The following morning, I got myself ready and met with Yui and the others outside the inn.
“Mornin’,” Yui said around a sleepy yawn. It would take a few days on foot to reach Marcus’s farmland, and we had to leave early in the morning to get to our campsite in time. We had been up until pretty late last night, so it made sense she’d be sleepy. Since I was used to waking up early, I wasn’t, but Daggers and the others looked just as tired as her.
“Anyway, here! Thanks!” Yui handed me a large bag filled with her belongings, and I stored it away with my storage magic. Since a few days’ worth of supplies were inside, it was quite big and heavy, but that didn’t matter as long as we stored it away with magic. I put away the others’ bags as well.
“Storage magic is really convenient, huh? Just what the heck was the Hero’s party thinking when they banished you?” muttered Yui as she watched me store away the bags.
“I really don’t think this is anything special...” Once you got the hang of it, any class could use storage magic. It was a spell even I could learn, so I was sure Yui and the others would be able to master it with a bit of practice. “Want me to teach you once we get the chance?”
“Huh? I can use it too?!”
“Yeah... I think Cross especially will have an easier time if he learns it. Well, it’ll take some time to increase the mass you can store at once, but...if you’re just trying to learn the spell, that should only take an hour.”
“Yeah, you’re right... I’d be able to carry a ton more arrows, and maybe...” Cross curiously watched me use my storage magic. Among all the spells I knew, this was one of the most convenient. Not to mention, it only cost MP to retrieve items, not store them. There really couldn’t be any downsides to learning the spell...
If I got the chance to continue to adventure with them even once this quest was over, I definitely wanted to teach them.
Once I had finished storing everything away, Yui, the others, and I headed for Marcus’s farm.
✦ ✦ ✦
A few hours later, we arrived at our camping site ahead of schedule. The sun was starting to set, but we still had some time until dark.
“Lloyd, our bags...”
“Oh, right.” I activated my storage magic and retrieved the bags they had me put away. “There’s the tent, the food, cooking equipment, and... I guess this is about it,” I said, checking the gear I retrieved to make sure I hadn’t forgotten anything.
“You’re a lifesaver, Lloyd! All this stuff gets so heavy.”
“Yeah... It’s easier to travel without having to carry everything.”
Having to carry this much definitely looked like it would weigh you down, especially considering we had a few days’ worth of stuff with us.
“Have you really never met anyone else who could use storage magic?”
“I haven’t. I had certainly heard of it before, but you’re the first person I’ve met who could use it, Lloyd,” said Silica.
Really? I didn’t think it was all that complicated a spell.
“Even if I wanted to learn, there was no one around who knew how, so...”
That made sense. If Silica didn’t know anybody who could use the spell, she couldn’t learn it, so she naturally wouldn’t know how to use it. Not to mention, if she had never gotten to see it in action before, it would be nearly impossible to learn herself.
“I mentioned as much this morning, but would you like me to teach you if we find the time?”
“Yes, that would be wonderful!” answered Silica, sounding quite happy.
“Hey! Lloyd, Silica... You can talk, but let’s get things in order first. Chatting can come later,” chided Daggers.
That’s when we started to prepare everything in silence, and a few dozen minutes later...
“All right! Perfect!”
...we had succeeded in setting up the tent before the sun had fully set.
“All we have to do now is find some branches and other flammable materials...”
“Hey, Daggers! I’ve got something to ask!” shouted Yui.
“What is it?”
“I saw a river earlier! Can I go take a bath? Silica’s coming too!”
“I-I am?!”
“Of course you are!”
“Well, sure, but... We can’t just leave Lloyd here by himself. It’ll be dangerous.”
White mages were a supporter class, not a combatant class. Of course, we could still fight, but we weren’t well suited for it.
“Well, I’ll stay behind, then,” offered Cross.
“Yeah... All right, you’re on guard duty, but don’t push yourself. Contact us if you encounter any monsters,” said Daggers before turning to me. He was silently asking me to activate my storage magic.
I conjured up some flares and handed them to Cross.
“I’ve just gotta shoot these into the air, yeah?”
“Yup... Make sure you don’t fight anything alone.”
“Roger.”
Thus, Yui and Silica headed for the river, while Daggers and I went in search of firewood.