NIP Chapter 308: On the Road 1
Chapter 308: On the Road 1
By seven the next morning, everyone was up. They led the livestock from the backyard and hitched them to the carriages, loaded all their supplies, and gave the animals fodder and water. Everything was ready.
"We’ll leave right after breakfast and eat lunch in the carriages to avoid delays. The main road is clear, so we should be able to cover seventy to eighty kilometers a day."
Evelyn Ford checked on all the livestock. They were healthy and none were close to giving birth, so they could travel without worry.
The stove in the carriage was prepared, and after placing Mina and the others in their cage, Evelyn Ford went to eat breakfast.
As they were about to depart, Langley and his parents came over. They needed to inspect the house; compensation would be required for any damages.
"You’ve left the place spotless." Langley’s mother was very satisfied.
"Mom, I told you there was no need to check," Langley said, a little embarrassed.
"It’s fine. An inspection is necessary," Quincy said, patting his shoulder. "Langley, we’re leaving now. You take care."
Langley nodded. "Be safe, and have a smooth journey. Remember, whatever you do, don’t go through Mount Caldera."
"Okay, we’ll remember that."
Once everyone was inside the carriages, the Mammoth set off. It was eight o’clock sharp, but the sky was still a hazy gray and the mist was thick. A thin layer of frost coated the road, but it had little effect on their progress.
The wheels started to CREAK as they entered the village’s main road, where they could see mobile vehicles parked outside the patrol house.
A patrolman in a heavy coat came out, looked them over, and asked a few questions. When he saw that Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick had no intention of handing over supplies, his expression soured. Ronan Kendrick stared at him for a moment, and the startled patrolman immediately let them pass.
"Tch. A bunch of paupers. Can’t even read the room."
Even as they pulled away, they could still hear him spit and mutter his complaints.
Evelyn Ford’s lips twitched. She had no interest in dealing with people like that.
’We already gave them three pounds of sweet potato wine. Give them an inch, and they’ll take a mile.’
Once they left the village, the road widened. Evelyn Ford moved a small stool to sit by the stove while Ronan Kendrick leaned against a low cot. Whenever they reached a fork in the road, the Mammoth would automatically stop and wait for Ronan Kendrick to go outside and direct it.
Looking out the sliding window, she could see tall mountains and deep valleys in the distance.
Just as Langley had said, there was a village every few kilometers. As long as they didn’t get out of the carriages, no one tried to stop them. Occasionally, they would encounter patrolmen who would ask for their identities, their origins, and their destination before demanding a toll.
At three in the afternoon, while passing through a large village, some people came to block their path. One man made an outrageous demand, trying to confiscate a few of their sheep, but Ronan Kendrick sent him flying with a kick.
The population density in Varden was staggering. The deeper they traveled, the more impoverished the people became. In some villages, dozens of people were crammed into a single dilapidated house, their clothes in tatters, surviving on tree bark and leaves.
But Evelyn Ford made an important discovery: there were a surprising number of begging children, some five or six years old, others seven or eight.
’Could it be that Varden wasn’t affected by the acid rain? Is that why people here can still get pregnant and have children?’
Seeing the dying elderly and children in the thatched huts by the roadside was depressing for everyone. Yet, the moment these people spotted travelers, they would swarm out to block the road, even throwing stones at the carriages and livestock.
"Give me something to eat! Give me something to eat!" Evelyn Ford’s brow furrowed as she looked at the children blocking their way.
Some of the elderly and women came over, crying and begging for food. Their pleading eyes held no fear, only a desperate hunger and a dangerous ambition.
"Get out of the way." Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick stepped out of the carriage, aiming their crossbows at them.
"Get out of the way if you want to live."
There were too many people blocking the road ahead. They linked arms, packed tightly together, forming a human wall three layers deep.
"Kind people, please give us something to eat. We haven’t eaten in so long. Our children and elders are starving to death."
"I’m so hungry."
"Please, just a little food."
Some people even lunged for the Red Deer and argali sheep. Evelyn Ford took out her whistle, her gaze cold.
She blew the whistle. The Mammoth lurched forward, completely ignoring the people in its path. Seeing the colossal creature about to trample them, the crowd trembled in terror. Some screamed, but Evelyn Ford ignored them and urged the Mammoth onward.
At the side of the road, a few women picked up stones and started hurling them at the carriage. Not wanting to waste a Crossbow Arrow, Evelyn Ford fired a plain Wooden Arrow instead, piercing straight through the shoulder blade of one of the stone-throwers.
This sudden turn of events froze everyone on both sides of the road. Quincy and the others emerged from the carriages, aiming their rifles at the crowd. At the sight of so many weapons, the people quickly retreated.
"Help! They’re killing people!"
Watching them scatter in panic, Evelyn Ford kept her Crossbow raised. Only when the convoy had left the mob far behind did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Speed up. We absolutely cannot stop on the road. There are too many people begging."
’That whole scene was too organized, too disciplined. They live by the roadside specifically to rob travelers.’
"There were a lot of elderly people and children in that crowd, but the ones throwing stones and shouting were all adults."
Two kilometers down the road, Evelyn Ford had the Mammoth stop and gathered everyone to re-evaluate their strategy.
"The number of beggars and robbers on the road is only going to increase. Take these spray bottles. If anyone gets too close, spray them immediately. They’re filled with an irritant powder with an extremely pungent smell. And one more thing: do not give anything to anyone. I don’t care if it’s an elderly person or a child with missing limbs. Don’t let your sympathy get the better of you. It’s highly likely you’ll be walking into a trap."
Evelyn Ford took out the spray bottles and distributed them. They had a spray range of about three meters, which was sufficient.
Back in the carriages and on their way, they did indeed start encountering more people. They even passed toll booths, gas stations, service plazas...
The toll booths collected supplies—clothing, tobacco and alcohol, seeds, rice and flour...
You could actually get fuel at the gas stations, though it was watered down. There were also transport trucks and tractors on the road.
The service plazas had restaurants and entertainment venues. Quincy and Miles Vaughn, out of curiosity, went to take a look. They said there were even pool tables and massage rooms inside.
"Seeing a cargo truck again... it feels like I’ve traveled back in time."
That evening, the group made camp at a temporary rest stop. A few trucks hauling lumber and coal were parked behind them.
"We’re too conspicuous. Everyone in those other vehicles was staring at us. I’m really worried we’re going to run into robbers."
"Those kids today really scared me. They were so young, but they rushed over to grab our things without any fear of death."
"But it just goes to show how populated Varden is. In weather this cold, I bet people are freezing and starving to death every day."
The group sat together, complaining about all the things they had encountered that day.
"Should we slaughter half of the argali sheep? Traveling with so many of them feels too dangerous," Wyatt Vaughn suggested.
"But we’ve brought them all this way. It would be such a shame to kill them now."
"I suggest we cut down some trees and make more Crossbow Arrows. Regardless, I think we need to prepare more weapons. Evelyn Ford, can I borrow the whetstone? My knife is getting a bit dull."