“Oh! This is soft and really useful!”

“My butt doesn’t hurt!”

“Yeah, it seems to have some effect.”

Outdoor cushions or outdoor mats are cushions or mats used for camping or mountain climbing. Depending on the purpose, they range from cushion-sized pads for sitting to large mats used for sleeping.

There are three main types.

The first is called an inflatable mat, made of a material called urethane. When air is pumped in, it provides the perfect balance of elasticity and resilience. Some are over 10 cm thick, making them very soft and comfortable to sleep on. The downside is that they are bulky and heavy.

The second is called an air mat, which inflates with air when used. Since the air can be removed, it is very lightweight and has good elasticity, making it comfortable to sleep on. The downside is that it is prone to tearing and damage, and larger ones require a lot of effort to inflate.

The last type is called a closed-cell mat, which is a foldable mat made of polyethylene. It is very light and does not tear like the other two, making it useful for mountain climbing. However, it is bulky and lacks cushioning due to its thinness.

For this trip, I purchased three thick inflatable mats to fit the long seats of the carriage. They’re a bit large, but Lange and Ferry’s storage magic can easily accommodate them.

“This is really convenient!”

“Wow, it’s so much more comfortable now!”

By the way, I had already told Berna and Ferry about my store ability yesterday. Since I’ll be relying on them for transportation in the future, and they’re also escorting us this time, it made sense to let them know.

I thought they might be more surprised, but just like the others, they didn’t seem too shocked. Well, even though this is another world, it’s kind of like a foreign country. Considering Ferry’s summoning magic, which I don’t fully understand, my store ability might just be seen as another form of magic.

“If you place this under a sleeping bag in cold weather, it provides insulation and makes sleeping warmer. But since it’s not that cold around here, I didn’t think there would be any demand for it. Still, it might be useful as cushioning for carriages.”

“That’s true. Only nobles have carriages with cushions. While this might not sell well to adventurers in that town, carriage drivers might find it useful.”

My outdoor shop ability reached level 4, allowing me to buy mats, but overnight requests are rare in Al-Flare. Plus, the area isn’t that cold, so I didn’t think they’d be needed.

However, carriages in this world don’t have the best suspension, and beds or cushions made from monster feathers are considered high-end luxury items.

As Dolph said, there might be a demand for them among carriage operators, so it could be worth selling.

“...We need to stop for a moment.”

“Everyone, we are stopping the carriage, so please hold on tightly.”

Ferry and Berna, who were seated in the front, suddenly announced that we were stopping. I grabbed onto the carriage tightly, and it slowed down much more abruptly than I had expected before coming to a stop.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen!?”

“There’s a monster ahead on the road. It’s not a problem.”

“We’ll take care of it easily, so please wait just a moment.”

“A monster…?”

The only monsters I’ve seen in this world so far are goblins and wild boars. The monsters near Al-Flare are supposedly weak, but we’ve traveled quite far from the town. What kind of monster is it…?

“That’s a Black Bull. It’s a bit stronger than the Wild Boar you’ve seen before, about the level of a D-rank adventurer.”

Lilia explained it to me. Looking through the carriage window, I saw a massive, black bull-like monster with large horns ahead of us. Berna stepped down from the carriage alone and walked toward the Black Bull.

The bull hadn’t noticed the carriage yet, even though it was being pulled by the massive Sleipnir Ferry had summoned. Maybe it wasn’t that strong? …Well, either way, I wouldn’t stand a chance against it.

“I’m curious to see how an A-rank adventurer like Berna fights.”

“I hope Berna-nee is okay…”

Dolph seemed excited to see Berna fight, while Fia looked worried. However, Ferry and Lilia didn’t seem concerned at all. If they’re that confident, there’s probably no problem. Honestly, I’m also curious to see how an A-rank adventurer fights.

If I remember correctly, Berna’s title is ‘The Scorching Empress,’ so she probably uses fire magic.

“Bumoohhh!”

As Berna approached, the Black Bull suddenly charged at her. It seemed to be quite aggressive. But Berna remained calm, drawing the long sword at her waist and holding it in both hands.

“Haaah!”

Slash!

The next moment, the massive Black Bull’s head flew into the air. That’s all I saw. I couldn’t even catch Berna’s movement, let alone the moment she cut its neck.

“...I could barely follow her movements. And that wasn’t even her full speed.”

“Yeah, Berna’s sword skills are among the top five in the royal capital. And this is still nowhere near her full power.”

“Hmm… If it was just that, I might be able to dodge it, but if she moves any faster, I don’t think I could.”

“She didn’t even use body enhancement magic, and she was still that fast. That’s what’s crazy.”

Dolph, Lilia, Lange, and Ferry were discussing Berna’s strength, but neither I, Fia, nor Angel could comprehend what just happened.