Chapter 27 - Shower in the Camper Van
"If you have the White Fenrir with you, then you certainly don’t need us as escorts."
"Instead, do we just pay you some money?"
"But considering Rick’s medical expenses and the cost of repairing our equipment, we’d rather avoid big expenses..."
Franz, Dormund, and Eslina exchanged troubled looks as they discussed the matter.
Originally, the agreement was that Franz and his party would act as escorts, and in return, I would give them a ride to Nirouette. However, since I have Haku, my familiar, the idea of needing an escort no longer made sense.
Honestly, I wanted to offer them a ride without asking for anything, especially since they had an injured party member. But people often say there's nothing scarier than unreciprocated goodwill.
"How about this? Instead of payment, you share what you know about Nirouette with us in exchange for the ride."
"Huh? That’s all you want?"
Franz turned back to me in surprise when I made the suggestion.
"See, I’m from a faraway country, so I’m unfamiliar with the customs here. I’d appreciate it if Dormund and the others could teach me about Nirouette."
Gathering information about recommended inns, street vendors, shops, and restaurants in this world without the internet was no small task. Getting local insights was far more valuable than demanding something like magic stones.
"If that’s the deal, it’s no trouble at all. Ask us anything."
"Alright, then we’ve got a deal."
I extended my hand, and Franz smiled as he shook it.
"First, let’s get Rick inside so he can rest."
"That would be a big help, thanks."
Although recovery magic was cast on Rick, he wasn’t fully healed yet.
Letting him rest on the bed inside the camper van would be much better than leaving him sprawled on the sheet.
Franz, carrying Rick on his back, followed me into the camper van.
"What the—what is this?!"
"What’s going on, Franz?"
"Is something inside the carriage?"
Hearing Franz's exclamation, Dormund and Eslina peeked inside from outside the van.
"W-what in the world?!"
"Wow, this is unbelievable!"
"There’s a table and chairs, and a kitchen on the right side!"
"A kitchen?! Inside a carriage?!"
"And there’s a bed further in!"
The three of them were completely taken aback, marveling at the interior of my camper van.
"Well? Pretty impressive, right? That’s my camper van for you."
Being a high-end model, every detail of the interior was crafted with care.
It’s no wonder they were awestruck—it felt like they had stepped into a luxury hotel room.
"I suspected it wasn’t an ordinary carriage since it had a barrier, but this is beyond anything I imagined."
"Tohru, what exactly is this?"
Franz approached me, still carrying Rick.
"This is a camper van."
"""kya-kyamfer ban?"""
"Unlike a carriage, it’s a self-propelled vehicle that doesn’t need animals to pull it."
"Self-propelled?!"
"Now that you mention it, there aren’t any horses attached to this camper van."
"I thought you might be having the White Fenrir pull it..."
"Hey, human. Say something stupid like that again, and I’ll slice your head off."
"Y-yes. My apologies!"
Haku poked his head through the window, glaring as he issued a threat. Franz bobbed his head up and down like a parrot in panic.
He came across as a fairly responsible young man, but I guess even he had his moments.
"The camper van is equipped for living. It has everything needed for someone to live comfortably inside."
"Many of these things look like magic tools I’ve never seen before, but it seems fully livable."
"Actually, isn’t this place more equipped than most inns?! Even royalty and nobles wouldn’t own something like this!"
Dormund examined the microwave with a curious look, while Eslina settled into the L-shaped sofa, clearly enjoying its comfort.
Hearing praise for my camper van made me proud as its owner.
"Still, is it really okay to let Rick rest on such a luxurious bed?"
Rick’s body, battered from fighting monsters, wasn’t exactly in pristine condition. I could understand Franz’s hesitation.
"Right now, the priority is to let the injured rest, don’t you think?"
"I owe you one."
Honestly, it wasn’t a big deal. I could just wash the sheets later. And if it came down to it, I could buy new ones from the Shop. It wasn’t worth stressing over.
Franz carefully removed Rick’s shoes, socks, and leather belt before laying him down on the bed. His wounds had already closed up, and he’d probably wake up after a bit more rest.
"Still, with such a stunning interior, staying dirty like this feels wrong."
Franz, Dormund, and Eslina looked down at themselves.
Their clothes and equipment were covered in sand and mud, far from being clean.
I wasn’t exactly a neat freak, but for a driver who wanted their vehicle to stay spotless, that kind of behavior would be enough to drive them insane.
"I’d appreciate it if you could at least clean off the worst of the dirt."
While I could spend CP to activate the camper van’s automatic cleaning system, I'd greatly appreciate it if they tidied up a bit before getting back inside.
"There's a stream nearby, so we'll head over there and wash up real quick."
Franz and Dormund exited the van and headed toward the stream.
"Uhm, I’ll wait for them to finish before I take a bath."
Eslina said awkwardly, staying behind in the camper van.
Even though they were in the same party, she was still a young woman. Unlike Franz or Dormund, she couldn’t just boldly wash up out in the open.
"In that case, want to use the shower in the camper van instead?"
"Shower?"
Eslina looked at me with confusion, so I led her further inside.
There was a multi-purpose room, spacious enough for one adult to use comfortably.
On the left side of the rear end was a complete shower and toilet setup. The toilet was a cassette type, making it easy to maintain, and above it was a retractable sink.
"You just turn this knob, and warm water comes out."
"Wow, that’s amazing! Are you sure I can use this?"
"Yeah, of course. Over this shelf, you’ll find shampoo and conditioner, and there’s body soap in this compartment. Feel free to use them."
"Got it!"
Eslina nodded enthusiastically, quickly removing her cloak and preparing to shower.
She wasn’t fully undressed yet, but seeing someone as beautiful as Eslina start to take off her clothes right in front of me was enough to make my heart race.
"I’ll step outside while you shower."
"Okaaay."
It seemed like my flustered state had shown. When Eslina replied, there was a hint of a wry smile in her voice.
I stepped down and went outside, and there in front of me, Franz and Dormund were stripping off their clothes and taking a bath in the stream.
"Here, use this if you’d like."
"Soap! This is the first time I've ever used soap that smells this good!"
"Is it really okay for us to use something so luxurious?"
It was just an ordinary bar of soap—a cheap item that wouldn’t even cost a hundred yen in my previous world.
But judging by their astonishment, it seemed to be a rare and valuable item here.
"Is this some special kind of soap?"
"The soap we usually use is more like a greasy, mushy paste."
"Hard soap like this is something only merchants or nobles typically have."
From what they explained, most people either used crude soap made from a mix of ash and fat or relied on the cleaning properties of a nut called the washlan nut.
Given that, it made sense why this simple bar of soap would be considered high-class.
"I see."
"Uhm, should we give it back, then?"
"No, don’t worry about it. Use it as much as you need. I’ll leave some towels here too."
"O-okay. Thanks."
After handing them the soap and placing towels nearby, I left the area.
Watching two men bathe wasn’t exactly my idea of entertainment.
"Wait, I forgot to prepare a towel for Eslina."
If I didn’t bring her one, she’d be stuck the moment she stepped out of the multi-purpose room.
I walked to the rear of the camper van, where I could hear the sound of water running from the shower inside.
For a brief moment, an image of Eslina’s bare form flashed in my mind, but I quickly shook my head, banishing the thought.
"What’s the matter?"
I knocked on the baggage door from the outside, and a moment later, I heard the handle turn, followed by the sound of the water stopping.
"Sorry, I forgot to prepare a towel. Do you mind if I step inside for a moment?"
"You’re so proper, Tohru. I don’t mind."
Eslina replied with a small laugh before turning the handle again, resuming the sound of running water.
It would probably be unsettling if someone who said they’d leave suddenly came back without a word.
I thought it was just common courtesy, but maybe in this world, such behavior made me stand out as overly polite.
I wasn’t sure—I didn’t know enough about the customs here to say for certain.
I climbed up the steps and entered the camper van. Heading over to the closet by the permanent bed, I opened it, expecting to find towels.
But there weren’t any. With no other choice, I pulled up the device and accessed the Shop feature.
As I navigated through the menus, I noticed the electricity and water levels depleting at a steady rate. Still, it wasn’t an issue. I could easily recharge electricity using the solar panels, and water could be replenished using Haku’s magic or the supplies I’d gathered in this world.
If worse came to worst, I could use the vehicle add-ons like [Water Refill] or [Electricity Refill], which consumed CP for instant replenishment. Knowing this gave me peace of mind.
From the Shop, I purchased a new set of bath towels and smaller towels.
I bought extras, storing the surplus in the Item Box for future guests.
After that, I laid down a bath mat near the shower and placed a bath towel and smaller towels neatly on the nearby counter.
"I’ve left the towels here for you."
"Got it, thank you!"
Eslina’s voice echoed through the sound of the shower. Hearing that, I wasted no time stepping back outside the camper van.
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