Chapter One Hundred and Three: The Start of Our Day Camp at Rhielle Lake!
After that, we all drank, ate, and slept like logs…
Now, under a clear blue sky, I’m driving along the side of the Large Highway in the Camping Car… It’s amazing that despite how much everyone drank, no one has a hangover or seems sleep-deprived!
Today, Ms. Aria is in the passenger seat. She said she wanted to try it out. Her ice-colored eyes are sparkling as she enjoys the ride and the scenery outside the window.
As for Gomamiso, it’s curled up under the passenger seat, at Ms. Aria’s feet, taking a lazy nap. It’s either thick-skinned or… well, I guess it’s better than it puking or causing a fuss.
“Amazing! So fast!”
“At this pace, we should reach Rhielle Lake before noon. Shall we have lunch by the lakeside?”
“Yes! Yes! I’m looking forward to the food!”
Maybe I’ve gotten more used to driving in this world, as I can now maintain a decent speed even on side roads. It took about three hours to get from Rhielle Lake to the town of Ellarge with Mr. Ville, but this time, we might arrive a bit earlier at the lake. Well, the fish might not be very active during the day, so I’m not sure if I’ll catch anything, but I have plenty of food on hand, so it should be fine.
As we bump along the side road following the navigation, the scenery gradually changes from mostly forest to grassland.
Ah, yes. This is how it looked!
“Rhielle Lake… I wonder if you’ll catch any fish?”
“Well… that’s hard to say… I’m not exactly an expert, you know…”
“I’ll cheer for you, so you can catch fish!”
Faced with those expectant ice-colored eyes, I wanted to say "Of course, I’ll catch some!" but… I don’t quite have the skills to back up that claim… But despite my noncommittal response, Ms. Aria don’t seem disappointed or let down. She smiles and clenches her fist, ready to cheer me on.
This kind of thing really makes me happy, and I’m grateful… Everyone here is genuinely such a good person…!
In the living area behind us, the men seem to be chatting about something. I can’t make out what they’re talking about over the engine noise, but judging by their cheerful expressions, it must be a pleasant topic.
“Alright! Is this spot good? I think this is about where I was last time…”
“That was fast…! We’re already here!”
“Thinking that we’d have to camp out for days if we were on foot, this is really an impressive skill…!”
“I don’t think this could be considered useless, does it?”
As I park the Camping Car in a place that looks vaguely familiar, everyone gets out of the vehicle with a half-dazed expression.
Apparently, the two-legged dinosaur carriages—or simply put, dragon carts—pulled by veloxers that I saw in town on the first day are fast too, but they’re quite expensive. In that regard, with me around, the Camping Car can be used as much as we like!
I get a safe life in this world, and everyone gets transportation and food… I think it’s a pretty win-win situation, right?
…No, but if I’m just cooking meals whenever I want and still getting this kind of treatment, aren’t I the one benefiting more here…? Well, to address this potential imbalance, I’ll have to put even more effort into cooking!
“Rin! We were discussing it in the Camping Car, and we thought we’d patrol the area and gather some branches for firewood while we were at it. How does that sound?”
“Oh, can I ask you to do that?”
“Yeah. We’ll leave Aria as your guard, so we’re counting on you for the setup and food preparation! We had a light breakfast, so everyone’s probably starving.”
“Got it! I’ll make sure to prepare something filling!”
I felt a light tap on my shoulder and turned around to see Mr. Ville, lightly armored and armed.
Ah. So that’s what they were talking about in the living area earlier. I’m very grateful! I’ll gladly accept!
Gathering firewood is quite tough… you can’t carry much at once because it’s so bulky… In return, I’ll make sure to cook a meal with enough calories to match the firewood gathering effort!
“Alright! First, I’ll set up camp… and then gather some ingredients!”
‘Me too! I’ll help out too! I can lend a paw!’
“Okay. Then, Gomamiso, please keep watch from the top of the car! I’ll handle the camp setup.”
‘Watch duty! I’m good at that!’
Gomamiso, who has finally woken up, scurries around at my feet.
Afraid I might accidentally kick or step on it, I asked it to keep watch from a high place. Puffing out its chest proudly, Gomamiso leaped onto the roof and immediately started its watchman duties.
Miso can be so cute when it’s obedient like this…
“Rin! I help too!”
“Thank you! Let’s do it together!”
As I feel a tug on the hem of my clothes, I look down to see Ms. Aria staring at me with an excited expression. What’s this… she looks like a child who can’t wait for the camping to start… There’s not much to set up, but I can’t ignore this innocent enthusiasm…!
I wasn’t planning to, but maybe we should take out the aluminum table and chairs too…
Anyway, as I start taking out the necessary cooking equipment like the portable grill and ash container from the storage, I rack my brain trying to think of tasks for Ms. Aria.
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