Chapter 99

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

We caught a large number of yamame trout.

After trying them, they were quite delicious, so we decided to extend our stay by one night to stock up.

"Well, this is our first camping trip... We have to take turns keeping watch, right?"

"Given the current situation, that's the only option. If my time-space magic level were a bit higher, there's a spell called 'Sanctuary' that we could use..."

My current time-space magic is at level 3. 'Sanctuary' becomes available at level 4. In this world, being able to use 'Sanctuary' means you're at level 4.

This spell limits what can enter the designated area. At a low level, it's only effective as a bug repellent (which is still quite beneficial), but when mastered, it can completely block certain monsters.

Even if it can't block them, the caster can tell when something has entered, so there's no need to set up a watch, which is a significant advantage.

By the way, at level 5, there's a spell called 'Isolation Zone' that completely isolates an area, but it doesn't even let air through, so it's quite dangerous in a sense.

"Naoto and I will be separate, and the girls will split into two groups. What do you think?"

"Let's just play rock-paper-scissors."

Since it's not a big issue, we adopted Yuki's suggestion.

As a result, Haruka and I were paired up first, followed by Toya, Natsumi, and Yuki as a group of three.

"Alright, Natsumi and the others, go to sleep quickly."

"Yes, if we go to sleep now, we can get about 5 or 6 hours of sleep."

"It would be fun to chat around the campfire, but there's no choice, I guess."

"Hey, you guys talked a lot during the day, didn't you!"

Toya pointed out to Yuki, who looked a bit disappointed.

I understand Yuki's feelings, but I agree with Toya. I'm amazed at how much they can talk.

"The night setting is nice... but, in a sense, sleeping is also part of the job. As adventurers."

While saying this, Yuki followed Natsumi into the tent, and Toya went in last.

It's probably around 7 PM, as the sun has just set.

If we take turns keeping watch for 5 or 6 hours, Haruka and I can get about the same amount of sleep until dawn. With three shifts, we could get even more sleep, but for a few days, this amount should be fine.

"Still, just sitting here for 5 or 6 hours is going to be boring."

I whispered to Haruka, who had just sat down next to me again.

The tent we bought is somewhat thick and waterproof, but it has no soundproofing, so we can't chat to pass the time.

"True, the only thing we can do is skill training, I guess?"

But that's limited to things that don't make noise.

For me, that would be [Scouting] or magic-related training, and maybe walking around the area using [Stealth].

"By the way, how will we know when it's time to switch? It's hard to judge 5 or 6 hours just by feeling."

Since coming here, my sense of time has improved, and I've become more sensitive to natural phenomena like the sun, but I'm not confident I can judge 5 or 6 hours at night.

"It's fine tonight because we can see the stars, but we really need a clock."

"Are they expensive?"

In Raphan, bells ring at regular intervals, but I've never seen a clock.

There are no clocks in stores or restaurants, and no clock towers exist.

Perhaps they're not necessary for city life, but since I've never seen one, I imagine they're not cheap.

"They're so expensive that ordinary people wouldn't even consider buying one. Since they're made through alchemy, it's better to gather the materials and make one yourself. For measuring intervals, there are hourglasses, but they're also quite expensive."

"Because they're made of glass."

The existence of magic and alchemy has led to the widespread use of glass, but it's still not cheap. An hourglass, which requires delicate work, is more of a craft item than a simple tool.

"Well, leave the timekeeping to me. Naoto, you can do whatever training you like, as long as you don't sleep."

"Understood."

I'll take Haruka's offer and start with [Scouting].

Patrolling makes some noise, and using magic might be detected by Yuki. It wouldn't be good to disturb someone who's just falling asleep.

[Scouting] is completely passive, using neither magic nor sound, so it won't disturb sleep.

I closed my eyes and began to explore the area with [Scouting].

First, the river. Unlike during the day, it's very quiet. The yamame are probably sleeping, but there are a few active responses. Perhaps nocturnal fish or amphibians.

Frogs are also making noise, so it's quite loud. Thinking about the Great Salamander, it might be easier to find one now, but it's probably not worth the effort.

Considering its size, it likely has a territory, making it difficult to catch many in one place.

Next, I focused on the forest. There are quite a few nocturnal animals moving around, but their responses are not strong enough to pose a threat to us. Still, we need to be cautious.

When I told Haruka this, she thought for a moment and said:

"Maybe wolves? There are nocturnal wolves in this forest, right?"

"Apparently. They don't often attack people."

"They probably understand the risk. If they have the same habits as in our original world, a pack would have no more than 10 members. Camping in the forest is something only adventurers do, and attacking them would almost certainly result in several wolves being killed."

Unless they're completely defenseless, there's no reason for wolves to attack armed adventurers.

It's safer and easier to hunt deer.

By the way, a wolf pack's territory is about 10 to 30 square kilometers, so they don't attack in large numbers.

Their ecology is different from that of monsters that build settlements under higher beings. Thankfully. I like dogs and don't want to kill them unnecessarily.

Their fur can be sold, but there's no need to hunt them.

For the next few hours, I spent time training in [Scouting], magic, and [Stealth].

The first two were fine, but Haruka didn't like the [Stealth] training, which involved walking around the area. Since it's not something we usually do, I plan to continue it in the future.

◇ ◇ ◇

The next morning, when Haruka and I were woken by Yuki and emerged from the tent, breakfast was already prepared.

Yuki and the others had nothing much to do in the middle of the night, so they leisurely prepared breakfast.

However, Toya, who couldn't help with the cooking, was doing strength training and was drenched in sweat, so Haruka used 'Purification' on him in the morning.

Toya said, "You're really considerate!" but I think Haruka just didn't want to see a sweaty Toya at breakfast.

"This morning, I made a soup with fish and wild herbs, and added something like udon."

"Are there wild herbs?"

"Yes. Toya-kun picked water celery from the river. The rest are edible leaves I gathered from the forest."

That's convenient.

But the pot smelled good, and the soup looked delicious.

The chunks of yamame had been salted and dried overnight.

"The udon-like thing was made by me. Please forgive the short length."

It seems Yuki made the udon out of boredom.

The noodles are less than 20 centimeters long because she used a cutting board instead of a rolling pin or a wide board.

"If it's delicious, the length doesn't matter."

"I haven't tasted it yet, but it shouldn't be bad, right?"

"Let's give it a try, then."

"Yeah, my stomach has been growling since earlier."

That's because you've been doing strength training all night.

I walked around stealthily for a long time, but Toya did even more. It wasn't noisy, so it wasn't a problem.

"Let's eat, then."

"Let's eat."

We all said it together and took a sip of the soup.

Yeah, it's delicious.

The base is a salty flavor with a few spices, and the soup is good thanks to the broth from the yamame.

Compared to the mild wild herbs that Natsumi probably gathered, the water celery has a stronger aroma, which adds a nice accent.

The udon, except for its short length, is as good as frozen Sanuki udon. The texture is slightly inferior, but considering the environment, it's well done.

"...How is it?"

"Delicious. Both the udon and the soup."

I answered Yuki, who looked worried, with a smile.

It's a comforting, Japanese-like taste.

I don't dislike bread, but eating it all the time gets boring.

"True. Fish broth is something I haven't had in a long time. It's delicious."

"Since it's getting colder, we could make dried fish for broth."

So far, we haven't found kelp or bonito flakes, so Natsumi apparently wants to find something to use for broth in the future. Of course, I'm happy to help for delicious meals.

"We could also use dried shiitake mushrooms, but they're expensive, right?"

"Yes, they're a luxury item. They're not cultivated."

I asked Natsumi about the price, and it seems buying them for broth is a bit too expensive.

No, it's not just a matter of price. They're not affordable for everyday cooking.

"In a city near the sea, fish might be cheaper?"

"Maybe, but the distance is a problem. It would take several days from here, so it's not practical to go just to buy fish."

There are no shared carriages, so we'd have to make our own carriage or walk, which would be a tough journey.

Of course, we'd have to camp along the way, and there are dangers from monsters and bandits.

At least, it's not realistic to go just to buy fish.

"Hmm, we need to catch more fish to bring back for delicious meals!"

"Yes, that's right."

"No objections!"

We all showed our enthusiasm for fishing.

Thank you for reading.

Since the writing is a bit slow, I will update four times a week on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.

If you were looking forward to it, I apologize.