I never thought my hobby of climbing would come in handy in a place like this.
With my level up, various stats have increased, and thanks to the traits of the High Elf, I’ve become much lighter. Climbing this kind of cliff is no problem now.
There’s no rope or harness, just free climbing. I’m climbing a nearly vertical cliff with nothing but my own strength.
And it’s really fun.
“Arrived, huh.”
Using just one hand, I pull myself up and lightly reach the spot I aimed for.
There’s an unusually cracked hole in the middle of the cliff. It’s about 50 cm wide and 2 meters tall.
I lightly tap it with my fist, but the rock seems quite solid. Just to be sure, I use the [Appraisal] skill, and the strength is considerable.
“Looks like a bird of prey used this as a nest long ago.”
Peering into the crack, I find the inside surprisingly spacious and comfortable. Branches and dry leaves that could serve as nesting material are gathered in the center, and scattered eggshell fragments are visible.
There are also the bones of a poor magical beast that was likely food for the predator, suggesting a large carnivorous magical bird used to own this nest.
“It’s been abandoned for quite a while, so I think I’ll use this as a temporary base.”
This is the middle of the cliff with a great view.
The place is a nearly vertical cliffside, so I won’t have to worry about four-legged magical beasts attacking. Orcs, kobolds, and other monsters would likely have a hard time here.
If anything, small squirrel- or monkey-like magical beasts might be able to climb, but I’m mostly worried about a large predator bird returning to its old nest. However, if I expand the hole and set up a tent, the barrier should keep them away.
“Alright, now that I’ve decided, I’ll need to clean the inside and expand the hole.”
The area is dry with very little moisture, so it’s not bad, but the smell is still a little concerning.
I’m especially worried about hygiene, so after removing the garbage, I plan to thoroughly use purification magic to clean the place.
“Yeah, it’s a little better, I think?”
I gathered all the trash into my [Item Box] and deleted it right away.
The fine dust was bothering me, so I used wind magic to blow it away before purifying the area.
By the way, any bugs that had been hiding were driven out with smoke from the Hime Shiba herb I harvested soon after my reincarnation. It’s a very useful medicinal plant, even though it only gives me 1 point for collection.
The hole is about 3 meters by 3 meters in size. It’s a bit cramped for living with a tent, so I’ll need to expand it.
I searched for the best magic for this in my magic books and used my [Appraisal] skill as I carefully expanded the hole.
I used earth magic. By touching the rock wall and channeling my magical energy, I turned the rock into sand.
The sand that falls out could be a nuisance, so I stored it in my [Item Box].
It seems this sand was recognized as a collected material, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could exchange it for points.
I wanted at least 5 meters by 5 meters of space, so I had gathered quite a bit of sand.
By the time the expansion was finished, the high-quality sand from the magical mountains was worth 50,000 points.
After purifying the expanded area again, I was finally able to set up the tent.
Considering the possibility of rain, I placed the tent at the farthest point in the cave.
Thanks to the blessing of the Creator God, the lanterns don’t require fuel, so I decided to use them without hesitation.
I’m glad I brought two lanterns, one for inside and one for outside the tent.
I definitely wouldn’t have the courage to make a campfire inside the cave.
I didn’t expand the entrance, leaving it as it was.
I could easily climb this cliff, but just to be safe, I decided to lower a rope. As long as I pull it up while I’m at the top, I’ll be fine.
I plan to stay here for the rainy season, so I want to make it as comfortable as possible.
Therefore, I used earth magic to make the bare ground like a wooden floor.
Since I’m concerned about moisture and mold during the rainy season, I layered a leisure sheet with an insulating aluminum sheet.
“I wish I had a rug or carpet, but the ones available in the shop are too small…”
The biggest ones are only bath mat size, so I gave up on the rug.
I found a bamboo slat mat at the 100-yen shop for 200 yen each and laid them around the tent.
“Yeah, this is nice. It feels good to walk barefoot.”
The slats make a clattering sound every time I step on them, but I prioritized the comfort of walking barefoot.
Inside the tent, I laid down a rug I brought from home, so the slats are only on the outside.
“I’ll set up a chair and table outside the tent. I might as well place a simple kitchen too.”
It’s a hassle to take everything out of the [Item Box] and set it up, so I decided to leave a kitchen table by the wall as a workspace.
Since I’ll be using fire, I chose a spot near the cave’s entrance.
I lined up a portable stove on the kitchen table and placed a cutting board, knife, and other cooking tools.
“Now that I think about it, the 100-yen shop had a lot of kitchen storage items, didn’t it?”
Since I’m at it, I wanted the kitchen to look nice and be practical.
I opened the shopping list for summoning magic online and found a lot of things I wanted.
I ended up buying everything, but I have no regrets.
I believe hanging storage is essential, so I made full use of the rock wall in front of the kitchen table.
I carefully hollowed out a rectangular space to use as a shelf for spices and embedded hooks for hanging ladles and spatulas.
On the kitchen table, I added a wire basket for hanging to store spices and utensils.
Under the table, I placed a large stackable box to store frying pans, pots, and dishes.
For condiments that can be stored at room temperature, like soy sauce, oil, and sauces, I placed them in a storage box on the floor. Anything that needs refrigeration, I’ll store in my [Item Box].
Other items, like mess tins, hot sandwich makers, and barbecue tools, were also packed into a container box and placed along the wall.
It’s quite a spectacular sight, and I couldn’t help but smile.
By the way, I’ll be using a wash tub as a sink and a 5-liter camping water tank as a substitute for a water supply.
When I turn the tap, water flows out, so it’s almost like a real water supply. I don’t want to waste mineral water, so I’ll fill it with water created by my water magic.
“It’s better to store the ingredients so they don’t spoil, so I’ll leave them inside for now. I don’t want to clutter up the space too much.”
I made a folding table large enough for four people and placed a cutlery set, heat-resistant glass teapot, and glasses in the center.
“Yeah, this looks good. Maybe I’ll remodel the inside of the tent too.”
I’ve always preferred cots to sleeping bags, and I’ve used a cot for a long time, but after nearly a month of camping, the comfort of sleeping was starting to concern me.
Since I’ve decided to settle into this temporary base, I wanted to make a simple bed.
“Considering the humidity in the rainy season and the heat in summer, a bamboo slat bed is probably the best.”
I remembered the comfortable feeling of the bamboo slats outside the tent and made up my mind instantly.
I wanted to sleep on a wider bed than a cot, so I arranged the slats to make a double bed-sized mattress.
Since the slats shift every time I turn, I tied them together with cable ties to keep them in place.
Lying down like this would cause back and waist pain, so I added a simple mattress and laid down a blanket made from 300-yen cushions.
“Yeah, this isn’t bad. If I spread a blanket as a sheet and add a pillow and towel blanket, it’ll be more comfortable than a cot!”
If it were winter, living in a cave would be pretty tough, but fortunately, the temperature is quite comfortable, around June. Although it may get a little cold from midnight to dawn, the tent blessed by the Creator God keeps a comfortable temperature, so I don’t think it’ll be a problem.
“Now, I’ll take my time with the remodeling. I think it’s time for dinner.”
