Transporting the goods like the Doyen's Caravan did was a long process.
A whole line of wagons couldn't travel nearly as fast as a lone rider and comparing it to traveling by Teleportation Array was simply ridiculous.
It was also dangerous.
But when taking into account the cost of teleporting goods, the cheapness of traveling by land justified it all, especially considering that the goods could be sold in the settlements along the way to the main destination.
However, in the case of Doyen's Caravan traveling through the wilderness, the main destination was the only settlement within hundreds of miles - if not more.
That was why two weeks since Norn joined the caravan passed in a blink of an eye.
The platinum-haired man somehow became the unofficial head cook, and the hunter provided the fresh food.
It wouldn't happen only because of a stew, no matter how good it was. As it turned out, though, Norn's culinary skills and wide range of dishes would easily allow him to open his own restaurant if he saw fit.
Actually, some merchants offered to sponsor him to some degree in starting such a business, although Norn didn't take them seriously.
"Mister Norn~"
After the evening meal, the platinum-haired man was unexpectedly approached by one of the girls from the service tent calling out to him with a playful expression.
"Hmm? Oh, do you want another serving? There are some leftovers I planned to add to the breakfast, but we can keep it a secret."
Norn opened back the lid of a pot he was about to store in his Pocket Storage and winked at the girl, playing along.
"Fufufu~ Noo~ Nope. It's not about that~!"
"?"
The girl chuckled, waving her hand dismissively and making the platinum-haired man tilt his head intrigued.
"We, I mean the other girls and I, were wondering when you will visit us? With the load you must be carrying by now, I'm sure you want a woman's touch to lift such a burden, and we're eager to do just that~"
The girl smiled suggestively, leaning forward to intentionally make her outfit a lot more revealing.
"Oh! That sounds great! I was thinking about asking for help with that but didn't know if that's okay."
Norn perked up and agreed with a bright smile, storing away the pot with leftovers, with his eyes not wandering off the girl's face.
"Let me guess, the guys were keeping you away from our tent, weren't they? They're such worrywarts! But that's why we all feel safe~"
The girl swayed from side to side, giggling, before looking to the side at the passing bodyguard, winking at the man who immediately straightened his back as if rejuvenated by a spell.
"Sure. I'll come by after finishing cleaning here."
"Okaaay~ I'll be waiting~"
Norn smiled and motioned at the space where he prepared the food earlier, and the girl called out happily, winking at him one more time before going back to the service tent,
"Hohoho~! That one had her eyes on you for quite some time. She must be eager to experience your skills for herself."
The same bodyguard who the girl winked at while returning, approached Norn, and nudged him in the side.
"I'll do my best to meet her expectations, then!"
"Pffft! Sure. However, don't place too many expectations on yourself, and pace yourself properly. Those girls have way more experience than you think and will squeeze you out to the last drop before you know it."
Norn declared, making the other man snort before advising him while patting his shoulder.
"Understood!"
"Have a good night."
The platinum-haired man nodded vigorously, and the bodyguard tapped his shoulder once more before going on his way.
A bit later, after Norn was done with cleaning, he wiped his hands in a handkerchief, looking towards the starry sky.
"There should be at least one or two of them with an affinity for either fire or water magic. If I teach them how to cook with the aid of spells, we could really cut down on the time of preparation, and I would be able to craft more weapons and maybe try making some accessories too~"
He hummed to himself happily, already planning what points should be addressed first with the girls from the service tent.
Ever since he first started making food, Norn was feeling a bit bad about taking the work away from the girls who would serve the food and drinks before he took over.
And so, the innocence incarnate made his way to the service tent, completely unaware of its actual purpose.
"Sorry for the intrusion…"
Norn didn't hesitate to enter, sliding through the fabric door with a polite greeting, unaware of being watched by the two bodyguards who always kept their eyes on him.
"Thank Perseverance! Lady boss was growing uneasy."
"Don't get me wrong, I can understand where she's coming from, but her way of thinking goes a bit too far."
Roy breathed out, to which Bern scoffed, rolling his eyes.
"Hey, on the one hand, she might be convinced that all men are only a single step away from assaulting the first woman they see, and it is a bit disrespectful, but on the other hand, what other caravan has a traveling brothel tagging along with them? My pride can suffer some baseless accusation if there's an eager wench waiting for me to… huh…?"
Roy rolled his eyes at his comrade and declared, only to let out a confused gasp when the fabric of the service tent's door rustled in distress.
"Sorry for the inconvenience! It was my misunderstanding!"
The source of the movement was none other than Norn, with his face crimson red even in the light of the magic lamps by the corners of the tents, bowing his head apologetically toward the tent's insides before hurriedly walking away staring at his feet greatly embarrassed.
"...the hell?"
Roy and Bern looked at each other in confusion at the unexpected sight.
The next moment, one of the girls draped in a thin blanket followed Norn outside but didn't run after him, staying in the passageway with a troubled expression.
"Mister Norn! There's no need to be shy! Haaah… what a prude…"
The girl called after the platinum-haired man but he hid behind one of the wagons, clearly avoiding any attempts at conversation, making the girl breathing out in disbelief.
"..."
After a moment, she glanced at the two bodyguards barely within the circle of light cast by the camp lights and smiled playfully, spreading her arm and blanket she was wearing open, revealing a perky body unobstructed by a single piece of fabric.
"Hmhm~"
She then wrapped herself back up and motioned her head towards the tent, beckoning the men to follow her.
"Well… Good luck with the Norn duty."
"Wha…?! You bastard!"
Roy was the first to act, jokingly saluting Bern and leaving him flabbergasted while he jogged after the girl, following her inside the tent.
The thing was, Bern did not find the platinum-haired man immediately. As for the reason…