"If you open this nozzle here, warm water will come out, and you can wash your body and hair."

"I see, that’s quite convenient!"

Honestly, back in my original world, I didn’t think much of this camping gear. After all, there aren’t many situations during camping when you’d feel the need to shower. Maybe it’d be useful after playing at a beach or river without proper facilities. There were other types of portable showers, like electric and pump-operated ones, but my outdoor shop currently only sold the hanging type.

I didn’t own one of these in my original world, but here, it’s incredibly handy. Even without a bath, just being able to take a shower makes a huge difference. Up until now, I’d only been wiping myself down and washing my hair with cold water from a well…

Still, I’m unsure whether I’ll sell this camping gear. Adventurers who venture into the forest can bathe in rivers, and it’s doubtful that inns or private households would use portable showers. I don’t think there’s much demand for it here.

"Ahhh, that feels amazing…"

As I rinsed my hair and body under the warm shower, I realized just how grimy I’d gotten. It felt like the most dirt I’d ever scrubbed off in my life.

I’d love to have soap and shampoo, but that’s asking for too much. For now, the warm shower is enough. Soap isn’t even sold in this town. I vaguely remember it can be made from oil and ash, but I don’t recall the details and don’t have the patience to start from scratch.

"Lilia, you’re up next. I refilled the warm water for you."

"Thanks. I’ll gladly use it."

Next, Lilia took her turn in the shower. Obviously, I wouldn’t peek. As a guard, Lilia always carries a sword, even in casual clothes. While I doubt she’d cut me down on a whim, betraying her trust over something so stupid isn’t worth it. That said, I won’t deny the temptation entirely...

"That was refreshing. Is that shower thing some sort of magic tool?"

"No, it doesn’t use magic. It’s a device from my homeland."

"Is that so? Between the compass and this, your homeland seems to have a lot of useful tools."

"…Yeah. I’ll explain more about it tomorrow."

Tomorrow, Fia will join us to prepare for the shop’s opening. That’ll also be when I share my abilities with them. I trust them enough to be honest, but I can’t help feeling a little anxious about their reactions.

◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆

"Yaaawn, I slept so well."

The new bed wasn’t particularly soft, but it was comfortable enough for a great night’s sleep. Having my own room, no matter how small, was reassuring.

"Good morning, Tetsuya."

"Good morning, Lilia. I’ll start breakfast now, so just wait a bit."

When I opened my door, Lilia was already in the living room, wearing casual clothes. For someone unused to having a woman around, it was a surprisingly stimulating sight.

"Breakfast is ready! Today, we have salad, corn soup, and hot sandwiches."

"Mmm, it smells amazing!"

This morning’s meal was a camping classic: hot sandwiches. With my outdoor shop reaching level 3, I could now purchase gas canisters, meaning I didn’t have to worry about running out of fuel for the gas burner I brought from my original world.

Unfortunately, I still couldn’t buy a gas burner itself, but being able to restock gas canisters was a huge relief. Hopefully, I’ll unlock the burner at the next level.

Lighting a fire in this world typically involves flint and steel, which is a hassle. Just having a gas burner makes things so much easier.

"This is delicious! Warm bread stuffed with different fillings—it’s wonderful! This one has cheese and meat, this one has jam, and this one has vegetables."

Hot sandwiches are a simple dish: just stuff bread with ingredients, press them in a hot sandwich maker (two iron plates), and cook them over a burner. They’re easy to make, but the variety of fillings means endless possibilities.

"And this soup tastes different from last night’s. It’s mild and very comforting! The salad has a unique flavor, too!"

Today’s soup was corn soup to match the bread, rather than miso soup. Like the miso soup, it was an instant mix—just add hot water.

As for the salad, I considered making mayonnaise, a staple in otherworld stories, but the market didn’t have fresh eggs. Using questionable eggs could lead to food poisoning, so I decided against it.

Instead, I made a simple dressing by mixing salad oil from the market with outdoor spices. Outdoor spices are incredibly versatile and worked perfectly for this.

"For something so simple, this is incredible. It’s been a while since I cooked, and I’d forgotten how fun it is. Seeing someone like Lilia enjoy it so much makes it all the more rewarding. There’s more if you’d like seconds."

"Ugh… I already finished everything because it was so delicious. Could I have some more?"

"Of course."

Yeah, I really enjoy cooking. Seeing someone like Lilia savor the food makes it all worthwhile.