After an hour and a half of transferring between trains, we finally arrived at the station closest to the campsite.
We had arrived, but...
"This is a... very quiet station."
"...You could say that. It’s surrounded by nature, to say the least," Hiiragi-san added.
Stepping onto the platform, Hiiragi-san and I gave Yuji a flat look as we shared our impressions. The old concrete platform was overgrown with moss, the small wooden station building was visibly weather-beaten and dilapidated, and lush trees and wild grass hemmed us in from all sides. Naturally, there wasn't a trace of a station employee; it was a completely unstaffed, secluded station.
The kind of place enthusiasts would call a hidden gem, no doubt.
"Well, it is pretty far from civilization. I bet the only people who use this station are headed to the campsite. Other than that... maybe the odd secluded station fan?"
Yuji brushed off our comments as he readjusted his pack and approached the station building. What was he up to?
"Let’s see... the timetable hasn't changed since last time."
"...Are you checking the schedule?"
"Yeah. There aren't many trains, so it’s a disaster if you miss one."
Apparently, Yuji was checking the return times. Curious about what a timetable in such a remote place looked like, I peered over his shoulder... and my eyes widened in shock.
You have to be kidding me. Six trains a day, total, for both directions?
"Are you serious? This schedule..."
"Dead serious. It’s a remote area with hardly any passengers. But depending on where you go, there are stations with even fewer stops than this... so this one is actually on the better side."
"This is 'the better side,' huh..."
These secluded stations were terrifying. Personally, I wouldn’t want to use a station unless there was a train at least every hour or two. If you missed one here, you'd be stranded for four or five hours?
No way. That would completely wreck your entire day.
"Well, no use standing around here forever. Let’s get moving."
"O-Oh, right."
As I stood there reeling from the pitiful timetable, Yuji called out and started walking toward the campsite.
A campsite past a station like this... seriously, what kind of place were we going to?
We had been walking on a paved road for a while after leaving the station, but now we were on an unpaved forest road barely wide enough for a single car.
I suppose I should be glad it wasn't a mountain trail or a game trail... yet.
"Hey, Yuji? Is there really a campsite at the end of this road?"
"Yeah, of course. There was a sign before we turned onto this path, remember?"
"Well, yeah. There was, but..."
Could that thing even be called a sign? It was a piece of rotting wood covered in moss, with dried, peeling paint on it... more of a roadside artifact than a notice.
If Yuji hadn't pointed it out, I probably would have mistaken it for trash and walked right past it.
"More importantly, Hirose-kun? How much longer until we reach the site?"
"Let’s see... at this pace, I'd say about another hour."
"...I see."
Yuji thought for a moment before answering Hiiragi-san, who looked a bit bored by the monotonous scenery. I see, so we have to walk along this forest road for another hour...
Silence hung between us for a few moments, and then...
Shall we just run?
Hiiragi-san and I spoke at almost the exact same time, suggesting we pick up the pace.
Yuji hesitated for a moment, looking at our faces.
"I mean, I don't mind, but... we don't really have to rush, you know?"
"When the scenery is this repetitive... it’s a bit much," I argued.
"There isn't a strict check-in time for this campsite, right? If so, let’s get there early and relax once we've arrived," Hiiragi-san added.
We set about persuading Yuji, who gave his reluctant consent. For ordinary people, running up a mountain road while carrying gear would be reckless. However, as explorers, it was trivial. Even at a marathon runner's pace, we could keep going for hours without breaking a sweat. In fact, we hadn't been that exhausted when we ran through the dungeon before.
On the contrary, continuing to plod along this unchanging forest road was more of a mental strain.
"If you two are that eager, I guess getting there early is fine..."
"Yeah, let’s go. We can use the extra time once we're set up."
"Exactly. Let's go."
"Alright then, let's move."
With Yuji’s agreement, we began jogging toward the campsite. Since it was an unpaved road, the footing was a bit uneven, but it wasn't a problem for us. Compared to a proper mountain path, this was practically a flat track.
About ten minutes after we started running, we arrived at our destination. The campsite was located roughly halfway up the mountain. The area had been cleared out quite a bit, revealing a decent amount of level ground.
"I wondered what kind of wilderness this would be, but it's actually surprisingly well-maintained."
"This campsite used to be a small village that survived on charcoal making," Yuji explained as I looked around.
"...A village?"
"A long time ago... back in the early Showa era. It was an abandoned village that no one visited for years, but the current owner bought the whole lot and turned it into a campsite. That's why there’s a road leading here, even if it’s unpaved, and why the land is cleared."
"I see... making use of an old ghost town. Does that mean the station, too?"
"Yeah, that station was originally built for the villagers. Once the village was abandoned, the passengers disappeared, and the railway company only used it for maintenance stops. But the current owner negotiated with them to have a few trains stop there again every day."
"Huh."
I had thought it was just an inconvenient campsite in the middle of nowhere, but it had an unexpected history. Hiiragi-san and I listened to Yuji’s story with interest. I wondered if this counted as a form of rural revitalization.
But then I reconsidered—it was already an abandoned village, so maybe not.
"Anyway, let’s go ahead and register. No point standing around at the entrance."
Yuji headed toward the only man-made structure at the site: a log house that served as the management office. As we approached the building near the entrance, I could see how well it blended into the landscape. It was quite aged, with visible signs of weathering from wind and rain, and moss and vines crept over the walls and roof, but the foundation itself seemed solid.
"...It certainly has character."
"You can just call it old, you know," Yuji said, offering his blunt assessment without a shred of restraint.
Hey, man, don't say that... what if the person inside hears you?!
After that exchange, we knocked on the door, which had a sign leaning against it that read "Campsite Management Office." The wood was slightly splintered, making me careful not to get a prick as I knocked.
"Excuse me! This is Hirose, I have a reservation! Is anyone here?!"
Yuji called out while knocking, and after about ten seconds, we heard the sound of someone coming down stairs from inside. The manager was in.
"Oh, welcome."
The man who opened the door was in his 40s or 50s, looking every bit the classic "mountain man." He wore a boisterous smile, clearly happy to see visitors.
...He is welcoming us, right?
"It's been a while, Young Hirose. Has it been about a year?"
"No, I couldn't make it last year, so I guess it’s been two? It’s been a long time, Koarashi-san."
Yuji seemed to be an old acquaintance, greeting the manager, Koarashi-san, with a smile.
"Oh, that's right, that's right. You didn't come last year because of that whole commotion."
That commotion... he must mean the appearance of the dungeons.
"So, this time... you brought friends?"
"Yes. We're here for a camping trip."
"I see. Normally, I'd have you do the paperwork and then explain the rules... but since the Hirose lad is with you, I'm sure you know the drill."
Koarashi-san pulled out a registration form and handed it to Yuji.
"Fill in the details here. As for the fee... are you using the designated tent sites?"
"No, the free site is fine."
"In that case, how many tents are you pitching?"
"One for each of us, so three total."
"Any motorcycles or vehicles?"
"No, we walked from the station."
"Then it's a 500-yen entry fee and a 500-yen tent fee... so 1,000 yen per person. 3,000 yen total."
1,000 yen each... that was remarkably cheap. Hiiragi-san and I pulled out our wallets and paid while Yuji finished the paperwork.
Once the form was done, Yuji handed it to Koarashi-san with the money.
"Yep, everything looks good. Watch out for injuries and fires, and have a great time."
"Thanks. We appreciate it, Koarashi-san."
Thank you for having us.
After greeting Koarashi-san, we left the log house and headed for the free site Yuji had mentioned.
Once we arrived at the riverbank area where camping was allowed, I realized it was well-situated. Even though it was by the water, the ground was elevated, so we shouldn't flood even if the rain picked up... hopefully.
Knowing we wouldn't be swept away in our sleep was a relief.
"Alright, let's get the tents up first. We need to secure our sleeping quarters before we do anything else."
"Roger."
"Understood."
We dropped our packs, took out the tent bags, and began assembly. Fortunately, the ground here was grassy and provided some natural cushioning. It wasn't wet, making it an ideal spot. When I'd heard we were camping by a riverbank, I’d been dreading having to pitch on top of jagged gravel.
Since the tents were simple and we’d done a trial run, we had them all up in about ten minutes.
"Finished. Did you two hammer the pegs in properly? If the anchoring is weak, these things will fly away if a strong gust hits."
"Mine is secure," Hiiragi-san replied.
"I'm good too. I hammered them all the way down, so they're not going anywhere."
I smiled at Yuji's warning.
"Good. Daiki, go ahead and take the gear out of your tent. If you do it inside, there’s less chance of anyone seeing you."
"Got it. What do you need first?"
"The cooking gear. We need to get everything ready while it's still light. It’s a pain to prep in the dark."
"Understood."
I crawled into my tent and began pulling the items we'd bought this morning out of my Spatial Storage. While I was at it, I stripped off most of the boxes and plastic wrap to keep up the appearance of normal gear.
When I finished and stepped back outside, I saw Yuji and Hiiragi-san building a simple hearth out of river stones.
"What are you making?"
"Hm? Oh, Daiki. Done with the supplies?"
"Everything's laid out inside. So, what’s this?"
"A stove. Having a proper hearth makes a huge difference, especially at night when you need a heat source."
As he spoke, Yuji skillfully stacked the stones to create a sturdy stove. He was incredibly practiced at this.
Watching him work, a question came to mind.
"Hey, Yuji? Is it okay to have a fire here? Most parks and riverbanks I know have strict 'no fire' signs."
"Oh, it's fine here. As long as you follow the rules, open fires are permitted."
"Huh, nice."
"Though usually, beginners should use a portable fire pit instead of an open hearth. You have to check the wind direction, the mountain's position, and all that. If you mess up, you could start a forest fire."
In just a few minutes, the hearth was complete.
"Right, that’s done. Now let's go gather some wood."
"We're foraging for firewood too?"
"It's too heavy to carry in. If you can find it on-site, you do. Besides, it’s a good excuse to scout the area."
But after saying that, Yuji furrowed his brow slightly, looking a bit sheepish.
"...Actually, truth be told, we don't have much else to do yet."
"Ah... I see."
"That's... true," Hiiragi-san added.
We both agreed, our eyes wandering.
Since our main goal was "to go camping," we had technically achieved eighty percent of our objective the moment we arrived.
"...Shall we go, then? Time to find some wood."
"...Yeah."
"...Yes."
After stowing our remaining gear in the tents and grabbing our essentials, we headed into the woods to begin the search for firewood.