"Everyone, grab your gear and fall in!"
At Roche-san's shout, everyone except the instructors tending to the horses gathered around.
"I’m sure some of you already know this, but I’ll start with the basics. First, along well-traveled roads, there are designated campsites designed for travelers. This is one of them. As you can see, it's just a stretch of land cleared on the side of a mountain path. But look behind me. See the sign?"
Sure enough, the sign featured a drawing of a river and an arrow pointing toward a water source.
"Most campsites provide flat ground for tents and access to water. They’re established by local lords for travelers, or by veteran adventurers for those coming after them—people like us and you rookies. Because of that, anyone is free to use them. Of course, we have every right to be here, but don't forget that there are rules to follow. Well, most of it is just common sense. There aren't many, and they aren't complicated, so don't get too worked up. Today, we’ll go over those rules, and then you’ll start your own preparations. If you have questions or aren't sure about something, be proactive and ask us. You'll be taking turns on watch duty with us tonight, but otherwise, your time is your own. If you have extra time, use it to rest or gather food for the coming days—just don't make trouble for anyone else."
After the brief overview, he moved on to the specific regulations. He covered everything from basic etiquette, like not littering and leaving the site as you found it, to the customs followed when sharing a site with strangers.
Then, as planned, we moved to the main event of the training: setting up camp. To secure their own spots, the instructors began their own preparations. I headed to a corner of the site. The rest could be handled with Earth Magic.
"Earth Wall."
I raised four walls of soil from the ground, creating a decent enclosure. I made two of the walls slightly longer... Good. That was plenty of space to partition the interior into a sleeping area and a toilet. Next, I formed two additional thin walls separately, which I cut out to serve as a roof. I packed dirt into the gaps between the frame and the roof, solidified the structure with Rock, and my lodging for the night was nearly complete.
For the final touch...
"Item Box."
Let's see, where did I put it...
"Um, excuse me?"
"Yes, can I help you?"
I turned to find five boys and girls watching me with bewildered expressions. They had all arrived in a different carriage from mine. They seemed to have been watching for a while before finally working up the courage to speak. Honestly, I’d been waiting with a bit of nervous tension, wondering when someone would finally say something.
"You were using magic... that is for your camp, right?"
"It is. It looks like a stone box right now, but I’m going to cut some openings and install these."
Answering the boy who seemed the most energetic of the bunch, I pulled a pre-made door and a screen door from my Item Box and demonstrated how to set them into the walls.
"Do you really intend to spend that much mana on a camp?" a sharp-eyed girl asked. Judging by her light armor and staff, she was a mage. "Adventurers are supposed to keep reserves for emergencies. We were taught that mages should never waste their magic."
"That's a fair point. When you're out in the field, it's hard to get the same quality of rest you'd find in the safety of a city. I agree that avoiding frivolous spellcasting to prepare for the unexpected is the right mindset. However," I added, "I don't consider using magic to ensure a better night's sleep to be a 'waste.'"
The quality of rest you get in a harsh environment versus a comfortable one is night and day. Conserving stamina, maintaining focus—if you can create a better environment to ensure you're performing at your peak, then it isn't a waste at all.
Of course, in my case, I have a massive pool of mana to draw from, so I can use it freely. It might be hard for them to copy me exactly, but surely they could adopt some of it.
"Come over here for a second."
I led the five rookies to a spot next to my growing stone hut. Using Earth Magic, I grew four pillars and tied ropes between them, pulling them taut. Once I wove a net of rope across the interior of the frame, I had a simple hammock in seconds. I hopped onto it to show them it was sturdy enough to hold a person.
Then, I pulled a large waterproof cloth from my Item Box and draped it over the pillars. In an instant, it was a tent that could ward off wind and rain.
"With a bit of preparation, you can make a bed with just four pillars. This keeps you away from crawling insects and means you don't have to be as picky about where you sleep. More importantly, it uses far less magic than that house over there. This shouldn't be much of a burden even for a novice... For instance, you."
"Me?" the energetic boy asked.
"You don't look like a mage. Do you use magic in combat?"
"Nah. I can't really use it."
"But you have mana, don't you?"
"A little. I could maybe fire off two or three attack spells before I'm tapped out."
"Then there's no harm in using that mana for something else, is there?"
Even a single wall can serve as a windbreak or a sunshade. Even if you can't cast spells, there are magic tools. For someone whose fighting style doesn't rely on mana, there’s no downside as long as they don't completely drain themselves. They didn't have to do everything with magic like I did. But surely it was okay to use it where it was most convenient?
After I explained my reasoning, the five thanked me and walked off.
"I guess that's one way to look at it. But man, magic tools, huh?"
"Why don't you practice using them yourself? I can teach you the basics."
"Either way, he was surprisingly normal..."
What exactly did they mean by "surprisingly normal"? Was it just my teaching style, or did they think I was some kind of eccentric weirdo to begin with? I’d intentionally avoided things only I could do—like slimes or alchemy—and tried to think of a serious curriculum... Also, shouldn't they wait until they're further away before talking about me like that?
"Heh... Good work on your first lesson."
"Ah, Howard-san. Good work to you too."
"You did a fine job there."
"You think so?"
"Your point was clear, and it looks like you got those kids thinking. The worst teachers are the ones who can't even get their point across. Compared to them, you’re top-tier."
"I’m glad to hear that."
Howard-san seemed a bit laid-back, but I suspected he was trying to help me relax. I decided to take the opportunity to ask him something.
"By the way, is the way I camp really that unusual?"
"Relatively speaking, yeah. Like you said, the common wisdom is that you shouldn't waste energy or mana outside the city. Most people don't think of camping as a waste per se, but the standard is to buy a tent and gear in town and carry it with you. High-ranking Space Mages can apparently create safe pockets of space to sleep in, but that’s impossible for rookies. At most, they might use Fire Magic to start a campfire or Water Magic to top off their canteens. You seem perfectly fine, but what about your remaining mana? Are you doing all right?"
"I'm perfectly fine. I have a high capacity. I've been told it's comparable to a royal mage's."
"No wonder you're so calm about it. If you aren't pushing yourself, I'd say your way is perfectly valid."
"Ryoma, you got a second?"
It was Lucas-san. He was the most imposing of the trio, and with that massive hammer on his back, he looked like a force of nature. Yet, he was currently holding a writing board with paper and a quill. A small ink bottle was tucked between the fingers of his left hand.
"I’m setting the night watch. Do you have a preference for a shift? I try to accommodate people if they’re bad at waking up or have some other issue."
"I don't have any particular preferences or problems, but I'm quite comfortable at night. I sometimes hunt after dark, and my Night Vision is fairly reliable."
"No preference, no issues. Strong at night, has Night Vision... Got it."
Lucas-san repeated my words as he scribbled with his pen. I wondered if there were adventurers who struggled with low blood pressure in the morning. I’d never experienced it myself, but thinking of some of my old coworkers, that sounded like it could be dangerous in the wild.
"Right. Thanks for the cooperation. I'll post the schedule later. If you've got time, keep an eye on things. You too, Howard."
"Got it."
Adventurers might look rough around the edges, but the work itself was surprisingly meticulous.
"Hey, pull harder on that end!"
"I'm pulling as hard as I can!"
"I'm going to get more water."
Since my own camp was finished, I decided to walk the perimeter with Howard-san.
"Everything seems fine."
A few people were struggling, but not enough to need our intervention.
"It's the first day. Not many people are going to cause trouble—"
"What did you just say!?"
"—And of course, someone starts a fight immediately. Good grief."
"Let's go."
We rounded a row of tents and found the source of the shouting. It was a group of four boys glaring at Beck and his friends. The tension was thick.
"Hey, what's all the racket?" Howard-san asked.
"It's nothing, sir!"
"Yeah, not a racket at all!"
"Exactly!"
The four boys scrambled to deny it, looking flustered.
"We were just talking about going out to find some food."
"And then these guys over here started giving us grief, so things just got a little loud."
"You were the ones who started it!" Beck snapped back.
The atmosphere, which had briefly cooled, flared up again instantly.
"Ryoma. We should probably separate these two groups before we listen to their sides."
"I agree. I'll take the group of six. I know them, so it'll be easier to talk."
"Fine. I'll handle the four of them."
I led the six slum rookies to the front of my camp. I fashioned a simple table and chairs out of earth and sat them down.
"So, what happened?"
"It's not really anything new... Remember how I told you there were guys who made fun of Wist? That was them."
Ah... I remembered. So it was those four.
"They're strong, though," one of them added. "I don't like them, but they're good hunters."
"Um... Hunting pays a lot better than herb gathering," Wist explained. "Because those four only ever hunt monsters, they make way more than we do since we mostly pick herbs. They're always looking down on us."
"They're always mocking us for just gathering herbs," Marta added.
"Today, we were talking about finding something to eat, and they said, 'Did you come all this way just to pull weeds?'"
That had been the spark. Looking into it further, it seemed Beck had been the one to return fire, as usual. It was a classic case of one insult leading to another. Fortunately, they hadn't actually come to blows this time—or ever before, for that matter.
"Alright, I've got the picture."
"Um... are we going to be punished?"
"I don't know what Roche-san will decide... but personally, I think a simple warning is enough. None of you are hurt, and there aren't any signs of a physical fight, so I believe you when you say you didn't throw any punches. Besides, it sounds like the other side started it. Beck, you should try to keep that temper of yours in check, but... I suppose it's better than staying quiet while your friends are being insulted."
It was probably just adding fuel to the fire, but I didn't actually dislike that about him. For now, I gave them a stern warning. I told them to reflect on their behavior and then went to report the incident.
In the end, the punishment was exactly what I’d expected: a formal warning for everyone involved. Additionally, the instructors reiterated an unspoken rule for the entire camp: "Basically, do not interfere with others at a campsite, except for exchanging vital information regarding safety, such as the presence of bandits or monsters."