Chapter 69: A Thorough Cleanup
“…No, no, no, this is just a regular house.”
After a long silence, Frist, the leader, finally managed to voice his thoughts.
“It’s quite comfortable, isn’t it?”
“Well, that’s true, but that’s not the point.”
“…Is the Magic Power okay?”
Following Frist, the magician Milka asked with a worried expression.
“It’s fine. I’m used to it.”
It’s just another day for me, so there’s no problem.
“Hehe, but you took your time and made it extra nice this time, didn’t you?”
Rio chimed in with a small voice, and she was absolutely right. I had put in a bit more effort than usual to show off.
“…Can I take a look inside?”
“I want to see too!”
Unable to contain his curiosity, Frist spoke up, and the scout Emily raised her hand as well.
“Of course, go ahead.”
“Yay!”
“If anyone else wants to join, feel free.”
As I opened the door and stepped inside, I used light magic to float a light source in the air. The room wasn’t very large, just enough for sleeping. With a space of about four tatami mats, it felt cramped with six people inside, especially with a double bed-sized platform taking up most of the room.
“…More magic. Don’t you have a lamp or something?”
“Where’s this?”
Emily pointed to another door. There was nothing to hide, so I said, “Go ahead,” granting her permission.
“Eh…? Could it be a bath!?”
After a moment of hesitation upon opening the door, she correctly guessed.
“That’s right. We like to keep clean.”
In this world, baths do exist, but it seems the habit of bathing isn’t as common as it is in Japan. Perhaps it’s because soap is relatively expensive.
“Is the water heated by magic?”
“Yes, it is.”
I left the explanation of the bath to Rio and began to prepare the bedding. I took out some fur and laid it on the platform that served as our bed. I really wanted a luxurious bed soon. Since we were in a commercial nation, we should gather some nice things.
“Wow, this is a luxurious campsite.”
Frist placed his hand on his forehead, as if he was at a loss.
“Is it really?”
“Of course! It’s fine now, but think about camping in winter or during the rain; you won’t find such a comfortable space anywhere.”
Meanwhile, the quiet swordsman Ramberto was tapping the wall to check its sturdiness.
“…It’s solid.”
He muttered, nodding in appreciation. Indeed, this house was built to withstand harsh conditions. It was designed that way, and it would be a problem if it broke easily.
“Are you really E-rank adventurers?”
This time, I was met with a gaze of suspicion for a different reason.
“We really are E-rank. We showed you our Guild Certificate, didn’t we?”
“Well, that’s true, but… I mean, there are certainly capable individuals who aren’t registered with the Adventurer’s Guild, so I guess that’s how it is.”
“Haha, well, that’s one way to look at it.”
“In any case, you’ve shown us something interesting. We’ll head back and rest now.”
“Thanks, Shu.”
“Of course, you’re welcome.”
As I waved goodbye to the four-member party that thanked me and left, only Rio and I remained in the makeshift house.
“Is that the typical reaction of adventurers?”
“Probably.”
We had never shown anyone our camping setup before. Those four were the first, but it might stand out a bit. However, compared to the time we destroyed a castle, this was nothing.
“Shall we take a bath and get some sleep?”
“Yeah.”
Thus, the night of our first camping trip in the shared carriage deepened.
“Good morning!”
As dawn broke, I stepped outside to find four people staring at the house with their mouths agape. They were the other adventurers who hadn’t seen the inside yesterday.
“…This wasn’t here yesterday, was it?”
“This house was made by you two, right!?”
Without even exchanging morning greetings, the children immediately chimed in. It was no surprise they were shocked to see a house built overnight.
“Ah, I just whipped it up with magic.”
“You’re amazing, big brother!”
The little ones were refreshingly honest. Even though she was a young girl, it felt nice to be praised.
“Well, I’ll be taking it down later.”
“Eh!? That’s such a waste…”
As soon as I announced my intention to dismantle it, their expressions fell. Their disappointment was oddly cute and heartwarming.
“Wait, you’re really going to tear it down?”
The merchant Warren also looked disappointed, but it wasn’t something we needed to keep.
“Yes, that’s right. It would be a hassle if people started making a fuss about a house appearing out of nowhere.”
“That’s such a waste… It would be convenient if we could carry it, but if you can make it so easily, I suppose that’s fine too.”
Carry it, huh? …I hadn’t thought about transporting a house, but maybe if it could be lifted, it could fit into the Dimensional Box? After all, we’ve managed to fit larger prey inside.
“Shall we give it a try?”
“Eh?”
“Rio.”
“Okay!”
Ignoring Warren’s serious expression, I called out to Rio and immediately cast Gravity Magic on the house. Lightening the upper part of the sturdy foundation, I slowly lifted it.
“Whaaaaaat!?”
With Rio standing by, ready to open the entrance to the Dimensional Box wide, I carefully stored the house inside.
“It’s in.”
“Yeah.”
““““No way, no way, no way!”””””
As we finished our task, a chorus of disbelief erupted from Frist and the others who had been watching from a distance.