novelraw Chapter 133
Chapter 133
Chapter 133
It was only after the meeting had finally ended that I could take my first spoonful of food.
The moment we arrived at the Cow Tribe’s castle, they abruptly held a duel meeting, and once that was over, they immediately started another one for the chieftains.
It wasn’t exactly the kind of atmosphere where I could sneak a bite during the discussions.
So only now was I finally getting my first meal here.
“Do you guys… normally eat like this?”
“Why? This isn’t bad at all.”
“No, I mean… never mind.”
What the Cow Tribe brought out to treat their guest was a single bowl of soup.
Floating on top of the broth were lumps of dough—something that looked suspiciously like handmade dumplings I used to eat before.
‘Wait, they really eat like this?’
The broth seemed to be chicken-based, but it was terribly bland, probably from a lack of salt.
On top of that, the sliced chicken breast garnish was so dry I could barely tell if I was chewing meat or rubber.
I thought since this was supposed to be a well-off region, at least their food would be decent. But this was just disappointing.
How were they supposed to have any real strength eating like this?
As someone on the same side, I couldn’t help but be worried.
‘This won’t do. Time to show them what real food tastes like.’
I unpacked a pile of Horned Rabbits I had brought to trade with the Cow Tribe.
This region was rich in wheat.
I ground the wheat finely to make batter, marinated the rabbit meat with the seasoning we’d brought.
Salt from Henil, pepper from the southern regions, and even the herbs we often used.
‘And of course, the most important part—this.’
Henil’s specialty, the natural seasoning.
Ever since we started bringing that from Henil, the people’s food culture had evolved another step.
It wasn’t as stimulating as artificial flavoring, but for these people, even that was a revolutionary change.
This wildly popular natural seasoning was also an essential ingredient for the ultimate Fried Rabbit.
A pinch of seasoning added to the batter, and the flavor of the Fried Rabbit would reach a whole new level.
‘And once we fry it up like this…’
The Fried Rabbit that everyone in Johnson Territory went crazy for was complete.
“Is this the Horned Rabbit that the human chieftain brought?”
“Yeah. It’s a fried rabbit dish. We call it Fried Rabbit. Try it first.”
The Cow Tribe chieftains took a bite.
Those watching nearby gulped visibly.
Honestly, even the smell alone of Fried Rabbit could drive people insane.
And the taste? Even more so.
“This… this is unbelievable. How can this—”
The chieftains were speechless.
Of course they were.
They’d been eating that tasteless dough soup all this time—now they were suddenly tasting Fried Rabbit.
There was no way they wouldn’t lose their minds.
“If we trade with the human chieftain, we can keep eating this, right?”
“Well, it depends on the situation, but… to a certain extent, yes.”
And just like that, the deal was sealed on the spot.
Even though Rudelrof had tried to persuade them several times before, the Cow Tribe had always reacted lukewarmly.
But a single bite of Fried Rabbit, and they caved immediately.
—As always, no matter the world, the power of fried chicken was absolute.
‘Well, Fried Rabbit is my ultimate weapon—better than fried chicken itself.’
Medieval humans were primitive enough, but beastmen like these were even worse when it came to food culture.
There was no way they could resist this.
I felt like I had just realized something truly important today.
“So then, what do we give in exchange?”
“We don’t have much to offer.”
“That’s troublesome. I really want to get those Horned Rabbits… and that seasoning too.”
“The oil’s important as well.”
“No, we can make oil ourselves. The wildflowers scattered across the western plains—press their seeds and you get oil.”
“Then we just need to secure Horned Rabbits, salt, and if possible, pepper and seasoning too.”
Maybe because food was involved, the discussion among the chieftains got heated.
They didn’t even seem capable of thinking about anything else other than eating Fried Rabbit forever.
‘If I’d known, I should’ve just started with the rabbit the moment we arrived.’
If I had done that, I probably wouldn’t even have to worry about those Imperial bastards.
Rabbit really was… divine.
Maybe I’d been the one underestimating its power all along.
“The grain will be enough for the trade. We’ll think about other things later.”
Still, business was business, so we finalized the trade first.
From Johnson Territory to Hawrun Territory, and even Haken Territory—
they were all struggling due to grain shortages, so securing some now was a top priority.
However, when it came to how much grain we’d take, our opinions differed from the Cow Tribe’s.
Did they get too greedy?
No—actually, it was the opposite.
They were… unbelievably ignorant about trade.
“I think we could give you one sack of flour per rabbit.”
“Huh? A whole sack of wheat for just one rabbit?”
Their math was seriously off.
A sack from this region held about 40 kilograms.
I might be a bit of a swindler, but I wasn’t the kind of guy to take a whole sack of flour for one Horned Rabbit.
Even conservatively speaking, one sack of wheat should be worth around five rabbits.
Still, just in case, I decided to lower the price a bit here.
“One sack of flour for four rabbits sounds fair.”
“My goodness! Human chieftain, are you perhaps an angel sent by Lord Bestia himself?”
Even after taking a clear profit margin, I was being praised as an angel.
Just what kind of trades had these guys been making all this time?
I glanced toward Yuria, but she quickly avoided my gaze.
‘You again, Level Merchant Group.’
—Perhaps that female was the beastmen’s true enemy.
Not just the Level Merchant Group—
all human merchant groups had been ripping off beastmen in their trades.
From what I heard, they’d been trading a few chickens per sack of wheat.
Since a Horned Rabbit yielded meat equivalent to three or four chickens, that’s how they came up with this miracle exchange rate of one rabbit per sack of wheat.
“Well, at least we were being fair… sort of.”
“You’re the enemies of beastmen. Taking advantage of your own kind—honestly, I’m disappointed.”
“No, wait, I can explain—!”
Yeah, sure. Whatever you say.
I left Yuria to sulk alone and finalized the deal.
First, we agreed to receive a thousand sacks of flour and deliver four thousand Horned Rabbits in return.
Since that was the amount of surplus wheat the Cow Tribe currently had, this would be our first trade. When harvest season came and they had more wheat, we’d trade again.
As for other goods, we decided to discuss those separately later on.
‘First, I should find out what resources the Cow Tribe’s territory has. Just like how potatoes suddenly turned up in the Lion Tribe’s lands, there might be something special hidden here too.’
Maybe if I sent Dr. Nickel here, he’d figure something out.
That man had an uncanny knack for discovering things.
“So, are we heading to the Horse Tribe’s territory next?”
“Seems that way. Their cooperation’s important too.”
“Then I’ll leave it to you.”
“You too. Don’t get swept up by the atmosphere—keep your guard up and make careful decisions. I’ll leave Rudick here, so be sure to consult him before deciding anything.”
“I’ll remember that.”
After finishing the trade, we immediately left the Cow Tribe’s territory.
The Imperial bastards were scheming again, and the next destination, the Horse Tribe’s territory, was far away.
At least there was one bit of good news—those Imperial bastards had no reason to make a move just yet.
‘They’ll probably act after the harvest, late in autumn. Winter seems the most likely.’
There was no reason for them to attack before the harvest.
They’d wait until the Cow Tribe finished harvesting and neatly stored their grain in warehouses—then strike when it was ripe for the taking.
From our perspective, it’d be best if the Empire moved before winter.
But if I were them, I’d attack during winter.
Once winter came, most of the beastmen living in the northern part of the Levela Peninsula would be busy fighting monsters.
Meanwhile, the Levelium Region didn’t have that many monsters, and the Cow Tribe’s territory had fewer than other beastman lands.
If the Empire struck in winter, they’d eliminate most external factors—making it the perfect time to attack.
‘Either way, we’ll have to make sure the battle timing works to our advantage. There’s no reason for us to fight the Empire in the dead of winter.’
Of course, that was only after we secured the Horse Tribe’s cooperation.
The most urgent task was to head north and establish an alliance with them.
“So you stay here and guard this place. If anything happens, report immediately. The residents from our territory will keep coming here, got it?”
“Understood. You take care out there, brother.”
“I will.”
“While you’re at it, make sure to charm your sisters-in-law, eh? You know what I mean—since all three of them are going on this operation, make sure you bring something worthwhile back.”
I decided to leave Rudick here.
The builders from the territory were planning to come over soon, and we needed someone to protect them—and to keep in contact with me and report the situation here.
Having become the Cow Tribe’s hero after winning the Duel Meeting, Rudick was the perfect man to leave behind.
—But wouldn’t that leave the territory defenseless?
‘Well, yes. I’ll ask Rudelrof to handle that.’
The delegation heading to the Horse Tribe’s territory would include Sir Irene and Crimson Comet.
With Rudick and part of the Knight Order remaining here, sending Irene and Crimson Comet too would leave the territory’s defenses a bit thin.
Still, it didn’t matter much—the Imperial bastards weren’t targeting Johnson Territory, but rather the Cow Tribe’s lands.
It wasn’t even monster season yet, and the Empire wouldn’t bother with us for a while, so we could afford this little bit of freedom.
‘If I left without Irene again, something bad would definitely happen.’
—So you do care for the human female, huh?
‘Well… yeah, guess I do.’
If I didn’t value Irene, who worked so diligently for the territory, who would I value?
People should be appreciated while they’re around.
Neglecting a vassal like her would only lead to trouble.
‘There’s nothing more infuriating than devoting yourself to someone and being treated like garbage for it.’
I’d experienced that myself—and it was something I could never tolerate again.
Between the Cow Tribe’s territory and Rotsy, out on the plains.
We planned to meet up here with the group coming from the territory.
Since this was an area the Lion Tribe often used as a resting ground, it wouldn’t be hard for the people departing from Rotsy to join us.
They just had to follow the Lion Tribe’s guide.
“What kind of tribe are the Horse Tribe?”
“The ones who raise horses?”
“Ah, right. Most of the warhorses in the south were raised by them.”
As we rested, I asked Yuria about the Horse Tribe.
Apparently, they were a nomadic people who lived like herders—raising and trading horses to make a living.
Among beastmen, horses were one of the few commodities that fetched a fair price, and only the Horse Tribe could raise proper warhorses.
Their value was so well established that even merchants couldn’t buy them cheaply.
“If you don’t pay the proper price, they won’t sell you a single horse.”
“Oh, that’s impressive.”
“Well, it’s not about knowing trade—they just really love horses. Selling them cheaply would hurt the horses’ pride, they say. Weird bunch.”
An interesting tribe indeed.
The pride of horses, huh?
“But weren’t they supposed to be quite the warrior tribe too?”
This time I asked Leisha.
That seemed more like her area of expertise.
The plains north of the Levela Peninsula bordered the Empire, and even now, skirmishes still broke out with the Imperial remnants.
A tribe living there must have considerable combat ability.
“The Horse Tribe? Hah…”
“What’s wrong?”
“They fight like complete bastards.”
“…Oh.”
That was a surprisingly glowing review.
To earn Leisha’s respect as a warrior tribe…
I was honestly starting to look forward to meeting them.