Chapter 44 - The Northern Forest
“We can see the Northern Forest now!”
After driving north from Nirouette for about five hours in the camper van.
We finally arrived at the Northern Forest, where the Moonlight Grass was said to grow.
“As expected of Tohru’s camper van! We got here so fast!”
Normally, it would take two days to reach this place, but with the speed of the camper van, it was a breeze.
“Can we keep going into the forest like this?”
“If we take a slight detour, we should be able to get pretty far in.”
Eslina, sitting in the passenger seat, gave me the rundown.
Having explored this forest before, she seemed to have a good grasp of the general layout.
“Can you guide me through it?”
“Leave it to me.”
Though it would require a detour, the Northern Forest was vast, so driving the camper van would save us time. Following Eslina’s directions, I continued driving.
We circled around the outskirts of the forest and entered through a wide, open path.
“This is probably as far as we can go, right?”
“Yeah, from here on, the trees get denser, and we’re entering the territory of the Beetlebugs. It’s better to go on foot.”
As Eslina muttered this, Rick chimed in from the back.
It seemed this was as far as the camper van could take us.
“Tohru, let’s continue on foot from here.”
“Got it.”
Following the instructions of Franz, the party leader, I unbuckled my seatbelt and stepped out of the driver’s seat.
If this were just an ordinary forest, I’d take a moment to stretch and breathe deeply, but this was a place inhabited by monsters.
Once I confirmed everyone had their gear and was outside, I quickly stored the camper van.
“If you’d like, I can take care of the luggage. I’ve got my Item Box.”
After taking on so many transport quests, it was no secret that I had an Item Box. There was no reason to hide it from Franz and the others.
“Really? Then let’s leave the bare essentials and hand the rest over to you.”
Storing all the luggage in one place would be risky if we got separated.
So, I only took the items that would hinder combat and stored them in my Item Box.
By the time I finished storing everything, Franz and the others had already formed up and were scanning the surroundings.
“No signs of monsters drawn by the engine noise.”
“No suspicious movements around here either. This area’s still safe.”
Dormund held up his shield while glancing around, and Rick checked the ground and trees for any traces.
We were near the Beetlebugs’ territory, but it seemed safe for now.
Once we confirmed the area was secure, we gathered in one spot.
“We’ll head north from here to the Moonlight Grass grove. Once we scout it and confirm it’s safe, we’ll set up the camper van as a base nearby and wait for nightfall. That’s the plan.”
Franz explained the plan in a calm voice.
We’d already discussed the details during the trip, but he was probably reiterating it for my sake since I wasn’t used to adventures like this.
I had no objections, so I nodded silently.
“Rick and Dormund will take the front, I’ll be in the middle, and Tohru, you’ll stay in the rear with Eslina. Sound good?”
“Got it.”
I had zero combat skills, so it was best to follow Franz’s instructions without question.
“Is it okay if I summon the camper van during combat if things get dicey? I can deploy a barrier and hunker down if needed.”
“That’s reassuring. We’ll count on you if things go south!”
If we retreated to the camper van, we’d be safe. Its barrier could even withstand Haku’s attacks, so ordinary monsters wouldn’t stand a chance.
Holding out in the camper van might make the monsters give up, and even if we were surrounded, we could catch our breath and recover mana.
It would cost a lot of CP, but I could also reinforce the camper van and plow through if necessary. Having that option was a huge relief.
“Still, it’s our job as the frontliners to make sure it doesn’t come to that.”
“I’ll wipe them out with my magic before they even get close!”
“After how comfortably you’ve gotten us here, we can’t let you do all the work, Tohru.”
They must’ve had their pride as adventurers.
Dormund, Eslina, and Rick all said reassuring things.
Even when we first met, they didn’t abandon their comrades and came to help when needed.
They weren’t the type to betray anyone.
“I’ll do as I please, alright?”
“Haku-san, you’re Tohru’s familiar, so just focus on protecting him.”
“I was planning to do that anyway.”
Haku snorted in response to Franz’s words.
“Haku, don’t wander off too far from me, okay?”
“That sounds like a reliable line, but it’s actually pretty pathetic.”
Eslina and the others giggled, but I wasn’t joking.
I was just an ordinary guy who could summon a camper van. I needed Haku to protect me.
“Alright, let’s move out.”
Franz clapped his hands, and the rest of the party tightened their expressions and started walking.
A slightly chilly breeze brushed against my skin.
The trees around us were tall, stretching straight up toward the sky.
They looked like conifers.
“Are you interested in those branches?”
As I picked up a branch from the ground while walking, Haku asked.
Oops. My camper instincts kicked in, and I couldn’t help but gather some firewood.
“Conifers make great kindling. They catch fire easily.”
“Really? Why’s that?”
Eslina asked.
The frontliners were too busy keeping watch to turn around, but I could tell part of their attention was on our conversation, showing their curiosity.
“Conifers have a lot of air and resin in their cells, so they burn brightly. But they also burn out quickly.”
“Maybe that’s why the fire died out so fast last time—it might have been a conifer.”
“Or it could’ve been a tree with a lot of resin.”
“What about trees that burn longer?”
“Hardwoods. They’re harder to light, but they burn longer and maintain a steady heat.”
“So it’s not about which is better, but using the right one for the right purpose, right?”
“Exactly.”
Conifers are great for starting fires, boosting a dying campfire, or increasing heat while cooking.
Hardwoods are better for long-lasting campfires, heavy cooking, or use in fireplaces and wood stoves.
As Eslina said, it’s all about using the right wood for the right situation.
“Tohru, you’re so clueless about common sense, but you know some oddly specific things. It’s like you’re from somewhere far away.”
“Y-Yeah, I guess.”
Eslina’s sharp observation made me break out in a cold sweat.
Haku, the only one who knew the truth, didn’t say anything but had a smirk on his face.
I wanted to give him a piece of my mind, but his expression suddenly turned serious, and his ears perked up.
“Enemy attack!”
About two seconds after Haku’s reaction, Rick shouted sharply.
At his voice, the party members immediately drew their weapons.
Following their gaze, I saw something about a meter in size swarming toward us.
“Beetlebugs!”
They had caterpillar-like bodies covered in green shells.
Long, thin legs extended from their sides, allowing them to move with surprising agility.
There were dozens of them. The ground ahead was practically covered in Beetlebugs.
“There’s too many! Eslina! Get your magic ready!”
Before Franz could finish giving orders, Eslina was already raising her staff and chanting a spell.
“Let’s keep them from reaching the rear!”
“Right!”
Rick was the first to leap forward, throwing a knife from his belt.
The thrown knife flew straight into the Beetlebug’s forehead as if drawn in, causing it to topple over while spraying blue bodily fluids.
The second Beetlebug leaped forward, closing in on Rick, trampling over its fallen comrade’s corpse.
However, Dormund’s shield bash sent it flying backward.
“Hah!”
Beetlebugs that tried to flank us were swiftly cut down by Franz’s sword.
Rick and Dormund handled the frontlines, while Franz kept a wide field of view, giving orders and taking out any monsters that slipped past the two. He made sure none got close to Eslina in the rear.
Haku, surprisingly, wasn’t participating in the fight—or so I thought, until I noticed three Beetlebugs sliced apart near him. He must’ve used his tail to cut down any that tried to approach from another angle.
Soon, Eslina’s magic was ready, and at Franz’s signal, Rick and Dormund retreated.
“Earth, become stakes and pierce my enemies! [Earth Stakes]!”
Eslina struck the ground with her staff, and her earth magic reached the Beetlebugs’ feet.
Large stakes shot up from the ground, impaling over ten Beetlebugs at once.
In an instant, more than half of the swarm was wiped out, and the remaining Beetlebugs’ movements noticeably slowed.
They might have seemed like emotionless insects, but they seemed to feel something akin to fear.
“Press the attack!”
Rick and Dormund charged forward, Rick with his daggers and Dormund with his axe, finishing off the slowed Beetlebugs.
“So this is how adventurers fight...”
Everyone knew their role and worked together seamlessly.
Even as an amateur, I could tell Franz and the others were a solid party.
As I watched the battle in awe, the last of the Beetlebugs were finally defeated.
“How’s that? Last time, we got caught off guard and ended up injured, but we’ve got some skills too, you know?”
Once we confirmed there were no more monsters around, Rick walked over with a proud look on his face.
His small stature and boyish face made him look like a neighborhood kid showing off his achievements.
“Though we’re no match for Haku-san, of course.”
“No doubt about that.”
Haku himself was casually grooming his fur.
For a top-tier monster like Haku, this level of combat probably wasn’t worth participating in.
“Are there any usable materials from the Beetlebugs?”
“Their shells can be used for armor.”
I tapped one of the dead Beetlebugs’ shells with my knuckle, and it made a metallic clinking sound.
With this level of durability, they could definitely be crafted into shoulder guards, chest plates, gauntlets, and greaves.
“Too bad Eslina’s magic pierced more than half of them. They’re useless now.”
“It’s not my fault! I didn’t have the luxury to hold back against that many!”
While Eslina’s magic had wiped out most of the swarm, it also rendered most of the materials useless.
The life of an adventurer sure was tough.
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