Chapter 20

It takes about 10 days to reach Elera from here by horse. I think it's safe to assume that my running speed is roughly the same as a horse's.

First, it will take about 3 days to get to Tsubai, and then another 7 days to reach Elera from there.

The road connecting Elera and Tsubai is well-maintained for the transportation of Elera's metal products, and there are inns along the way. However, there are only a few villages near Elera and Tsubai, and the area between them is mostly uninhabited. The inns are built in places where operating them is not easy, so they are expensive, and the food, which is focused on transportation and preservation, is not bad but quite salty. Well, for me, who has been accustomed to junk food on Earth, it should be easy. If something as spicy as Sichuan cuisine were to appear, that would be a problem.

On the other hand, the road connecting Ein and Tsubai is poorly maintained and lacks inns, so camping is necessary. Camping alone is tough, or rather, impossible due to the lack of vigilance, but it should be manageable with the touch plate.

Tsubai is a relatively large town in this area. If I hadn't defeated the Metal Lizard, I would probably have sent a messenger here. It's large in this area, and while the size of the outer walls is moderate, the population is significant. It also serves as a trade hub for the surrounding towns, being next to Elera.

This is the summary of the knowledge I need for my journey. I will prepare for it during the day. It feels like a lot of time has passed, but it's still before noon.

That said, there isn't much to prepare. I've already said goodbye to those who helped me, and the only thing I need to prepare is food.

When I went to say goodbye to Dverag, he told me never to haggle when buying weapons or materials from dwarves. Dwarves take pride in their blacksmithing and don't try to overcharge, so haggling is considered extremely rude and could result in being kicked out without complaint.

So, I head to the general store to buy dishes.

I don't want to eat bread for the entire journey, so I decided to buy food from a store and take it with me, but I can't take the store's dishes.

So, I buy dishes and have the food placed on them, then store them in my item box. This way, I can always have good food.

Even if each dish takes up one slot in the item box, I have plenty of space.

The general store had beautiful ceramic plates, but that's not what I want.

I pick up a wooden plate nearby. As an adventurer, I need something that won't break easily.

I also buy a few pairs of chopsticks (this world has chopsticks, which are easy to use and process, so they are popular).

50 wooden plates and 10 pairs of chopsticks cost a total of 3000 ter.

Next, I need to get the food. The place is the inn's restaurant.

"Welcome!"

The restaurant greets me.

"Hello. I'm going on a journey and would like you to fill as many plates as possible with set meals. Is that okay? I will pay, of course."

"Sure! The price will be the same as usual, but if you're okay with that, I'll do it! It saves me the trouble of washing dishes!"

It seems to be fine. I still have plenty of money.

"Then, I would like 20 Green Wolf set meals, 20 Gargon set meals, and 10 Orc set meals."

"Sure! That's a lot, so it will take about 10 minutes. Is that okay?"

Indeed, the food that was served quickly was pre-prepared...

"Yes, that's fine. I want to eat it while it's hot, so I'll store it in my item box as soon as it's ready."

I hand over 3 silver coins and 80 copper coins.

"Sure!"

The restaurant owner takes the money, throws it into a box without counting, and starts cooking. As the dishes are prepared, I put them in the item box. Finally, I take 50 loaves of bread and leave the store.

Now it's mid-afternoon, and what I will do next is sleep.

In this world, the method of traveling to places without inns depends on the danger level and the group.

If the danger level is relatively low and the group's experience is low, or if most of the group are non-combatants, they sleep during the day and move at night.

This is mainly due to the issue of vigilance while sleeping.

Although the night is relatively dangerous, moving means that almost everyone is awake, making vigilance easier.

On the other hand, rest times, when fewer people are awake and fewer can be allocated to vigilance and combat, are held during the relatively safer day.

If the danger level is relatively high, they move during the day instead of at night.

Members entering relatively dangerous areas can usually respond immediately if a lookout spots an enemy, and in such cases, a camping site is safer than moving, as they can choose a safer location for defense.

In my case, I can use the touch plate and my vision during the day, and I am conscious. When sleeping, I can only use the touch plate, and my reaction time is slower. It's better to sleep during the day.

So, I fall asleep.

I wake up at the sound of the evening bell, return the key, and leave the inn, heading out through the gate on the grassland side. Farewell, Ein.

I move at a speed that I wouldn't even use for short-distance running on Earth. In this world, with AGI, I can run at a speed comparable to short-distance running with the energy consumption of a brisk walk.

It's not as fast as a horse in a short-distance race, but I think it's not much slower than a horse or carriage for long distances.

I continue running until it gets light, eat when I'm hungry, and sleep when it's noon. It's an unhealthy lifestyle, but I do get some sunlight, so I think my vitamin levels are being maintained. I don't need to eat dried mushrooms.

When I sleep, I use grass as a pillow. I thought about buying a cloak or even bedding, but since my clothes don't get dirty, it's not too bad.

I repeat this unhealthy yet healthy lifestyle for two full days and arrive at a town around noon on the third day. It's much larger than Ein, but the entry procedures seem to be the same.

It's been a while since I've been in a town, and I'm not in a hurry, so I might stay for a night. I'll ask the guard for a recommendation.

"Excuse me, do you have any recommended inns?"

"...What's your budget for one night?"

I want to rest and can afford to splurge a bit, but not being able to stay at inns along the way would be a problem.

"1000 ter, please."

"...Then go straight and turn left. It's the Kusa Makura-tei."

"Thank you."

I follow the directions given. I decided to go to an inn to avoid sleeping on grass, but it turns out to be the Kusa Makura-tei.

The Kusa Makura-tei is a three-story stone building. It looks sturdy. Despite the name, it's quite large. I'll go in for now.

"Welcome, are you here to stay?"

There's a reception area like a hotel, where I'm greeted by the staff. It seems more like a guild design, and of course, there's no elevator.

"Yes, I'm here to stay. I'll be staying alone until noon tomorrow."

"In that case, it will be a single room for one night, including dinner tonight, breakfast, and lunch tomorrow, for 900 ter."

"Understood. I don't need lunch."

"In that case, it will be 50 ter less, so 850 ter. Payment in advance, is that okay?"

It's a bit cheaper. Prepayment is expected.

"Yes, I'll take it. Also, do you know where I can buy a cloak?"

I hand over 85 copper coins.

"Sure. Here's your key, room 203. If you're looking for an adventurer's cloak, go straight and turn left at the second intersection."

"Thank you, I'll go check it out."

I don't need to unpack, so I take the key and head outside. The key is just a straight rod, not really a key. It's probably some kind of card key.

I move as directed and find a store that seems to sell furs. There are no armors, but there are cloaks. The shopkeeper is a tall man.

"Excuse me, I'd like to buy a cloak for camping. My budget is around this much."

I take out 4 silver coins.

"Ah, in that case, I recommend this one. It's usually 4200 ter, but I'll give it to you for 4000 ter."

It's quite expensive. Is he trying to sell me something strange?

I'll use my appraisal skill to check.

"What specifically makes this one recommended?"

"First, the outer material. It's made from Gargon hide, which is tough and fire-resistant, and is used for armor. It's relatively soft, but it's sturdy and has some defensive properties. It's better for sleeping on the ground. The lining is soft and is designed for outdoor use, so it's the best choice for a sleeping substitute."

After appraising it, it seems he's not lying. I'll buy it.

"I'll take it."

I hand over the coins.

The cloak is put on for me. It's a bit stiff and heavy, but it's not a significant burden.

Since I don't need anything else, I return to the inn, put the cloak on, and store it in my item box before going to sleep. The light magic devices don't seem to vary much.