Chapter 177: Backpacker
“This is the base…”
As she stepped down from the truck’s cargo bed, Nadira couldn’t help but murmur.
This was a campsite frequently used by many adventurers entering the Demon Forest. However, it had now transformed into a splendid forward operating base thanks to the efforts of the Paraiso.
Adventurer parties that had arrived early were gathered in groups, either enjoying their meals or holding strategy meetings.
“Whoa, are you serious? They actually built a fortress like this?”
Reidas exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief. Graver let out a low whistle, clearly impressed.
“This is incredible! Is that fence made of iron? Hey, Reidas, look at that roof! Doesn’t it have glass embedded in it? Just how much did this cost?!”
As a gatherer, Graver seemed particularly interested in the building materials. He shouldered his pack and dashed toward the large roof structure.
“Today, we’ll be meeting the remaining personnel and checking our equipment here. If everything goes smoothly, we’ll depart tomorrow at dawn. You can read the numbers, right? There’s a clock over there. Let’s gather under that large roof at noon. Until then, feel free to explore. Also, we’ll provide meals after we gather, so there’s no need to buy anything.”
“Got it. Salfareas, is it alright if we look around?”
“Of course. If you have any questions, feel free to ask the Paraiso personnel. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
Alpha Salfareas Cosmos conveyed the necessary information and turned on her heel. Though she had no particular tasks, she felt it would be best to pretend to be busy.
Unaware of her reasoning, Reidas and Nadira simply thought she was quite busy and promptly began their tour of the forward base.
“There’s a clock here. It seems a bit extravagant.”
“…I wonder. For the Paraiso folks, it might not be a big deal. After all, they were moving around a massive number of golems. It wouldn’t be surprising if they had a lot of clocks too.”
“…Now that you mention it, that makes sense. Wow, the Paraiso is amazing…”
Even in the underdeveloped Afrasia United Kingdom, there was at least one clock tower in every town. North End City had a few as well. However, they all understood that the mechanism of a clock was incredibly complex and intricate, not something that could be easily made.
Thus, while they accepted the clock tower built right in the center of the forward base, they felt a renewed sense of awe toward the Paraiso for erecting such an expensive structure in the field.
Humans typically understand things they know well faster than those they don’t.
“Let’s check out the shop. I want to know what they have for sale.”
“Right. Depending on the prices, if we can get it here, there’s no need to buy it in town and carry it back.”
With that, the two of them eagerly dashed into the general goods store.
Meanwhile, the three of them ended up being late.
“I’m really sorry… There were so many fascinating things. I just lost track of time…”
“I’m sorry…”
“My apologies. I regret it.”
“I understand that curiosity is a part of exploration. It’s within acceptable limits.”
Salfareas forgave the three who were apologizing profusely with a single statement. In reality, there was no significant issue. The day’s schedule would likely conclude in a few hours, leaving them with free time afterward.
The reason for specifying the time was simply to share the experience of having lunch together.
Data shows that sharing a meal can enhance a sense of camaraderie among people. Since they would be spending a long time together, it was essential to build such connections.
“We have pork and vegetable sandwiches. The drink is fruit juice mixed with sparkling water. There are no plans to serve alcohol.”
“Wow… We get to eat fresh vegetables? Are these being served in the cafeteria?”
“That’s the plan. Since it’s a special occasion, I’d like your honest opinions as well. The only remaining agenda for today is to check our equipment. Please feel free to eat as much as you like, but I would like you to introduce yourselves first.”
Under the large roof, six individuals had gathered.
From the Paraiso side, there were three members of the advance team, and three from the adventurer party.
These six comprised the first unit of the Paraiso’s Demon Forest investigation team.
“I am Krisansamam. Please call me Kris.”
The first to speak was Beta Krisansamam Cosmos. She was also a Communicator, controlled by the strategic AI Cosmos. Her base form resembled a monkey, with human-like ears that were pointed at the top and covered in short fur. She had a long tail that allowed her to grasp objects skillfully.
“I am Atrosanginius. You can call me Atro.”
The other was Alpha Atrosanginius Cosmos, characterized by her brown skin and protrusions jutting out from either side of her forehead. She was based on a lizard-like reptile. The protrusions resembled horns but were actually enlarged and hardened scales. Fine scales also grew around the protrusions. Her tail was thick and robust, serving as a third leg, though it lacked the dexterity of Kris’s.
“Nice to meet you, Kris and Atro. I’m Reidas, the leader of this party. I usually take on the role of scout during our missions.”
“I’m Nadira. I serve as the party’s attacker. Nice to meet you.”
“I’m Graver. I may look like this, but I’m a gatherer. Please be gentle with me.”
“Once again, I’m Salfareas. You can also call me Salfa. I’m the leader of this team.”
After confirming that the introductions were complete, Alpha Salfareas gestured for them to take a seat at the round table.
“Now, let’s continue while we eat. Don’t hesitate to ask for seconds.”
“Ah, I’ll eat as much as I want! This looks delicious!”
True to their nature as practical adventurers, the three of them dove into the sandwiches with gusto. Cosmos assessed that the taste was satisfactory, and the Communicator also began to eat.
This behavior seemed to stem from a slight trauma instilled by the back-and-forth between Ringo and Commander Eve. Perhaps it was a relief that they weren’t being monitored in real-time by Ringo. If it was just a log check, they likely wouldn’t raise any suspicions.
“Delicious! The meat and vegetables are so fresh!”
“The bread is completely different… I can’t quite put it into words, but it’s amazing!”
“The meat is perfectly aged, with just the right amount of salt. The greens are fresh and juicy, and there’s no off-flavor. To have such quality ingredients in this remote area…”
As they enthusiastically praised the meal, the three adventurers continued to stuff their faces. As expected of adventurers, whose bodies were their capital, the pile of sandwiches on the table quickly diminished.
“More, please!”
The Communicator acting as the server brought out another large platter. Though the ingredients were different, it was still a sandwich. The server was a mouse Beastman.
It seemed Ringo was operating various Communicators with different genetic patterns to gather data. Under Cosmos, a diverse array of Communicators had been prepared.
“It was undeniably delicious… I could eat this for every meal…”
“It can also be provided in town. As long as we have the ingredients, anyone can make it. Trade will resume soon, and our diet will become richer.”
As the group basked in the afterglow of their meal, they resumed their work—checking their equipment.
“First, I want to mention that as we enter the Demon Forest, that multi-legged machine over there will accompany us. With that in mind, I’d like to propose our plans for tomorrow and beyond.”
Alpha Salfareas pointed to the multi-legged general-purpose machine stationed at the corner of the premises. It stood about 3 meters long and 1.3 meters tall.
“This is the Backpacker. It has several functions, but primarily, it serves as a pack mule. It can carry ten times the amount of gear that we can individually carry. With that in mind, I’d like to hear your suggestions for tomorrow’s plans.”