Is spending a rainy night without a campfire and a waterproof tarp really just an impossible dream?

I woke up in the middle of my sleep. The chill creeping up from the inside, not just on the surface of my skin, was quite severe.

"... I guess it's not possible."

Goodness. It rained on the way from Ednium to Camberer too, but it was bearable enough then, so I tried to see if it was possible this time... but it seems it was too much to ask.

Even with the variable of the Mountain Lord, I didn't expect the difference to be this huge.

... No, still, I held out for a long time considering the circumstances.

I rummaged through my inventory. Since I had organized it a bit when I was alone, the items in the inventory were neatly grouped by category. Thanks to that, I quickly found what I wanted.

「Heated Stone | A stone heated in a fire pit. It retains warmth. You can get burned if you aren't careful.」

It was my own preparation for independence. It was also an exploit using the inventory's characteristic of maintaining the state of an item exactly as it was when put in. Though I couldn't prepare many due to the sheer weight and volume of the stones.

So I took out just a few stones and placed them on a few spots. Naturally, I made absolutely sure they didn't touch my bare skin. I hated burns, too.

"..."

Hmm. Still, the cold doesn't go away all at once. Then again, a single piece of cloth makes a surprisingly big difference.

I wriggled inconspicuously and pulled my coat tighter. I ignored the fact that I had a blanket in my inventory and that they couldn't see me anyway.

Because I knew that if the cold didn't go away even after covering myself with a blanket, I would have to give this chill a different name.

TAP, TAP, TAP.

And as the long, winter-like night passed, the rain finally stopped.

"Oh my goodness!!"

My body was completely drenched from the rain, but thanks to the magic power and the heated stones, it was a tolerable morning. But what was this scream now.

"W-What. What's wrong."

"S-S-S-S-S-Someone is there."

I had gotten up right around the time the sky was brightening, only to hear the scream of the peddler who had also just woken up. It seemed he had only just now realized my existence.

"A g-g-g-ghost?"

"..."

Am I really that scary... They didn't say a word when the Berserker got up without a sound to go out for dawn training...

I felt a little gloomy.

"He is a person."

"I-Is that so..."

But looking back at my actions, I hadn't made a single sound all night before smoothly rising from the tree. On top of that, my dark appearance was gloomy.

Thinking about it, I couldn't really complain about being called a ghost.

I tossed away my gloominess and reflected on myself. It was my fault, haha.

NEIGH.

More importantly, Frederick, you really are punctual.

I fed him the grain feed in accordance with the stableman's request to feed him as soon as dawn broke. I also followed the advice to brush him while he ate because of his nasty temper.

He wasn't soaking wet thanks to the waterproof tarp, but his fur, slightly damp from the humidity, laid down evenly following the brush.

"Did you not hear the horse?"

"No, well... I just thought the horse you all brought was crying. Or that it was the sound of the wind."

"Ah..."

Alright, it's dark, so I'll stop here and get some food myself. I can brush him again at lunch anyway.

After brushing him appropriately, I sat next to Frederick and took my food out of the inventory.

Not being able to cook food because I hadn't lit a campfire wasn't a big problem for me. After all, the inventory was an invincible cheat code!

RATTLE.

I opened my meal, my rations, my lifeline—the lunchbox. It was a special lunchbox I had requested from the place where the bookstore owner's younger sister worked.

Just like the heated stones, the fact that its state was exactly the same as when I put it in was a bonus. It was piping hot as if freshly made.

For reference, I had 30 of these lunchboxes. Based on three meals a day, an amount that would be wiped out in two days with five people—or maybe wiped out in a single day considering the Berserker and the Inquisitor's appetites—had now become ten days' worth of food.

Really, taking care of only myself while excluding others was such a simple thing. Because the things to take care of decreased immensely.

Feeling a little bit of comfort and a lot of discomfort at that thought, I nibbled away at the contents of the lunchbox.

Bean soup, smoked fish, boiled eggs, and bread serving as a bowl. Foods that were far too luxurious to be considered a meal eaten while sleeping rough entered my mouth one after another.

"Um, Boss, your meal... Ah. You're already eating..."

But it was quite strange. The food was warm enough to burn my mouth, so why did it feel so cold once it entered my stomach?

I repeatedly clenched and unclenched my fist as I watched the person approach and then retreat. He and the rest of the party were only just now watching their soup boil.

It was the difference between me, who only had to eat, and them, who had to start cooking as soon as they woke up. Since I wasn't a slow eater, the gap was likely to widen even more.

"Let's go."

NEIGH.

Then I should take advantage of that time.

Partly to hide my strange mood, I grabbed the reins to give Frederick some water. Since everyone was stuck in place eating, I would take this opportunity to lightly wash my face as well.

"Ah, Demon Knight. Don't tell me you're going alone..."

I wouldn't do that. I wondered if I had distanced myself so much that there wasn't even this much trust, but soon brushed it off.

This wasn't something for me to answer. It was a matter of waiting until time passed and an implicit rule or boundary was formed.

"He must be going to water his horse, so do not worry."

And the Archmage already knew anyway.

"Ah, um, part of the party. He is part of your party, right?"

"... We are traveling together."

"Yes, Adventurer! The stream will be closer in that direction! I almost tripped on it while running here yesterday, so I'm sure!"

Oh, really? If it's closer that way, then I should absolutely go there. I turned my direction following the peddler's advice.

Frederick slowly followed my hand holding the reins.

Not long after, a small brook like the peddler mentioned appeared just slightly off the road.

"I can't... use this."

However, there was one problem. It was good that the stream had deepened due to the rain last night, but at the same time, the dirt bottom had been churned up, making the water muddy.

Should I have gone the other way instead?

No, I don't think I would have avoided the muddy water even if I went that way.

I just rubbed my face dry with my hands, then pulled the reins a bit further to one side.

Wouldn't the water be less dirty if I went upstream? I held a slight bit of hope.

SNORT.

Stop snorting. You wouldn't want to drink that kind of water either. Of course, not thinking of collecting the rainwater was my mistake, though.

"...?"

Then suddenly, I was able to spot a cabin at the end of the brook's stream. Its exterior, covered in moss and weeds, told me just how long it had been neglected.

"That must be the one the merchant talked about."

As I neared the cabin, the stream became much cleaner.

I let Frederick drink as much water as he wanted while my feet stepped closer toward the cabin.

"... It looks like the owner didn't just die naturally."

There were subtle marks to merely consider them the byproducts of time. Marks that I could recognize even without being an expert in these things.

For example, marks that looked like the building had been cleanly sliced, or a wall with a gaping hole on one side, things like that.

"It doesn't look like it's been decades."

In the case of the wall, there was also the possibility that it naturally collapsed as time passed. However, aside from the signs of destruction, the building was relatively intact. The amount of grass and accumulated dust I could glimpse inside the building suggested the same.

Judging with my humble eyes, even if it had been abandoned for a few years, it didn't seem like those years had exceeded ten or twenty.

CREAK.

After checking that Frederick was doing well, I entered the inside of the building through the collapsed wall. The floor creaked, but it wasn't to the level where I thought it would collapse.

My gaze turned to the other side. Partially broken furniture caught my eye first. The scattered mess somehow looked similar to what I had seen in crime investigation dramas.

"Did they actually fight."

For no reason, I mimicked the pose of a lead detective in a drama and chased the traces of the fight. TAP. Something touched my foot.

It was a white skeleton surrounded by clothing.

"May the deceased rest in peace."

Who was it. Was it the owner of the house after all?

While respectfully praying for their soul, I stared at them blankly out of idle curiosity... and discovered a dagger clutched in the skeleton's hand. The initials P.B were engraved on the dagger in a stylish font.

'Hah.'

Suddenly, a sharp laughter rang out in my head. It was my laughter. No. I hadn't laughed, so this couldn't be mine...

'The sin engraved upon this land has crossed time to find me.'

'Mine...?'

"──!!"

Instantly, my arm hurt as if it were burning. CRACK. Something had gone wrong.

"Aargh...!"

I grabbed my right arm and doubled over. The intensity of the pain was similar to when my whole body was struck by divine power, but the problem lay elsewhere.

Divine power battered my entire body, so the pain was dispersed, but right now, the pain was intensely concentrated on just my right arm.

In short, divine power was like striking 10 places with an intensity of 5, but this was like persistently beating a single spot with an intensity of 10.

Even if the total amount of damage taken was greater from divine power, this was far more agonizing to actually experience.

It hurts so, so much.

"Ugh..."

Would it be easier if I just cut my arm off.

I lay face down, clutching my right arm. Because of the pain sensitivity adjustment, I couldn't build a tolerance to pain, and perhaps because this wasn't a combat situation where tension and fear made it easy to forget the pain, this single instance was exceptionally hard to endure.

'Ah, how boring.'

"...!"

Fortunately, the pain quickly subsided. It was the moment I finally gripped the dagger.

"Haa, haa."

I took heavy breaths, making up for the air I hadn't been able to properly breathe in due to the pain, and slowly pulled myself up.

My head ached and all the strength drained from my body. THUD. Halfway through standing up, my legs gave out and my body collapsed.

It seemed I would need some time to get up again.

"What are you doing, Knight."

But then a shadow fell over me. It was the Berserker.

"Do you need help?"

It didn't seem like a question that required asking to know the answer... but ever since I expressed my refusal, the Berserker was the one who respected my wishes the most. It would be strange for her not to ask.

"... No."

If it were the Inquisitor or the Deathbringer, the moment I gave an answer, they would see a glimmer of hope and become even more persistent. However, the Berserker wouldn't do that.

Based on my past experiences, I gave a quiet answer. Then I closed my eyes, waiting for footsteps I couldn't hear.

HEAVE.

"...?!"

But what was this.

I was flustered by the pressure I felt around my waist. Meanwhile, the arm wrapping around my waist was lifting my body right up.

"You...!"

I had answered with the certainty that you wouldn't insist. I had that faith in you!

Don't tell me even you, Berserker...!

CREAK, CREAK.

The Berserker, having hoisted me over her shoulder, exited the building. I tried to resist, but my body, completely tensed from the pain, still refused to listen to me.

THUD.

If there was one relief, it was that the Berserker set me down in front of the stream, rather than dragging me all the way back to the campsite.

"Wash up and come back."

Thanks to her, I got the chance to wash my face.

I glared at the Berserker leaving without lingering, then dunked my hands into the brook, wondering what the meaning of her actions was. Surely, she was the only one who could know what was going through her mind.

"... This is incredibly pathetic."

More importantly, washing my face while sprawled out in front of a brook. What's up with my circumstances? So pathetic.

Still, there was no other way. I let out a deep sigh, washed my face, and when strength returned to my legs, I took off my coat and splashed water all over my body. It was better to dry off drenched in stream water than to dry off soaked in sweat.

SNORT.

"... Wait."

I washed my face one last time while soothing Frederick, whose eyes seemed to ask what I was going to do next. Now that the pain had mostly faded, thoughts about this incident started flooding my mind.

Why had this pain manifested, what had triggered it if there was a cause, was there a possibility it would recur later, was there a way to prevent it, and so on.

However, I couldn't grasp much of anything. At best, I only had a guess that this location might be the cause.

On top of that, that laughter from earlier...

I was once again engulfed in the sensation of my right arm burning, and reflexively grabbed it.

It was probably just phantom pain... but that alone was enough to make me furrow my brow.

"... It's one thing after another, seriously."

I don't know. I grabbed the eyepatch I had taken off to wash my face and struggled to stand up. It didn't seem like my legs would give out anymore.

NEIGH.

"Don't be impatient."

After tossing Frederick an apple, I went back inside the building. I was worried the pain might strike again, but there was something more important.

The dagger the skeleton had held until their death came into my hands. This would now help reveal this person's identity and, just in case, the Demon Knight's past.

Honestly, there was no way what just happened occurred without a reason.

"... I will borrow this for a while."

In return, I dug up the ground with my Zweihänder to bury the person.

It was hard to call it a price for taking the dagger, but it was still the best I could do.

The stream water I had splashed all over my body dripped down like sweat.

THUD, THUD, THUD.

"Phew."

Ah, digging the ground with a Zweihänder is damn exhausting.

After about five minutes of struggling, I managed to dig a small pit big enough to bury the skeleton.

It was a good thing this person had completely lost all their flesh and muscles; if they had just died, I would have suffered a lot more digging out that much volume.

STAB.

Still, this shouldn't be too bad. I planted a cross made from trimmed wood over the grave and piled a mound of stones on top of it.

It was an action based on my knowledge that a makeshift grave roughly looked like this. It didn't seem like the way graves were made in this world was drastically different, anyway.

"Oh, that's the Boss's horse over there!"

"See, I told you he didn't leave!"

"Even though you were anxious about it yourself."

"T-That's because you kept scaring me...!"

"More importantly, where did the Boss go leaving only his horse?"

"Well... Ah, I think he's over there."

"Boss? What are you doing inside?"

Still, it felt a little lacking to just do this.

I covered the corners of my mouth, which had reflexively risen at their chattering, and pondered what was missing. That is, I recalled scenes from foreign or Korean dramas where people visited someone's grave.

Flowers, I think flowers were missing.

"Ah, a grave..."

"... Did you make it for them alone?"

But I didn't have any flowers right now. And it would be a bit weird to go gather flowers with my current concept.

So what could I do? I had no choice but to utilize a Korean-style memorial service.

PLOP.

I took out the apple, banana, blueberries, and pear I had bought for Frederick's snacks and placed them one by one.

If I had liquor, I would have poured it, but unfortunately, I didn't. As for bowing... I might have done it if they had arrived later, but since they got here first, I don't think I can.

I poured some water, pretending it was liquor, and finally left the place. The two who were watching me closely followed behind me.

"It would have been nice if we did it together..."

That would have been easier for me too... but my act of taking the dagger would have definitely drawn questions. And perhaps they might have made a fuss again seeing me overcome with pain.

Rather than that, I would just do it alone.

I let their words go in one ear and out the other, grabbed Frederick's reins, and headed toward the campsite.

There was still a long way to go to Bemurhen.

* * *

"I hear the Hero is coming here."

"Oh, has the time finally come to end the war with the mermen?"

"I do not know. Although seeing what the Hero has done, it seems we can have some expectations."

The Great Sage who oversaw the Magic Tower of Bemurhen, and the master of essence magic, Surging Blue Coral, gave a half-hearted answer to the Lord.

At that, the Lord jutted out his lips and threw the liquor bottle he was holding.

CRASH.

"Lord, I told you to stop throwing bottles in my room, did I not."

Blue Coral shattered the glass bottle without even looking back. The Lord's lips protruding even further was a bonus.

"It's meaningless anyway."

"It still has to be cleaned up. Unless you plan on doing it, cease this."

With a fluttering sound, Blue Coral folded the letter he was reading. The glasses perched on the bridge of Blue Coral's nose swayed their chain with a jingle.

CLINK, CLINK.

Meanwhile, at Blue Coral's gesture, the glass shards scattered on the floor began to melt down with a clear sound. Then they clumped together and properly solidified. It was a shape depicting the Lord killing a merman.

"So cold."

"Lord, it is you who are inefficient."

Blue Coral returned the crafted glass statue to the Lord.

"If you want a statue, just ask for it. I am not so lacking in time that I would reject even your trivial requests."

"What's with the touching line?"

"However, if you have nothing more important to discuss, leave now. Two demanding requests have come in."

"... I figured as much."

"What did you expect?"

Blue Coral merely felt a sense of incomprehension toward the Lord, who spouted random nonsense every time.

Then, judging that the Lord wouldn't quietly return today either, he pulled out his work. "Anyway, your ability to bring fun and demanding research topics is top-notch." A slight complaint that wasn't exactly a complaint was a bonus.

"What's that?"

"The material to become a sword."

"A sword?"

After re-reading the enclosed letter, Blue Coral cast a spell for a closer examination. The composition of the massive bone was analyzed, and accurate information was outputted.

"It just looks like a bone no matter how I look at it... more importantly, whose bone is this? It's too big to be a regular beast's bone."

"Hmm."

He was used to the Lord chattering beside him. Blue Coral rang a bell with magic instead of answering. Soon, the attendant in charge came running.

"Did you call for me?"

"Bring my grandson. Tell him I need to craft a sword and an accessory-type item, and that his dexterity will be needed. He'll understand."

"Yes, sir."

Even though the attendant had to leave again as soon as he entered to receive the order, that is.

"Are you ignoring me? And is this something you even need to call that kid for?"

"Lord, I have no obligation to explain to you about the items for a request I received personally."

"Don't be petty."

"Speak plainly. You are the one being unreasonable."

"Werner!"

"If you two are going to keep fighting, can I go back."

"Hmm?"

"Eh."

Blue Coral turned his head at the voice that came while he was bickering with the Lord. He had called for him, but a face that arrived much earlier than expected was at the door.

"You're here early."

"I was just seeing Sage Karl right outside."

"That's good. Come help me with some work."

"What's my payment?"

"I heard you're eyeing a certain material put out by Gridana."

"You'll buy it for me?"

"Yes."

"Sounds good."

Knowing his grandson well, Blue Coral did not drag out his words. The same went for his grandson.

Instead of tediously haggling, they struck a deal all at once.

"... Hey, am I invisible or something?"

"It became a hassle to greet someone who tries to visit every day when they have no business here."

"... You're screaming with your entire body that you're Werner's grandson."

"Thank you. So, what do I need to carve?"

"I need to gauge the estimates for the accessory-type item a bit more, so let's put that off for later. What we have to do right now is this."

Blue Coral pointed to the massive bone placed on the workbench.

"You must have heard the news that the primeval beast of the east was hunted. This is its bone."

At the unimaginable identity, the eyes of the Lord, who had only been thinking it was a demon's bone at best, went wide, and the grandson's eyebrows twitched.

"That sounds fun."

The genius who had grasped the honor of Great Master Artisan at the age of 20 had his eyes sparkle with interest.