Chapter 44

I Tried Camping Outside
“So this is the entrance to the forest. We’ll set up camp after moving away from the road. The Forest of Delight becomes more dangerous the further you go in, so we should get some sleep while we can.”
Several hours had now passed since leaving the town of Kiria.
Tina suggested that we set up camp now that we had arrived in the forest.
“Away from the road?”
“Staying away from the road is a general rule when you have a small party. Being near the road might mean fewer monsters, but it’ll make it easier for bandits to find you.”
I see. So that’s why.
So, you had to think about dealing with bandits when camping…
And so we moved away from the road and searched for a suitable spot.
“This place looks good. Yuji, are there any monsters around?”
Tina had chosen a spot near a cliff that was lower than the surrounding area.
Yes, I could see how it would be hard for bandits to find us here.
“I don’t see any monsters. And there are no humans within my detection range either.”
“Alright, so it’s decided then. Let’s set up camp.”
So saying, everyone pitched their own tent and began to eat the preserved food they had brought.
In these kinds of temporary parties, everyone brought their own things.
As I had heard of this in advance, I had prepared my own tent, which I was able to set up before sitting down to a dinner of bread that I had brought.
“So, who should take the first watch?”
Tina asked once we were finished eating.
Then Rodis opened his mouth, which was unusual, as he mostly kept silent.
“You should go first. I’ll be second, third is Yujji and Lisa can go last. What do you say?”
“I understand choosing Yuji for the darkest hours because he’s a scout, but how did you choose the others?”
“Second and third have their sleeping hours split into two, which can be the most tiring. I have the highest rank, so I should do it. Yuji doesn’t fight, so he doesn’t matter. But I don’t want you two dragging us down.”
“Well, if you insist. …I’ll wake you up when your time comes. You three can rest now.”
…While it may not have been worded in the most ideal way, he was surprisingly gentlemanly?
And with that, I stationed my slimes around the area and then went to sleep.
If something happened, the slimes would alert me.
◇

‘Yuji! Yuji!’
The voices of the slimes woke me up.
Apparently, something had happened.
‘What is it? What happened?’
‘Rodis suddenly disappeared during his watch!’
‘Disappeared…do you mean he ran away?’
‘Uhh…I don’t think so! We’re chasing him now on the Proud Wolf!’
Upon hearing this, I connected to the slime on the Proud Wolf’s back with Shared Senses.
And then I was able to see Rodis running through the forest.
…Yes, it didn’t look like he was running because he didn’t want to watch anymore.
And it didn’t seem like nature was calling him either.
In any case, the situation was very abnormal.
‘Go wake up Tina and Lisa.’
‘Okay!’
I told a slime to wake them up as I continued to monitor Rodis.
It seemed like he was making his way to somewhere in the forest.
Perhaps he remembered the exact location because there was no hesitation in the way he moved.
“Yuji. The slimes woke us up. Did something happen?”
“Isn’t it Rodis’s turn to watch?”
Tina and Lisa said as they came towards me.
“Yeah. But he’s gone off somewhere.”
“If he escaped during his watch…he can’t be up to anything good. Are you sure he isn’t just relieving himself?”
“Definitely not that. Rodis is now running about three kilometers away from here.”
“You can tell…? In any case, I see that it is no ordinary matter. We have to leave this place at once. We’ll leave the tents here for now.”
Tina gave the order after hearing my answer. And so she started gathering her things.
“Got it!”
Lisa also started to do the same.
The two of them were apparently thinking of leaving this place as soon as possible.
“Do we really have to run away now?”
“We do. Only a bandit would run away in the middle of his watch without saying anything. It’s a good thing you noticed it before we were attacked, Yuji.”
He was working with the bandits… I see.
We had chosen a spot that would be difficult for bandits to find, but if Rodis really had run off in order to alert his bandit friends…then that effort had been for nothing.
We would have all been sleeping while he had the watch. There could not have been easier prey for the bandits then.
Well, that was if you ignored the fact that I had the slimes.
I thought as much as I finished packing my belonging.
“Now, let’s run!”