We had a simple dinner of replicated cup noodles and cereal bars, as usual. The Australians were almost crying with nostalgia at the taste of the food and I caught a familiar glint in Crystie's eye, but she didn't repeat her request to combine parties, for which I was grateful. In the end, we chatted about inconsequential things before getting ready to wash up and sleep. I conjured a towel and basin for them to collect water from the stream to wash up in the privacy of their own tents. Daryl fashioned makeshift doors for himself and his sister by lashing sticks together. Crystie then camouflaged them with leafy branches. These two were way better at wilderness survival than me!

Even Masa looked impressed as he examined their work. "Where did you learn how to do this?" he asked. "Were you already hunters back in Australia?"

Daryl gave him a wry grin. "We did have to set traps to catch vermin in the past, but mostly we were forced to learn when we came here. Animals are pretty smart and have a good sense of smell, so they aren't so easily tricked."

"Ah, I see," said Masa and dropped the subject.

I could tell he wasn't comfortable about discussing their previous hunts. Neither was I, so I stood up to go to collect water from the stream. Crystie accompanied me, so the both of us decided to wash up more thoroughly on the spot. Hmm, that was the advantage of having another lady around, I guess. I could probably just conjure walls around me at the stream itself, but having another pair of eyes was useful.

Crystie sighed when the two of us had walked a short distance away from the guys. I glanced at her, but could barely see her expression in the dark. "Are you worried about meeting your quota?" I guessed.

"I didn't even want to become an adventurer in the first place," she grumbled. "Daryl was convinced it was the only way to earn money, so I just followed. He's the expert on these otherworldly matters after all."

"Well, there are other requests that don't involve hunting and such," I pointed out. "Like gathering herbs, and I think there are some odd jobs too?"

"Yeah, but he won't even consider those because of the low rewards," she muttered with a sigh. "Part of the reason I suggested combining parties was so that if I did other jobs in town on my own, he wouldn't be alone, at least. I'll be worried about him if he ventured into the forest on his own."

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

"I see..." Now I felt bad for turning them down. "What if he joined one of the other adventurers in town, then?"

"You saw them, right? They're all much older and more experienced. If they don't look down on him, I'm afraid they might try to cheat him," she said, shaking her head. "Despite his appearance, Daryl can be rather naive sometimes."

We reached the stream and started washing our faces and hands, then turned our backs to each other for some privacy and washed other parts of our bodies. It was so dark I couldn't see anything around me. I looked up and could barely see some stars peeking out from behind the clouds. There was no moon tonight. For some reason I expected to see several moons since it was another world, but Shyi'eld only had one. And it looked almost the same as ours on Earth too. In fact, the shape of the craters were--

"Hey, Rynn," Crystie suddenly spoke to me, interrupting my thoughts. "Are you and Masa an item? I mean, I know you are in a party together and all, but like, is there more to it? Are you guys dating?"

It was fortunate she couldn't see my face and I couldn't see hers. I was able to reply more calmly than I normally would have. Despite the heat going up my ears, I forced out a firm answer. "Nope! We're just friends," I told her.

For now, at least, I added mentally. We hadn't told them that we only became acquainted recently, nor that Masa had access to another portal. I found it a bit strange how I could trust Masa enough to bring him to my home to meet my parents and yet I was being so dubious about these two. Was it their ages? Masa was only a year older than I was while these two were at least older by two years or more. And being Caucasian, they looked older than us Asians too. Or maybe it was because I still considered myself a kid while these two looked like fully-fledged adults.

Meh, whatever. I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt while we were in a party together.

Crystie hadn't said anything after my reply and I was done washing up, so I picked up my basin and asked her if she was done. "Ah, yeah, let's head back," she agreed, standing up as well.

"Washing up in total darkness was harder than I thought," I told her with a grin, although she probably couldn't see it.

"I'm already used to it," she said with a chuckle. "Daryl could go without a bath for a few days in a row, but not me. I can't stand feeling dirty before I sleep, even when camping."

"Ah, I totally understand," I nodded. "I couldn't get used to not taking a full shower at first either."

"Speaking of showers, could you do me a favour and bring me several cakes of soap the next time you return?" she asked.

"Huh?" Her random request stopped me in my tracks.

"Ah, I'll pay for them, of course," she added quickly. "The soaps here are way too expensive and rough on the skin, you see. My hair's gone all frizzy from using them, but not using any soap at all is just...ugh. You know what I mean?"

"Oh, uh, it's not a problem, I don't mind getting some for you," I said finally. "I just never thought about that before, since...uh, sure."

"Great, thanks, I really appreciate that," she said, and I could finally see her smile as we approached our campfire.