town either.
Was he holed up at home for days, or just dodging encounters?
Anyway, mornings started with placing the summon at the entrance and inputting orders.
While wandering town debating a potion purchase, a familiar back appeared.
White hair to her waist, black ribbon tying the ponytail.
'Ellie?'
Too early to open the request office; she was inside a shop.
The one where she'd recently mentioned buying tea leaves.
"What? No stock?"
"Sorry. Haven't gotten any supply for days; nothing left."
"B-but there was some till yesterday."
"That was the last of what I'd stockpiled. Really nothing now."
He overheard the shopkeeper and Ellie talking.
Approached her back and made his presence known.
"Oh, Earthbound Spirit?"
"What's up?"
"Big trouble..."
Situation was simple.
No more tea leaves at her usual shop.
Shopkeeper tried diverting with other goods, but she fixated solely on tea.
"You've bought every leaf on the shelves so far? Still short?"
"Got some left, but at this rate, just days'... Any idea when more comes in?"
"Not regular supply, so can't say for sure. Might not get any more."
"No way..."
"They just stopped delivering; no clue why from my end."
No wonder tea varieties dwindled each time they shared at the office lately.
Unlike before, when stocks refilled daily no matter how much drunk, now they just vanished.
"This a big deal?"
"Of course!"
"Tasty tea, but essential?"
"Can't do without..."
Ellie hung her head, dejected at no tea sales.
"Brewing takes time, and hot sipping drags it out. Perfect for longer chats, naturally extending time together...!"
She muttered something.
Voice too soft to catch fully.
"Th-then tell me who supplies it! At least that!"
"Huh? The supplier?"
"Yes. I'll track them down myself."
Shopkeeper bit his lip habitually.
"...They told me not to tell anyone."
He knew who brought fresh, unseen leaves to town each time.
Truth was, among those present, only Ellie didn't.
'Not just slacking on guard duty, huh.'
Koon wasn't gathering anymore.
With Delion handling nights, Koon skipping forest was natural.
"Please, just once. I swear I won't say I heard from you!"
"I'm the only one who knows the supplier. What good's that promise?"
"I've boosted your sales plenty... Please..."
"When a customer begs, I look like the bad guy for refusing."
Ellie showed no sign of leaving sans supplier info.
"Then what? Can't confront them over stopping deliveries here."
"I'll offer more coins; beg them to sell to me."
"You think that'll work?"
"Gotta till it does."
"Ha... Fine, you win."
Shopkeeper beckoned Ellie closer.
"Why?"
"Can't blab loud; Earthbound Spirit'll hear."
"Aha."
He whispered final warnings.
"Your secret only. No telling others."
"Yep! Not even Earthbound Spirit!"
"Good. Trustworthy enough."
They huddled, whispering.
Her pose looked awkward leaning in.
'I already know, though...'
He watched the pointless discomfort.
"Wha─? So the supplier's─."
"Shh!"
"Oops. Yep."
Ellie's eyes widened round upon learning the identity.