Chapter 95

Summary of the previous chapter ------------------------------------------------------

I made a reservation at Aera's shop, but it was so busy that I could only get a reservation three days later.

We will have a few days off, but Naoto and Touya have nothing to do while the women are making clothes.

Thinking about making a frame for the vegetable garden, we went to collect stones, but we could only gather a few on the grassland.

"Hey, Naoto, what are those stones over there?"

The next day, after training, Yuki pointed to the pile of stones that Touya and I had collected and thrown in the corner of the yard. Well, calling it a pile might be an exaggeration. They were just scattered around.

"Those? I thought we'd need a frame if we were going to make a vegetable garden, so Touya and I collected them."

"…Ah! Brick substitutes! That's a good idea. When the house is built, I want to make flower beds around it and an approach. Could you collect some stones for the frames of those flower beds too?"

"Ah, well, that might be a bit difficult."

I explained that we couldn't find many stones on the grassland and that there wasn't a suitable place to collect them. I also mentioned that if we had some free time, we might go to the forest and break some rocks.

"Forest, huh… We're still in the middle of making clothes… Haruka, Natsumi, a little help!"

"What is it?"

"What?"

When Yuki called the two and told them what had happened, Haruka and Natsumi thought about it for a moment.

"I think the idea of using stone frames is good. They look nice too."

"The problem is the forest. It's not safe to send Touya and Naoto alone… Besides, breaking rocks isn't easy, even with our current abilities."

"Is it impossible even with our current abilities?"

"Breaking rocks requires more experience than strength. Hmm, how about after the victory celebration, we go on a hunting trip for a giant salamander? It could be a good break. You might be able to collect stones by the stream, right?"

"That sounds good! I've always wanted to try stream fishing!"

In Japan, we never had the opportunity to fish, and even if we did, we couldn't fish freely due to fishing rights. Since we're going, we might as well try it.

Haruka smiled wryly and looked at Yuki and Natsumi.

"I don't mind. I think we'll finish making the clothes today or tomorrow."

"I'm fine too. I'd like to try eating a delicious fish like ayu. Since we came here, the only fish we've eaten was…"

Yuki's eyes darkened and she sighed. She must have been thinking about that dish.

I don't want to eat that again either.

"Right. So, Touya and Naoto, prepare for the expedition over the next two days. Assume a one or two-night stay, and bring a tent and other essentials."

Haruka handed us some money.

"Understood."

"Dio might have some good advice."

That makes sense. There might be some unique considerations in this world.

◇ ◇ ◇

"Touya, what should we buy first?"

"Of course, we should go to Dio first."

"Huh? Dio doesn't sell anything, right?"

"No, I mean for information!"

"Got it."

Of course, it was a joke.

We immediately headed to the guild to consult with Dio.

"Camp equipment? Yes, the most important thing for this time of year is warm clothing. It's not often life-threatening, but it can affect your health."

"What about the 'Heating' fire magic?"

"It's convenient, but you can't use it while moving. It works in enclosed spaces like a carriage, but high-level users can maintain it while moving. Still, it's easier to wear warm clothes, especially in case of combat."

"True."

Considering the mana consumption, it's not a good choice.

It would be comfortable, though.

"Cold Resistance is a spell that can be cast on a person, so it works while moving. However, if you run out of mana, you'll still need warm clothes."

"Running out of mana and freezing to death wouldn't be a joke."

"Exactly. A rainproof robe is also essential. You might need to move in the rain, and being wet for a long time can drain your stamina. If possible, a tent that can be used as a shelter from the rain would be good."

"Separate from the tent?"

"Yes, just a frame and a roof. You can't make a fire inside a tent, and it gets cold in the rain. Also, the ground might be wet, so a stove and dry firewood to keep the fire off the ground would be useful."

We need quite a few things.

While we can carry a lot with our magic bags, regular adventurers can't carry that much.

"Can regular adventurers carry all this?"

Touya and I had the same thought and asked Dio.

"Yes, it would be difficult without a carriage. So, regular adventurers have a hard time in bad weather."

"What do they do in such cases?"

"They move to the nearest village, wear a robe and endure, stay in the city if it looks like it will rain, or avoid long expeditions altogether."

That's tough!

Spending a night in the rain with a raincoat? In this world, raincoats aren't as good as in Japan, so it would be even harder.

I remember there's a water magic called 'Rain Protection.'

These spells, like 'Heating,' seem convenient for daily life but are actually important for adventurers.

"Regular adventurers consider the distance to their destination and the weather, so it's not a frequent issue."

Dio smiled wryly, seeing our expressions.

"Besides that, it's just general equipment. Tents, food, blankets. If you have the means, cooking utensils. A large, thick mantle can be useful for resting on the ground if you can't set up a tent."

We can choose based on camping gear.

I've never set up a camp myself in Japan, but I can try to remember what my parents did when they took me camping as a child.

"One thing people often forget is water. You use a lot of water when you're active, so it's important to gather information about water sources in advance. If the water source dries up, it can be life-threatening."

"Isn't there a water magic called 'Water Creation'?"

"Yes, it's very convenient. However, relying solely on it is risky. In an emergency, if the person who can use water magic is incapacitated or out of mana, it could be dangerous."

"…True."

I don't want to think about such situations, but redundancy is necessary.

Lifeline-related magic should be learned by everyone who can. Haruka and I can learn it, and Yuki can learn water magic.

Even with our magic bags, if these three were in a situation where they couldn't get water, it would be almost a total loss.

"Thank you, Dio. We'll prepare accordingly."

"Sure, no problem. Are you going on an expedition?"

"Not a big one, but we have some free time now, so we thought we'd go catch a giant salamander as a break."

"That sounds good. Constant battles can be tiring. Still, be careful, as you'll be outside the city."

"Understood. Thank you."

We said goodbye to Dio, who smiled gently, and toured the shops in town.

We immediately bought rain gear, a tent, and poles.

We put off buying mantles, as it depends on personal preference, but we bought blankets for the number of people. I thought there might be a choice, but there wasn't, so we bought them.

For outdoor use, practicality is more important than color or patterns, and the only difference was in size.

We bought food and a barrel for water, as we didn't need to worry about preservation. We didn't buy cooking utensils since we already had them.

We also bought general items like ropes and cloth.

"Do you think one tent is enough?"

"Normally, we'd separate men and women, but we're not going to a dangerous place. Two of you will be on watch, and you won't need to change clothes, right?"

"True."

We've been changing clothes for adventures and daily life recently, but at first, we wore the same clothes all the time and relied on Haruka's 'Purification' for cleaning. We still use 'Purification' for laundry.

During adventures, we'll probably keep our equipment on to be ready for emergencies.

"Let's put the tent on hold and discuss it."

"Agreed."

We've been sharing rooms at inns, so there's no need to worry about it now, but the situation is different from when we were financially constrained. We should consider it.

"Let's finish the essentials and go buy some leisure items!"

"Leisure items?"

"Fishing rods! Stream fishing. What else?"

What are you talking about? I tilted my head, and Touya clenched his fist and explained with enthusiasm.

Now that he mentioned it, it is a leisure activity. I'm looking forward to the experience after catching fish.

"But, is there a place that sells fishing rods?"

"…I don't remember seeing one."

I haven't seen one either.

There were no fishing shops, and we didn't find any good camping gear at the general stores, so if they sold fishing rods, we would have noticed.

"Let's start with fishing hooks. We can manage without other things. If we go to Gantz, he might know something."

"Agreed."

We went to Gantz's forge with the easy assumption that he would sell metal products.

"Fishing hooks? I don't make those. They don't sell."

"They don't sell?"

"They don't. Who would buy them? There's no place around here where you can fish leisurely."

Gantz said that they might sell in Saarstadt, but there's little demand. They catch fish with nets, and there are territorial issues. If you try to fish from the port, the fishermen will stop you.

There are no fishermen claiming territory near our destination, but only experienced adventurers can fish there leisurely.

And there are almost no adventurers who want to do that, so selling fishing hooks in this town wouldn't be a viable business.

"Then, what about fishing rods?"

"They probably don't sell those either. Just cut a suitable branch from a tree."

I wanted a flexible and sturdy wood like bamboo.

Of course, there would be no reels.

—Would a reel be necessary for stream fishing?

"Fishing hooks, I can have Tommy make them. I'll provide the materials. It might be a good change of pace."

"Thank you, Gantz."

We thanked Gantz, who pointed to the back of the forge, and moved to the workshop. Tommy was working hard on making shovels.

The floor was lined with dozens of shovel tips, and Tommy was hammering a sheet of iron in front of the furnace to shape it into a shovel.

"Tommy"

"Ah, Touya and Naoto. Hello."

We waited for him to finish his work, and Tommy put down his tools, turned to us, and smiled a little tiredly.

"The shovels are selling well, I see?"

"Yes, fortunately. Thanks to that, I got a bonus from Gantz, but I'm starting to get a bit bored making the same thing over and over."

"That's just part of the job. Most jobs involve doing the same thing every day."

"Of course, I understand. It's much better than ending up in the slums."

'Jobs that require doing the same thing every day' can also be described as 'jobs that pay you to do the same thing every day.'

Most ordinary people would end up on the streets if they had to do something new every day to earn money. 'Jobs that allow you to try new things, forgive failures, and pay you' are rare.

"So, what brings you here today?"

"Ah, a request. Can you make fishing hooks?"

"Fishing hooks! Are you going fishing!? That sounds great!"

Tommy's face lit up, and he exclaimed.

"Oh, you like fishing?"

"Yes! Sea fishing and stream fishing. I couldn't go often, though."

Not entirely unexpected.

In Japan, we didn't know each other's hobbies