"Good work! Thanks for the help, Leri!" Tia hopped down and propped up the collapsed Budi.
"Bu…di… my… name… is… Bu…di." he gasped.
Tia covered her mouth. "Sorry! I misheard, eheh." She laughed awkwardly.
Iris jumped down, glanced at Budi, then looked to Tia. "So — where will you give the information?"
"It's already late. You two will stay at my guild tonight. There's lodging there." Tia lifted Budi and slung him over her shoulder like luggage.
"And this giant vegetable? How are you dealing with it?" Iris asked.
"Someone will handle it."
"Hoi! You're late!"
A red-haired woman stood in front of them, wearing a white cloak just like Tia's.
"Master! I brought your order!" Tia skipped happily, pointing proudly at the roasted Broloci.
The red-haired woman froze. "Are you stupid or just naive? You really thought I was being serious?" She stared at her cat-eared apprentice.
"Eh? I thought you told me to do it because our guild is broke?" Tia asked innocently.
The woman sighed. "Don't remind me that I'm a failed guildmaster." Her emerald eyes shifted toward Iris and Budi. "And who are these people?"
"My business clients, eheh." Tia chuckled. "Master, I'll borrow the thing for them, okay?"
The woman nodded. "Take them. I'll handle the vegetable."
Tia signaled for Iris to follow. Iris bowed politely to the red-haired woman. "Iris."
"Elizabeth Crimson," she replied. Iris nodded and continued after Tia.
Elizabeth grinned at the giant roasted broccoli."It's been a while since I had booze."
"This looks like a horse stable," Iris said bluntly.
"Well… it was a horse stable," Tia admitted without shame.
"So where are the horses?" Iris asked.
"We sold them to pay the guild's building rent." Tia smiled awkwardly.
The two stood before an old wooden stable — straw still scattered across the floor. It was only three meters wide and four meters tall. Iris glanced at the structure next to it — a two-story restaurant just as run-down; old wood, triangular roof, nothing fancy.
Just the signboard made it different:
"Crimson House."
"That restaurant belongs to the woman earlier?" Iris asked.
"Yep. It's also our guild's building." Tia smiled bitterly.
"Wow. For adventurers, you're incredibly poor," Iris said honestly.
"Ugh. That's because my master is unemployed," Tia confessed.
She shook off her misery and forced a cheerful smile."Anyway! Rest for tonight. Don't worry, I already cleaned the stable. There are sleeping bags and blankets inside. For food, go to the restaurant and tell the cook you're my client."
She rummaged in her bag and pulled out clean clothes, handing them to Iris. "And here's something to wear."
Iris was stunned — this was unexpected."You're too kind to be a businesswoman." She took the clothes and put them on right there, unconcerned about being seen.
"Hey— hey! You're naked right now!" Tia panicked and wrapped Iris in her cloak again.
"See? Too kind," Iris muttered.
"I'm just helping. I know what it feels like to be homeless." Tia fixed the cloak properly.
"Well, I'm leaving. Get some rest!" Tia turned and walked away.
Left alone, Iris stared far toward a distant white castle — shining arrogantly against the night sky.
"There are still good people in this city. Someone like you should be living in that castle," Iris whispered.
She then stepped into the stable. Her rainbow eyes looked down at Budi — exhausted beyond recognition.
"…What exactly can this idiot do tomorrow?"