The next day.
It was almost noon, and Trout Town basked in the warm sunlight.
The muddy road squelched beneath the feet of passersby.
Only then did He Xi finally wake up in his room on the third floor of the Flipping Fish.
The previous day's high-intensity battles had left him sleeping especially soundly.
He stretched, pushed open the window, and let in a damp breeze that smelled of fish.
According to the plan they'd discussed the night before, today was a rest day for the team.
After all, not everyone had a way to recover their mana as quickly as he did. The nonstop, high-intensity fighting was too much for Healy and the others, and their equipment needed maintenance, too.
Healy had gone out early that morning. As the team's diligent leader, she was heading to the Adventurer Guild to turn in the 37 flippers they'd collected yesterday. She also planned to sell the Battle Axe of excellent quality and their other odds and ends at the shops, turning them into solid Gold Shields.
"Woof..."
A plaintive whimper came from beside the bed.
Bruce rested his head on the edge of the bed and gazed at He Xi hopefully. Its stomach gave a very cooperative rumble.
"Alright, I'm taking you to get something to eat."
He Xi rubbed its head.
After washing up, he and the dog went downstairs and found a corner at the Gasping Pufferfish.
"Five boiled Sockeye Salmon. No spices, and deboned. They're for the dog."
"I'll have a pan-fried Sockeye Salmon, and a mug of ale."
As Bruce buried its snout in its food, He Xi leisurely cut the fish on his plate.
Once they'd eaten their fill, He Xi took Bruce to a secluded patch of reeds near the docks.
Hom's little flat-bottomed boat