"Man, now I can put some effort into building more elaborate houses without it going to waste," I mused.

Until now, I’d been making and demolishing our temporary homes every time we camped. But with this new approach, I could gradually upgrade and refine the design. While I couldn’t make them too large, there was plenty of room for functional improvements.

"That’s not the point!"

Interrupting my thoughts, Frist stepped up, taking it upon himself to voice everyone’s objection.

"Doesn’t opening the dimensional box that wide burn through a lot of magic power?" Milka asked, tilting her head.

"Rio’s got some serious magic chops, huh," added Emily, seemingly impressed.

"Aha…"

Though Rio only managed a sheepish laugh, I couldn’t help but feel proud of her being praised.

"Alright, everyone, we’ll be departing shortly, so please prepare," the coachman announced.

Realizing how much time we’d spent chatting while packing up the house, we quickly finished breakfast and boarded the carriage. Soon, we were leaving the campsite behind.

The road narrowed slightly as the forest known as the Fenrir Woods came into view on our left. The carriage continued its journey southward without incident.

"By the way, I’ve heard the Skywolf Mushroom is famous around here, but is there anything else notable?" I asked.

The guild had only mentioned the mushrooms, but I figured locals would know better about hidden gems or other points of interest.

"Hmm… well, if you’re into old legends," the coachman began.

"Legends, huh? Sounds interesting."

"The village itself is named after one, after all."

"Could it be about a Fenrir? Like a legendary beast appearing here?" I guessed.

Frist and the young girl sitting across from us both looked surprised.

"Big brother, you know about Fenrir?"

"Well, the name is pretty well-known," I replied. In various games and stories, Fenrir often appears as a divine beast. If the village is named after it, there must be some connection.

"I’ve only heard the name."

"Well, Fenrir shows up when bad kids misbehave and gobbles them up in one bite!"

The little girl spread her arms wide to illustrate its size, her enthusiasm adorable.

"Wow, that’s scary," Rio said, playing along.

"So, does Fenrir appear in the Fenrir Woods?" I asked, returning to my earlier question.

"Nah, it’s just a legend. There hasn’t been a sighting in over two hundred years," Frist replied.

"But deep in the woods, there are Silver Wolves," Emily chimed in. "Individually, they’re C-rank monsters, but in packs, they’re B-rank. Way out of our league—we’d have to run for it."

"Wait, with monsters like that, isn’t the village in danger?"

Apparently, the wolves never ventured near the village. The forest was abundant enough with prey, so they had no reason to. Adventurers occasionally encountered them while foraging for the naturally grown Skywolf Mushrooms deeper in the woods. The deeper you went, the better the mushrooms’ aroma and flavor were rumored to be.

Hearing that only made me want to go explore.

"Alright, we’ve arrived!"

By evening, we reached the Fenrir Village. Surrounded by wooden walls about three meters high, the village was modest but well-fortified.

After a routine check at the gates, the carriage entered the village. Wooden houses lined the streets, giving the place a quaint and rustic charm.

"Smells like mushrooms," Rio said, sniffing the air.

The aroma of mushrooms permeated the village, making my stomach growl.

"Haha, they’re a staple here. Everyone eats them, even if they’re not all premium-grade," Frist explained.

"I see. I thought they were all high-end," I said.

"Not everything harvested is sellable. The odd-shaped or smaller ones get eaten locally."

"Thanks for everything," I said, as we parted ways with the coach passengers.

"Bye-bye, big brother and big sister!" the little girl waved.

"Take care!"

"Let’s find an inn," I said to Rio.

"That place looks good," she replied, pointing to a well-maintained inn that Frist had recommended earlier.

As the sun set, most shops were closing. We headed straight to the inn, a large establishment exuding a cozy yet refined atmosphere.

"Welcome," greeted a calm, elegant woman at the counter.

"Do you have a room for two?"

"Would you like a standard twin room or a premium room?"

"Premium, please," I replied without hesitation.

"Understood. That will be 2,000 flon."

I handed over the money without a second thought.

"Would you like to include dinner? We offer a full-course Skywolf Mushroom menu."

"Let’s do that," I said immediately.

"Wait, what?!" Rio exclaimed, startled by my quick decision.

"It’s a Skywolf Mushroom full course! How can we not? The smell alone has been killing me. Can you resist it?"

"…You could at least ask the price first," she muttered, her tone less chastising and more resigned. She didn’t seem entirely opposed—probably tempted by the aroma as well.

"Come on, we’re here to enjoy the local specialties."

"Fine… I probably would’ve said yes anyway."

The receptionist, watching our exchange with a smile, led us to our room. For the record, the full course was 15,000 flon per person.