Exchange Information
From the storage room, we took out three unprocessed Guush hides with fur still attached and moved them to the hut next door. Each hide was about 10 kilos, so three of them together should’ve been nearly 30 kilos. Yet Saphid carried them all with ease.
Beastkin really are strong.
Inside the hut were three slimes. Looked like their number had increased again.
There were three tables in the hut, and we laid one Guush hide on each. At once, a slime hopped up onto the table and began eating the fur, leaving behind clean hide wherever it passed.
Saphid then placed the wooden boxes stored beneath each table beside them.
“These are the boxes for the cleaned Guush fur,” he explained. He said he’d trained the slimes to spit the fur into these boxes—by repeatedly moving them in front of the boxes whenever they spat it out.
“What about their feeding schedule?” I asked.
“Right now, morning and evening. The amount varies by day. Once they’ve finished cleaning an entire hide, we switch it for a new one. Usually one to two hides per feeding.”
“Are they getting enough food?”
“For now, yes. Though once winter comes, we don’t know if we’ll be able to hunt Guush.”
“That’s not a problem,” Logan said. “Guush don’t hibernate. They just slim down in winter since food gets scarce.”
I asked them to establish proper Guush pasturing here while exchanging information with Lux Village. Saphid readily agreed.
When I asked about candidate pasture land, he suggested the stretch between the village and the great forest.
I wondered if being so close to the village was wise, but he explained that since Guush favor areas near the forest, it made sense—and also, managing the slimes would be easier there.
We entered the great forest and cut branches from shrubs Guush prefer. Since they eat from low heights, we used wind magic to drop higher branches instead.
Logan explained to Saphid and the other beastkin the details of these shrubs.
“There aren’t many of these shrubs around here compared to Lux Village.”
“If we go a bit deeper, we’ll encounter Guush more often,” said a beastkin hunter.
I felt we should increase the shrubs around this area too. So we went further in, finding shrubs and cutting branches.
Meyer asked, “Aren’t we cutting more than in Lux Village?” So I explained I intended to plant shrubs near the forest’s edge as well. That way, the environment would be closer to Lux Village, making the exchange of information more useful.
On the way back, we planted shrubs while returning—three in a triangle, spaced widely enough to grow large, then another triangle five meters away, and so on. Naturally, I used my blessing from the Plant God.
Back in the village, we agreed that eventually fabric production should be entrusted to each village. For now, since we’re still reviewing the process, I’d take all the fur back with me.
We arranged for ongoing information exchanges, and also asked them to choose beastkin representatives to visit Lux Village.
That evening, a welcome party was held. Skewered meat dusted with curry powder and curry soup were served.
“I’m glad I came along with Logan, but I can’t tell my family about this,” said Thomas beside me. It’ll still be a while before this spreads. Same for curry powder and sweet rolls.
Logan, meanwhile, was drinking with the beastkin who had sparred with him, arms slung around their shoulders.
I moved over to a group of four beastkin, men and women in their late fifties, chatting happily.
“Have you settled into the village?” I asked.
“Young Master Reinhardt, everyone here is eager to learn. They’ve been kind to us too—sharing fresh crops, preparing new homes for us. We’re enjoying life here,” one woman answered on behalf of the group.
These four were former teachers: two handled reading and writing, two taught magic.
Having retired, they were free when my family approached them with the idea of teaching in the village for three years, and they accepted. One pair was husband and wife; the other two were widows.
Their children were already independent, so no issues there.
“If you ever need help, send a word. You can pass a letter to Nat, who visits once a month, or hand it to the knights on patrol.”
“Thank you. We have no inconveniences at all. We’d heard it was close to the forest, but the fences are taller and sturdier than other villages, so we feel safe. Plus, we enjoy the curry dishes, which we can’t get in the capital,” said one of the men.
I asked them not to spread word about curry yet—it’ll be available in the capital eventually, but not for a while. “We understand. Don’t worry,” they reassured me.
Since Father and the others had chosen them, I wasn’t too worried, but it seemed they’d fit in fine.
Finally, I told them the village would be pasturing Guush, and while Guush won’t attack unless approached, I asked that for now, if they go outside the village, they travel with skilled beastkin escorts.
What do you think about this chapter?
