Chapter 137 --137.
And that frustrated her more than she wanted to admit.
Right now, all she could do was buy time—time to figure them out, time to decide how to lead them, or if she even could.
She took a deep breath, trying to shake the weight off her chest.
What a mess, she muttered inwardly.
Night had fallen quietly, wrapping the forest in cool air and soft shadows. Kaya sat near the fire, sleeves pushed up, focused on the large clay pots in front of her. She’d asked Cutie not to help tonight—not because she didn’t need it, but because she wanted to do this herself. He had enough on his plate, taking care of the injured. And well... she had a lot of new spices she was itching to try.
The meat she bought from Abaya wasn’t going to last long, so she decided to cook it all—maybe five to seven kilos. She didn’t have a way to measure, but she could guess. She cut it into small pieces, working quietly as the flames flickered beside her.
There wasn’t any oil, which annoyed her, but she made do. She poured water into the pot, tossed in the meat, and started adding crushed garlic, onions, dried chilies, turmeric, bay leaves, and whatever other spices she’d managed to get from the market. The smell didn’t come right away. At first, the fire crackled, and steam rose slowly, but soon... it changed.
The scent started drifting into the air—rich, warm, spicy. It was enough to make her pause and smile a little. Behind her, the Nikala beastmen, who’d been eyeing her with quiet doubt all day, began to turn their heads. Some sniffed the air. Some stared.
They didn’t say anything, but she could feel the change. Even the most serious ones looked curious now.
She had to cook in three pots, one after another, because they were too small to hold everything at once. It took a long time, over an hour and a half, but she didn’t rush. This wasn’t just food. It was something warm in their stomachs. Something familiar. Maybe even a little comforting.
When the last pot was done, Kaya stood, brushing her hands on her clothes. She was tired, smoky, and sore from crouching for so long.
Kaya glanced down and frowned. Her top—wasn’t it white before? Now it looked like it had taken a dive into a muddy pit. Torn in a few places, stained with dirt, dark and musky like damp soil. She let out a sigh and rubbed her forehead in irritation.