Chapter 13 - The Brilliance of a Camper Van
Author's Note: We ranked first in the weekly overall rankings. Thank you so much.
"A strange scent is coming from that drink. What is it?"
While I was sipping my after-meal coffee, Haku sniffed the air with his nose and asked me curiously.
"It's coffee. Want to try a bit?"
"Yeah."
I thought about letting him drink directly, but the mug's small opening made it hard for Haku to drink.
So, I prepared a flat dish and poured a small amount of coffee onto it for him.
"It looks like mud."
"Hey, that's rude. Just drink it quietly."
Haku leaned closer, stuck out his tongue, and licked the coffee.
"...It's bitter."
Seeing Haku furrow his brows deeply, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
"You can’t appreciate how good this tastes, huh, Haku?"
"Yeah, I don’t get it. It’s not tasty."
After finishing the coffee, Haku started walking toward the camper van.
"Hey, it’s about time you move that camper van of yours. I’m curious about it."
"Alright, alright. I’ll get everything ready for departure, so just wait in the passenger seat."
After finishing my coffee, I began the morning’s cleanup tasks.
While I had been relaxing with my coffee, the campfire had completely burned out, and the leftover ashes and coals had cooled down.
If this were a campsite facility, I could simply take it to the garbage disposal area.
But here, I was in a forest in another world. There wasn’t a garbage disposal area, so I had to take care of it myself.
Using a shovel, I wrapped the ashes in damp newspaper and put them into a heat-resistant garbage bag.
After securely sealing the bag, I placed it into a steel storage box with high heat resistance and stored it in my Item Box.
"Disposing of charcoal in another world is a real hassle."
In Japan, you could follow local municipality rules to dispose of it as burnable or non-burnable trash. But here, it wasn’t that simple.
Well, charcoal can be used as fertilizer for farming. Maybe the village we’re heading to, Lulusena, will take it off my hands. If not, I’ll either let it sit in the Item Box indefinitely or ask Haku to reduce it to dust. The same goes for other trash like plastic packaging and trays from the food I bought at the Shop. I need to figure out a better way to handle this.
As these thoughts passed through my mind, I cleaned up the fire pit and stored it away. I also brushed off the remaining ashes on the groundsheet, cleaned the table and chair, folded them up, and placed them in the external storage compartment.
While I was busily packing up, Haku, seated in the passenger seat, gave me a look that seemed to say he wanted to comment on something.
"...What is it?"
"You’ve got an Item Box. Just toss it all in there."
"Camping isn’t over until everything is cleaned up properly."
Sure, I realized it would’ve been easier and quicker to just use the item box, but I felt like it wouldn’t really feel like I had camped unless I cleaned up properly.
"Alright, cleanup is done."
For my first time doing car camping, I think I managed to clean up pretty smoothly.
Still, I feel like I could’ve been more efficient. Next time I camp, I’ll plan better and arrange my things more efficiently to make the cleanup process smoother.
"Hey, are you done yet?"
"Yeah, yeah, I’m coming."
Urged on by Haku, I hurried to the driver’s seat.
After strapping my seatbelt on, I glanced over and spoke to Haku.
"Haku, you should wear a seatbelt too..."
"Unnecessary."
"Um, it’s something that protects passengers’ bodies in case of an accident—"
"It’s meant for humans, isn’t it? I’m a monster. I don’t need it."
Of course. He really isn’t the type to like these things.
Besides, seatbelts aren’t designed to accommodate the body of a White Fenrir. Even if an accident did occur, I doubted that a high-level monster like Haku would get hurt.
As the driver, it felt strange to see someone without a seatbelt, but considering this was another world, I decided not to dwell on it.
When I started the engine, Haku flinched and trembled slightly.
"Hey, it's shaking, and there's a loud noise. Is this really alright?"
"The engine just started. There's nothing to worry about."
I replied to the overly cautious Haku as I gripped the steering wheel.
"Alright then, I'm moving now."
I said, giving Haku a heads-up as I gently started the camper van.
Returning from the campsite to the dirt road that served as our route, I followed the course displayed on the GPS and drove the camper van accordingly.
"Wow! It moves even without being pulled by horses or oxen!"
Haku turned his head to the window, voicing his amazement.
Though his tone was calm, his tail wagged furiously, betraying his excitement.
Haku usually carried himself with an air of superiority, but seeing him so innocently thrilled about the vehicle was surprisingly endearing. Not that I’d say that out loud—he’d probably get grumpy if I did.
"Still, it’s slow. Can’t you make it go faster?"
"We’re in the forest. It’d be dangerous to go too fast."
Though there was a dirt path, it was narrow at best, with exposed tree roots sticking out. This wasn’t a place for speeding like you would on a proper road.
"This doesn’t even qualify as rough terrain, does it?"
"Vehicles made for humans aren’t like you, Haku. They can’t just run anywhere they please."
Especially camper vans with high bodies—they’re prone to tipping over.
I explained this to Haku, who seemed slightly disappointed but turned his attention forward again.
"Then let’s hurry and get out of the forest."
"That’s the plan."
Driving aimlessly through the forest and camping was nice, but I wanted to visit a human settlement soon. I hadn’t been able to properly sightsee in the castle town, and I was curious about how people lived in this world.
I slightly increased the camper van’s speed and continued driving south through the forest.
●
After driving the camper van for two hours...
The dense trees surrounding us began to thin, and we eventually reached an open, straight path.
"Alright, we’re out of the forest. I can speed up a bit now."
"Really?!"
I checked the GPS. From here, it was a straight shot to Lulusena Village.
There were no large obstacles like forests or groves, and the road was much smoother than before. It should be safe to go faster here.
I pressed down on the accelerator, and the camper van picked up speed.
The engine roared, and the scenery outside began to blur as it sped past.
"W-whoaa!"
"How is it?"
"...This is it? Can’t it go any faster?"
"This is as fast as it gets."
I was driving at about 100 kilometers per hour, but for Haku, this seemed insufficient.
"At this speed, I could run several times faster."
"Well, yeah, compared to a high-ranking monster like you, of course. But for humans, this is really fast."
"Is that so?"
He didn’t get it. Haku didn’t understand at all.
He didn’t grasp just how amazing this camper van was.
"A sleek design with a large body meticulously crafted down to the smallest details. The spacious interior is optimized for ease of use, with a smooth layout and efficient movement. On top of that, it’s equipped with a powerful engine befitting its name, 'V-max,' allowing stable driving even on rough terrain or steep inclines. Listen, this vehicle excels in livability, performance, functionality, and safety. It embodies the ideal camper van, designed under the concept of 'travel anywhere comfortably while feeling at home'! Honestly, there’s no vehicle in this world that’s more—"
"I get it! I get it! It was wrong of me to underestimate your camper van!"
As I passionately extolled the virtues of my beloved Bolero, Haku suddenly started apologizing.
"Though it can’t match my speed, the fact that it can achieve this much without effort is truly impressive."
"...Glad you understand."
While he might not fully grasp the brilliance of the camper van, it was enough that he acknowledged its merits.
"You turn into a completely different person when it comes to this camper van."
"It’s my prized possession, after all."
It was a testament to Japanese craftsmanship and the result of my own hard work and sweat. I’d worked tirelessly to afford this camper van, so it was only natural I wouldn’t take kindly to anyone belittling it.
"Hm? There’s someone ahead."
"Really? But we should still be a bit far from Lulusena Village..."
"Ahhhhhhhh! Somebody, please help...!"
While I checked the GPS to see how much farther we were from the village, I heard a scream from outside the window.
I quickly looked up to see a girl, who appeared to be a villager, being chased by gray wolves.
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