Arc 1 (Conception): (26) Where is My Gift?
Today, the free sample campaign by Ramu has shown luke-warm success. Very few people came and tried meat dishes. Some people also take our free meat sample home to try. Slowly, this news was reached many more ears through mouth-to-mouth advertisements as more people tried it and told their neighbors, friends, and relatives. Still, we could not expect to see our shop's meat to become a hot commodity by just a one-day campaign.
Nobody came to compliment us on meat quality or buy any more than we gave as a free sample. We did see a few beggars from other parts of the city, coming to our shop for free food. All-in-all, now, we have a few people from Gazina city who have tasted our meat product and could testify that it was nothing like stated in rumors, and some goodwill from beggars who had tried meat delicacies for free.
While this might not sound right to many people, but it was much better than having everyone suspicious of our product and fearful of even trying it or buying it. To others, this might look like wastage of meat, but it was a much-needed investment in the people to create our product's need in the market. While this might have cost us one complete space ring worth of rabbits and hare meat, but you have to remember that we could get it at any time from the Ancient forest.
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In the evening, a servant from the area manager's Mansion came to our shop. Initially, seeing my lost look, he explained that this is the residence of Zuya's family. It so happens that each sector of Gazina city has an area manager mansions. Anyway, the message he delivered was a big order for us to supply meat at a party organized by Zuya's big brother at Mansion. Seeing such a big demand for meat supply for a party of high-class rich people of Gazina city has suddenly landed into my hand, I could not help but smile. This was like a free sample advertisement similar to the one Ramu is doing with few modifications, like, it was not free but paid and to the rich people of Gazina. Now, my only headache was to make sure I have a sufficient number of deer for the occasion.
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Qunia POV,
In the afternoon, I started my return journey for Merata village with Pata and 84 slaves after Kola insisted for me to lead the new slave as their leader to teach them how to hunt. Our group was huge, added that we do not have sufficient carts for everyone to have a seat. So, this journey was more like a long walk from Gazina city to Merata village. The only good thing was that Pata has bought enough food and water from the city for everyone and loaded it on our carts. But still, we will need to update our stocks at Amara and Ventala village on the way. It could not be helped; after all, our group is so huge it is making a trail after food carts. I was hoping that no animal or bandits will disturb after seeing this large group of people, as our fighting power is still not what you would expect from such a large group.
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When our group was about to reach Amara village, I could see the village chief of Amara and other villagers gathered at the village entrance with all the weapons they could manage to get. It might look funny at first looking at them flaunting their farming tools and weapons, like, stick, swords, spears, knife, shovel, etc. But, I could understand their fear after seeing such a large group suddenly coming to the village, so fearing for the worse, they were here.
But they were relieved and happy upon learning that Kola from Merata village is now a merchant in Gazina city. Their happiness also increased after learning that there will be more frequent visits to Gazina city through this path. This road will be used regularly and make the road more secure. In the future, it will also provide them with an alternative means to get things from Gazina city. They happily provided us with water and food in exchange for money. Our encounter with Ventala village was also similar.
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We managed to reach Merata village by the late evening. After reaching the village, Pata could not help but ask, "Where will these many people stay from now on? Our house is too small for this."
"We will use the old house of Zuya family, as that house is large enough. Father, I think it will be better if even mother and you also move there, as that house is much bigger and better. And now that Kola is trying his best to raise our status in society. We need to also play our part." (Qunia)
After finding my suggestion much more appealing and given that the house was ours after Kola brought it from Tuner, there was not much point in keeping that house locked all the time. That night with all the slaves, we moved our home from a small old house to a large house. While the Slaves were distributed to live in both houses. Everyone was so tired after so much work and a whole day walk that all fall asleep after dinner.
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The next day, I divided slaves into small teams under various people as the first team of 20 slaves were assigned to Pata for work in the farm and ranch; another team of 10 were allocated to Noah for herb gathering in the forest area around the village. We still lacked the weapon to equip everyone, so I asked Manoj to help arrange the villagers' weapons. With Manoj's help, we could only collect 35 swords, dagger, bow-arrow, and spear. So, I plan to divide our hunter team into smaller units and hunt in turns.
When the news of our hunting plan with a large group of slaves in the ancient forest spread in the village, few villagers wanted to join this big group for a hunt in the forest. Manoj and Haku even provided their space rings for storing our hunts. They even volunteered to help us as there can be an accident as it is the first time for the majority of our group members to enter any forest. So, expecting us to be better at hiding and avoiding wild animals' attacks in our first attempt is not real. So, I gladly accepted their help as I do not want to see any of Kola's slaves getting wounded or die while on my watch.
Therefore, our group of 81 people, including me, Manoj, Haku, Meena, Noah, 16 villagers, and 60 slaves, started our forest journey. Do not take Manoj and Haku lightly as they do not usually fight now; both were high-level adventurers with level-3 in the past as Hunter and Healer.
Soon, flaws in our formations were also apparent that our group was not achieving anything other than scaring away the animals. It was decided to break the group in small groups, each with 10 slaves and 5 villagers under Haku, Manoj, and myself, all equipped with weapons to move in the forest to hunt, while the remaining 20 slaves will guard the meeting point. Meanwhile, the group of Noah will take 10 slaves and search for herbs in the nearby area.
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Our hunt has a mixed result after the whole day of hunting. We managed to kill 20 deers and even caught 5 deer alive. I still remember how Kola plans to use living wild animals to provide paid level-up opportunities to Gazina city people. This service helps people to level-up and increase their life span, while we will earn more money.
But the most productive today was the group under the leadership of Noah, they managed to forge a large number of rare herbs in the forest. He was even complaining the whole day that how could people of the Boish Kingdom be so blind and let so many rare and precious herbs untouched in the ancient forest. After all, this ancient forest was like a treasure trove for alchemists and herbalists full of herbs nearly intact for eons. We only feared that he would go crazy from all the excitement his old body was feeling for all this while, and we will go to Gazina city, shouting about herbs here at any time. But, only saving grace for us was that now this herb manic was our slave. So, in the evening, all villagers who joined us left happily with their share of meat they earned today, and finally, we were left with only 10 deers bodies and 5 deers alive.
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Today, we might not have been able to level up, but experience and confidence gained by slaves in moving and hunting in the forest will help us in doing better tomorrow. Also, 5 deers were introduced to our ranch and will be used in the future.
If anyone asked me what was the happiest and sad thing about today's activity? The most joyful thing was that I helped my Kola achieve his dreams, and the most heartbreaking thing was his absence. With him around, I do not need to worry anything, only be his support. But now, each time I have to ask myself, am I doing okay? And also worry about him all the time. After all, he is only a Merchant alone in a city; maybe he needs me at his side? So, I decided to take 20 slaves and go to Gazina city day after tomorrow.
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Today, few more villagers came to join us for a hunt after seeing how villagers of yesterday came back safely and with meat from deers. Unknown to us, one of the long stuck at level-1 farmer-villager got level-up yesterday and would now have an extra life span of 50 years. This filled many villagers stuck at a level for long with hope and leads to an increase in people wishing to join us. After all, who does not wish to level-up and live longer? Therefore, all people join us were more hopeful and confident about the hunt today.
At the same time, Noah's group has more enthusiasm for herb search. Due to the high concentration of the High-Goddess of Plant blessing in Ancient forest, all herbal plants uprooted give an experience like level-1 or 2 animals killed, or sometimes some scarce and aged herbs give experience to level-up like a level-3 animal killed. This leads to a massive level-up in slaves from Noah's group even before the hunter group. They needed to level-up to uproot only rare herbs for level-up, and Now that many had some experience about forging of herbs, yesterday. It is expected that even those who could not level-up yesterday level-up today soon.
While all might look good, they will level up fast to level-1 or 2, but their fighting prowess was nowhere near hunter groups even without there level-0. So, I scheduled that the first priority is leveling up and then changing their routine with the hunters' team to learn how to hunt and fight. We need slaves who are high level and can also fight.
It was also clear to all by now that what we were doing was no way hunting the animals but attacking them, as the noise we were making was enough for all the big and small animals to move away or be alert before we reached them. Therefore, we started to device new strategies like trick deer herds or other animals in our trap circle to hunt. So, our hunt's results were much batter than yesterday 34 deers killed, 59 rabbits-hares, and 23 deers alive. After giving villagers meat from 5 deers and 10 hare-rabbits, rest was for us, and now our ranch has 28 deers alive. After looking at the ranch deers, I could not help but have an idea, why not raise deers as cattle. Kola and Tuner both said that deers are much more profitable than regular cattle in ranch.
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When I returned home in the evening, Tuner was talking to Rena and Pata. I was delighted to see him, finally, some news about Kola.
"Ohh...Qunia, you are finally here. I was waiting for you." (Tuner)
" What are you looking for me, Tuner? When did you return? How is Kola doing? Is our meat in high demand?" (Qunia)
"Wow! Look, how excited you are? I just returned to the village. Everything is fine, and Kola is also Okay. I wanted to ask, how are slaves doing? did you manage to kill some deers?" (Tuner)
"Slaves are doing fine, and some have even leveled up. About deer, we have more deer meat than we could store in n space rings and even caught a few deers alive. I am even planning to visit Gazina city with all the hunt."(Qunia)
"Looks like our girl is much more mature than I give you credit. You should visit Gazina city tomorrow and bring Kola all the meat you have here, and it will be better if all level-up slaves also go to the city." (Tuner)
after that, we discussed many things, and before leaving, Tuner said to me, "Also, do not worry about things here, in the village, as I will help you with hunts in the forest for a few days while you are in Gazina city. Just don't forget to bring us, old bones some wine." (Tuner)
