Town chapter 72: Northern Villages 2
The wooden house that the elven chief lives in has only two rooms, both of which use the earth as the floor. In one of the rooms, there was a dent in the center where a fire burned. A crackling sound is heard and the rising smoke exhales through an opening in the ceiling. Over the years, exposed to smoke, the walls of the room are full of soot.
Surrounding the fire in that room, were the tribal chiefs, Jiharu and Polif who were sitting on woven mats. By the hands of Polif, the red wine brought by Jiharu is poured into wooden vessels for the number of people. When all the drinks were available, Zazym, who raised his drink, said, "Thank you for" and all of them recite it and put the drinks to their mouths.
"Delicious!"
"Ah, this is tasty!"
Everyone who drank the red wine raised their eyebrows and smiled. That said, wine is not that popular in this world, it can only be drunk by aristocrats. The reason why they felt so good is probably because they never have drunk full-fledged alcohol.
Each chief brought the alcohol to their mouths to taste it. After all, it is the first alcohol in a long time, so it doesn"t seem awkward. The alcohol rolls well on the tongue, then squeezing through the throat, soaking into the stomach, they cheer again.
"Do you always drink something like this at your home?"
The pigman chief asked Jiharu, who was drinking quietly. However, the lizardman chief responded without waiting for Jiharu"s reply.
"That"s not true. Even humans don"t drink that much"
The lizardman chief thought that Jiharu"s tribe would live the same life as them. The idea is that today"s souvenirs are not because of the abundance of living, but are something that has been brought out of force. Certainly, Jiharu"s appearance is fine, but if you think carefully, beastmen can"t hope for such a rich life. But Jiharu responded to refute it.
"No, I can drink once a week if it"s about this level. Every day, you don"t want to drink alcohol."
"Stupid."
"That"s not the case."
If what Jiharu says is true, it is already beyond human life. While all were surprised, they couldn"t believe and couldn"t stop drinking.
"What about the meat? Do you roast it or not?"
The Oxman chief asked everyone as he licked his tongue around his mouth while staring at the pile of beef chunks beside the elven chief. Those who live in the forest know that it is time consuming to roast meat. So the meat that they usually hunted was eaten raw unless it was special.
However, Jiharu says that it is fine meat. They knew well that meat was better to be roasted.
"It should be roasted. It"s good meat, it would be a shame if we don"t."
"If the person who brought it says so, there is no denying. Let"s roast and eat it."
From Jiharu"s a.s.surance, the elvin chief made the final decision. Polif cuts the chunks of meat neatly and put the pieces on a plate. The elven chief took out the spear that was waiting behind him. When he opens the lid, there were small, colored, uneven grains.
"Do you know what that is?"
The elven chief turned his good-looking face to Jiharu. Silent for a moment, Jiharu recalls the substance and opens his mouth.
"Is it salt?"
"That"s right. The lizardmen have found a place where salt can be harvested. It"s a pretty valley. Humans won"t find it."
The pride of the elvin chief became more apparent. No, not just the elven chief; the others are also proud of it.
This rock salt was discovered by chance when the people living in the forest searched the surrounding area, thinking "If you were chased where will you go now......". Since salt is abundant on the continent, salt is not uncommon in the inland areas. However, it is not uncommon for independent groups to have rock salt origins. Even so, it is no exaggeration to say that a salt deposit overflowing to the surface is a treasure mountain. In other words, the expressions of the tribal chiefs show are giving the feeling of, "We are not defeated," in contrast to their surprised expression by Jiharu"s souvenirs so far.
As an aside, beastmen are accustomed to hunting wild animals and removing salt from their blood. In addition, when they can"t get meat, as an urgent measure, they eat special insects, eat soil, and lick stones to supply themselves with salt. Unlike humans, beastmen lacked agricultural development because they had no custom of mining salt and had to get salt from blood from hunting animals. Note that these stories are limited to beastmen and don"t apply to the Elves, Goblins, and Kobolds.
The tribal chiefs stare at Jiharu with pride that they have a salt deposit.
The eyes are filled with the expectation of, "Now, you are surprised". But Jiharu took a sip of alcohol with a calm face and put the vessel down.
"Hmm, there"s something good about it"
He muttered, and looked for the bag that was behind Jiharu. The bottle taken out from the inside was filled with a black liquid.
"Can I have an empty bowl?"
"Hmm? That is not a problem. Hey, Polif"
Abiding to the elven chief, Polif brings a wooden bowl from the back room and presents it to Jiharu. Jiharu poured the black liquid into the bowl and the bottle was placed next to it.
"What, this scent…...fish, no, fermented beans?"
Sniffing with his nose is Zazym who is sitting next to Jiharu. With his proud nose, the rich smell of wine drifted and the special smell of black liquid was sniffed out.
Jiharu turns the bottle to Zazym and says, "You can lick it". Zazym applied black liquid to his finger when he took the bowl next to him and licks his fingertip that was wet with that black liquid.
"――!? Salty! Is it mixed with salt? But this is much more than salt...…"
――Tasty.
Every tribal chief who take a taste of the black liquid as the bowl wanders around thought so.
"Soy sauce."
That"s right. As if it was natural for this to happen, Jiharu showed his face.
Just as Jiharu said that, did Polif add a little soy sauce to the meat, stabs it and turns it to everyone. Those who received the meat skewer started to cook it. The smell of roasted meat and the smell that soy sauce heated is very fragrant. Those smells tickle the nostrils of the people in the room, numb the medulla and excite the appet.i.te.
"I can"t stand it anymore!"
The chief of the Ox tribe brought the meat that was uncertain if it was cooked to his mouth. Dancing on the tongue, salty with flavor, richness and umami. Unbearable. If he chews the meat, the juice will overflow, but it is not cooked all the way through, so-called half death state. However, the meat was soft and delicious enough to overturn it.
"This is! This softness! I"ve never eaten such a meat!"
The Oxman chief did not say whether it was good. But if you look at that face, no words are needed. It is obvious. Everyone couldn"t stand it anymore and carried the meat skewer to their mouths.
"It"s my first time to taste such a soft meat! Besides, the soy sauce flavor is great!
"d.a.m.n, tasty. Delicious, d.a.m.n it!"
Although it wasn"t a separate game, it was a complete defeat of the tribal chiefs.
By the way, you may wonder how the Oxmen can eat beef, but you don"t have to worry about that. Cannibalism is not uncommon in the world of weak meat and gluttony. Bipedal cows and quadruped cows are just a close race and everything is different in intelligence and body.
What should be the question is where to contraindicated. For example, is it good for people to eat monkeys, is it good for people to eat mammals, or is it good for people to eat animals? The line drawing was very different, and if it was a rich era, drawing the line would have been tough.
However, in this era when there is not much room for living, few people think that people are contraindicated, such as eating monkeys. In other words, it was a shame that the people of the oxman tribe who lived a harder life would not even be a seed to talk about, such as eating cows.
If you eat a meat skewer, your tongue will be satisfied, but not your stomach, therefore the next meat skewers will be roasted and tasted. The tribal chiefs enjoyed the alcohol with their free hands, while roasting the meat in a calm state.
Empty skewers rolls on the wooden plates. The bottom began to be seen in the bowl where the wine had been poured in from and everyone demanded another cup. It"s a luxury. If it comes true, it is a luxury that all the tribes want to taste.
Even so, the tribal chief think. The drinks and food such alcohol, meat, soy sauce, etc. brought by Jiharu, and the appearance of Jiharu so far. When the tribal chiefs looked at him, they were convinced that Jiharu"s tribe might live a really rich life.
"I"d like to ask Jiharu about his tribe."
It was the chief of the ratmen who originated it. He looks like a little boy on a wharf. His crisp round eyes and the two front teeth peeking from the mouth are very adorable. However, it is a story that is limited to his appearance and his age is quite similar to that of Jiharu.
"I will answer anything. What do you want to hear"
"Tell me about how you lived"
"It"s very abstract"
"You can talk about the details later. First, the whole thing. As you can see, people living here are forced to live poorly. On the other hand, how is Jiharu"s tribe living conditions"
Is Jiharu"s tribe really rich? Could that be the case? The tribal chiefs couldn"t help confirming the authenticity before anything else. The chiefs other than the ratmen chief stopped drinking and stared at Jiharu. Thereupon Jiharu says.
"You know what, no matter what happens, the tribesmen are healthy every day......"
――And then, Jiharu stopped his words. As they can see, Jiharu"s line of sight moves from ratmen chief to the vessel with the alcohol at hand. Everyone thought.
"What happened?"
When asked by ratmen chief, Jiharu responds to his gaze.
"No, I tried to say, 『We"re living a healthy life every day』. It is not enough or perhaps I should say in vain. No wait, in vain......"
As he came up with something, Jiharu said "Oh".
"That"s right. Let"s say――our tribe lives an enjoyable life."
Jiharu, who raised his face again, smiled with a full smile, as if he said something good. A smile that shines. Those who were there were blinded. They were amazed. At the same time, however, each of them was deeply depressed.
――Why can you laugh like that?
――Non-humans should have been equally unhappy.
――Just like them.
Naturally, power entered the hand with the vessel.
"I"d love to see why you can live like that."
The ratmen chief restrains his emotions and asks further questions. Ratmen are weak and not so good at magic, so far they have often been doing less than they expected. That"s why they know how to use their head and control emotions.
"It"s easy. The basics of life are clothing, food and living. Of these, food is the most important and the most time-consuming. Food is different from clothes and homes. Because there is no limit to reducing it, so you have to always be careful about the supply of food, and inevitably you have to spend a lot of time. If you can get it stably, you will have more s.p.a.ce in your life and you will be able to spend more time on other things. There is a life to enjoy and humans are mainly farming because it is the most efficient and stable food available."
"I know that. That"s why we grow wheat. But it grows unsatisfactorily here because the soil is bad."
The ratmen chief said so with a little anger, as if to hit somewhere. Then Jiharu smiles deeply as he waited for these words. Newly taken out of Jiharu"s bag is a brown, round, fist-sized object.
"What is this......?"
"A potato"
Potatoes. Jiharu explained how wonderful potatoes are. He has said that there is nothing more excellent in terms of productivity and taste than this.
But all the chiefs looked skeptical. They have never heard of potatoes before. If the harvest is so good, it should have spread throughout the continent and it is impossible to see or hear it. Above all, potatoes have an ugly look and can they really be eaten? The chiefs showed their suspicion.
"Polif-dono"
Replying "Yes" to Jiharu"s call, Polif opens his mouth toward each chief.
"The potatoes were very tasty. I don"t know if they are very productive, but if that was the case, it would definitely help my village."
As mentioned above, Polif is the son of elven chief. He often partic.i.p.ates in conferences held within the chief"s house and his trustworthiness is strong. That"s what everyone said, so everyone thought that potatoes would be wonderful.
"I see, potatoes are definitely a good crop. But......"
The ratmen chief clogged up with his words, biting his lips to look for words. Hard to say. Jiharu´s tribe is blessed. It is too blessed.
Once the ratmen chief sees Jiharu, the hair is straightened, the clothes are not broken, and they are jealous, he is like a human n.o.ble. What do those who live without such inconvenience want?
There is nothing to offer from here. I"d like to expect free good intentions, but it"s different from giving it to individuals. There are many people who live in the forest and it is too big. What is Jiharu looking for? Or is it a flesh wall against humans?
"So how much did you get? For those potatoes."
It was Zazym who said that. Cooperating with each other is naturally as friends. You can see that thought at a glance. He is still a young man who feels good. However, the appearance which never vomited the weak sound even in the hardship gave energy and courage to the people who lived in the forest. That"s why he became a chieftain at a young age. He is how a chief should be.
And Jiharu responds to Zazym.
"I give you as much as you need, but......"
The ratmen chief thought that the moment he heard the disturbing conjunction, it came. The hands are sweating with tension and the back hair under the clothes are wet. Others feel the same. All the other tribal chiefs other than Zazym were stiff.
"――Get them under control"
"That"s not acceptable!"
It is the oxmen chief who stood up and expressed his anger in the condition that Jiharu spoke. The pigmen chief stood up quietly, burning an angry flame in his eyes. The idea is that there is no top or bottom for the same beastmen.
On the other hand, Jiharu has not moved. He just crossed his legs, raised his right foot and put his left hand on the ground. It is a posture that can stand up with a breath. Furthermore, as he stretches his right hand to his pocket, there will be some weapons. He seems to be ready for a fight.
"Wait. Sit down, all of you. The enemy will be humans and non-humans shouldnt fight each other."
It was the elven chief who stopped the glimpse of a battle. The elven chief played a leadership role among the chiefs because he began to live in the forest at the beginning though there was no up and down among the people who lived in the forest.
"But he said to us, down――"
"We will not be under control. Isn"t that the end?""
The elven chief has said everything. That is true. The anger was not settled and the face was bitterly colored, and he was convinced.
"That"s why we don"t need potatoes or anything else. We don"t need the seeds of conflict"
The elven chief tells Jiharu in a harsh tone. Jiharu looked around at everyone"s face. However, no one has lost his face. Sharing one"s lot with another. Those who live in this forest are bound by bonds that are harder than iron.
"Okay, I"m sure I understand your intentions."
Saying that, Jiharu rolls his sleeve and looks at the bracelet wound around his right hand.
"It"s about time. Let"s show our strength."
The bracelet has a disk-like object and a needle is ticking inside. The tribal chiefs curiously found no value other than a metal ornament on the bracelet. Then――.
"Ch, Chieftain!"
A loud voice can be heard from outside the house. It is the voice of a boy who is a watchman outside the forest.
"What is it!"
The elven chief stands up and heads to the entrance. Others also made a noise asking if something happened.
Only Jihar and Polif were still sitting down. When the elven chief went out of the house, the watchman boy rushed in front of him.
"Mo, Monster! A huge monster like a house is heading for the forest!"
"What!?"
Reflectively, the elven chief looked back. In order to avoid the line of sight, the chiefs who hang out at the entrance split in two and then Jiharu with a suspicious smile sits down. It was clear who did it.