"Rei, wake up. It’s about time."
At the sound of that voice, Rei’s consciousness rose from the depths of sleep. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a dwarf’s bearded face.
"...Brasso, huh."
"Mm. I woke you up because it’s the perfect time to start the night raid."
"Guruuu."
At Brasso’s words, Seto let out a low growl from the back of its throat, sounding as if it couldn't wait for the battle. The vibration echoed in Rei’s ears through Seto’s soft belly, which he had been using as a pillow.
"Where’s Phron?"
Rei looked around while listening to the crackling of the campfire. Phron, who was supposed to have been sleeping nearby, was nowhere to be seen.
"Ah, she’s busy with her morning... or rather, waking-up preparations. Honestly, don't you think women are a pain—gah!"
Before he could finish his sentence, a tree branch flying out of the darkness struck Brasso directly in the head. While he clutched his skull, Phron emerged from the shadows of the forest.
"Good grief. Stop making fun of women, you rock geezer."
"Ugh... even so, you didn't have to throw a branch at me."
Rubbing his head, Brasso picked up the branch that had struck him and tossed it into the campfire.
"That's enough out of this idiot. It’s almost time, Rei. Any problems on your end?" Phron asked, checking the edge of the longsword she had drawn from her waist.
Rei gave a small nod and a faint smile.
"No problems here. Let’s have a light meal and go wipe out those harpies immediately."
Speaking nonchalantly, Rei pulled a giant pot out of his Misty Ring. It was the stew he had purchased, pot and all, from a dining hall before departing the city of Gilm. He followed it with soup bowls, spoons, and a ladle, serving out portions for everyone.
"Guruuuuu."
The savory aroma of the stew drifted through the air, and Seto purred as if to remind Rei it wanted its share too.
"Here, be careful. It’s hot."
Rei handed over a bowl with an extra serving of meat for Seto. By then, both Phron and Brasso were already smacking their lips over the food.
"This is delicious. It would be perfect if I could have a drink with it."
"Yeah, it’s great. I never thought I’d be eating such a proper meal while camping. Seriously, we really have to thank Rei and his Item Box for this. But Brasso—no alcohol."
"Hmph. We're about to head into battle. A single drink to boost my spirits shouldn't hurt."
"What are you going to do if Rei gets dead drunk like last time? Honestly."
Phron let out a sigh, but she looked satisfied as she ate the tender meat and vegetables, which were thoroughly soaked with flavor.
"It’s true, though. Even when camping for a request, being able to eat a hot, freshly made meal like this does wonders for morale. It really gets me motivated."
"Indeed. Armies place great importance on food for a reason. What Phron says isn't far off the mark."
"...To me, camping with an Item Box is just normal, so it doesn't feel that special," Rei muttered.
In the next moment, Phron and Brasso both shot him exasperated looks.
"Rei, just having an Item Box makes you incredibly... well, compared to other adventurers, the difference is like an A-Rank and an H-Rank. You're more blessed than you realize."
"Aye. There’s no doubt that a magic item like an Item Box, which removes the need to carry luggage, is as valuable as Phron says. It’s just that Rei himself doesn't seem to have much self-awareness about it."
Judging that the conversation was turning against him, Rei stuffed his mouth with a piece of meat—origin unknown—that was tender enough to be cut with a spoon. He felt it dissolve into fibers, swallowed it, and spoke again.
"By the way, what do normal adventurers usually do for food when they camp? As you know, I usually work solo, and even when I'm in a party, it's mostly temporary and I'm always using the Item Box. I don't really know much about the typical adventurer’s diet."
Phron and Brasso gave him a look that said they knew he was changing the subject, but eventually Phron scooped up a simmered potato and answered.
"Mostly, it’s hard bread baked to last a long time. You just soften it with water or hot water. If the party has someone skilled at hunting, they might catch wild birds or animals to grill. Oh, and if they kill a monster on the road, they might eat that too—but that’s only if they’re lucky. Take the common goblin, for example; their meat is too smelly to be edible. Besides, even if you do grill meat, it's rare for someone to carry around salt or seasonings."
"Couldn't they at least carry some salt?" Rei asked.
His Misty Ring was currently stocked with various spices he had bought in the city of Gilm, but given their reactions, he figured it was better not to mention that.
"I know it seems simple," Brasso added. "A single bottle of salt doesn't take much space. But for those of us on a request, the weight difference of even one bottle can be the difference between life and death. That’s why the Crushing Warriors minimize our gear as much as possible."
Brasso’s words carried the weight of an elder’s wisdom. However...
"And yet you always manage to bring booze," Phron deadpanned.
The sentiment was instantly ruined.
"Quiet! Booze and salt are two entirely different things!"
While they bickered, they finished their meal in about ten minutes. Rei stored the leftovers and the used dishes back into his Misty Ring.
"Alright. Are you both ready?"
At Brasso’s question, Rei and Phron nodded. Seto gave a low cry in response. Each of them already gripped their weapons, prepared for any monster that might leap out of the night forest.
"Then let's move out. It’s the middle of the night, so there’s a good chance the harpies are asleep."
"That’s fine, but how are we attacking?" Rei asked. "Are we picking off the ones on the outskirts of the nest one by one?"
"That was my plan. Do you have another idea?" Brasso asked as he began extinguishing the campfire with sand.
Rei gave a small nod.
"Yeah. I don't know if you’ve realized, but I'm not a pure warrior; I'm a magic warrior. Specifically, I specialize in flame magic. Because of that, I can only use a little bit of wind magic otherwise."
"...So, you're suggesting you blast the harpy nest with your magic?"
Brasso stopped shoveling sand, his friendly demeanor shifting into the sharp, focused gaze of a veteran adventurer.
"Yeah. The harpy nest is at the mountain summit, right? We shouldn't have to worry about the fire spreading."
"No, absolutely not," Phron interjected. "Brasso, did you forget what the miners told us? They said that at night, a downslope wind blows from the summit down toward the base. If you use flame magic in a place like that... one tiny mistake in control and we’ll have more than just a forest fire on our hands. Honestly, we’d be lucky if it stayed a forest fire. If the fire ruins the mine, think about the kind of penalty the guild would slap us with."
"She’s right. With that downslope wind, flame magic is too dangerous. Sorry, Rei, but don't use any large-scale magic. We’ll take them down one by one."
"But... if we do that, won't it be impossible to get them all? No matter how quietly we pick them off, we're bound to be noticed eventually."
"And what if the downslope wind starts a forest fire, like Phron said?"
Rei fell silent at Brasso's rebuttal.
(It’s true that reclaiming the mine is the whole point of this request. Using large-scale magic is a bad idea in that context. Damn, if only it wasn't for that downslope wind, I could handle this easily.)
"Understood. Let’s head to the harpy nest for now. We might find a better way once we’re on-site."
"Fine. But as I said, the safety of the mine comes first. If there's any risk of a forest fire, we are not using any large-scale flame magic."
"Yeah, I get it."
"Guruuuuu?"
Seto must have sensed the regret in Rei's voice, as it rubbed its head against him as if asking if he was alright.
"Don't worry about it. Besides, I'm a temporary party member of the Crushing Warriors today. I’ll follow the leader's lead." Rei smiled and scratched Seto’s head.
"Good. If you were solo, you could do as you pleased, but for now, you're one of us," Phron said. "Besides, we’re veteran adventurers. You might actually learn a thing or two from us."
"So veteran that she's basically a mature woman," Brasso added.
"Shut up, old man. I'll split your skull in two."
The moment the word 'mature' left Brasso's mouth, Phron had her sword raised high. She glared at him, radiating pure murderous intent.
Even the hardened Brasso broke into a cold sweat and began to back away.
"I-I'm sorry! I went too far. I know you're still young and in your prime, Phron!"
"...There won't be a next time, you drunken geezer."
She shot him one last sharp look and took a deep breath.
"Alright, let's get moving to the summit. It won't be a joke if we're still standing here at dawn."
"..."
Brasso looked like he had more to say, but his survival instinct told him that another word would result in a blade to the head, so he stayed quiet. Rei and Seto followed suit, keeping their silence.
With Phron in the lead, followed by Brasso, Rei, and finally Seto, they began their trek up the mountain.
The path from the base to the mine had been packed down by the miners, but beyond that, there was no real road. They had to rely on narrow game trails.
"Tch, these branches and vines are such a nuisance!"
Phron swung her sword, clearing away anything that blocked her path. Normally, this was a job for Brasso and his superior stamina, but because of the height difference between the two, even after he cleared a path, Phron would still find things in her way. It ended up being double the work.
Even so, they proved their worth as C-Rank adventurers. They moved through the wilderness at a speed that would have left an ordinary person exhausted. After about an hour, the mountain summit finally came into view.
"...We really have to thank Seto for this."
Phron wiped her brow with a cloth Rei had provided. She looked at the gryphon with genuine admiration.
The night usually belonged to the monsters, many of whom became far more aggressive than during the day. Normally, climbing a mountain like this without being constantly swarmed would be impossible.
However, even though Seto’s presence deterred most, a few low-rank monsters that couldn't sense its strength had tried their luck. Since their meat was foul and not to Seto’s liking, they had simply taken the magic stones, materials, and proof of subjugation parts before leaving the carcasses behind—likely already in the stomachs of other predators by now.
"Guruuu."
Seto let out a confident purr. Phron smiled at the reliable sound and slashed through the final thicket.
"I see it."
They had finally reached the summit.