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Chapter 135: Camping with a prepared person makes a huge difference

“… Heh… I don’t really want to tangle with Extusians, but if it’s your kinsman that got captured then it can’t be helped…” (Obero)

“…” *nod, nod* (Kaso)

“It’s fine as long we kill them all, right?” (Perielle)

“Yes-ssu! Then no one can report back to Extus~.” (Jira)

It’s not like I wanted to, but if the Scarlet Torch was coming with us we’ll have to tell them about rescuing Suzako-san or else things will get troublesome.

Pulling a rescue off while trying to hide it from our own allies is reeeeaaally troublesome … and Ragnall vouched for their reliability anyway.

Most Unaffiliateds have a special distrust, if not hatred, towards Extus, apparently.

… Well, I do understand it, but I didn’t think things would go THIS easily.

The two ladies are already all set to wipe out the Extus party, too.

Is this going to be okay?

And also,

“Why are you guys here? I thought you weren’t interested in the Forge?”

Desmond and the elf twins, Aidan and Aislin, are … not with us, per se, but they’re around.

“The situation is a little different if Extus is getting involved. We have no interest in the Forge, but we’re very interested in what Extus is poking around for.”

Aidan said.

“Even though I’m ‘exiled’, any Deep Elf would feel that it’s his duty to keep Deep Elf secrets out of the hands of Extus – even if those secrets have been lost in time.”

Cheh.

The way he was talking, I thought Desmond might know something about the Forge, but after hearing about the situation, it seems like its just because Deep Elves reeeeally hate Extus.

Since Deep Elf parts are a popular experimental ingredient within that country.

Because of that, exiled or not, any Deep Elf would want to mess with Extus’ plans as long as they didn’t expose themselves to too much danger.

The Deep Elves’ racial pride runs pretty deep, it seems.

Anyway, they’re technically not working with us, but… well, they’re around.

Right now our trek through Ploids pretty much a beeline through the levels as fast as possible, since we’re just looking for the Forge (and the Extus party that had entered the Labyrinth three days ago), but it’s a really different place from Nyls so I’m not bored.

In the first place, monsters jump at you like crazy, but since we have an A-Rank team with us, it’s not really worth mentioning since we didn’t find anything particularly strong.

Second, the first level of Ploids is a jungle, unlike Nyls’ caves and mines (and small grasslands on the second level, but still).

It’s also HUGE, compared to Nyls’ levels, so it will take us the rest of the day to even get close to the next level.

That’s why the other adventurers left a while ago; the Forge was spotted on the fourth level, after all, and it takes so long to even get to the fourth level.

But a jungle is pretty interesting; it’s really a sight you wouldn’t see in Japan, full of dangerous animals and plants.

Of course, they’re monsters here, with magic abilities, so you REALLY wouldn’t see it in our previous world, but it’s still really fun.

I mean, you hear about the Amazon jungle and stuff, but to actually experience the humidity and oppressiveness the trees and foliage give is a completely different thing.

Although I’m really grateful for the new armor, like, really.

My old armor was all piece-mailed together from whatever I bought or picked up at the time, and it was fine for withstanding attacks, but just like the Kartinez sisters said, there’s more to armor than just that.

I don’t have to worry about bugs (or dirt in Nyls) getting in my armor, the underarmor is great at wicking away sweat and moisture so I don’t get chaffed, and since it’s all made to fit together, there isn’t any interference from the parts getting caught on each other, like how my armor and belt used to clash some times.

I also like how it looks, surprisingly.

I was worried since Hibiki’s was pretty feminine looking, which emphasized her figure, but mine is a lot more androgynous, although the design is probably more towards a pretty boy’s tastes than a normal man’s.

I’m just happy that a repeat of that ‘dress picking’ time in Nyls didn’t happen; the Kartinez sisters were professionals that make sure what you get is what you want.

Since they, or rather Lizette, specializes in making magic weave, or magical cloths that won’t lose out to leather in durability as well as having other benefits over leather and metal, the armor Hibiki-chan and I got was definitely ‘light’ armor, although it wasn’t all cloth, of course.

It was only a little later that I realized that their focus on light armor is probably why they aren’t more popular, but that’s probably also why they’re able to make them more attractive-looking.

They’re that unpopular even though it’s cloth-and-leather armor that won’t lose to basic metal armor… well, it’s also expensive thanks to the excellent magic weave, so if you’re going to spend all that money you might as well buy a better, regular type of armor – is it like that?

Anyway, for Hibiki-chan and me, ease of movement and comfort are probably more important than durability.

Not everyone wants to take attacks head on like Ragnall, right?

Hibiki-chan’s was predominately leather reinforcing the magic weaves, and although she had metal vambrances and greaves they were overlaid in leather as well to avoid giving off reflections.

My armor, however, had a breastplate attached to a leather jerkin with a deep v-neck – rather, they made my armor so that it looked like the reinforced leather jerkin was just open in a deep plunge to display the breastplate, but it’s all actually connected together with magic weave underneath.

Somehow.

My armor also comes with an overcoat, (more like Hibiki-chan’s mode of fighting means loose clothes could hinder – well, even if it won’t hinder her, loose clothing like a coat or long skirt would have a greater chance of getting slashed up in her near-miss-avoidance dodges), and they added a patch of small galvorn-wyvern scale alloy scale-mail on my shoulders and upper arms.

I don’t like pauldrons so I’ve just been going without protecting my shoulders, but people, and even some monsters, tend to aim for the joints in the arms and legs so it’s more reassuring to have armor there than not.

The small scale-mail is also embedded into the thigh area of the leather reinforced pants in place of tassets, and my grieves and vambrances are also made of that scale-mail.

I think it looks pretty cool, like a dragonkin’s armor or something.

Although I don’t know if dragonkin exist.

*Staaare*

“… Is there something wrong?”

Perielle is staring at me and Hibiki-chan intently – rather, at our armor.

“…No, I was just thinking, if you had the money to spend on that magic weave armor, shouldn’t you have gotten mithril armor? At least a decent breastplate. I do understand Hibiki’s fighting style is … unique, though.”

So they think about it like that after all.

Even Kaso the spellcaster has some metal armor on, after all.

“It was made from a lot of our own materials, so in the cost-to-efficiency ratio, I think this is better.”

“O-oh?”

Perielle doesn’t seem to understand what I mean, but that’s okay.

I just randomly said something.

I mean, I don’t need armor as long as I have MP, so it’s half for show.

“But this work… it’s definitely Lizette from the Kartinez armorers, isn’t it? Her magic weave is pretty amazing… although I’ve only ever bought one piece of underarmor.”

Ah… that makes sense.

“Fufufun, also, the underwear-ssu-! In Ploids, it’s sooo muggy and having to bind your chest is the worst, so Andira’s brassieres are ama~zing since it’s just a thin layer but still gives waaay better support than the normal kind-!”

“Un, heat rash is horrible.”

Hibiki-chan agreed with Jira.

… I don’t have that problem, so can I leave now?

I’ve gotten a lot better at dealing with this kind of girl talk, but … it’s still awkward for me to talk about it.

I mean, guys don’t go around sharing about their intimate problems with everyone like this, so rather than the fact that it’s about breasts, it’s just … awkward.

Like, am I really close enough to you to be discussing how your breasts work under clothes?

Although it makes me appreciate being flat more.

… Alright, I’ve gotten used to you girls talking about boobs, but now that you’ve moved on to crotch sweat, I’m going to head over THERE.

I always thought it was stupid before, but I kind of understand the otakus who say, “Idols don’t go to the bathroom,” now.

Rather, I feel like women are too frank when it comes to this kind of stuff.

“…By the way, how long are we going to keep at it for today?”

I went on ahead from the girls to ask Obero and Ragnall, who were cutting a way through the jungle while ignoring the chatting going on behind them.

“Hm… Even though we left a little late, we’re actually going at a pretty good pace. What do you think, Obero?”

“Missy Jun’s Storage is saving us a ton of time after all. Not having to dismantle a thing let’s us just move on without worrying about a thing… hm. I guess the real question is if we want to camp in either the first level or the second level.”

Camping, huh… a dense jungle doesn’t feel like a great place to camp…

“By the way, the second level’s a swamp.”

Geeeeh.

Even though I have camped in the watery ruins in Nyls before, that’s way different compared to a swamp.

For one, there’s mud instead of a marble floor even if you choose a less watery spot, and more places for monsters to hide.

But camping in a dense jungle … clearing the space for a camp is also a pain, and it’s not like there would be any less monsters than in a swamp.

“There is a rest area built in the second level, but we won’t reach that until the small hours of the next day.”

Obero looks concerned.

Rest is important for adventuring after all, although I only need 3 hours.

Small hours … so right before dawn?

“It’s fine to just sleep for six hours in the morning once we reach it, right?”

I asked.

“Ah, well, traipsing through a jungle or swamp at night is pretty ill-advised, right?”

Ragnall responded

Ah, that’s true.

Ragnall continued.

“Besides, with your barriers, I feel like it won’t really matter where we camp.”

Ah, that’s true too.

“Eh? Is that true? Man, Ragnall, you’ve been hogging all the good stuff for yourself-!”

And by ‘stuff,’ do you mean me?

I sigh.

“Aren’t you over exaggerating?”

“Nonono, a party member that can make camping safe and lets you avoid dismantling on the field? Hell, I’d trade my entire team for you if I could!”

“I heard that, you shitty old man!”

“We’d trade you too, if we could -ssu!”

Perielle and Jira protested from behind.

I see… so actually, my abilities are pretty good for adventuring like this too?

First I heard of it… maybe because Nyl isn’t as much of a survival experience.

It’s pretty much an organized mine with some monsters hanging around after all, unlike Ploid’s wildness.

If I think about it, I can just use a Hard Barrier for the floor, which would prevent bugs from invading our sleeping bags and also help prevent us from sinking into the mud.

Eh?

Isn’t Barrier invincible?

Although I understand that my use of neutral barriers are pretty out of the ordinary, conversely, I wonder why this world didn’t bother to develop them more.

“Then do you want to go as far as we can to make up time?”

Obero asked, now that we didn’t have to worry about where we slept.

“Does it really matter? Even if the Forge was sighted on the fourth level, it’s something that wanders and disappears, so it’s not like it really matters.”

I reply.

I mean, just because it was seen somewhere doesn’t mean it hasn’t moved somewhere else.

Also, if it was that easy to find, I feel like the people of this world would have already cracked its secrets through brute force no matter how dangerous it is, so it’s not like being quick about things is going to help anything.

It’s not like the Scarlet Torch isn’t aware of this, or else they would have been reluctant to waste 5 days waiting for Hibiki-chan and me to get our armor.

Ah, but I guess the Extusians would be heading straight to the fourth level, so if we wanted to intercept them we should also head straight there.

But it’s not like we won’t be able to find them easily with Troy-san stalking them, so that’s not really a major worry either.

In the end, we just moved normally through the jungle without over exerting ourselves.

It’s no good to tire out before even reaching the reputedly dangerous Forge.

The count of monsters reaped today was two lightning panthers, three vibrant boas, seven emerald snakes, six firey howler monkeys, and thirteen different types of large bug monsters despite the bug repellent magic tool.

Ploids really has a lot of monsters…

—

I’m the only one that’s awake right now.

The jungle gets ridiculously dark at night and a lot more treacherous, so Ragnall, Obero, and Jira cleared a spot, I erected some barriers, and everyone’s sleeping soundly.

Since the barriers are stationary I can customize them pretty well, like only allowing air and things of gaseous nature to pass through, be practically indestructible, etc, but I have to stay awake to maintain them.

Not that that’s a problem for me, since I’m fine with three hours or so of sleep a night.

I’ll switch with Kaso and Obero when it gets closer to morning, though.

At that point I’ll switch the barriers to simpler ones so they’ll last even when I’m asleep, but they’ll be a lot flimsier so we’ll have to have a guard.

The only problem with this plan is, for the first two watches of the night, it’s just me awake, all by myself.

And it’s not like I can tinker around with smithing or anything – the campsite was cleared barely big enough to fit everyone inside, and although we don’t need tents thanks to the barriers, that means anything I do that has fire or light will disturb everyone else’s sleep.

I wish I had thought of bringing a book, but … come to think of it, I haven’t read many books since I came to this world.

Is there something else I can do that won’t cause too much of a fuss…?

… Oh yeah, what about that light-magic sucking dagger?

I filled it up with light magic, but then I forgot about it in Inventory.

What was I doing the past five days?

Do you really think there’s any place to practice forging monster swords in a place like a jungle or a swamp?

Of course I was making sure I wouldn’t forget what I learned from Graham-san, that is, I was at the forge as much as I could be.

Since I filled it with light magic, will it be bright?

Since the barriers I placed on all six sides of the camping area are customized to the max, putting up another type of barrier within would be … hm, difficult at best, so I just turn my back to block any light.

If it’s only as bright as the campfire it should be fine, but if it’s any brighter I’ll just stuff it back into Inventory and find something else to do.

Let’s see, let’s see…

When I pulled out the dagger, the stone glowed moderately, but something else else wasn’t moderate at all.

“Hwaaaaa—! Finally, I’m out of that damn stuffy- mmf!”

Even though there’s no way it should work, I clapped around the slightly glowing stone in the pommel of the dagger in an attempt to stifle the telepathically broadcasted voice emitted from the dagger.

D-did that wake anyone up?

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<a/n: … …. …. …
orz

Instead of the normal ‘orz’, this is a bow of apology for the cliff.>