While it wasn't anyone's fault, really, Kim couldn't help but feel irritated with Jonas. If he hadn't tried making contact with someone with shady dealings, then they wouldn't be in this predicament. She also wouldn't have to worry that Elin might get hurt while they were trying to figure out who was not happy they knew about their plans to try and kill the king.
Yet on the other hand, it at least had gained them some knowledge, and they were able to get the leather armor Kim had before the went to fight the goblins again. Which in a way, might have actually saved her life more than anything else during that event.
While they had all enjoyed the day off, it could still only last for so long. They were currently on the road again, walking because either they didn't have enough money to rent a mode of transportation or something, or buy one outright. Although, Kim suspected that Jonas was conserving whatever amount of money he'd been able to find on the numerous goblin corpses they'd left behind.
Not that she could blame him, given the fact that they didn't have a reliable source for more money that they could utilize whenever they needed more. Which made it a finite resource.
Kim glanced at Elmo and couldn't help but feel like he was considering leaving their group, despite what Jonas had said when they got back from the dungeon this last time. She was sure that his remarks were mostly directed at Elmo. Although she couldn't say that she'd actually made any real attempt to try and find a way to keep him as apart of their group, even though she really didn't care if he was.
After all, since he was Elin's friends, she couldn't justify driving him out, bu if he left of his own volition, then that solved everything. If he chose to leave, then Elin couldn't blame Kim for Elmo leaving. Which would mean Kim's hands would be clean and if Elin was unhappy about it, then she might be able to get some side benefits from that happening.
Though, as they walked along, Kim couldn't think of anything to say about anything, which left them traveling in silence. Part of her wondered if no one else in the group could think of anything to talk about, but she really didn't feel like asking.
The road they were on not seeming to change as the day wore on. It led ahead of them and hardly had any turns in it, though occasionally someone did pass by. Most that did looked to be either farmers or merchants of some kind, going about their own business. While they would nod to Kim and her group as they passed by, none of them said anything to the other and didn't show signs of being interested in the other group other than they were heading in opposite directions.
As the sun began to set, Kim couldn't help but wonder if they'd come to any kind of inn or place they could stay. Or if they'd end up having to camp outside again, like when the were traveling with the other young women they'd rescued from the goblins. Kim was sure that it wouldn't really matter either way.
"Where's the inn?" Elin complained as the sun set against the horizon.
"Don't think there's going to be one, my Gem," Kim answered, feeling the tiredness from the day's walking begin to catch up with her.
"Why not?" Elin groused.
"Because, I guess for one to be built here, there would need to be more traffic along this road," Kim answered. "Given we haven't seen that many people today, I have a feeling that there isn't much traffic at all along here. Which means we're not likely going to have an inn to sleep in tonight."
"Ugh," Elin pouted.
Kim pulled Elin in for a side hug. "All that means is that we can't do what we do when we're alone," Kim told her suggestively.
Elin blushed and Kim felt fully rewarded for her efforts. She couldn't help but find Elin adorable when she blushed like that. There was just something that she felt compelled to crave the sight of. Even though she didn't want Elin to feel embarrassed all the time, part of her still wished that Elin could look just like that all the time.
"Well, look at it this way," Elmo suggested. "If there's not much traffic through here, then we're not as likely to encounter any threats."
Jonas nodded. "True, bandits would likely prefer more frequently traveled roads as opposed to ones that didn't have as many travelers," he said calmly. "And by travelers, I mean merchants."
"Why merchants?" Elin asked, looking confused. "Wouldn't merchants just take a different route if they knew bandits were there?"
"It's a little more complicated than that, my gem," Kim answered. "First, travelers like us would pose less of a threat to bandits, but there's also a very low chance of them getting anything that they're looking for. While, merchants tend to have more guards for their things, bandits know that the merchants are much more likely to have what they are likely after. Which is typically money."
"So, where should we set up camp?" Elmo asked, looking around as they continued to walk forward.
"We'll have to sleep outside again," Jonas replied bluntly. "The weather looks amenable enough, besides, it's not like we have a tent or anything."
Kim couldn't help but smile at that statement. It touched to the heart of the matter without any unnecessary words. At the same time, she couldn't help but feel like it was tickling something in the back of her mind that she couldn't quite place. Like it should be reminding her of something that was just out of reach.
She hated when she had feelings like those. They were never specific enough for her to really understand what it was about. Then to have it coupled with a man of all things right now, it was enough to sour her mood, though she made sure to not let it show. She wasn't going to give anyone the upper hand by knowing that they were able to affect her mood, even if they likely didn't intend to do so.
Although, Elin was an exception. After all, she wasn't a man and Kim already knew enough about Elin to know that she wouldn't try anything like that. Largely because she was sure that Elin wouldn't be very good at being mean without reason.
"I'll go get some firewood then," Elmo offered and walked off the road before anyone could say anything.
"Elin, how good are you at cooking?" Jonas asked.
"Cooking? You mean I get to do that here?" Elin asked, her eyes brightening with excitement.
Kim had a bad feeling about that, so she quickly interceded. "You know, I'll help with the cooking," she said, not happy with Elin's look of disappointment at her statement. Though, after a moment of seeing Elin down, she quickly added, "It'll be good to help Elin learn a thing or two about it."
Elin's face brightened up at those words, though Kim scowled at Jonas as he started chuckling. He was such an insufferable man!
"Well, any idea what you'd want to cook?" Jonas asked.
Kim sighed. Of course she didn't. They really didn't have that many supplies. They'd eaten all the food they'd gotten from that room they had started this challenge or whatever in, so all they had were the few vegetables that they'd secured from the village.
Kim supposed they could cook those, but it wouldn't be much of a meal. Then there was the issue of getting water. While she supposed that they could use magic to create some water, she couldn't be sure that it would be that simple.
Kim sighed. She wasn't sure exactly what to do about it, and was starting to feel a little bit conned into doing this. If Jonas had asked her first, she wasn't sure she'd have accepted the role, but she volunteered when Elin was offered the job, and Kim was pretty sre if they did let Elin cook, that she'd have burned whatever it was that she had in mind for them to eat.
Which actually brought to mind for Kim something she realized she should have thought of first. What did Elin have in mind to cook? Whatever it was, it probably would be a better option than the lack of ideas Kim had.
"When you accepted the job of cooking, what did you have in mind?" Kim asked Elin. Then she suddenly realized Jonas wasn't in sight anymore. "Where'd Jonas go?"
Elin shrugged. "He just walked off while you were thining," Elin answered. "But for dinner, I was thinking of making the roast ham my father always had the cook make when he came back from hunting."
"Uh, where would we get this 'roast ham?'" Kim asked, not sure how to break it to Elin that in order to cook something, they first needed to have the ingredients for whatever dish first.
Elin merely blinked. "Where else would we get it? The kitchen."
Kim sighed. This was going to be a long afternoon.