Chapter 23 - Dog Cot
After finishing our walk at a good stopping point, Haku and I returned to our camper van, our base of operations.
"Are you thinking about that 'layout' thing again?"
"That's right. This time, I want to focus on the lake as the centerpiece."
Last time, I set up in the middle of a village—on someone else’s property, no less. The layout had been a bit cramped, but this time, it was a bona fide camping spot.
The goal was to create a stylish setup with a view of Lenore Lake right in front of us.
"First, let’s reposition the camper van."
I got into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and adjusted the camper van’s location.
I parked it so the lake was directly in front of us, ensuring the large windows and side awning faced the water.
This way, we could enjoy the lakeside scenery even from inside.
I made sure to park five to ten meters away from the water’s edge to avoid issues like tides, night dew, or bugs. The ground was flat and firm—perfect for avoiding muddy spots that could cause the van to get stuck. The camper’s placement was just right.
Next, I worked on the living area.
Using a crank handle like the night before, I extended the awning.
I spread out the fabric and secured the support arms at each end, adjusting them to keep the awning level.
Then, I hammered stakes into the ground to stabilize the arm tips.
With the side awning set up, I placed a foldable table and chair facing the lake.
"...Phew."
For now, I sank into the chair.
The tranquil lake stretched out before me, and a gentle breeze caressed my cheeks. The water reflected the blue sky like a giant mirror, while the sunlight sparkled across the ripples.
"What a view."
The liberating scenery of the lake was something you couldn’t experience deep in the woods.
This—this was the essence of lakeside camping.
"Aren’t you still in the middle of setting up? Is it really fine to sit around like that?"
"There’s no time limit. I’ll take it slow, resting as I go."
Even with the camper van and the Item Box, unpacking everything took effort.
Moving nonstop would be exhausting, so I preferred to pace myself, taking breaks like this.
"...Hey."
Just as I was soaking in the scenery, Haku spoke up again.
"What is it this time?"
"I can’t help but notice—you always get to sit while I don’t. Isn’t there a chair for me to relax in?"
"...You’ve got a point."
Every time we went camping, I was the only one sitting in a chair, while Haku had to lie on a ground sheet, grassy patch, or a random tree stump. It was kind of unfair.
"Let me check the Shop for something you can relax on."
"I’ll leave it to you."
I went back inside the camper and opened the Shop on the device.
I searched for outdoor chairs, and sure enough, there was a long list of camping chairs.
However, as expected, most of them were designed for humans and meant for just one person.
While foldable benches or compact benches for multiple people weren’t bad options, they didn’t seem sturdy or wide enough for someone of Haku’s size—about as big as a large dog.
Speaking of large dogs, I remembered seeing a camper with a pet at a campsite before.
What did that person do when they wanted their pet to relax? Could there be chairs specifically for pets?
Though I felt a little bad about treating Haku like a dog, I searched for pet chairs in the shop.
That’s when I found something called a dog cot—a chair designed for dogs to lounge on.
A folding dog cot in king size.
This seemed perfect for Haku, who was roughly the size of a large dog.
I spent 15,000 CP to purchase it, and in front of me appeared a folded-up dog cot.
It was a bit large, but that was to be expected from a king-size model.
"Haku, I’ve got a dog co—uh, I mean, a chair for you to relax on."
I quickly unfolded the dog cot in front of Haku.
Since it was foldable, it only took a moment to set up.
At over two meters long, it could easily fit even a tall human.
"Hmm, let’s see how comfortable this really is."
Haku cautiously touched the dog cot with a forepaw, inspecting it with curiosity.
"Hmm, it’s springy, and the fabric looks durable. It doesn’t seem like it’ll break under my weight."
After testing the fabric’s strength, Haku climbed onto the dog cot.
He walked around on it, taking two or three slow steps before settling down and lying on it.
"How is it?"
"This is excellent. A chair worthy of someone like me."
"I’m glad you like it."
Haku looked thoroughly pleased with his very own, generously sized chair.
I decided to keep quiet about the fact that it was actually made for dogs.
●
"Hey, Tohru. Wake up."
"Mmm?"
I felt Haku shaking me, and my consciousness slowly came back.
I must have dozed off while reclining deeply in the chair with my eyes closed.
Letting out a big yawn, I stretched my arms.
It seemed I hadn’t been asleep for long, so I didn’t feel groggy or stiff.
"What’s up?"
"I want to eat some river fish."
Now that he mentioned it, Roanna had said the fish in this lake were delicious.
"Alright, how about some fishing?"
I stood up and retrieved a fishing rod from the camper van’s external storage compartment.
One of the great things about the camper was how easy it was to store long items like fishing rods and grab them when needed.
"Fishing? There’s no need for such things. I could just catch them with my magic."
As I excitedly took out the tackle box, Haku threw in that completely unromantic suggestion.
"I had a feeling you’d say that, but fishing is one of the joys of camping. Let me do it my way!"
"If you insist, I’ll let you have your fun. But if you come up short, I’ll make sure to catch the rest without hesitation."
"Thanks."
Despite his grumbling, I appreciated that Haku respected my little camping traditions.
I figured I might eventually have to rely on his magic to catch a large haul, but I wanted to avoid showing him an embarrassing failure.
I was determined to catch as many fish as I could with just the fishing rod.
Holding my gear, I headed to the fishing spot with Haku.
During our earlier walk, I had spotted an area where fish seemed to gather, so I planned to cast my line there.
We arrived at a bank that jutted out in a gentle curve, with patches of aquatic grass scattered around.
As I scanned for fish, I suddenly heard a splash.
When I turned my gaze, I saw a silver fish leaping out of the water.
[Lenore Trout]
A type of white trout found only in Lenore Lake.
Edible and non-toxic, it’s rich in fat and has a sweet flavor.
Best enjoyed grilled with salt, sautéed, steamed, or baked in foil.
Omnivorous and will eat almost anything.
Using my Appraisal skill, I immediately identified it as a species of trout.
While eating it raw was out of the question due to the risk of parasites, it seemed perfectly safe to cook.
"That one looks delicious, with all that fat."
Haku hadn’t missed the sight of the trout leaping out of the water.
His eyes were locked on the lake as he licked his lips.
"I’d love to grill it with some salt."
"That’s a solid choice."
Though I was tempted by the idea of butter-grilled or foil-baked trout, I wanted to savor its flavor in the simplest form first: salt-grilled.
"Now, what should I use for bait...?"
From what I’d read, Lenore trout would eat just about anything.
The one that had jumped earlier seemed to be eating insects, but using insect-mimicking lures was a technique for more experienced anglers. Since I was still a beginner, I decided to stick with simple lure fishing for now.
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