Chapter 162: Falling Out

“Ah, so that’s what happened! You gave me a fright!”

“But honestly, you guys… It was only a dozen or so goblins. Couldn’t you have just dug a pit and buried them?”

“You had the whole town buzzing first thing this morning. People were saying the Dome Pillar was on fire, that the general store had burned down.”

“I was still sleeping when Aryan woke me. She even insisted on coming with me.”

“Good thing I kept reassuring her that you’d be fine. That’s the only way I could convince her to stay behind.”

“She’s probably still eagerly waiting for news about you.”

“Nope, I’m dead tired. Let me rest a bit…”

A few minutes later, Theodore waved his hand dismissively and plopped down on a tree stump. He unfastened the waterskin at his waist and took a large gulp of water.

His forehead was covered in sweat, and his clothes were flecked with grass and tiny plant burrs. His backpack was deflated, a clear sign he wasn’t carrying much.

He must have minimized his Weight Carrying to get back as quickly as possible.

But even so, he was still panting for breath, showing he’d barely rested on the journey.

“Theodore, thank you for making the trip.”

Lu Wei waited for his breathing to even out a little before asking, “Where are the others?”

“Still in town, waiting for news.”

Theodore took another swig of water and said matter-of-factly, “Well, if you were dead, the rest of the job would be off. No point in them coming, then.”

“…”

‘Seriously? They even thought of that?’

‘What about the advance payment I gave you for the work?’

‘You probably would’ve just pocketed it for yourself!’

Lu Wei’s mouth twitched. “Alright then. Perfectly reasonable.”

“Well… since you’re all fine and the general store didn’t burn down, someone should head back and tell them to get moving.”

Theodore glanced at the three of them and threw up his hands. “You all can sort that out. I, for one, don’t have the energy to make the trip back today.”

“Alright, we’ll figure it out.”

Lu Wei nodded and motioned for Furen and Bai Ya to come over.

“You heard him. Theodore came alone.”

“The Dome Pillar should be safe now, but just in case, we need to leave at least one person behind. They’ll stay with Theodore to protect the general store—ahem, I mean, to protect Anna and Zovir.”

“It won’t be for long, though. You can head back once the work crew arrives.”

“Normally, as the team leader, I should be the one staying behind.”

“But I have something very important tomorrow that I can’t miss.”

“So, it’s up to you two to decide.”

With a shrug, Lu Wei passed the buck right back to Furen and Bai Ya.

He didn’t see it as shirking his responsibility, though.

After all, he really did have something important to do.

As for Furen and Bai Ya…

“I want to go back, too!”

Bai Ya immediately put her foot down. “I’m going to lose my mind if I don’t get a bath soon!”

“Needing a bath isn’t exactly a compelling reason.”

Furen shook his head. “I haven’t seen Clara in half a month. I think that’s a bit more important.”

“A date isn’t exactly essential! It’s already been half a month, so what’s one more day?”

“Then waiting one more day for a bath shouldn’t matter either! If you’re that desperate, just wash up in the stream!”

“How is that the same thing?! A real bath has to be a hot bath!”

“But even hot water is an easy problem to solve in the forest. Just boil some in the stewpot, can’t you?”

“And where, may I ask, am I supposed to bathe? In the pot?”

“I…”

To Theodore’s surprise, Furen and Bai Ya had begun to argue.

The usually harmonious Mushroom Squad had suddenly turned on each other, proving that no relationship is completely infallible.

When the stakes are high enough, even the closest of friends can turn on each other.

Furen and Bai Ya might not care about money, and they might even risk their lives for each other in a crisis, but they drew a hard line when it came to baths and dates.

And it had to be said, when it came to arguing, Bai Ya’s reaction speed was far beyond that of someone with just 1 point in Perception.

Lu Wei, watching the show from the sidelines, felt it probably spiked to around 10 points.

She was a fountain of quick-witted, clever remarks.

And so, she quickly backed Furen into a corner from which there was no escape.

‘Damn it…’

‘Is it time… to use *that* move?’

Teeth clenched, Furen’s face flushed with anger at Bai Ya’s jab—”Maybe Clara doesn’t even miss you!” He took a deep breath and finally unleashed the ultimate, foolproof move he’d relied on since childhood—

Cash Power!

“If you let me go back first, you won’t have to pay back the money you owe me!”

“It’s no use, nothing you say will—huh? What did you say?”

Bai Ya’s voice trailed off. “The whole 1 gold and 5 silver… I don’t have to pay it back?”

“Hmph, of course!”

Seeing his Cash Power was effective, Furen straightened his back and said confidently, “Not a single coin!”

‘Ah!’

‘So despicable! Trying to buy me off with money!’

‘But it’s so tempting… I’m already starting to cave…’

Bai Ya’s eyes widened. It wasn’t just her principles that were wavering—her whole body swayed.

She bit her lip, a fierce internal battle raging within her.

One part of her was screaming to hold firm, but another part was already giving an involuntary, pained nod.

A few seconds later, she gave up the struggle entirely, utterly defeated by the power of money.

“Fine, I give up…”

…

…

“Hehe, we’re off, then!”

About twenty minutes later, Furen, victorious through the use of his Cash Power, had his pack ready and was itching to leave.

His smug expression infuriated Bai Ya.

She was mad at Furen for his insidious tactics, but also at herself for caving so easily.

So she kept silent, just glaring at Furen with her cheeks puffed out, looking like a hamster with its pouches stuffed full of nuts.

‘Seriously? You’re the one acting all aggrieved?’

‘If I didn’t absolutely have to go back today, you think a sweet deal like this would have ever been your turn?’

Beside her, Lu Wei shot her a glance before turning his attention to Theodore.

“Ahem, Theodore, sorry you had to see that.”

“Oh, it’s no problem. Actually, I was thinking…”

Theodore, who had also been watching Furen, snapped out of it and said with a straight face:

“I wouldn’t be against staying here by myself, you know.”

???

‘Don’t even think about freeloading off me!’

“Right, well, let’s have Bai Ya stay behind too. Safety is what’s most important.”

“Right, as soon as I get back, I’ll tell the artisans to head into the forest. I’ll also let Aryan know we’re safe, so don’t you worry.”

Fearing that if this conversation continued, no one would end up leaving, Lu Wei quickly shouldered his pack and waved to Theodore.

“That’s settled, then. We’re off.”

“Sigh, alright then. Be careful on your way.”

Theodore sighed, watching with a look of regret as the two of them disappeared into the forest.

He turned to look at Bai Ya, who was still sulking, and was just about to call her over to rest at the general store.

But before he could speak, the voices of Furen and a strange man suddenly echoed from the woods.

“Young Master! Thank goodness! You’re alive!”

“Gante??”

“It is I, Young Master! I arrived with the Young Miss a few days ago, but you never returned!”

“Y-Young Miss??”

“Yes, the Young Miss is in town right now.”

“We heard there was a fire here this morning. The Young Miss was worried you were in danger, so she sent me to check on you…”

From their conversation, it was obvious Furen knew the man named Gante.

But for some reason, he seemed terrified by Gante’s arrival.

“Miss Bai Ya, what’s going on?”

Theodore asked Bai Ya in confusion, “Who is this Gante?”

“I don’t know either.”

Bai Ya looked just as clueless.

The two of them pricked up their ears, ready to eavesdrop on the rest of the conversation.

But what followed was a loud RUSTLING sound, and suddenly, Furen came running back out of the woods as if fleeing for his life.

“I’m not going back!”

“I don’t care what anyone says, I’m not going back!!”