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At the end of the cave, there's a slightly drier place.
The group once again expanded the circle of three bonfires to encompass an area of about five or six square meters. In the center, they erected two tents for their expedition and constructed a circular stove out of branches and sticks.
Inside the stove, three Pyro Slimes fit snugly, now knocked unconscious by Nolan's sword hilt.
With sources of warmth both in the middle and around, the storm raging outside seemed far less cold here.
This place had become a qualified small camp.
"Everyone should change out of their clothes soon, or we'll catch a cold!" Ellin, the only one not soaked, said with concern.
"Uh-huh! I've been feeling uncomfortable all over for a while now!"
Paimon, floating mid-air and dripping with water, nodded vigorously with a smile.
"But, we don't have any clothes, do we?" Lumine said, lifting her right foot to remove her white thigh-high boots, revealing her delicate and soft snowy legs.
Then, she hung her boots on the simple drying rack made of branches and sticks by Nolan. The slanted cut of the boot's inner side seemed to harbor an ocean, with endless drops of water falling.
She had been wandering outdoors since awakening; where else would she get another set of clothes?
"Oh, right!" Paimon covered her head, slightly troubled.
"That's easy to handle. You two go inside the tent and take off your clothes, wrap yourselves in thin blankets, and I'll take care of drying them!""
Ellin was very friendly to the two new acquaintances she had just met.
"Alright, that's the only option!" Lumine and Paimon exchanged glances and nodded, feeling through their interactions so far that these people were trustworthy.
Meanwhile, Fischl had already changed in one of the tents, now wearing a sleeveless black tank top and light, knee-length shorts.
Since her short boots were also wet, she had no choice but to walk barefoot on the ground until they dried.
Fortunately, the ground here was not too damp, and with the fires around, walking barefoot wasn't cold or uncomfortable.
As for Nolan, he was out of options. His damaged backpack didn't carry any spare clothes, so he had to stay in his wet clothes. Uncomfortable, yes, but with his robust constitution, he wasn't likely to fall ill because of it.
Meanwhile, as the girls busied themselves with changing, Nolan took the time to process a wild boar he had initially defeated with his sword.
With his superior sword skills, he had no problem slicing the meat into crystal clear thin slices.
After consulting everyone's preference, the decision was made to prepare large chunks of pan-fried pork and pork soup. Fischl's Vision contained pots, utensils, and some seasonings.
With a pool of water under the cave and the rain outside, there was no issue obtaining clean water.
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Thus, all conditions were met, and soon enough, the pork and soup were ready, filling the cave with a tantalizing aroma.
"Wow! That smells delicious!"
Paimon poked her head out from the tent, almost drooling at the mouth.
"Paimon, show some restraint!"
A white hand reached out from inside and pressed her head back down.
"Don't worry, your clothes will be dry soon. Just a bit more drying and they'll be fine."
Ellin stood by one of the campfires, saying this.
On the simple rack made of branches and sticks, besides Lumine's backless dress and thigh-high boots, there were also white lantern shorts worn under the dress and a wrap-around chest garment.
As Nolan had been tending to the simmering soup and searing meat beside the slime-fueled campfire for quite some time, he noticed his own clothes had dried out as well.
Night had completely fallen.
The group of five sat around the 'Slime Furnace', each savoring a full bowl of meat soup. The warmth seemed to seep into their very bones, spreading a cozy warmth throughout their bodies.
"This is fantastic, to think we could enjoy such delicious food in the wilderness!"
Paimon, adorned with a golden crown, exclaimed joyously, fluttering in mid-air.
"Well, the grilled meat is a tad salty for my taste," Ellin commented, chewing on a piece of meat, offering her personal take.
"The soup is really delicious!"
Glowing with her amber-hued pupils, Lumine glanced at Nolan and spoke.
"My culinary skills are modest; there's certainly room for improvement," Nolan replied with a smile. After all, he wasn't a chef dedicated to the culinary arts, so an occasional misstep was not surprising.
"The princess here finds it quite satisfactory."
Fischl, placing a round bowl filled with hot soup on her snow-white thighs, gently held it, feeling the warmth transferring to her, shared her thoughts.
As laughter and chatter filled the air, the atmosphere of friendly acquaintanceship made time seem like an adjusted pocket watch, swiftly passing by.
By morning, the torrential rain from the previous afternoon had already ceased.
Brilliant sunlight pierced through the clouds once more, illuminating the faces of the group now standing at the cave's entrance.
"Miss Lumine, are you heading to Mondstadt next?" Ellin inquired, looking towards Lumine and Paimon.
"Yep, yep, after all, she's still searching for her brother!" Paimon, hands clasped behind her back, revealed a smile, while Lumine silently nodded in agreement.
"In that case, this is where we part ways. We still have one last matter to attend to," Nolan said with a smile.
He was talking about going to the "Windmill Chrysanthemum Garden" indicated on the treasure map. It seemed to be located near the Cape Oath, right beside the Starfell Valley.
And since they were already here, it made sense to check it out.
It would save them the time it would take to travel there again in the future.
"Aw, well then, let's hope we have the chance to dine together again in Mondstadt!" Paimon chuckled.
"That would be no issue. As an investigator for the Adventurers' Guild, just mention it to Katheryne, and she'll find me," Fischl said, donning her skirt from the night before, confidently placing her hands on her waist.
"Katheryne?" Lumine repeated, puzzled.
"She's the receptionist at the Adventurers' Guild, Miss Lumine," Night Raven Oz, who had reappeared and was now in fine shape, explained on behalf of his mistress.
"I see."
Lumine blinked her amber eyes in understanding, then waved goodbye, continuing towards Mondstadt City under Paimon's guidance.
Nolan and the others watched as their figures disappeared from view before setting off themselves, following the treasure map's directions.
The wilderness, in the aftermath of the storm, was notably devoid of wild beasts or monsters, encountering only a few water slimes by noon as they arrived at the "Windmill Chrysanthemum Garden."
Nolan, activating his golden Eyes of Judgment, noted their levels were around seven or eight—hardly worth much Adventure EXP—so he let Ellin practice.
"Huh? That said, isn't this place called 'Windmill Chrysanthemum Garden', how come there isn't even a single Windmill Chrysanthemum?"
Ellin observed the grassy plain in front of them, indistinguishable from the rest of the Mondstadt region.
"There is no way this princess could be mistaken about the location!" Fischl huffed imperiously, hands crossed below her chest swathed in a black velvet underdress, the raven Oz flapping at her side.
"Ah, perhaps some mischievous little creature is to blame?"
A light laughter intertwined with the gentle breeze reached their ears before they could react.
Suddenly, the breeze turned into a fierce windstorm.
A strange creature, with a green orb at its center, a hard shell surrounding it, and visibly carrying wind elements around it, appeared before them.
Eye of the Storm?! Having played the game, Nolan immediately recognized this monster, surprised to encounter it here!
He looked up with his golden eyes, and a number floated above it.
[Level: 43]
(End of Chapter)
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