Hideout in Another World: I Tried Building a Secret Base in the Middle of Nowhere

Chapter 118: Tour of the Hideout and Laundry

In no time, we arrived at the hideout.

It never ceases to amaze me when I think about Elizabeth’s efficiency.

We were scheduled to have lunch upon arrival, but I wasn’t hungry yet.

If Laura isn’t too tired, perhaps I should give her a tour of the hideout first.

Thinking that, I glanced at her… but since arriving at the hideout, she seemed to be in a daze.

“Laura, are you alright?”

“Oh… I’m sorry. I don’t know why, but this place you call a hideout feels incredibly nostalgic to me… It’s so comfortable and… such a wonderful place.”

“I’m glad you like it. Take your time and relax until we return to the village. But if you get tired or need anything, don’t hesitate to let me know.”

“Yes, thank you!”

Laura still seemed a bit dreamy but didn’t appear to be tired. In fact, her expression as she gazed at the surroundings was softer and more relaxed than usual.

Oscar, on the other hand, was surprisingly cautious.

He was a bit tense, carefully observing his surroundings as he walked.

“Amazing… I never imagined such a scenery…”

“It might be rare in Savoia, but is it that surprising?”

“I’ve traveled to many places, including the royal capital, when I was young… but I’ve never felt like this before! The scenery here makes me question if I’m really alive.”

“I think you’re alive. You’re as noisy as always.”

I could understand what Oscar was trying to say. The scenery was so isolated that it felt as if this place was cut off from the rest of the world.

However, Oscar seemed to get used to it after walking for a bit.

He started discovering interesting things one after another and bombarded me with questions in excitement.

Everything he saw was fresh and piqued his curiosity immensely.

“There are so many plants I’ve never seen before… fascinating. They could be used for materials… and there seem to be many edible ones too! But… aren’t we at risk of being attacked by Kidanakemo beasts?”

“Hmm? Occasionally, but when that happens, we hide in crevices or defeat them together…”

“You guys can defeat Kidanakemo beasts!? They’re different from monsters… But I guess with Elizabeth and the onis, you can manage.”

Oscar looked around at my companions and seemed to come to some sort of conclusion on his own.

In reality, Pink was our ultimate weapon and greatest insurance, but he couldn’t know that.

“Laura, want to take a bath?”

“Oh, Shiro-san. Is there a place where we can take a bath?”

“Yes.”

“Gyau gyau!”

“Great! Let’s go quickly!”

“Sella-chan loves taking baths.”

“The bath is nice, but I prefer the lake here.”

The group seemed eager to head to the lake.

Everyone looked happy, especially Gisella, who seemed particularly excited.

She was at the front, walking briskly and almost seemed ready to undress any moment.
I could understand the feeling.

Until yesterday, I too would have jumped into the lake with enthusiasm.

But thanks to the bath last night, I could delay it for now.

Besides, Laura might feel embarrassed if I were nearby.

For some reason, people at the hideout seem to lose their inhibitions about being naked in front of others, regardless of gender. So I needed to be careful.

“Hey, Bonus. I want to try that fruit I saw earlier!”

“Oh, sure. Let’s gather some for everyone. Zamza, can you get a basket?”

“Got it.”

The three of us spent some time gathering fruit and I gave a brief explanation of the hideout’s flora and fauna.

What surprised Oscar the most was the lack of seasonal change in the hideout.

As someone who dealt with wood, he seemed particularly sensitive to such things.

Many of the plants in the hideout resembled ones I was familiar with, like chocolate, sugarcane, and coffee.

However, there was one decisive difference: there were no specific harvesting seasons.
Of course, it took a certain amount of time for them to grow.

But there was almost never a time when you couldn’t harvest certain vegetables or fruits.
Moreover, the growth seemed slightly faster than what I was used to.

But then again, it’s natural considering the hideout has no seasons.

Although there’s a difference between day and night, the temperature and humidity remain almost constant year-round, and it rarely rains.

Staying in the hideout for too long could make you lose your sense of time.

Interestingly, the nearby town of Savoia, though not far, had a gentle but distinct change of seasons.

Actually, I didn’t know about it either, so I was just as surprised as Oscar.

“Is it just a result of the geographical features, or is magic involved…?”

“Well, isn’t it great? We can get food all year round! That’s awesome!”

So, although I intended to guide Oscar, I ended up discovering and being surprised myself.

It might have been more meaningful than I expected.

After collecting enough fruit, we returned to the place in front of the cooking kiln where everyone was eating.

Elizabeth seemed to be resting here while playing with Kohaku.

“Shall I make some coffee…”

“I’ll grind some beans since it’s a special occasion.”

“Oh, that’s great. Thanks, Zamza.”

“Hey, Bonus, can I start eating this now!?”

“Go ahead… there’s plenty, but don’t overeat and upset your stomach.”

“Alright! Let’s start with this one—”

Oscar, who was being quite noisy, is now engrossed in the fruit.

Finally, it seems like I can relax and have some coffee.

“This is so good… it’s really sweet!”

“Can you still eat lunch after eating so much?”

“I’ve never had such delicious fruit… I can’t stop!”

“Yeah, I see…”

Oscar seems to really like bananas.

Even now, he continues eating non-stop, holding bananas in both hands and munching away.

He’s almost like a monkey.

“Bonus, do you want a coffee refill?”

“Yes, thanks, Zamza. But Laura’s been in the bath for a long time… I hope she hasn’t drowned.”

“Everyone’s there, so it’s probably fine.”

Since there was no rush, I took out my notepad and started thinking about the watchtower.

Leaning on Elizabeth, I recalled my conversation with Hajiramu and began jotting down design requirements.

Zamza, sitting beside me, seemed curious and started peeking over my shoulder.

As I continued working, the design concept gradually became clearer.

As I sketched out the design, Zamza’s head kept coming into view.

It’s hard to draw like this…

“Zamza, your head, your head.”

“Oh, sorry… but it looks cool.”

“You guys are talking about the watchtower?”

“Yeah, since it also serves as a shelter, I want to make the first floor as sturdy as possible. But… I’m unsure about the strength of sun-dried bricks and which construction method would be best.”

“Well, it depends on the monsters. Elizabeth could probably break through Savoia’s fortifications with ease!”

“Meh~?”

“Maybe we should consult with Gisella later… But seeing Oscar eat makes me hungry. Should we start preparing lunch… Zamza, I’ll get the vegetables, so you handle the meat.”

“Got it. I’m looking forward to having meat again after a while.”

Zamza said so with a cheerful smile.

When outside, he rarely shows any expressions. But, being in the hideout seems to make him smile more often

“Oh! Great! Let me know if I can help!”

“Yeah… well, it’s not urgent, but I want to make the place where we all eat more pleasant. Think about what kind of furniture we need and how to get it.”

“Indeed, just sitting on rocks is dull, and we should at least have proper chairs… Leave it to me!”

“And make it stylish, please.”

We went to the food storage area, stowed the seaweed and dried fish we got from Vaintz Village, and picked out vegetables for lunch.

Although Mil had somewhat organized it, the supplies had increased considerably compared to the beginning, making it quite cluttered.

Even though we call it the food storage area, it’s just a shaded rock hollow, so it’s inevitable.

We should probably do something about it soon.

Once the matter regarding Vaintz Village settles down, let’s expand the area by chiseling the rock and install proper shelves with wood.

Since Oscar joined us, we should put him to good use.

“Gyaoo~!”

“I’m back.”

“The sea is nice, but a lake where we can bathe is the best. Ah, that felt great.”

“You’ve prepared the food. Zamza, could you light the kiln?”

“Got it. Mil, how much firewood should I use?”

“Use a bit more than usual, please.”

“I can’t believe there’s a lake in the Hell’s Cauldron! It’s like a dream… Oh, Kohaku! Elizabeth! This place is wonderful!”

“Meh~”

“Nyaa~”

With vegetables in hand, I returned to find Kuro and the others looking completely refreshed.

They seemed to have just come back from their bath.

Laura, who had seemed a bit dazed by the scenery of the hideout earlier, was now in an extremely good mood.

With a level of excitement rivaling Oscar’s, she was eagerly sharing her thoughts about the hideout.

However, upon spotting Elizabeth with Kohaku on her head, she was overcome with emotion, spread her arms wide, and hugged her as if drawn in.

“By the way… Mil. Is that meat from the giant bird still good?”

“It’s fine. I’ve kept it preserved to prevent spoilage… for frying, right?”

“Exactly! It was delicious, and I wanted Laura to try it too…”

“Giant bird?”

“Yeah, the bird meat from Kidanakemo. It’s quite tasty.”

“What!? You can eat it… really? So Bonus and the others can easily defeat Kidanakemo…?”

“We didn’t exactly defeat the giant bird ourselves. Although, Elizabeth, Kuro, and Shiro do occasionally hunt something on their own.”

“Well, I understand about Elizabeth, but Kuro and the others are really strong too.”

“Even so, we can only fight the smaller ones.”

“If… a large Kidanakemo comes, would we hide in this crevice?”

“Well, that’s one way, but… it depends.”

“I see…”

For lunch, Mil, Gisella, and Kuro were going to put their skills to work.

I asked Laura to keep Kohaku company, but she seemed far too interested in the three happily cooking to stay focused.

She wandered around the kitchen while clutching Kohaku. She was voicing surprise at unfamiliar ingredients and was trying to help. She also had playful interactions with Pink, who was trying to sneak into the kiln.

Meanwhile, I had left the energetic Oscar in Zamza’s care, and the two of them were touring the living area of the hideout.

As for me, I was doing laundry with Shiro.

“Humming… hum hum…”

“Shiro, you’re in a good mood today.”

Shiro hummed a tune as she energetically washed the laundry by beating it with a wooden stick.

She appeared to be working lightly, yet her movements were so quick. It made me, the one responsible for rinsing, couldn’t keep up at all.

Unprocessed laundry kept piling up before me.

“Really? Well… I do love living at the hideout.”

“Before going to Savoia, I didn’t really appreciate it, but it’s a blessing to have such rich nature in Hell’s Cauldron.”

“Yeah, and there’s plenty of food. Plus, just living here feels… so pleasant.”

“The lake and the shade make it much more comfortable. Seeing Laura and Oscar’s reactions, I realize again how miraculous this place is.”

“True. As long as I can live here with you, Bonus. I’ll be satisfied even until the day I die. I don’t need anything else.”

“Well, life will take its course, but I feel the same way.”

“Hehe. I’m done, so I’ll help you now.”

“You’re fast! Alright, thanks—like this?”

“Like this.”

Shiro moved behind me, wrapped her arms around my waist, and hugged me.

Despite her superhuman physique, her embrace felt soft and enveloping.

Recently, Shiro had also been giving off a pleasant scent.

Like Kuro, Gizela, and Mil, she seemed to be making her own scented oils to suit her tastes.

“Shiro… I appreciate it, but it’s making it hard to focus on laundry…”

“It’s fine. I’ll help.”

She placed her hands over mine, rinsing the laundry in the lake water.

With her face close to my neck, her silky hair tickled me.

At this point, it was hard to tell if she was helping or distracting me.

But well… sometimes, this is nice too.

“However… I know your weak spot, Shiro! It’s here!”

“Ahhh… Bonus! No, not there, it tickles—”

In the end, we got too playful and fell into the lake together, enjoying a rare, peaceful moment just the two of us.