Chapter 30 - Off to Nirouette
"Rick, how's your body holding up?"
"Still a bit sluggish, but nothing I can't handle if I move around lightly."
"Don't push yourself, Rick. You should stay lying down for now."
"That's right. Even though healing magic took care of your wounds, it’s not like it can replace all the blood you lost right away."
As Rick tried to sit up, Dormund and the others gently pushed him back onto the bed.
They truly cared about their companion.
"If you don't mind, drink this."
"What's this?"
"It's a kind of nutritional tonic from my homeland. Think of it as my way of apologizing for earlier."
When it came to recovering stamina, Lipovitan D always came to mind. It was exactly for moments like this that it proved its worth.
Roanna's illness also showed miraculous improvement thanks to it.
If it worked for her, it would undoubtedly help Rick, who was completely drained of energy.
"It’s got a unique smell, but it doesn’t seem sketchy."
Rick opened the bottle, sniffed it cautiously, and then downed it in one go.
"Huh? My body feels lighter?"
As soon as he finished drinking, Rick stood up from the bed, a look of amazement on his face.
"Rick? Are you sure it’s okay to stand up so soon?"
"I was feeling ridiculously sluggish just a moment ago, but whatever Tohru gave me worked like magic!"
"...Your complexion does look much better."
"To see results so quickly... what an incredible concoction!"
Rick tested his body, hopping lightly and even attempting a backflip. Seeing him do such acrobatics in the camper van was a reminder of how nimble the halfling race truly was.
"This tonic is amazing! Thanks a ton, Tohru!"
"I’m just glad you’re feeling better."
While I knew Lipovitan D had recovery benefits, I hadn’t expected it to work this dramatically.
Roanna’s slower recovery must’ve been due to the severity of her illness or her base stamina. I’d have to investigate that difference sometime.
"Well, now that Rick’s strength is back, shall we head straight to Nirouette?"
"Wait, there’s nowhere to rest further down the road. Maybe we should camp here tonight and leave first thing in the morning."
Franz suggested as I prepared to set off.
Franz was probably estimating the travel time based on the speed of a normal carriage.
"No need. With my camper van, we’ll reach Nirouette by evening."
"...Are you serious?"
Franz eyed me skeptically.
"The road ahead isn’t too rough, is it?"
"Ah, no. Heading east, it gets pretty bad, but toward Nirouette, it’s mostly gentle hills."
"Then it’s fine. Let’s keep moving."
Even on rough roads, my camper could cover over seventy kilometers in three and a half hours. If the path ahead was smoother, we’d make even better time.
"If you say so, Tohru, I’m on board. This thing’s obviously not your run-of-the-mill carriage."
"And even if we do end up camping, we’ve got the White Fenrir (TL/N: As White Wolf sounds so lame, I decided to change it to White Fenrir.) with us!"
"Hmph. Any creature foolish enough to challenge me shall find no mercy."
Even if something unexpected forced us to camp, my camper’s barrier function, combined with Haku’s presence, would keep us safe.
"Alright then. Let’s go with Tohru’s plan and set off."
"Thanks."
With everyone in agreement, we began preparing to leave.
Rick and I packed up the folding chairs and table into the external storage compartment.
Franz and Dormund collected the drying clothes and gear, while Eslina neatly folded the tarp we’d laid outside.
The cooking tools had already been washed, and once the remaining dishes were stored in the cabinet, cleanup was complete.
Franz’s group loaded their larger luggage into the external storage, while smaller items were tucked away in the bed compartments.
As for Eslina’s long staff, I treated it like a fishing rod—it fit perfectly into the storage compartment. Having a space that could easily accommodate long items like that was one of the camper’s best features.
"Tohru, where should we sit?"
Franz asked me hesitantly, looking a bit lost.
"Uh, three of you can take the L-shaped sofa over there, and one of you can sit in the front left—"
"Meee! I’m sitting in the front!"
Before I could even finish my sentence, Eslina dashed out of the dinette area and plopped herself into the passenger seat.
"Hey! That’s not fair, Eslina!"
"Heh, first come, first served!"
"Hahaha, you can always switch with her later."
Dormund, who had shown interest in the camper, looked disappointed, but after Franz calmed him down, he reluctantly sat down on the L-shaped sofa.
"Haku, sorry, but would you be okay on the bunk slide bed?"
"...Fine."
I pointed upwards, and Haku leapt onto the bed above us without complaint.
"Whoa, there’s space up there too...?"
"Yup, it doubles as a bed."
"Camper vans are so functional!"
Rick and the others looked up at Haku, who was now sprawled out comfortably, their voices filled with awe.
Hehe, exactly. My camper van is amazing.
"Oh, you three, could you fasten the belts on your seats to secure yourselves?"
Though they were sitting properly, none of them had put on their seat belts.
"Belt ourselves in? Why? Does the camper van shake that much?"
"Not really, but in case of an accident—like a collision—if you’re not buckled in, you might get thrown out and seriously hurt."
I explained the usefulness of seat belts, but the expressions of the three of them remained uneasy.
I could tell what they were thinking. As adventurers, being restrained and unable to move quickly in an emergency probably made them uncomfortable.
After all, if monsters attacked, they’d want to draw their weapons immediately.
I understood their perspective, but I didn’t want them getting hurt if something unexpected happened.
"...Alright. We’ll do as you say, Tohru."
"Thanks."
In the end, they gave in and obediently fastened their seat belts.
"This view is amazing! I can’t wait to see how the camper van moves!"
By the time I moved to the driver’s seat, Eslina had already fastened her seat belt.
She was likely convinced by my earlier explanation.
After securing my own seat belt, I started the engine.
"Eek! What was that?!"
Eslina jolted, startled by the engine’s roar, and from the back seats, Dormund and the others sounded equally puzzled.
"That’s just the camper van’s engine starting. Alright, let’s get going."
"Wait, wait! This is faster than I thought—!"
As I pressed down on the accelerator, screams mixed with excitement and fear erupted from both the passenger and back seats.
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