My planned flight with Helena was a complete success and shortly after dawn we had left the city and there were no problems to speak of. Although, for some reason, after I woke her up, she spend quite a while unable to look at or talk to me without averting her gaze. Despite many attempts at asking her what was wrong, she did not answer me. I must say that it somewhat worries me, but ultimately I think it must not be something too serious, or she would tell me about it.

Upon our exit of the city, Helena asked me, sounding slightly nervous and not looking me in the eye, about whether we would be fine in terms of food, drinks and other essential things. I explained to her that things would be fine for a while, unless my aunt and uncle decided to directly sabotage our travels. There are quite a big number of magical items that I have inherited from my father which are very convenient for the kind of long-term traveling we were going to embark on. While the most important was the Treasury Sack, which allowed me access to any item inside a specific room bound to it, there were other useful things that would be able to protect us from the elements, and other things. This allowed us to travel quite lightly: Besides our clothing, we wore padded armor and carried basic weapons, a bastard sword and a projection talisman for me and two projection talismans for Helena. Frankly, my biggest worry is how will she deal with less than ideal situations when it came to toilet necessities. But I think it might be better not to bring that up.

“So, being more specific and practical. You told me about the many different interesting places in Meridia and beyond, but you told me nothing of where specifically we are going. So?”

I nodded at Helen's very reasonable question. I already knew where we would be going first.

“That would be the city of Probium.” She nodded at me and made a sound as if expecting more explanation. I then realized that I had talked to her before about the Eternal Testing Grounds, but not the city that existed around it. “I told you about the dungeon that never disappears, no matter how many times it's conquered, right? There's a city around it, that caters to adventurers in many ways, from the kinds of things the shops there carry, to information brokers and other things. While many assume it's there to service adventurers who want to challenge the dungeon for whatever reason, usually recognition, it seems that things might be the other way around. The city was there before the dungeon, and the dungeon might have been artificially created.”

As I start talking about the many curious things that might be found in that city, I realize that little by little, Helen's strange embarrassment had disappeared, and eventually she was acting completely normal, which was a relief, but then, she asked me a very pointed question.

“Sounds really fun, but I have a very important question. We are in the middle of the road still, so what are we to do in matters pertaining to the... toilet? You said there are many useful things you inherited from your father, surely there is one that addresses this problem, yes?”

It's a question I'd really rather not have to answer, honestly, but then, I couldn't not really answer. So I tried my best to come up with a somewhat acceptable answer as I subtly look at and point to the trees around the dirt road we were trellising on.

“Well, I did prepare some cloth suitable for cleaning up after doing the deed...”

She was quite shocked and angry at my answer, which I suppose was quite fair. After berating me and refusing some cloth as she told she had learned quite a few cleanliness related magic as part of her education, she stormed off the road, grumbling to herself.

“Unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable. How can he say that with a straight face?”

I never learned any kind of cleaning magic... Now that I think about it, it would be quite the useful thing for this journey. Maybe I should ask her to use some to help me keep our clothes clean. I probably should have learned this kind of magic. As I watch her return, I carelessly ask her.

“Uh, you know, it pains me to admit this, but I don't know any cleaning magic, so, I was wondering if I could have you help?”

For some reason, she stared at me, speechless, as if I had said something completely ridiculous. Not understanding why she is looking at me that way, I don't say anything else. After quite an awkward silence, she finally asks me as if unsure.

“Erm, are you asking me to clean up after you have to go to the toilet in the woods?”

It feels like a stone just appeared in my throat and my stomach was transformed into knots when I realized that my question could easily be interpreted that way, especially considering why Helena had just done behind a tree.

“N, no! Of course not, I just meant in terms of keeping our clothes and other things clean! The people back in the manor might not even think to check on the things in the treasury.”

At least it dispelled the misunderstanding, but Helen's irritation still lingered after that. I did tell her I was sorry, but she did not seem that interested in my apology, so we walked for the rest of the day mostly in silence, even when we stopped for lunch and she looked disappointed at the preserved food I pulled out of the Treasury Sack. That silence was only broken as night approached and I decided that we would have to camp. Helena looked at me with quite suspicious eyes.

“You're not going to tell me you don't have any single item in you 'treasury full of useful things' that will help us sleep more comfortably, are you?”

Of course not! Was what I wanted to say. There was many different things that would help with that! First, there was a small self-assembling tent, which looked like a small package after I took it out of the treasury, but quickly transformed itself in a matter of little more than a minute after I injected some of my mana in it, while it was big enough that entering it required one to crawl, it sufficed for sleeping and through some light protective magic kept extreme cold and extreme heat away, having a comfortable temperature inside. Then, there was also a sentry bell, which looked like a small bell on a stand. By using some of my mana on it, I could create a small invisible field around us. If anything bigger than a rabbit entered it, we would be awoken by the bell. There was also a bug ward that, obviously, would keep bugs away for the night. All in all, I had made enough preparations that we would not sleep uncomfortably at all, even while out in the field!

“Hmm, seems good enough I guess.” But as I tried to follow her into the tent, which was big enough for the two of us to sleep in, she stopped me. “No, you sleep outside!”

“Huh? Why?”

“What do you mean why? It... wouldn't be decent.”

“Huh? We're engaged, aren't we? Besides, we slept in the same bed back at the inn and nothing happened. Come on, don't you trust me anymore?”

For some reason, she blushed at that and pushed me out completely, then closed the tents flaps.

“Uh, whatever, I don't care. Just stay there, outside in the cold and think about why you don't get to sleep inside the tent.”

I opened my mouth and thought to argue back, but a more sensible part of me concluded that probably there was nothing else to do. I would not sleep in the tent tonight. Why though?