CH 6.2

On the first day, our original plan was just to travel, so that we were able to camp without problem. Speaking of camping, for some reason, tents were not common in this world. So, we simply slept wrapped in blankets under trees or large rocks that seemed to protect us from rain.

Tents are not used because they take up a lot of space as luggage, and fabric that can prevent rain from seeping through is very expensive, which in turn makes tents expensive as well. It's like inviting thieves to attack you if you're using an expensive tent. For merchants who travel with guards, tents may be a luxury, but for adventurers who have to do everything themselves, tents are considered unnecessary.

Portable food is the norm for meals. When I first arrived in this world, I didn't even have any portable food, so it was quite nostalgic to chase after a big rabbit and manage to have a meal.

Even now, when hunting with Lidell, our lunch is portable food. It's not like a proper bento; it's more like boiling bread or dried meat and making soup, just enough to satisfy our hunger.

This is normal for adventurers. If they happen to catch prey along the way, they cook and eat it, but if not, they rely on portable food without going out to hunt. So, the fact that tonight's meal is not portable food but a cooked meal is just a coincidence.

"Delicious! I never expected to have such a tasty meal outdoors!"

Surprisingly, Marcus, the spearman, was skilled at cooking. Thanks to him, we were able to have a proper meal instead of bland portable food.

"Hahaha! It's rewarding to see their faces when they enjoy my cooking. These guys don't even have a word of gratitude, though."

"What are you talking about? It's because of you, who refuses to eat portable food if possible, that we're forced to pay high food expenses. Even if it's not great, portable food would have been better."

Marcus seems to be a food enthusiast. It's a shame for Bearded Guy, but it's worth making an effort to cover the food expenses.

Three weeks have passed since I came to this world, and I suddenly start craving the dishes from my original world. In the town of Grimoire, I haven't seen any rice. They only have wheat, and it's mostly rye. The staple food in this world is meat or rye bread, and I haven't come across rice or noodles, which I'm craving.

Whenever I see Bearded Guy in the tavern in Grimoire, he always seems to be drinking. However, he doesn't drink while on duty, and instead, he's making tactics and checking equipment for the battle with the monsters we'll encounter tomorrow. Since the tactics don't include me and Lidell, we feel a bit left out, but to avoid getting in the way, we listen carefully to what he has to say.

"Then Akito and I will take the watch duty."

"That would be appreciated."

With Bearded Guy's approval, I took the first night shift, and Lidell took over halfway through. Since we weren't counted in the battle headcount, it wouldn't feel like we did our job if we didn't contribute in some way.

Everyone settled down to sleep. Amidst the crackling of the campfire, the chirping of insects, and occasionally the distant howls of monsters, it reminded me of the day I arrived in this world.

Have I become stronger compared to back then? In terms of physical strength, there's no doubt that I've grown, but I also feel like I've become more aware of how easy to die. However, it's probably because of that feeling that I want to become even stronger.

Just like the flickering light of the campfire, my heart was also swaying.

The next day, we arrived at the location where the giant bear, our target was spotted. The journey went without any issues, and I bombarded Cloyd with questions about magic. Of course, I made sure not to trouble Cloyd too much, so as not to be labeled as a nuisance.

As a result, albeit a bit late, I realized that I should handle my magic with more caution. Cloyd called it Lost Magic, but it seems I haven't been using what can truly be called magic. So, even if someone asks what I've been using, I wouldn't be able to answer right now. However, considering that my Strengthening Magic, Strength Body, is yielding the desired effects, I didn't consider it a failure.

I am an irregular existence in this world. Therefore, there is a possibility that magic is also irregular. Although I don't necessarily hide the fact that it is a necessary power, I wouldn't go out of my way to let others know.

"Does it feel like we're getting closer to the forest?"

"The forest that was originally far from the main road seems to have spread and come closer. They said that magic nest might closer to this way"

According to Lidell, the magic nest we're currently traveling wasn't originally forest. At some point, a magical fault—the core source of magic power—suddenly appeared, and as a result, the plants grew rapidly and formed the Magic Nest.

By the way, Magic Nest doesn't necessarily mean a forest. It can appear in ancient cities, turning them into labyrinths, or convert caves into dungeons.

The current road we're on is on the east side of the Magic Nest called Kasion. If you go north, you'll reach the town of Grimoire, and if you go south, you'll arrive at the port town of Heres.

Since we are heading south on the road, the Kasion Forest continues on our right, and to the left is a peaceful grassland that stretches to the horizon. It's quite a distance, and when I think that beyond this grassland lies the commercial city of Canaan, I feel a bit exasperated.

If I become rich, I'll have to build a railway... For that, I guess I'll need a steam engine, even if electricity is out of the question. No, wait, there's magic here, right? In that case...

"Hey, Lidell. Are there any means of transportation faster than carriages or flying vehicles?"

"It would be more accurate to say that they are not non-existent due to lack of opportunity, but they do exist in some form. For example, there are teleportation-based magic or knight orders in the western empire that tame flying dragons to travel through the sky."

"Teleportation magic and dragon cavalry!?"

"Dragon cavalry? Did Akito come from the west?"

Now that I think about it, I didn't mention that part, nor did I make it up. I've said something careless...

"No, a merchant told me about it when they came to the village."

"Merchants travel across countries, you see. Gathering information whenever you have the chance can be useful later on."

I hesitated to lie to Lidell, who had been kind to me, but until I meet Lysette and confirm the information that should be conveyed to this world and the information that should be kept secret, it wasn't wise to speak too freely.

"But still, being able to ride a dragon... I admire that!"

"In the empire, some people even aspire to become knights for that reason."

However, I've never heard of flying through the sky using magic, and even Cloyd didn't know about it. Even without magic, it seemed reasonable to have something like hang gliders if not airplanes. But there doesn't seem to be anything like that. If people were flying in airplanes or similar vehicles, it might look like magic. By the way, I remember Clarke's Third Law stating that sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

As we continued our conversation, the road nearly abutted against the forest, and as a result, our conversation dwindled while tension grew.

The road, which had been continuing straight, disappeared into the forest about 100 meters ahead, revealing that the road was designed to circumvent the forest. In this world, due to the presence of "Magic Nest" this forests, it was safe to say that there were no roads that passed through other forests.

While the visibility on the grassland side was decent, the forest side had poor visibility, making movement with caution against monster attacks was nerve-wracking. It had turned into a situation where we would even startle by a small animals occasionally jumping out at us.

It seemed that we would reach Tomulina Village, where we had issued the subjugation request, in about an hour, but we didn't plan to go all the way to Tomulina Village. We had decided to continue reconnaissance by retracing our steps after walking for a while.

The last reported damage caused by a giant bear was about a week ago, so there was a possibility that it was no longer in this area. Therefore, it was necessary to start by searching for signs to see if the giant bear was still around.

While the relationship between "Magic Nest" and the forest was not fully understood, many theories suggested that the magical energy generated by Magic Nest facilitated the growth of nature. By nature, we mean the flora and fauna, and it is said that animals mutated under the influence of magical energy and becoming monsters.

Strong monsters prefer strong magic, so they are usually found in the center of the Magic Nest. This giant bear, which belongs to the D-rank, is a powerful monster and wouldn't normally venture out to the outskirts of the Magic Nest.

In this case, there are two possibilities: either it has moved to another Magic Nest or adventurers who went deep inside the nest have brought it along while tying escape from it.

It is recommended to form a party to kill the giant bear. The relationship between adventurer rank and monster rank indicates that adventurers of the same rank as the monster, with an appropriate party composition, can successfully defeat it. Since the adventurers are of D-rank, it should be possible to defeat the bear if they are in their best condition. That's why Bearded Guy took on the request. However, if they are caught off guard or ill-prepared, the battle would become extremely challenging, and they should avoid engaging it.

It seems that having a mage in the party who is one rank higher is advantageous, so Bearded Guy confidently stated that it wouldn't be a problem to fight the giant bear this time.

By the way, I am still F-rank. Moreover, it's just me and Lidell in this party. We both don't have a dedicated attacker or a magic, and we don't have any skill to use healing magic. If we encounter the giant bear alone, running away would be our best option.

However, the giant bear is faster and more ferocious Bearded Guy said, so running away might not be a good idea. We'll have to assess the situation and make a judgment call.

Depending on the situation, if we spend several days exploring this area and cannot find any traces of the giant bear, we will report to the Adventurer's Guild that it has either already moved or returned deep into the forest. In this case, it wouldn't be considered a failed request, but the reward would be minimal, covering only the expenses.

As for Bearded Guy and the others, they plan to kill the bear as possible. If they report to the Adventurer's Guild that they couldn't find it, and then the giant bear will causes more damage, it would reflect poorly on the party's activities. So to avoid such trouble, it's best to go ahead and kill the giant bear.

Finding it before it finds us was a challenging task. Being inexperienced, I received demands like improving my hiding skills or I should be able to conceal my presence, as if I could become a ninja. I hope I won't get scolded every time I make a mistake.

As for Lidell, he handled everything smoothly. I wonder if there is anything he can't do or is not good at.