NOVEL NEXT Tick-tock, an almost rhythmic noise hits my ears.
It’s the sound of the campfire crackling. The flames, ignited purely by human effort with no magic at play, proudly burn with the dry twigs and leaves hastily gathered around them.
I’m sensitive to noise.
Well, I’m also sensitive to bad smells, and my keen eyesight means anything moving around can drive me nuts, so if you call me overly sensitive, I wouldn’t argue. But if we’re talking focus, my hearing takes the prize.
Yet surprisingly, even I found the sound of the campfire to be quite pleasant. While it seemed chaotic with its occasional pops, I realized it wasn’t distracting at all.
So this is what they mean by getting lost in the fire, huh?
It was a revelation. The idea that nature could be so relaxed and peaceful was brand new to me.
No wonder, really. In my previous life, I couldn’t even go outdoors, and in this life, nature was just a hiding place from prying eyes.
“Is this what it means to be…normal?”
It’s been ten years since I took on the position of Empress Scarlet of the Scarlet Empire. Everything has gone so smoothly, you’d think it was too good to be true.
Or rather, I’ve adjusted to a wider range of what I can accept, and I’ve been surrounded by so many helpful people that even major events prompt a laugh and a “That’s not too bad.”
Looking back, there were quite a few bumps along the road.
There were those who feared the reign of vampires. Those who showed resistance to blood taxes. Those who couldn’t embrace coexistence with different races due to their inability to understand varied customs and mindsets. And those who struggled to adapt to new laws and systems.
The rapid changes led to considerable social chaos, ultimately resulting in my busier-than-ever life and two separate rebellion attempts.
But I can now call those events the past.
They say ten years can change mountains and rivers; it’s enough time for mortals on this land to evolve and adapt to a new order.
Sometimes, I had to wield overwhelming force firmly, and at other times, show mercy and generosity.
Maybe it was resignation or perhaps the discontent forces have finally thinned out, but at some point, I started noticing a gradual decline in my workload. This year, I’ve reached a point where I could take six months off and still manage.
And there I was, a month and a half after the 10th anniversary event, finally getting a holiday that’s not just a day off.
That’s why I find myself peacefully sitting on the ground instead of the Royal Palace.
Today, I, Plona, Eleonora, and Lavina are on a trip. And we’re doing so without any magical or financial aid, relying solely on our own two legs and minimal gear while following the wind.
Our destination? The sea! I suggested it. Upon reflection, I realized I’ve seen big lakes in this life, but I’ve never laid eyes on the real sea, and that made me yearn for its sight.
Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever seen the sea in my previous life either. Diagnosed with an incurable disease at the age of ten, I can’t remember visiting the sea. Sure, if I were too young to remember, it might be possible, but…
I can soar to the edge of the continent in a day if I wanted to, but I chose not to.
This time, I decided to savor the process, not just the result. It’s those small things that I’ve always yearned for in my quest for normalcy, so I fold the lingering regrets and wishes of the past and send them down to the waters.
Of course, I could stride along at a speed faster than any carriage, but it still wasn’t possible to cover the distance in a single day. So, as the sun began to set, it was inevitable that we would need to prepare for camping.
The reason I meticulously gathered twigs to start a fire, the reason Plona was thunking away with a small metal stake in her mouth, and the reason Lavina and Eleonora dashed off to hunt dinner was all because of this.
This is practically my first camping trip. While I’ve slept in forests and mountains a couple of times, that’d better be called roughing it than actually camping.
Looking at it this way, there’s nothing I’ve really done before. I thought I had enough intense experiences, but there’s still so much unfamiliarity in the world left for me to discover.
I sat with my back against the wind and tossed in the last of the twigs I had gathered into the fire. It was my first attempt, and I managed to snuff the flames out three times before finally getting it right.
Thank goodness it’s relatively easy to start a fire! With no magic or special tricks, a good amount of friction can ignite it anywhere in the blink of an eye.
Feeling a small sense of accomplishment, I stood up and stretched. I wasn’t particularly stiff, but it felt nice nonetheless.
Plona, who was swinging her hammer with a sound clear as Lavina’s skull, seemed to catch my rustling noise and looked up.
“Wow, you did well starting the fire!”
“Right?”
Being praised for something so trivial felt good. I realized just how satisfying it can be to achieve something purely by effort, without the fear of failure leading to death.
After successfully setting up the camping tent with Plona while puffing out my chest, I decided to prepare a windbreak near the fire just in case and sat down.
“Here we are! Oh, it looks like you’re already done?”
“You took longer than expected.”
“I told you we decided to embrace the non-magical vibes, right? Purely reading animal tracks with our eyes and chasing them down with our feet takes more time than you’d think. Besides, all the animals nearby ran off because of Aria!”
I subtly averted my gaze from Lavina, who squinted as if she just recalled something.
I mean, animals are ten times more perceptive than humans! I wandered into the forest carelessly, accidentally making some noise, and suddenly, the sounds of rustling creatures dancing to the tune of a fire drill scattered into the distance.
So, if they took their time hunting because of that, I couldn’t even begin to explain myself. I quickly switched gears to their catch to avoid embarrassment.
“Looks like you caught a rabbit, right…? I think?”
In Eleonora and Lavina’s hands were definitely what looked like rabbits, but I had to ask for confirmation as no rabbit on Earth would have such large antlers.
“That’s right! Eleonora and I caught two each. I thought you, Aria, and Plona might want to join in the fun too.”
“Seriously, thank you so much!”
Lavina chuckled, holding a rabbit in each hand, before diving into the familiar task of dismembering them.
With elves generally associated with being vegetarians, I found it quite fascinating that she was so skilled at handling and preparing wild animals. But apparently, elves on Terra were finicky in terms of diet and learned the basics at a young age.
For the record, while Lavina is basically a vegetarian, she eats only when the mood strikes her.
As Lavina began her task, Eleonora, not to be outdone, started her own work too.
Ah, memories came flooding back. Back in the days when it was just Eleonora and me living in hiding, we struggled to prepare meals for her as we were clueless about butchering beasts.
With some semblance of skill, Eleonora, not quite as adept as Lavina, worked to drain the blood.
Draining blood might be a fairly simple task with blood magic, but since we agreed to stick to an analog experience for this trip, while the Dragonkin and Elf worked away competently, I was busy with Plona, grinding up the herbs Lavina brought us.
She said she found a decent herb that helps eliminate the scent of the meat. As expected, even if I dig holes all day, it’s moments like this that remind me why elves are elves in the forest.
With the herbs half-stuffed into the cleaned meat, we grilled it over the fire and then, after sprinkling the rest of the herbs onto four bowls, we could finally settle down.
When we succeeded in starting the fire, the sun was still up; now, after dinner preparation was done, night had already fallen.
Amid the crackling fire noise and the backdrop of the night sky, we shared mundane chatter while finishing our meal.
Yes, I accidentally charred some bits, and even with the herbs, the lingering smell of the meat wasn’t completely gone, so it was a little bland and dry. Yet somehow, this shabby dinner felt like it would stick with me for a long time.