Chapter 41: Camping Downstream

Ten soldiers selected from those who had previously accompanied them to hunt rats were currently waiting in the camp.

George had also been summoned; looking at his attire, it seemed he was preparing to go hunting.

The two shipwrights had also arrived before Kana.

Without wasting any time, Kana laid the map out in front of them and pointed to a specific section of the river.

"I have observed that from this point onward, there are no more waterfalls or excessively rapid rapids. It flows almost smoothly all the way to the estuary. If we start using rafts from here, can you guarantee our safety?"

The two shipwrights examined the map. The younger shipwright looked somewhat confused, as he wasn't entirely sure if Kana's assessment was correct.

The older shipwright, however, was clearly more familiar with the area. After studying the map, he nodded. "Your judgment is correct, milord."

He then drew a large circle on the map. "There are many forests in this area, so the timber required to build rafts will be more than sufficient; we can source materials locally. This way, we won't need skilled craftsmen—just men with plenty of strength will be enough to build a sufficient number of rafts in a short amount of time."

The experienced shipwright already had a clear process and plan in mind. As for the difficulty of building rafts, what difficulty could there be for them? Even if they were just directing unskilled laborers, they were confident they could build rafts sturdy enough to at least reach the estuary without issue.

Since this was Kana's specific requirement—only requiring that the rafts reach the estuary—the answer was a definitive yes.

Receiving this certain answer, Kana nodded; such a guarantee was enough.

"Then you two may go and recruit manpower now. You are authorized to recruit 30 people; make sure you fill all the slots. They are all from the town, so I trust you can find people with enough strength and a diligent work ethic."

He added a follow-up: "Oh, and tell them we will be staying here for half a month. As for their wages, they will receive twenty percent more than usual."

In any case, he wouldn't be the one paying their wages personally.

The two nodded and quickly left to begin recruitment. Although the work wasn't difficult, the person they were working for was a Prince.

Having handled that matter, Kana turned to the soldiers, thought for a moment, and called two of them forward. He then turned to Aliris and asked, "You should have learned how to set up a camp, right?"

Aliris nodded. After all, the training for a knight involved far more specialized knowledge and skills than that of a common soldier.

"Good." Having said that, Kana looked toward Joniel. "Could I trouble you to prepare supplies for a camp of 50 people, as well as enough food to sustain 50 people for one month?"

"Uh, didn't you say we would only stay for half a month?"

"What if there are unexpected circumstances? It's always better to prepare for a month."

Joniel nodded somewhat helplessly. Fortunately, various supplies had long been well-stocked in the town, so this wasn't a particularly difficult request.

"George, go find a skilled hunter. You two will be responsible for scouting around the camp."

George nodded with excitement. Being a young man, it was clear he was eager to begin his service to the Prince. He ran out impatiently.

Kana also led several others to follow Joniel to gather supplies.

...

About a few hours later, everything was prepared.

A caravan had gathered at the entrance of the town, with many idle townsfolk watching and chatting nearby.

The group consisted of 30 laborers recruited from the town, two shipwrights, ten well-trained half-plate soldiers, two hunters, Kana and his companion, plus one rat.

The caravan totaled 47 people.

Under Kana's "persuasion," the two warhorses used to travel to the town earlier were also taken away. He also specifically requested a mule for pulling the wagon; he had originally wanted two oxen to handle the heavy hauling, but in the end, he only managed to get one.

Thus, they had acquired three horses and one ox. One ox cart and one horse-drawn carriage.

Once ready, Kana smiled and waved to Joniel.

Joniel remained expressionless as he watched Kana and the others depart. He thought of the words Kana had said to him before leaving: "It is time to organize night patrols."

Kana had also informed him about the composition and weaknesses of the Bloodline scouting parties, as well as other precautions. As an old knight, Joniel knew the current situation was far from optimistic.

...

The location Kana had chosen was a downstream mouth about 20 li away from the town.

Naturally, he had never been to this place in reality, but he was very familiar with it in the game. During their previous discussions, he had confirmed that the terrain in the game and reality were almost identical.

However, he only knew that this was a good spot; exactly where to camp and where to begin construction was not something he could decide on his own.

But after they had traveled about 20 li along the river, still a distance away from their destination, all three of them sensed something.

Kana clearly felt a sense of activity in the air. Aliris, riding on her horse nearby, and Bobot, sitting atop the cargo in the carriage, felt it as well.

Unlike the confusion felt by Kana and Aliris, Bobot clearly understood what this sensation meant. She said with some excitement, "Here... from this point on, the mana is becoming active."

As she spoke, Bobot snapped her claws. A small flame ignited in her hand.

Magic—Cantrip.

This sight caused the surrounding soldiers and the workers following the caravan to gasp in surprise.

Kana reacted quickly, understanding why. They were approaching the border of the kingdom, moving closer toward the mountain range.

As mentioned before, there was a reason for the mana scarcity in the Kingdom of Safro; it wasn't a natural occurrence. Almost all the mana in the country was concentrated in the capital via underground mana veins. The capital itself had been built upon a mana node.

Furthermore, the progenitor of the Bloodline—the person who created the race—was a powerful mage who led a family of mages. The reason the mana was gathered there was specifically to research how to perfect the Bloodline.

However, the range of influence and extraction for such a node was limited. As they approached the mountains, they were gradually leaving the country, and the mana naturally began to recover.

Kana could also feel that the mana within his body, which previously might not have recovered even 5 points in a full day, was now replenishing at an accelerated rate.

Thinking of this, Kana shouted loudly, "Stay alert! It won't be very safe once we reach this area."

Since the mana was no longer scarce, various monsters that appeared due to mana concentration would gradually reveal themselves. Fortunately, they were still relatively close to the mana-scarce zone; although the mana was increasing here, monsters that preferred living in areas with normal or high mana activity would not venture this close to the edge.

Soon, they arrived at the intended location.

The two shipwrights and Aliris spent some time walking along the riverbank before determining a suitable camping spot. Once everything was prepared, they began to work.

First, they began setting up the camp.

"George, take five soldiers and scout the surroundings. Ensure you cover at least a three-li radius."

George nodded and, taking a few soldiers he knew from before, quickly departed with his friend.

"Aliris, set this up according to military camp standards. If possible, build a few small watchtowers. Also, put up a perimeter of wooden walls; it's not very safe here."