We rode the carriage into a forest, though I had no idea how far we still were from the national border. The sky had already begun to dim into evening, so it was time to find a place to stay for the night.
Using "Detection", I detected a river nearby. This place would do. I looked at Grace, who had taken over driving not long ago.
"Grace, stop the carriage."
"But we haven't reached the next town yet. Why stop here?" she asked, not slowing down.
"We're staying in the forest tonight."
I pointed toward the trees as I answered her. Jacob joined the conversation.
"Karen, it's still early. If we pass through this forest, there'll be a town ahead."
Whether there was a town or an inn didn't matter. What mattered was that I needed to catch fish.
"There's a river nearby. I'm going to catch fish."
"That's it?" Jacob said, his tone clearly meaning, That's your whole reason?
"For now, yes. One fish per person for dinner. Grace, stop the carriage."
"Understood."
As Grace brought the carriage to a halt, Jacob informed Ethefelis and Alice. Ever since my lecture earlier, Alice had stayed quiet, not saying a word.
"What's a fish?"
The moment Jacob finished speaking, Alice suddenly asked a question so absurd that even a child would be speechless. She was more ignorant than a kid locked inside their house and never allowed outside.
That reminded me—back in my previous life, some religions forbade eating certain animals, and some even banned meat altogether. Could it be that people from the temple weren't allowed to eat meat, so she didn't know?
If that was the case, then I'd make sure Alice understood how good meat tasted. I wanted her to leave the temple behind and live as a normal person.
Still, we'd just had a falling-out, so it was awkward to talk. I decided to deal with it later. After getting off the carriage, I called out to Jacob.
"Jacob, release the horses."
"Alright."
He agreed reluctantly, went to unfasten the reins, and sent the horses off with clear reluctance. As for the cargo carriage, I didn't know what to do with it yet, so I stored it away for now.
After that, we walked into the forest. I used plant magic to clear an open space, then took out the travel house and placed it there.
"Wow."
"I knew about it already, but it's still shocking."
"...I-Is this the fortress?"
Ethefelis actually let out a sound for once. Jacob looked stunned, Grace's eyes were wide open, while Alice showed almost no reaction.
Responding to each of them one by one would be a waste of time. I opened the door and waved them inside.
"This is travel house. Stop staring and come in. I'll explain."
"Yes."
"I wonder what the inside is like."
Once inside, I bent down, untied my shoes, took them off, and stepped into the hallway. After everyone entered, I pointed at the entrance.
"This is the entryway. You take off your shoes here. Just leave them here."
"That's unusual. You have to take off your shoes inside the house?"
"Normally, I only take off my shoes when bathing or sleeping. This will take some getting used to."
In this world, people usually wore shoes indoors and didn't bother with taking them on and off. Still, I was convinced that feet kept sealed all day would definitely start to smell.
Once everyone finished taking off their shoes, I slid open the door to the living room and kitchen.
"Next is here. Don't get scared."
I introduced everything in the combined living room and kitchen. Alice sat down on the sofa, leaned back, and sprawled out.
"So soft. So comfy."
Jacob knelt on the floor, examining familiar objects like the table, chairs, and wooden floor, then came to a realization.
"The goods I sell aren't even on the same level as dungeon items."
Grace and Ethefelis were staring at the fan and the kitchen appliances.
"I've never seen anything like this. That spinning thing, and these boxes that can cook food..."
"So amazing."
If I let them admire everything, we'd never get anywhere. Like a tour guide rushing a group because of a tight schedule, I didn't give them time to linger.
"Next, we're going to the bathroom."
We all gathered around the toilet as I demonstrated the flushing function.
"Isn't this magic?"
"Water comes out just by pressing it. What kind of technology is this?"
"It's so white."
Alice's impression was… strange.
"Next is the washroom and the bathroom."
I skipped the washroom for now and focused on the bathroom, since it was more important. I explained how to use the water heater, which was shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. Then I pressed some body wash onto my hand and let them smell it one by one.
"It smells really good."
"Citrus."
Ethefelis nailed it right away. The others just thought it smelled nice.
After washing my hands, I moved on to the washroom, explained how the washing machine worked, and where to put dirty clothes.
"A big box that washes clothes by itself… and you can wear them clean afterward."
"Is this really not magic? Also, why is it so bright? There are no windows, and it's almost dark outside. I don't remember you doing anything,Mr. Karen."
Why did they only notice now? Well, I couldn't blame them. There were too many unfamiliar things competing for their attention.
"Look up."
I pointed at the ceiling, directing their gaze to the light fixture. When they saw it, they all panicked and covered their eyes.
"What is that?! It's blinding!"
"My eyes!"
The white light from the lamp was indeed intense. As I explained, I placed my hand on the switch.
"This is a light. When you press this switch, it turns off. See? Dark. Bright. Dark. Bright."
I flipped the switch up and down repeatedly.
"This is much more convenient than magic lamps," Jacob said.
I agreed completely. A simple switch was far easier than channeling mana just to get light.
As I spoke, I walked out of the washroom.
"Alright, that's the basic introduction. Now let's look at the rooms."
I opened the room next to the living room and kitchen, explained things briefly, then let them choose their rooms. I immediately claimed one for myself.
"This room is mine. Once you've chosen, pull the key out of the doorknob and keep it safe. Don't lose it. I'm going to catch fish now. Do whatever you want."
It would be dark soon. If I didn't head out now, it'd be night before I knew it. I tossed my socks into the laundry basket, put on my slippers, and headed outside.