Chapter 09
[The current location is not suitable for shelter creation. Searching for a suitable location.]
The loading bar spun, then the window disappeared and a green dot appeared in a corner of my vision.
It was a cave located on a slope covered with piles of large rocks.
“Calion! There’s a cave over there!”
“Your eyesight is quite good.”
I was speaking to Calion, but Senes cut in.
Why are you the one responding?
“I’ll go check inside. Please wait here for a moment, Master.”
Calion leapt up the rocks like a bouncing ball and checked inside the cave. After confirming it was safe, he signaled us from inside.
Well. It should be safe.
It was a shelter created by a fortification skill, after all!
Just as I was about to head into the cave, my body suddenly lifted upward instead of moving forward.
“At this pace, we’ll lose daylight before you even reach the cave.”
“H-hey, put me down!”
“The cave is above us. You should ask to be lifted up, not put down. It seems your memory and vocabulary have both taken a hit.”
No, just let go of me!
Like a sack—no, like luggage—Senes slung me over his shoulder and bounded up the rocks.
The boulder was as tall as I was, but he climbed it effortlessly without even a running start, then set me down at the entrance of the cave.
Was he helping me because he thought I couldn’t climb it myself?
Despite his sharp tongue, his actions were oddly kind.
By the time I realized I should thank him, the moment had already passed, and Senes ignored me and went ahead, brushing dust off a flat stone.
He took a clean cloth from inside his clothes, folded it in half, and spread it on the stone, then looked at me.
“Ah. Thank you.”
“For what? I’m the one sitting here.”
Senes smirked at me and plopped down on the cloth.
‘…What an obnoxious jerk.’
I thought he was making space and looking at me to offer me a seat, but that wasn’t it at all.
If he hadn’t looked at me, I wouldn’t have misunderstood.
‘Who do you think you’re dealing with, some delusional narcissist?’
As I glared at him in disbelief, Calion, who was wiping a wide rock and laying out his cloak as a mat, called me.
“Master. Please sit here.”
“I’m fine. I’ll make my own seat.”
“You lack shame, and now you lack sense as well. My brother went through the trouble of preparing a seat for you, yet you intend to ignore his goodwill?”
Shut your mouth already, you rude bastard.
I thanked Calion and sat down where he had prepared.
The rock was uneven, but Calion’s fur cloak made it surprisingly comfortable.
“Master. Are you uncomfortable?”
“I’m fine. But Calion… is it okay if I sit on your cloak?”
“Of course.”
Calion’s explanation—that the ground was too rough for just a blanket—warmly touched my heart.
They’re brothers, yet how are they so different? It wasn’t just their faces—their personalities were different too.
I felt sorry to their parents, but honestly, it seemed like one of them might have been adopted.
“Then, Master. Please stay here with my brother.”
“Wait, what? It’s getting dark—where are you going?”
“There is a spring across the way. I will wash and return shortly.”
Calion, you smell pleasant even without washing.
Please don’t leave me alone with that rude bastard.
But even after seeing my pleading eyes, Calion averted his gaze with reddened eyes and left without hesitation.
Right. It must be because he’s a clean person.
Now that I think about it, he never even smelled sweaty even after cutting down monsters.
A clean man—how nice.
There’s no flaw in our Calion!
“Hey there, sack of luggage.”
“Don’t talk to a sack of luggage. I’m going to rest too.”
“You planning to sleep like that without even washing? And spread your dirty smell all over my brother’s cloak? Unbelievable.”
Someone, please shut this jerk up.
Isn’t there a skill for silencing obnoxious bastards?
For once, when the system usually went crazy over everything, it was completely silent now.
—
[Allied unit: Calion has left the fortification.]
There are no allies within a 10m radius.
Fortification skill cancelled.
—
No, not this!
As I glared at the system window, another familiar message popped up with a mocking sound like a cuckoo clock.
—
[Lazy righteous one again]
You have stayed in the shelter for too long.
In 40 seconds, the shelter will collapse.
—
Are you insane? Too long? It’s not even been five minutes!
I was so furious I could scream, but the damn system obediently started its countdown.
39 seconds. 38. 37…
I quickly reopened the minimized windows.
First, the fortification skill status.
[Condition 2. At least one allied unit must remain within a 10m radius
- No allies currently nearby. Skill activation unavailable]
Next, the party invitation window I had been trying to ignore.
[Do you accept the party invitation?]
No choice.
I didn’t want a situation where the cave collapsed again and triggered PTSD.
‘Accept! Accept the party!’
As I shouted inwardly, the (1/1) requirement disappeared and a new window popped up with a cheerful sound.
[Ally [Senes] has joined your party.]
Once conditions were met, the fortification button in the original skill window became active.
[Construct fortification]
I pressed the button, and the skill activated, drawing a green grid across the cave walls like a blueprint.
Then, with a ding, the earlier “[Lazy righteous one again]” window flickered.
[Quest cancelled]
This shelter has been confirmed as your fortification.
Unless attacked by physical force exceeding the fortification’s defensive strength, the fortification will not collapse.
A revised message appeared at the bottom, and the countdown stopped as the window closed.
‘…I’m saved.’
The fortification only collapses if attacked by enemies; it won’t break from sudden quests or events.
I exhaled in relief, holding my chest. That was close.
“You’re just sitting there panting. Hyperventilating?”
That rude guy spoke again.
If you don’t know the situation, just shut up.
“Were you worried the cave might collapse?”
“…Ha.”
He scoffed.
“Lacking common sense but rich in imagination. Why would a perfectly fine cave collapse? There’s no monster attack, no earthquake… Calion already checked everything…”
“It collapsed last time too. I almost got buried.”
“….”
He fell silent. His expression looked slightly surprised.
Seeing that, I continued talking about what happened a few days ago.
I felt a little sorry to Calion, but I wasn’t lying.
“A cave I thought was safe suddenly collapsed, and I barely escaped before running into monsters and almost dying. That’s why I got nervous.”
“….”
“But well, it doesn’t look like it’ll collapse now. You were right, Senes.”
After saying everything I wanted, I ended the conversation in a way that made it impossible to argue back.
But Senes’s expression turned serious.
What? Is he suddenly worried the cave might collapse?
He doesn’t look like the type to feel guilty either.
“…Master.”
“Yes?”
He called my name but didn’t say anything further.
He just looked at me silently.
I didn’t press him, worried he might snap back at me again.
The surroundings fell quiet. It was dark outside as the sun had set, but strangely, Senes’s golden eyes shone brightly.
“Calion is coming.”
“Hmm?”
I looked outside at his words, and saw a white figure in the distance.
Calion, having finished bathing quickly, approached with slightly damp hair.
A wet handsome man—long live.
Before Calion could speak, Senes stood up.
He said he would wash and left to switch places with Calion.
I didn’t bother following, even though it looked like he wanted to say something.
Calion also called out to me.
“Master. I’ve brought water for bathing.”
“Water… for bathing?”
Calion placed a container on the ground.
It looked different from the usual water flasks I had seen.
As expected, when he pressed the dark green magic stone attached to it, the container suddenly expanded in size.
‘Wow… is that expansion magic? The opposite of an inventory?’
What had been a bottle-sized container became as large as a children’s inflatable pool.
It wasn’t a luxurious bathtub, but big enough to sit and wash comfortably.
“Please enter, Master.”
“…You want me to bathe here?”
Here? Now?
I appreciate the thought, but—
“The area near the spring is currently free of monsters, but we cannot guarantee complete safety. I could not allow you to go there alone, so… please forgive the inconvenience.”
“I, I see. I understand the situation.”
Honestly, I did want to bathe.
Even if I didn’t smell bad due to this new body or adaptation to this world, skipping daily baths felt mentally uncomfortable.
‘The problem is that Calion is here.’
As I hesitated, Calion seemed to understand my concern.
He nodded slightly, as if realizing something, and fell silent.
