Volume 4 Chapter 9 Day I Camp Security
After seeing Leda off, Al headed not to the designated toilet area, but to a dark spot in the camp. This was not an official area; it was where a group of unofficial traders was planning to camp, pretending to travel the same route as the main caravan.
Their spot was on a flat area near the top of the same hill as Al's group. But since they weren't official members, they parked a bit away from the main caravan. They only had their lanterns and campfire for light. Still, having guards patrol nearby was a big help.
Al's goal was to check on a man who had a wooden box hidden by the Conceal spell. He didn't report it because he was afraid of revealing that he knew a forbidden spell, but he didn't want to leave the caravan in danger either.
The unofficial traders didn't stay in one spot; they parked their wagons wherever they wanted. The wagon Al was watching was next to two others, and nearby, three men, including the driver from earlier, sat around a campfire. They had put up a simple tarp for rain cover. Using the shadows for cover, Al moved closer. The light rain helped silence his steps as he quietly approached within 30 meters (≈ 98 feet) to listen to their conversation.
'Sensory Boost'──Enhanced Hearing
He could catch bits of their conversation.
"...Oakley Village is the last one, huh?"
"Yeah... even if we slack off..."
"...We have to pretend to work... that kid..."
"...It's a 'Conceal' spell, right? There's no way they'll find out..."
"...It only lasts about 3 hours..."
"...I need to keep these items safe like this..."
"...Without a guard, it's not possible..."
"...The guard team is really helpful."
"..."
Suddenly, the men started laughing. Al quickly lay flat on the ground to listen. It seemed these three were not planning to attack the caravan. Instead, they were using it for smuggling. If they were planning an attack, they would be talking about timing and details. Oakley Village was likely where they would deliver the goods. The "3-hour limit" was probably the duration of the Conceal spell.
Al wanted to hear more, but the 3 men stopped talking and started covering the campfire with dirt. He decided to check their faces and recast his spell.
'Sensory Boost'──Enhanced Vision: Telescopic Night Sight
Al studied the faces of the two men. They seemed familiar. Had he seen them in the capital or since arriving in Lester, the border city? He tried to recall, but nothing came to mind. Panic set in when he remembered he had only said he was going to the bathroom, and too much time had passed. Although he was curious about what to do next, everything seemed fine for now. Al decided to quietly leave his hiding spot and ran toward Baron Hawthorne's carriage.
* * *
When Al arrived at Baron Hawthorne's carriage, the guard team was already in action, and only Leda was waiting for him with her arms crossed.
"You're late. What were you doing?"
"I'm sorry, Lady Leda. My stomach hurt. But I'm okay now."
Al scratched his head to cover up his embarrassment. Leda was mumbling about how he should take better care of himself, but he just apologized. She really was a serious person.
"The guards will split into 2 groups: one will defend the slope at the entrance of the camp, and the other will patrol inside the camp. We will also patrol separately from the guards."
Al nodded at Leda's explanation. The camp's perimeter was probably about one kilometer around. There were some places with poor visibility and footing, so it would likely take about 30 minutes to complete a lap.
"Alright, let's go."
Saying that, she cast the 'Light' spell, making the tip of her staff glow. Al used his 'Enhanced Vision: Night Sight' and followed behind her.
"I didn't expect to run into so many Barbarians. We fought about ten during the day, right? Will there be more at night?"
"We encountered 12 while moving. Last time in April, we faced 11, so it's about the same. This camp has had 26 attacks, and during our shift, there were 9. I expect similar attacks tonight. Be careful."
Al was surprised not just by the number of attacks but by how accurately Leda remembered them. How could she recall the details of the Barbarian attacks from 3 months ago?
"I keep detailed records and submit them to Mr. Eric. I also review the previous records each time, so I remember the numbers."
Leda explained, and Al shrugged. While listening to the last story, they reached the northern edge of the campsite. It was almost on the opposite side from the entrance. Al and Leda looked down from there.
"Wait, a goblin!"
It was about 70 meters away (≈ 230 feet), but with his Sensory Boost, Al could see a thin goblin, about 120 cm tall (≈ 4 feet), moving in the shadows of the low bushes below. Of course, in the dark night without a moon, Leda could only see pitch black.
"I'm going to take care of it."
"Huh?"
'Magic Missile'──Focused Power: Range Extension.
Leda asked Al something, but he didn't answer and cast his spell. He combined several arrows into one chant as usual. A pale blue Magic Missile shot from his hand, cutting through the dark and flying down the cliff. They heard a goblin scream below, followed by a thud. Al saw the Magic Missile hit its target, and the goblin fell.
"Seriously, can it reach from this distance?"
Leda's face stiffened in surprise.
"Lady Leda, you're listening, right? When you level up Magic Missile, you get more arrows. But, with options, you can merge them. This can either make them stronger or let them travel farther. If you combine 2 arrows, they go about 1.4 times farther. Combining 3 arrows goes about 1.7 times farther. I can shoot 9 arrows now, so merging them can reach about 3 times farther──around 90 meters (≈295 feet)."
"That's... no way..."
Al smiled as he explained this. Leda shook her head in disbelief.
"But you saw it, right?"
"That's... but it's amazing that the range of Magic Missile can increase, right? It changes how we fight with magic."
"That's not such a big deal."
Al chuckled lightly, but Leda's eyes widened, and she shook her head with a tense expression as she continued speaking.
"And you said 9 arrows? Your skill level is that high? That's impossible."
Magic Missile is an attack spell, and training with it is dangerous. She had been practicing hard at Eric's mansion and actively hunting Barbarians, but she was still at one arrow.
"Yeah, it's the same thing. You can also weaken the power with the options. If you make it so it doesn't hurt much when it hits, you can practice anywhere. It can give you a headache if you do it too much, but if you take breaks, you'll be fine again. That's how I find time to practice."
"..."
Leda stood there, mouth open in shock.
"Look, Lady Leda, it seems like we're good here, so let's move on."
Al smiled brightly as usual.
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