Namhu

Sherh's words instantly calmed the two elders down. Actually, it was not because of Sherh's strength, but because of his wisdom and foresight. As well as the fact that Sherh was the most trustworthy of them all.

"Whether Feron is here or not is irrelevant. We have already decided that we are going to oppose Gaden, and one kid is not going to change that. His presence would help us immensely though. That's why I propose this."

Sherh waved his hand and a young man that was standing behind his seat came forward. He looked roughly twenty years old, handsome, with deep seated eyes and an aquiline nose just like his grandfather.

"Most of you are familiar with my grandson, Namhu, so I assume further introductions are not necessary. Some of you…" - Sherh scanned the elders with a cold gaze - " may even know, that Namhu has recently entered the Heart Calming level."

Elders kept their expression under control. Even if any of them were surprised, they did not show it. After all, they were the people capable of surviving long enough to be here.

Sherh chuckled.

"What I propose is for Namhu to go look for the kid. Namhu was going to travel for experience anyway, so I think it is a fitting cause for him go on a trip."

Sovsem, Napu and others exchanged looks. On the one hand, it was a perfect decision that would fit everyone's demands. Namhu was strong enough, but he was not a vital part of the faction, so his departure would not affect them. On the other hand, it meant entrusting the matter to a hot headed young man.

Hushed voices could be heard for the next several minutes. In the end, the elders came to agree with Sherh's plan. They knew that it was technically the best decision. What they didn't know were the thoughts of Namhu…

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After speaking for an entire hour with Safar, Elias was finally able to negotiate a deal for himself. In case Safar finds this route satisfactory, he would deliver all kinds of things to Elias, starting from tools and ending with clothes, and most importantly, seasonings. Elias's mouth was already watering when he thought about seasonings. No matter how good one is at grilling meat, without a good seasoning it is still bland meat.

What else was important to note, is that Elias has managed to gain the third blood sample for himself. Since there were true breath warriors at the caravan, and some of them were injured, Elias just couldn't miss an opportunity like that. Under pretense of medical help, he has successfully obtained the third sample. And it was not like Elias did not offer any help. Blue Alacita was growing everywhere in these places, so Elias had no trouble producing some simple medicine. And since Blue Alacita worked wonders when it came to healing, his help was greatly welcomed.

When clouds over his head finally started to gradually grow gold, Elias left the caravan, and headed back to the cave. He agreed to meet them once more tomorrow morning, where he would bring some herbs to actually trade. Safar wanted to just give him whatever he wanted from the caravan's stock, but Elias refused, saying that he did not help them for a reward. The caravan was staying in place for the night, their position was more or less defensible, as well as they needed to tend to their injuries. There also was an issue of one of the carriages burning down during the siege as they were trying to scare wolves off with fire. The goods it had were mostly unharmed, but the carriage itself was beyond repair. That meant they needed to redistribute the goods. All these things would take time, so Elias had plenty of it to gather something to trade with.

As he walked back, his thoughts wandered. He thought about a lot of things. About the existence of civilization beyond hunter-gatherer tribes. The fact that only 10% of people could be true warriors. Safar's words about Elemental Masters. The more days he spent in this world, the more surreal it felt. Just a few weeks ago, his most important issue in life was getting a girlfriend, now he was in a magical world, with superhumans and deadly beasts. What else could exist in this world?

Pondering upon these questions, Elias walked towards the cave. He did not notice the beasts that were observing him, but the beasts clearly noticed Elias's aura. Ever since he broke through, he would influence the energy in the air around him a little. Any creature that lived in these parts that was sensitive to these changes would run away and alert others. Elias did not know himself, but animals here already regarded him as an overlord of this part of the mountain. What perks and dangers could a status like that bring?

Step after step Elias was getting closer to the cave, thought by though his mind grew clearer. One more unlucky bird was caught along the way, and one more dinner was shared with the little tiger. With a clear mind and full belly, Elias's attention was focused on something he was looking forward to all day long.

Tea leaves! They were drying all day long, so Elias could finally get a taste of them. The first problem, of course, was heating the water. He did not have any ceramic ware, so he had to resort to carving a big bowl and a cup out of wood and using a stone he would heat up in a fire to boil the water. After a couple of tries, Elias had managed to get a bowl of hot clean water. He then used it to finally brew some tea.

A steaming cup was in Elias's hands. He had spent all evening working hard for this. Elias held the cup in both of his arms, and inhaled the steam it was giving off. He could clearly read a scent similar in nature to something between green and oolong tea. Of course it had a couple of its own, rather unique characteristics, but it was familiar enough for Elias to feel at home for a moment.

He brought the cup to his lips.