Volume 2 - CH 9

Chapter 9 – Tent Rafts and Saber Tiger

In the morning, I wake up fully awake. My body has completely adapted to the morning lifestyle since I came to this world, and since I have to leave at 6:00 a.m., I’m going to get ready early. I prepare, eat breakfast, and head to the dock with my two escorts. It’s a little early, so it looks like Alessia-san and the others haven’t arrived yet.

I float the raft that was delivered to me out to sea and tie it to the Japanese-style boat. Yeah, it’s pretty big… Can it be towed? If not, I guess I can carry it in several pieces. I load the anchor and rope onto the boat.

I fill in the request form for Dino-san and Enrico-san’s escort with the number of days and my signature. If this is submitted to the guild, the money will be deducted from my account.

After a while, the members of Girasole arrived. It’s early in the morning, but they’re a beautiful group of women, fully equipped and looking sharp. I felt out of place around them.

“Good morning, everyone. Nice to see you again.”

“”Good morning.””

Alessia-san and the others greet me cheerfully. They are beautiful, strong, and polite. I can understand why they are so likable.

“We can leave anytime, so please let me know when you’re ready. Also, we’ll be towing the wood by boat, so we may arrive a little late.”

“A little bit won’t be a problem. We’re ready to go, so let’s leave now.”

I knew they wouldn’t be mad at me, but they accepted carrying the wood as normal.

“Understood. Well then, everyone gets on the boat. We’re departing.”

I waved to Dino-san and Enrico-san, and we departed.

Yes, the boat was fast enough, even with the raft in tow. After steering the boat for a while, Alessia-san spoke to me.

“I heard that Wataru-san’s magic boat carries five times as much as other magic boats. That’s amazing.”

“I was also interested in it, so I asked the merchant guild to check it out. Then they told me that the haul was five times as much, and the conversation went on to ask everyone from Girasole for a subspecies of the saber-tiger. I’m sorry since you just got back from the island.”

“It’s okay. The island request is a great way to earn money, and this time they are willing to buy the saber tiger subspecies for a special extra fee. Everyone is very excited. By the way, what are you going to use that wood for?”

“That one? It’s an experiment, so I don’t know if it will work. I’m thinking of using that wood to build a raft in the bay and pitch a big tent. It’s a bit depressing to be in a magic boat all the time.”

“Ara, it would be wonderful if it works.”

Alessia-san complimented me with interest. It’s going to be a tent, but it’s going to be like a cottage on the water. If it works out, it will be wonderful.

“Yes, if it works out, you can all use it. It will be difficult to stay on the island all the time.”

“Can we use it, too? It would be very helpful, but won’t it be a nuisance?”

“It’s totally fine. I want to relax during the daytime, so that is why I am building the raft. The magic boat is big enough to sleep on, so if you get tired, you can use it as much as you want. Well, that is if it works out.”

“Fufu, that’s true. But I would really like you to make it a success.”

“Hahaha, I’ll do my best.”

It seems I gave them a lot of expectations, and it would be awkward if I failed. I’m getting a little nervous.

“Um, Wataru-san, may I ask you something too?”

“Yes, Claretta-san, what is it?”

“I immediately tried the chicken bone soup that Wataru-san taught me. The soup turned out better than usual, but somehow the flavor lacked depth. Would you mind sharing the rest of your secret recipe?”

Come to think of it; the soup-making process was interrupted halfway through.

“You were right. Sorry for the delay. I didn’t have it last time, but I heard that you should cook the green part of this green onion together. I think it is the kelp that adds depth to the flavor.”

“You mean the green onions and these dried board-like things?”

“Yes, it was used as an important flavor enhancer in my hometown. I just discovered it on the southeast island, and it seems to have been effective. So, if you put this kelp in water and leave it in the water, it will give the water a depth of flavor. You can also put it in hot water, but be careful because I heard that if it boils, it gives a bitter taste to the flavor. I will share it with you, so please try it.”

I would be quite happy if kombu dashi spread in this world and the number of dishes I like increases.

“Are you sure? Isn’t it precious?”

“No, it’s seaweed that grows in the sea. It grows quite well in the bay, so it’s not a problem at all. It’s easy to take seaweed and dry it on the beach.”

“Thank you very much. I’ll give it a try.”

Claretta-san thanked me happily. If I can increase my likability to a beautiful woman with something I can get for free, I’m pretty lucky, aren’t I? But now it’s hard for me to do the opposite because I’m afraid of Alessia-san and her fans, even though I’ve earned their liking. While we were chatting leisurely, we reached a difficult point.

“We are going to go into the difficult part. If it gets dangerous, I will detach the wood immediately, so don’t worry.”

“I understand.”

After explaining the situation to Alethea and the others, we proceeded cautiously. We were in a hurry when the wood was about to be pulled into the whirlpool, but we managed to carry the wood safely to the island.

“Thank you very much for the hard work. We managed to arrive safely. Would you like to take a break while I make you a cup of tea?”

“Thank you. Thanks for the tea.”

Alessia-san agreed, so I brewed a pot of tea and took a break.

“It’s delicious. Thank you, Wataru-san. We’re planning to stay for five days this time, but if we can hunt the saber tiger subspecies, I’ll bring them in first, so if the tent is ready, can we take a rest?”

Setting up the tent, huh…? It’s not going to take that long, and as long as there are no accidents, it won’t be a problem.

“Yes, it will be fine. Well, I wouldn’t like it if I had failed, so don’t get your hopes up there.”

“Fufu, I’m looking forward to it. Well then, we are going now.”

When I said, “Don’t get your hopes up,” she replied, “I’m looking forward to it.” What?　Was she trying to catch up with me in conversation? Or did she just put some light pressure on me?

Oh well. I look over at Girasole and check around. …I see that Guido-san and the others are not here today. It’s a little sad. Before I set up the raft, I should prepare the chicken bone soup. Put the chicken bones and leeks in a pot and simmer them over the charcoal fire.

Now, let’s assemble the raft. Alessia-san said she’s looking forward to it, right? It is simple and yet sad, but it gets me motivated. I remove the wood from the Japanese-style boat and assemble it, matching the numbered parts. It’s like a big puzzle. It is too easy because it is numbered.

But when I was in Japan, I certainly couldn’t lift such a big piece of wood. The effect of the level-up is amazing, isn’t it? My strength and stamina are way different.

I managed to assemble the raft before nightfall, threaded a rope through the hole in the raft, and secured it firmly in place. I tied an anchor to the thick rope, dropped it into the sea, and the raft was complete. It’s getting dark, so I’ll leave the tent for tomorrow.

Returning to the Japanese-style boat, I take the lye out of the pot and roast some bread and dried meat over the charcoal fire. It was a bit of a simple meal, but I was tired, so that was enough for today. Let’s have dinner and go to bed. Oh, I’d better soak the kelp in water for tomorrow.

＊＊＊

I went to bed early and woke up before dawn. I packed up, put the pot back on the fire, and ate the same simple breakfast that I had prepared last night. The sun had risen, so it was time to pitch the tent.

First, I put down a tarp-like piece of monster leather over the entire raft to prevent water from coming up to the raft. I drilled holes in the metal fittings and fixed the tent to the fittings with ropes… It’s big, so the framework is strong, and the raft and the tent are secured well.

I can’t say for sure without trying it, but the atmosphere seems like it would be a success. There is space outside the tent, so if I put a table and chairs, it could be an open terrace on the sea. Next time, I’ll buy one.

Stylish island life. Elegant tea on an open terrace on the sea… The building is a tent, but it might just barely be elegant?

I put the Japanese-style boat next to the raft and unloaded the luggage to be used in the tent. Can I put a pot with a charcoal fire in the tent? It’s hot, so should I leave it outside the tent? I also want to be able to secure the pots.

I’ll put a blanket inside the tent and put the dishes on it. I’ll put some food in the boat just in case. The tent is ready, and the chicken bone soup looks good. Let’s make vegetable soup in a pot. After preparing the vegetables, I put the kelp water and dried meat in the pot and put it on the charcoal fire.

Now that the preparations are done, let’s train and play with the slime. I have a big space from today, so I can play with them as much as I want.

After finishing the training and having a quick lunch, I go looking for the slime. I quickly find a blue slime and secure it. Is there another one? …Unfortunately, I don’t see any. I wanted to secure a couple of slimes and play around in the tent, but I guess I should give up… and go back to the tent.

Yeah, it’s still easier to act when it’s wider. I played with slimes as much as I wanted in the spacious tent. I feel safer than in the southern city.

While I was lazing around in the tent with the slime in my arms, I heard the sound of a boat. Whoa, that magic boat must be Guido-san. I waved to him, and he waved back. After dropping the adventurers off on the beach, he turned around and pulled his boat up to the tent.

“Oh, Wataru. What’s this? How did you manage to transport it?”

Guido-san seems very interested in this tent raft. He is a little excited.

“I had it made in the Southern City, disassembled it, and brought it here. I’m very proud of it.”

Donino-san is the one who actually made it, though.

“I see. But I’m amazed you managed to get over the difficult part with it. May I take a look inside?”

Guido-san is checking out the raft with great interest. It’s more appealing than I thought it would be.

“Yes, it’s fine. It’s just a regular tent inside, though.”

After I gave him permission, Guido-san hurriedly entered the tent.

“Oh, it’s spacious enough. It’s definitely more comfortable than waiting in a magic boat. Wataru, can you introduce me to the shipbuilder who built it? I’ll bring the rest of it up to the difficult part, and you can help me get over the difficult part. I want this one too.”

No, I just wanted to brag, but I didn’t realize the conversation would suddenly progress to the point of buying it. It must have been really painful for him to be waiting on the magic boat.

“Yes, that’s fine, but I just made it, and it hasn’t even been a day. There might be some unexpected flaws, so can we wait and see how it goes for a while?”

“Really? It looks sturdy from the looks of it, but… well, if it’s safe until Wataru returns this time, introduce it to me.”

“I understand. What about the others?”

“I think Carlo and Daniel will want it. I don’t know about Barnabas; he will go into the forest soon.”

“Well, if all goes well, the bay will be lined with tents.”

“Yes, this space will be comfortable and spacious. It seems like it will keep you warm in winter. Thank you, Wataru.”

“No, no, we haven’t succeeded yet, so please give me credit if it works out.”

“Yes.”

“I’ve been wondering about you for a while now, Guido-san. What do you think if we take a big ship to the difficult place and then use a magic boat that can pass through the difficult spot to go back and forth between the ship and the island, we can carry more people and more cargo?”

I don’t think the current way is very efficient, no matter how you look at it.

“I heard that guilds have done it in the past. But this island is full of strong monsters, and low-ranked adventurers just die. Even if they were seriously injured, there was no way to leave the other adventurers behind and return to the Southern City, and the island’s monsters seemed to gather as the number of adventurers increased, so it ended in failure.”

“I see; there are a lot of things that can go wrong. If it works out, I thought we could make the raft bigger and maybe build a wooden house.”

I think a tent is not a bad idea, but it would be safer to have a solid dwelling.

“Hmm, the bay is calm this time of year, but storms do come in on rare occasions. A raft and tent like this one can be taken down quickly, and it wouldn’t hurt to lose it, but if you spend too much money on it, you’ll have a hard time when you lose it. I think it’s better to keep it about this size and add only what is necessary.”

“A storm is coming, huh? Then we’ll just keep it the way it is for a while and see how it goes.”

Storms are dangerous, aren’t they? It is true that a tent can be taken down immediately, so it is easier to deal with emergencies. I think it’s better not to be too greedy.

Guido-san returned to his magic boat, so I played with the slime again and ate a meal. I check the tame skill, but I still can’t get it. Is it okay as it is now?

＊＊＊

On the third day, while I was still doing my daily training and playing with the slime, Daniel-san and, a little later, Carlo-san came to the island. Both of them wanted to see this tent raft and asked me to introduce them to the shipbuilder.

As I told Guido-san, I asked them to keep an eye on it until the last day of the trip. But they wanted it soon, so they made me promise to order it first when I returned to the Southern City if the raft was safe until I left. If they want it so badly, that makes me happy.

When Guido-san and the others returned to their magic boat and were preparing dinner, Alessia-san and the others returned after hunting a subspecies of saber tigers. I boiled some water and hurried to pick them up.

“Welcome back. Are you hurt?”

“We’re back; everyone’s fine.”

Behind Alessia-san’s smiling face, there was a big monster… As expected, Alessia-san and the others are very strong.

“Amazing, isn’t it? Is this a subspecies of the saber tiger? …It’s cool. I’m sorry, I’ll carry it. Please relax in the tent for now.”

“Fufu, thank you.”

I loaded the saber tiger subspecies with Alessia-san and the others and headed for the tent.

After carrying the saber tiger subspecies to the terrace for the time being, I lead everyone into the tent.

“Wow, it’s quite spacious. And it doesn’t shake too much.”

Alessia-san spins around with her arms outstretched. This is a beautiful woman’s childish gesture…

“I stayed here yesterday, and so far, it’s very cozy. Here you go, a hand towel and a cup of tea.”

I quickly prepared hand towels and tea with the hot water I had prepared and handed them out to everyone. I was like such a capable man.

“Thank you.”

“What about dinner?”

“Thank you. I’d like to have it, but first, I’d like to wipe myself off. Is that okay?”

“Oh, yes. You are free to use this hot water. I will go to the boat, so please call me when you are done.”

I was in a panic because of the suddenness of the situation. I was so full of guilty feelings that I couldn’t help but nod at Ilma-san, who said, “Ufufufu, do you want to see?”

If a bewitching fox-eared, big-breasted beauty said such a thing to me, I would get a nosebleed just from that. It’s dangerous.

I managed to keep my composure and moved away from the tent with the Japanese-style boat. From the tent, I could hear the joyful voices; why didn’t God give me the power of clairvoyance rather than a ship summoning?

If I could see God again, could I ask him for clairvoyant skills? I’ll ask him seriously when I pray at the church. Maybe he will make it come true.

“Thank you for waiting, Wataru-san.”

I was seriously thinking about how to acquire the clairvoyant skill, but Dorothea-san’s voice calling me brought me back to my senses.

“Yes, I’m coming back.”

When I returned to the tent, I found that everyone had removed their equipment, wiped themselves clean, and were relaxed and at ease.

“Dinner is the same as last time. Is that okay?”

“Yes, I enjoyed that soup so much; I would be happy to have it.”

“I’ll prepare it for you.”

“I will help you.”

Claretta-san offered to help me, and I asked her to toast the bread over the fire. In the meantime, I prepared the dishes and poured the soup.

When I finished preparing the soup, I said, “Here you go,” and she said, “Let’s eat together, Wataru-san.” I wondered if I should eat with them, but since I was going to the trouble, I agreed to join them. It was too good an event to pass up, dining with a group of relaxed and beautiful women.

“The soup is delicious after all. I am amazed at how much depth of flavor this kelp brings to the soup.”

It seems that Claretta-san has come to appreciate the beauty of kelp. It made me happy. Dashi is the heart of the Japanese people. …Although I don’t have such a delicate sense of taste.

“Yes, it’s really delicious.”

Everyone eats it with relish. Again, Carla-san is sad when she finishes eating, so I pour her another serving. Carla-san is cute as she happily says thank you.

Even though she is tall and beautiful with a great style, Carla-san is kind of cute, isn’t she? I feel healed when I look at her. She seems to generate positive energy.

“Thank you for the food.”

After finishing the food, I served them dried fruits and tea and asked them to relax. Oh, Dorothea-san is rubbing the slime. I forgot all about slime.

Eh? Wait a minute. Was that slime in the tent when Girasole was changing clothes? Slime is cute. Yes, it’s cute, but somehow I can’t forgive it. But it’s cute. My thoughts are confused. The brown-skinned beauty playing with the slime is a sight to behold. Thank you very much.

“Wataru-san, this tent is nice too. Until now, we couldn’t rest because it was too cramped back on the magic boat, so we had to camp on the island. But here, we can rest in comfort. Are you sure you don’t mind if we use it?”

Alessia-san complimented the tent. To be honest, I’m more pleased with this than being praised by Guido-san and the others.

“Yes, you are free to use it as you please.”

Alessia-san and the others will probably only use it for a day or so, and it is not that hard to sleep in the Japanese-style boat when I sleep. Then it would be better to give priority to customers.

“Thank you very much. I will use it occasionally.”

“Yes, anytime you want. Oh, Alessia-san, what are your plans for tomorrow? The schedule was for five days, but the request is finished, isn’t it?”

“Yes, we can take a good rest. We could go into the forest for two more days, but we also hunted a subspecies of saber tigers… so maybe we should go back while things are still a little better? What do you girls think?”

The party meeting has started. Shall I wash the dishes?

“Since it is the Southern Count’s request, we decided to return as soon as possible. We can leave tomorrow morning if you don’t mind.”

That’s right. If it’s a request from a high-ranking person, it’s better to take care of it as soon as possible. It will be troublesome if he gets offended.

“I understand. Then, I’m going back to the boat for departure tomorrow. Oh, Dorothea-san, can you hand me the slime?”

“Slime is surprisingly cute.”

Dorothea-san found the slime attractive. I’d like to keep on spreading it around at this rate.

“I’m glad there are people who understand. Well then, good night, everyone.”

After exchanging goodnight greetings with Alessia-san and the others, I left the tent. Well, I’m going to return the slime to the forest and go to bed… Oh, and since we’re going back tomorrow, I should talk to Guido-san and the others. I pull up to the small boat where the three of them are and call out to them.

“Everyone, I will be back in the morning. What do you want me to do about the tents and rafts?”

“Oh, order them. What about you guys?”

“”Please.””

“I understand. Well, I’ll let Donino-san know, and you can check on it when you get back.”

“Oh, thanks.”

The tent rafts are very popular, aren’t they? Will it make Donino-san very happy? Well, I think he would be pleased because of the profit.

＊＊＊

Morning. I need to get ready and go to… hmm, Alessia-san and the others seem to be still sleeping, so it’s not a good idea to get close to them. I should wait until they wake up.

After a while, Marina-san came out of the tent, and I called out to her.

“Marina-san, good morning.”

“Good morning, Wataru-san. I’m going to wake up the others, so please wait for a while.”

“Take your time; it’s alright.”

If one of them wakes up, we can avoid the situation where everyone oversleeps. That alone is quite comforting.

“Thank you.”

Marina-san woke everyone up, and soon everyone was awake, so we decided to have breakfast. Well, it’s just a quick vegetable soup and bread left over from yesterday, but Alessia-san and the others are happy with it, so I’m a little glad.

After a simple breakfast, we moved the saber-tiger subspecies to the Japanese-style boat, and we all boarded the Japanese-style boat.

“Then we are off.”

＊＊＊

I safely made it through the difficult part of the route and returned to the Southern City. At this point, I made a painful mistake.

The contrast between gold and black, shining in the sunlight… a subspecies of saber tigers, glinting and shimmering, entered the Southern City majestically… too conspicuous, I thought.

As a result, the port was in an uproar. We should have at least covered it with a cloth… I am really dumb.