Chapter 132 - Camping for the Night

Oli immediately began walking again but didn't run like before. "It's worth going around the herd. Don't be too loud and we'll soon be past them."

"Um… Can we stop to eat?"

"Can't we eat while traveling?"

"Uh… but I need to use the restroom."

"Good luck finding one of those," chuckled Oli, noticing that Shadur had just barely regained his breath. He looked at the sky, noting how the sun was already falling and the night was approaching. Oli glanced at the map and sighed, "Fine… we'll take a short break and then go a bit further. After we're out of earshot of the herd, we'll set up camp."

"Thank you!" Shadur smiled and darted toward some nearby bushes.

"But don't expect to sleep in…" Oli laughed, dropping to the ground and crossing his legs.

Leon did the same as Shadur, walking to a different patch of bushes and relieving his bladder. Johan eventually did the same, glaring angrily at Oli as he left. Shadur returned with a sigh of relief, amazed to see that Oli hadn't even broken a sweat yet while he and the others were more tired than they let on.

"I'm just accustomed to traveling off the beaten path," Oli commented. "This is nothing compared to the mountains up ahead."

"True…"

"What? Will I need to carry you or can you keep up on your own?"

Startled by the thought, Shadur shook his head. "No, I'll be fine."

"You sure? Carrying you wouldn't be a problem, considering how light you are."

"I'll be fine!"

"Alright… But if I tell you to climb on my back tomorrow, don't say I didn't warn you," added Oli. "We're racing against a clock, so don't hold it against me to carry you. If it allows us to meet the deadline, then I'll do it by force if need be."

"O-okay…" Shadur looked at the ground, sighing reluctantly.

"What?"

"Nothing…" Shadur sighed, waiting as Leon returned next.

"So, we'll need to go faster to reach the lilies in time?"

"That's right, but we should make it to the lilies the day after tomorrow if we hurry," Oli replied. "Then we'll make it back to the city a day before the deadline, giving us some cushion in case something comes up."

"Why rush?" grumbled Johan, walking back while readjusting his belt.

Oli nodded and stood up. "Would you rather make it back early or arrive a day too late? If you don't plan to arrive slightly early, then you're just asking for the unexpected to happen and ruin everything."

"But we should--"

"It's your first time doing something like this, right?"

"Y-yeah! So what?" Johan questioned.

Shaking his head, Oli stated, "Things will never happen exactly as planned. That's why you need to have an adjustable, flexible plan that can rebound against anything thrown at it. And preparing to save time is one of the best ways to do that, giving us more time to adapt to any situation while helping us stay on track."

"Oliver's right," Shadur spoke up, surprising everyone. "It's best if we get through this quickly and return. We'll get there sooner thanks to crossing the forest directly and Oliver's sharp enough to spot nearby beasts, saving us more time. Normally, this trip should take at least an entire sun, according to Uncle Keldon. Oliver's plan has already made it a five-day round trip, given that nothing sets us back too much."

"Hmm…" sighing, Johan tried to think of something else to say.

Leon frowned, adding, "Then we'll follow Oliver's plan. The sooner we're back, the better."

"Since we're so full of energy, let's get back to the road," Oli stated, quickly stretching his arms, shoulders, and legs. "Ready?"

"Yes," replied Leon.

Shadur sighed, "I guess…"

Johan didn't say anything but he didn't complain either.

Everyone followed Oli. Their pace was fast but not quite a run. They focused on silence as they did their best to avoid the Tri-horned Deer herd. Oli astutely avoided all signs of the herd's grazing patterns, looking for any track or trace of them while going around the herd's grazing area.

Eventually, they passed the herd and rushed away. The sun was setting as they finally came to a halt in a small clearing.

"We'll camp here for the night. Leon, do you know how to set up the tent?"

"Yup! Shadur, can you help me with it?"

Panting slightly, Shadur nodded, "Sure… Just give me a moment…"

Johan then shouted, "I'll keep watch first! So I'll tap nap for now…" 

As Johan took out a common bedroll and blanket, Oli did nothing to stop him. At least Johan wasn't impeding the party, even somewhat following the flow of the mission.

"In that case, I'll start prepping a late-night meal. But no fire, understood?"

"Then how will we see?" Leon asked.

"How about this?" Pulling a necklace out from beneath his shirt, Shadur amazed Leon as the necklace began to faintly glow.

"Is that a naj crystal?"

"Yup, it was a gift from Uncle Keldon."

"Lucky you, having such a generous uncle," Oli chuckled.

"You mean you don't have one, Oliver? I thought--"

"I do fine in the dark," stated Oli. "I'm no cat, but I'm pretty well accustomed to the night. Though something like that naj crystal would be handy. How much are they?"

Smiling and tilting his head, Shadur replied, "One this bright is around ten gold, I think. But there are brighter ones."

"But anything brighter would give us away like a star in the night sky," reasoned Oli. "I'll have to talk with your uncle and get a discount."

"Oh, Uncle Keldon never gives discounts. You're better off trying to win the powergem before getting his to budge."

"The what?"

"The powergem, you know? Wait, you don't know that either?" 

Shaking his head, Oli shrugged. "Nope. Care to explain?"

Leon was the one to answer, "The powergem is like gambling, but with everyone in the city participating at once. You buy a small gem with a signature code magically imprinted inside it. Every week a certain code is selected and anyone with a matching code wins a crazy amount of money."

"Oh… So it's the lottery…"

"The what?"

Waving his hand and laughing to himself, Oli changed the subject. "While you're putting up the tent and I get food out, how about we get to know each other a bit? Shadur, mid-starting us off? What convinced you to take the job?"