[NR] Vegetables? - Chapter 778 (Patreon)

Jason rolled his shoulders before grabbing the leather straps that had been digging into his shoulders all day.

The group has decided to buy a preservation box, but believe it or not, a monster almost the size of a human requires a box of a similar size. Not the biggest problem, except the group doesn’t have a cart or anything and so Jason is now having to carry the box on his back.

Oh sure, the box isn’t that heavy and Jason’s body is as tough as wood. Still, putting the entire weight of a giant box and its contents on one’s shoulders isn’t going to be comfortable. Especially when it wasn’t designed to be carried that way.

Jason crouches down and re-shoulders the box. Hup and he is back on his feet. “Okay. I’m ready to go again.”

Rosha stretches and yawns, “Okay. I’m ready.”

Courtney, “We’re still a couple hours away from the city. I figure we'll walk for another hour and then find a place to spend the night. We’re close enough that it won’t be too dangerous and I don’t want to rush around in the dark looking for a place to stay.”

Rosha shrugs, “Not like we’re afraid of sleeping outdoors.”

So once an hour passes them by, they keep an eye out for a place to camp. This is actually a bit harder than might be expected. Not because there isn’t any good place to sleep, but because there isn’t a free place. Being so close to the city, especially along a road, means there are a lot of homes and fields.

Eventually though, they come across an abandoned lot with two groups of small-time merchants already camping out.

Courtney waves at them, “Room for one more?”

The three jacklekin on one side of the campfire glance at each other, but don’t say no. So when the four humans on the other side invite the party over, they decide to join them.

The portly man who seems in charge of the four greets them, “Welcome! Rare to see someone not pushing for the city. You can practically see the walls from here!”

Jason shrugs the box off his shoulders, “Well, this wasn’t exactly meant to be hauled around on my shoulders all day.”

Courtney, “And we aren’t expected until tomorrow.”

Rosha frowns, but doesn’t say anything.

The man laughs, “Fair enough! We’re here because the inspector was a little picky today. It took them a while to finish searching the cart and so my people are here for the night.”

One of the jacklekin hacked out a laugh, “We’re only here because we were unlucky enough to be behind your cart, but lucky enough to make it just in time. Someone got a bit too greedy smuggling stuff out of the city to avoid taxes. Worse, the inns closer to the wall had filled up, forcing us to share the clearing with them.”

Rosha, “Why would the inns fill up? I’d expect if there was demand, someone would have filled it by now.”

Another jacklekin shrugged, “Are those ears for decoration? That old roly-poly told you they were picky today and my brother just said there was smuggling going on. There’d normally be enough space in the inns, but too many people were held up trying to leave.”

The portly man shrugs, “What can you do?”

With that, the campsite falls into silence as the party begins setting up their own stuff. In particular, they put the crate between their tents. From there, they borrowed the campfire to cook up some grits and sausage.

Rosha can’t help complaining a little. “If we had just made it to the city, we could have had something fresh. No need to break into our travel rations.”

One of the human men who looked thin and weedy laughs, “Nothing wrong with corn and sausage! Though I will admit, a pat of butter does wonders.”

Rosha, “Bleugh, that’s too much oil and fat! The sausage provides more than enough of that. Like, maybe add a bit of milk? But even then, some fresh vegetables would be better.”

The man scoffs, “Vegetables? I guess a turnip wouldn’t be too bad, but none of that leafy green stuff!”

Rosha, “Hmph, Some people just don’t have taste.”

And the camp returns to silence, which leads to the party hitting the hay early. After all, if there isn’t any chatter, there isn’t really much else to do.

Rosha takes the first watch, though the humans heckle them over being worrywarts. After all, they’re in the middle of a number of farms and the city is right over there.

Yeah, the party ignores that and keeps someone on watch. Which believe it or not, turns out to be a good thing. During Jason’s watch, the weedy human and one of the other humans try to sneak over and check what is in the box.

They probably felt safe to do so as Jason was meditating while on watch. Which to be fair, didn’t exactly look like he is all that observant. He was, though, and so noticed them right away, even if he waited to confirm their goal.

Jason snorts, “Make your way back over to your camp.”

He isn’t loud or anything, but in the night's quiet his words are easily heard by those who are awake. Of course, the two sneaks aren’t going to come out and admit to anything, but they do sneak back over to their own campsite. Jason doesn’t even bother turning around and the night continues right until just before dawn.

Jason is still up, but he had also gotten Rosha and Courtney up a little earlier. He wasn’t expecting anything, but better safe than sorry.

So it is that they’re all ready when the four humans decide to not be sneaky about it. Or rather, they still try to quietly approach, but they aren’t hiding and when Jason tells them to not get any closer? Well, that’s when the fun starts.