NABC Chapter 274 - 274: 274 - The Destination
Chapter 274 - 274: 274 - The Destination
The next morning..."Uhm...?"
"Hmm?"
Jerusha and Raye woke up still embracing each other. They opened their eyes at the exact same time, almost synchronized, as if their bodies instinctively reacted together after the long night.
"..."
"..."
For a brief moment, neither of them moved, both of them frozen by the sudden realization of where they were and how close they were to each other.
"...!"
"!!!"
Their eyes widened, and the embarrassment hit them immediately, rushing into their minds all at once. The memory of what happened last night — the conversation, the quiet moments, the emotions, and the warmth they shared — resurfaced clearly.
And with flustered hearts pounding loudly inside their chests, the two of them immediately broke free from the hug, almost jumping apart.
They sat up straight on their sleeping bags, pretending to be calm but obviously panicking internally.
"Good morning."
Jerusha shyly greeted him, her voice small and soft, her cheeks slightly rosey as she looked away for a second before forcing herself to look back at him.
"Mnm, good morning."
Raye replied, trying his absolute best to act casual. He cleared his throat as if nothing unusual just happened. But no matter how hard he tried to stay composed, his ears were undeniably red and hot — something he couldn't hide even if he wanted to.
"Erm, I'll make all of us breakfast."
He quickly followed up, his tone slightly rushed, using the excuse to escape the tent and get out of the lingering awkwardness.
"S-Sure! I'll wake up the others and we'll pack up the tents."
Jerusha immediately responded with the same level of awkwardness, nodding quickly.
And with that—
Raye exited the tent, stepping outside to breathe the cold morning air, while Jerusha remained inside for a moment, taking a deep breath to calm herself down before she started fixing their things and cleaning up.
*****
After getting out of the tent...
Raye began preparing breakfast.
He kept himself focused on the task, roasting the pork meat over the small fire, the scent gradually spreading through the camp. It was a simple dish, but enough for all six of them.
Meanwhile, after Jerusha finished tidying up the inside of the tent, she stored the whole tent inside her spatial ring. She did it slowly, still feeling the lingering awkwardness from earlier but trying her best to return to her usual calm state.
Then she went to wake up Pyro and Zephyrus in their own tents.
-Ugh, morning already...?
-meep...
The two spirits looked visibly tired, their voices weak and sluggish. They stretched a little, clearly not ready to start the day yet.
But despite their sleepy states, they obediently got up and helped clean the area. Once everything was packed, Jerusha stored their tent as well in her spatial ring.
Of course, the last ones she needed to wake up were Lycus and Sofia.
"Hello! Wake up, you two!"
She called from outside their tent, not daring to enter. She knew they might be in an awkward state themselves, so she respected their privacy.
Ziiip—
Lycus and Sofia stepped out of their tent almost immediately. Their eyes were slightly red, and they both looked restless.
"Are you guys okay?"
Jerusha asked, noticing their appearance immediately.
"Uhh, yeah... We just didn't get proper sleep."
Sofia replied, rubbing her eyes a little.
Neither of them were used to sleeping outside like this, especially Sofia. But more than that — the two of them were so conscious of each other's presence last night that they barely managed to rest at all!
Not that either of them dared to say that out loud.
"..."
"..."
Jerusha stared at them for a few seconds, eyes drifting between Lycus's silent face with reddened ears and Sofia quietly blushing beside him.
"Ohh, okaaaay..."
Jerusha instantly figured it out.
Honestly, Raye and her would have probably struggled just as much last night if they hadn't fallen asleep hugging each other. That closeness made them comfortable enough to actually relax.
Remembering that made her pause.
"..."
Jerusha's face reddened slightly. She quietly looked away.
But at that moment—
"Breakfast is ready."
Raye's voice cut through the silence.
-Is there deer meat?
"Nope."
-I'm hungry... meep...
"I'll get you your portion, just sit there, Pyro."
Pyro and Zephyrus responded instantly, moving toward the fire.
"..."
Jerusha, Lycus, and Sofia exchanged glances.
"Let's go."
Jerusha said with a small nod.
The two agreed, and together they walked toward Raye.
Once they arrived, everyone took their portions, warmed by the smell of freshly roasted meat. After experiencing the cold night, the warm food was a relief.
"Thanks for the food." - Jerusha
And with that... The group sat around the campfire and began eating breakfast.
"You're really good at cooking."
Lycus commented to Raye after taking his first bite.
Sofia nodded quickly, still chewing but clearly agreeing wholeheartedly.
But Raye simply shrugged.
"I just roasted some meat. Devin and Kyle did the seasoning. I did nothing."
He said while taking another bite.
"I'm telling you, if I roasted the meat they gave instead of you, it wouldn't taste like this."
Lycus countered immediately.
Raye raised a brow, then looked at Jerusha.
Jerusha understood instantly.
"It's true. I'm sure it wouldn't taste like this if any of us did it and not you."
She confirmed with a smile.
"I agree!"
Sofia said enthusiastically after swallowing.
"Whatever."
Raye muttered bashfully.
'Hmm, that's probably because of my Cooking [II].'
He silently thought to himself, looking at his own stats.
Meanwhile—
-...
-...
Pyro and Zephyrus quietly ate on the small tree log, uninterested in the group's conversation. They were still tired from waking up early and just wanted to get the meal in their stomachs.
The group had woken up at dawn after all.
It was so that they could travel farther and reach their destination sooner.
******
AFTER THEY FINISHED EATING—
The group cleaned everything up, putting away the utensils and making sure no waste was left behind. Raye and Jerusha worked together to extinguish the campfire properly, making sure no ember remained.
Lycus and Sofia stored the remaining items while Pyro and Zephyrus rested nearby.
And once everything was tidied up—
They gathered their belongings, checked their supplies one last time, and began moving again.
"Let's go." - Raye
The journey continued.
Hours passed as they walked through the forest path, moving steadily toward their destination.
The morning slowly turned into noon, then into a bright afternoon.
Then night again...
The group set up their camp, and did whatever they did yesterday.
It was just the same.
Even the next morning, they just repeated everything like it was a routine.
They fought beasts and monsters, even encountered some weak bandits. The group easily dealt with them.
They continued walking, set up their tents and camp when it's getting dark, sleep after eating dinner, then travel again after eating breakfast the next day.
...
...
...
Then, finally, after a long ass walking—
Raye and the others finally reached it.
The Rose Village.