Chapter 184: A Day Without Dungeons

The afternoon sunlight had grown warmer by the time Jet and his companions finished their little stone-skipping competition.

A gentle breeze continued blowing across the lake, occasionally disturbing its otherwise peaceful surface. Several birds could be heard calling from the surrounding woodland, while the distant sounds of passing vehicles drifted toward the roadside rest area.

Jet glanced at the time before turning toward his companions, who seemed perfectly content remaining beside the water.

"Alright, everyone, I think we’ve rested enough," Jet announced, brushing some dust from his trousers. "We should get moving if we want to cover a reasonable distance before evening."

Inez immediately turned toward him, her expression falling.

"Already, Brother?" Inez protested, clutching another smooth stone. "But we just started having fun! Can’t we stay a little longer? Please?"

Jet looked at his sister’s pleading expression and sighed inwardly. She had apparently discovered that looking at him with those enormous white eyes was an extremely effective negotiating strategy.

"We’ve been here for quite a while, Inez," Jet explained patiently. "Besides, there’ll be plenty of other places to visit once we’ve settled down."

"But this lake is really pretty!" Inez insisted, pointing toward the shimmering water. "And Uncle Mikhail promised to teach me another trick!"

Mikhail scratched his cheek before offering Jet an apologetic smile.

"Well, she’s not wrong," Mikhail admitted. "Besides, we’ve spent three days traveling. Another afternoon of proper rest wouldn’t hurt anyone."

"Finally! Someone with common sense!" Frey exclaimed, throwing an arm around Mikhail’s shoulders. "I must say, Mikhail, that’s probably the first intelligent suggestion you’ve made throughout this entire journey."

Mikhail glanced sideways at him.

"That’s interesting coming from someone who spent twenty minutes yesterday arguing with a vending machine," Mikhail replied dryly.

Frey immediately straightened.

"That machine stole my money!" Frey protested indignantly. "And I refuse to apologize for defending my rights as a paying customer!"

Jet burst into laughter while Inez giggled at their exchange.

Looking at the three expectant faces before him, Jet realized that continuing the argument would accomplish absolutely nothing.

"Fine, fine. You win," Jet conceded, raising both hands helplessly. "We’ll stay until tomorrow morning, but only if we can find somewhere safe and permitted to spend the night."

"Yay! Thank you, Brother!" Inez exclaimed, rushing forward to hug his waist.

Jet smiled and gently ruffled her white hair.

Frey immediately celebrated their victory by declaring that democracy had finally prevailed, earning another sarcastic remark from Mikhail.

With their plans settled, the group decided to retrieve their food supplies and enjoy a proper afternoon meal.

Their vehicle contained several bags of provisions purchased during the journey, including sandwiches, bottled drinks, packaged meals, fruits, and an unreasonable quantity of snacks that Frey had insisted were essential.

They carried everything beneath a large tree overlooking the lake and spread a clean blanket across the grass.

Within minutes, an improvised picnic had taken shape.

Frey examined their selection with visible disappointment.

"Seriously, this is what we’re eating?" Frey complained, holding up a packaged sandwich. "We’ve been traveling for three days, and somehow our meals keep getting worse. We should’ve stopped at a proper restaurant."

Mikhail slowly turned toward him.

"Correct me if I’m wrong, but weren’t you the one who insisted we buy most of these things?" Mikhail asked, gesturing toward the scattered provisions.

Frey looked offended.

"I selected the snacks," Frey corrected him, raising one finger. "There’s a considerable difference between choosing snacks and planning an entire meal."

"Of course," Mikhail replied with exaggerated understanding. "So the snacks are your responsibility, but everything else is somehow ours?"

"Exactly!" Frey declared before realizing how ridiculous that sounded.

Jet nearly choked on his drink.

Inez, meanwhile, seemed completely unconcerned about their culinary disagreements. She happily munched on a sandwich while arranging several pieces of fruit into a neat little circle.

"Brother, this is delicious!" Inez announced cheerfully, offering Jet a piece of apple. "You should try some!"

Jet accepted it with a smile.

"Thank you, Inez," Jet replied, taking a bite. "At least someone appreciates our wonderful meal."

Frey sighed dramatically before finally sitting down and opening his sandwich.

Their conversation gradually shifted toward Zenith City.

Mikhail recalled an amusing incident involving an inexperienced porter who had accidentally delivered expedition supplies to the wrong Guild office, causing several hours of confusion.

Frey laughed so hard that he nearly spilled his drink.

Eventually, Frey leaned backward against the tree and glanced toward the distant road.

"I wonder what everyone’s doing back home," Frey remarked thoughtfully. "Knowing my father, he’s probably already buried himself in work again. And Mother must be reminding everyone that I haven’t called enough."

"You could always call them this evening," Jet suggested, smiling faintly. "It’s not like we’re disappearing from the world."

Frey nodded.

"Yeah, I know," Frey replied, stretching his legs. "It’s just strange knowing we won’t be going back home every evening anymore."

Jet understood the feeling, although he chose not to dwell on it.

Instead, he reminded Frey that they could visit whenever circumstances allowed.

Their conversation soon returned to lighter subjects, with Inez enthusiastically describing all the things she wanted to do once their journey ended.

After finishing their meal, she suddenly clapped her hands.

"I have an idea!" Inez announced, looking around at the others. "Let’s have a real competition!"

Frey immediately perked up.

"What kind of competition, Princess Inez?" Frey asked, leaning forward with exaggerated interest.

Inez pointed toward the lake.

"Stone skipping!" Inez declared excitedly. "Everyone gets three tries, and whoever makes their stone bounce the most wins!"

Mikhail chuckled.

"Well, I’ve been doing this since I was younger than you," Mikhail remarked confidently. "So I hope everyone is prepared to lose."

Frey scoffed.

"Please, don’t start celebrating before the competition even begins," Frey replied, rising to his feet. "You’re looking at a natural genius."

Jet shook his head.

"I think I’ll sit this one out," Jet remarked, settling comfortably against the tree.

Inez immediately marched toward him.

"No, Brother!" Inez protested, grabbing his hand. "Everyone has to play! It’s not fair if you don’t!"

Faced with his sister’s determined expression, Jet surrendered almost immediately.

"Alright, alright. I’ll participate," Jet agreed, allowing her to pull him upright. "But nobody gets to complain when they lose."

Frey grinned.

"One more thing," Frey announced, pointing toward Jet. "No using Awakener abilities. I refuse to compete against someone who might accidentally send a stone flying across the entire lake."

Jet rolled his eyes.

"Fine by me," Jet replied casually. "Although I wasn’t planning to use anything in the first place."

The competition began with Frey confidently stepping forward.

He selected a flat stone, examined its surface, and positioned himself beside the water.

"Watch closely, everyone," Frey declared, flashing a confident smile. "You’re about to witness perfection."

He swung his arm with considerable force.

The stone struck the lake with an enormous splash and disappeared instantly.

Silence followed.

Then Mikhail burst into laughter.

"Magnificent!" Mikhail exclaimed, applauding enthusiastically. "I’ve never seen someone sink a stone with such confidence!"

Frey stared at the water in disbelief.

"That stone was defective," Frey declared firmly, tossing his remaining stones aside. "Its shape was completely unsuitable."

Jet raised an eyebrow.

"You chose it yourself," Jet reminded him, struggling to contain his laughter.

"An unfortunate oversight," Frey replied without hesitation.

Jet performed considerably better, managing four skips on his first attempt.

However, Inez immediately shook her head.

"Brother, you’re throwing it wrong!" Inez announced seriously, approaching him with the authority of an experienced instructor. "You have to bend your knees more!"

Jet obediently adjusted his posture while Frey watched with undisguised amusement.

After several rounds, Mikhail emerged victorious with seven successful skips.

Inez stared at the water before turning toward him.

"Again!" Inez demanded excitedly. "Uncle Mikhail, I want a rematch!"

Frey crossed his arms suspiciously.

"I’m beginning to think you’ve been secretly practicing for this exact moment," Frey accused Mikhail, narrowing his eyes.

Mikhail grinned.

"Perhaps I’m simply more talented than you," Mikhail replied, earning another round of laughter.

The afternoon passed pleasantly.

Later, while Frey helped Inez collect unusual stones near the shoreline, Mikhail approached Jet, who was resting beneath the tree.

"Jet, can I ask you something?" Mikhail began, scratching the back of his head.

Jet looked up.

"Of course," Jet replied, shifting slightly to make room beside him. "What’s bothering you?"

Mikhail sat down and remained silent for a moment.

"I’ve been thinking about what happens after we arrive," Mikhail admitted. "I’m grateful you invited me along, but I can’t help wondering whether I’ll actually be useful."

Jet frowned slightly.

"What makes you say that?" Jet asked, turning toward him.

Mikhail sighed.

"I’m only an E-Rank porter," Mikhail explained, staring toward the lake. "There’ll be plenty of experienced professionals looking for work. People with better qualifications, better connections, and probably more experience than me."

He paused before continuing.

"I don’t want to become someone you have to look after," Mikhail admitted quietly. "You’ve already done enough for me."

Jet considered his words before shaking his head.

"Mikhail, I didn’t invite you because I needed someone to look after," Jet replied firmly. "I invited you because I trust you."

Mikhail turned toward him.

"Experience matters, but reliability matters just as much," Jet continued. "You understand expedition supplies, transportation, and the practical problems that come with Dungeon exploration. When we eventually establish our Raid Team, we’ll need people who know how to handle those responsibilities."

Mikhail listened attentively.

"Besides, nobody starts at the top," Jet added with a reassuring smile. "We’ll figure things out together. That’s the whole point of coming along."

A relieved smile gradually appeared on Mikhail’s face.

"Thanks, Jet," Mikhail replied sincerely. "I appreciate that. I’ll make sure you don’t regret bringing me."

Jet chuckled.

"I’m counting on it," Jet answered, giving his shoulder a friendly pat.

By evening, the sunlight had begun sinking beyond the distant hills.

The four companions gathered beside the lake once more, watching golden reflections spread across the water.

Inez sat beside Jet, gradually growing sleepy until she leaned against his shoulder.

Frey stretched his legs and released a satisfied sigh.

"We should enjoy this while we can," Frey remarked, watching the sunset. "Something tells me life won’t be nearly this peaceful once we arrive."

Jet smiled faintly.

"You’re probably right," Jet agreed, gently adjusting his position so Inez could rest more comfortably.

He knew better than anyone how quickly peaceful days could disappear.

But tonight, there were no battles to fight or difficult decisions demanding his attention.

After confirming that overnight parking was permitted, they returned to the designated roadside rest area and prepared their vehicle for the night.

Tomorrow, their journey would continue.

For now, however, they had earned a little peace.