Perhaps for the vast number of fantasy fans and players on Earth, adventuring and camping in the wild would be a thrilling and novel experience.
However, for Alaric, who has personally entered another world and experienced adventures firsthand, the so-called wild camping is not only incredibly boring, but also very difficult to endure.
When camping in the wild, the first step is to find a suitable campsite. The campsite must be near a water source and have level terrain.
Of course, with a mage like Alaric around, the latter condition is not as important, as magic can level the ground far more easily than searching for a suitable location.
Once a campsite is chosen, there is still much to do: organizing the camp, setting up tents, scouting the surroundings, gathering food and water, and even building a simple wall...
These various tasks left Alaric, who had lived a life of comfort, completely impatient.
However, the most intolerable part for Alaric was the food in the wild.
As in many web novels, where the protagonist wins the favor of a pet or a girl with delicious roasted meat in the wild, this is utterly impossible in reality.
No matter how skilled the cook, faced with the primitive cooking conditions in the wild, uncooked ingredients, and lack of spices, it is impossible to make anything remotely delicious.
Moreover, the bread summoned by the "Create Meal" spell is dreadfully bland and unappealing.
So, Alaric usually avoided staying in the wild whenever possible.
This is also one of the main reasons Alaric, when entering a new world, does not aim for low-key actions but instead seeks to establish or acquire his own forces.
Now, in his plan to seize the Dragon Soul, Alaric was forced to lower his status and take matters into his own hands.
Fortunately, his companions were reliable—or at least made it clear that they were there to "help"—and after choosing the campsite, they began to take care of the chores without needing Alaric to say much.
After tethering the griffon, Kulande started chopping wood in the forest—well, I mean gathering materials for setting up the camp.
Gul'dan took it upon herself to gather ingredients, a heavy task that included providing enough meat for the griffon.
As for Vanessa, the high elf ranger, her job was to scout the surrounding area for potential threats.
And as for Alaric, the mage lord, well, he stayed at the camp waiting for the others to return. If he felt like it, he could light a fire or level the terrain, but if not, he could just sit and do nothing.
This was not because of any privilege associated with his status but rather the usual treatment of mages during adventures.
Contrary to what many on Earth might imagine, in the true magical world, mages rarely participate in adventures.
Mages themselves are among the rarest professions.
In Dalaran, a magical city with a population of several thousand, only fifty or sixty individuals have the magical prowess to join the Kirin Tor.
As the sole producers of magical items, mages are incredibly wealthy. These individuals live lives of luxury and don't need to become stronger through adventures or combat—mages draw their power from study and research.
Therefore, when these mage lords do join an adventure, it's often in a role similar to being pampered... Their role doesn't typically extend to everyday activities.
It is only when encountering ghosts, undead, elementals, unknown beasts, strange ruins, or other unique situations that mages, with their vast knowledge and mastery of magic, truly shine.
...
As the core of the team, Alaric stayed behind at the camp. He casually used magic to flatten the terrain and lit a never-ending fire with the Arcane Flame spell before sitting on the ground, waiting for the others to return.
The first to return was Vanessa.
This high elf ranger, although the youngest sister of the Windrunners, a noble family, wore no extravagant gear. She was dressed in the standard traveling leather armor, dyed in her preferred blue color.
The chestplate was silver, not only sturdy but also perfectly complementing her slender figure. On her back was a green hooded cloak, and her waist was adorned with twin daggers.
The only striking feature of the ranger was the blue longbow with golden patterns.
Though Vanessa had never mentioned the bow, Alaric instantly recognized it—Solidar, the Wrath of the Stars.
This was a weapon as powerful as Alleria's Sathrovarr and Sylvanas's Sunstrider's Bow, known for automatically generating Arcane arrows and being usable as a staff.
For a ranger, scouting the surrounding environment was no big deal, so she returned to the camp early. She casually climbed up a tree, lying between the branches to rest.
Alaric couldn't understand how one could rest so comfortably in such a hard place. Perhaps it was just a shared preference among the Windrunner sisters, who loved nature.
However, after spending some time together at the camp, Alaric sharply noticed that the elf maiden had been secretly watching him whenever he wasn't looking.
But every time he turned toward her, she quickly averted her gaze, pretending to admire the scenery.
After a few such exchanges, Alaric could no longer hold his curiosity and decided to ask.
"Miss Vanessa, what are you looking at?"
It was no surprise he asked this question.
Since meeting Vanessa, her behavior toward him had been quite strange. She didn't treat him as a stranger, but she rarely took the initiative to speak with him.
The few conversations they had were more like a one-sided exchange.
If this had been the case, Alaric might have assumed that Vanessa had some prejudice or animosity toward him due to her sister's influence.
However, that was not the case. During their journey on the griffons to Grim Batol, Vanessa had also been sneaking glances at Alaric, trying not to let him notice.
Her gaze didn't carry any hostility, and even when Alaric used a spell to detect hostility, he found nothing unusual.
Having held this in for so long, Alaric finally decided to ask.
Vanessa's response was shockingly direct—and it startled Alaric.
"I'm looking at you."
The young maiden answered bluntly, which could easily lead to misunderstandings.
"You're… looking at me?"
Alaric was puzzled.
"Yes," she openly admitted. "I want to see more of you. From you, I can understand why my two sisters are so fond of you, why they're willing to do so much for you."
"…Ahem... two sisters?"
The girl had directly brought up the matter that made Alaric feel a bit guilty.
How she knew that fact, and that she had so casually mentioned it, both surprised him.
"Hey, you're not denying it, are you?"
Seeing the mage stammer in surprise, the girl's face showed her dissatisfaction.
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