Chapter 12 Problem within the Village

Soon dawn coming and Lucis expression is a bit gloomy than before. He spend the whole night until 5am exploring the surrounding area. Except some herb, he didn't get anything useful.

The only thing he brought back is herb and another wild boar bigger than the one he kill previously. This place is crawling with wild boar.

"Erm, I guess the reason that damn white wolf stop chasing me is because I'm in the wild boar territory now.. "

He tossed the dead boar behind his house and get back inside for a quick nap while feeling depressed.

The morning like usual, food come from Dini house except this time Dini didn't come by herself. There's elder Dun and grandma Nan in tow.

"good morning mister Lucis. Let me introduce you, this is my third wife Nan Jung. Just call her grandma Nan if you will." Elder Dun is more comfortable speaking with Lucis now after spending some time together.

'third wife, this run down village and he still have 3 wife? What the grill.' Lucis almost blur out the word "third wide" out loud when he heard that.

"good morning. Hello grandma Nan, my name is Lucis Strife." Lucis bow at her casually. Looking at her age, he feel like he's way older than her.

Grandma Nan is not really that pleased with the way Lucis greet her but she keep it hidden in her and forced a smile and acting like the senior generation.

"what's can I help you guys this morning?" Lucis feeling uncomfortable with all these people suddenly show up in his front door. They live close to each other but it feel like they're visiting someone from far away.

"oh, don't worry. It's nothing. We're on the way to the mountains and since Dini is going the same way I figured I should at least greet our new neighbor.. or you actually just plan to stay here temporary?" she quickly shot straight to the point. They want to know Lucis future plan as soon as possible before they're wasting resources for him while also make it not so obvious and sound so rude.

Elder Dun heart almost stop hearing his wife word. That doesn't sound like she's hiding at all, it's actually sounds very rude to him. This is immortal, what are you trying to do little third?

"aah, just in time..." Lucis didn't even know what her point is and only remembered his plan to build a house at his backyard. For a modern people like him, that way of speaking is normal though it's sounds a bit like she's chasing him away.

"I was about to ask elder Dun if it's possible to give me the plot behind this house. I was planning to build my own house here actually." he said with a faint smile.

Elder Dun and grandma Nan quickly stunned and look at each other confused.

Looking at their expression Lucis quickly add, "its okay if it's not possible. How about at the foot of that dragon mountain. I promise I won't bother this village if that's what you guys worried about." he thought they must be thinking of him being annoying since they've sending him food 3 times per day. He did actually told them to stop 2 days ago but Elder Dun insist since he received a gold coin.

"it's not that actually here.. " Elder Dun quickly smile happily. "this place is abandoned so feel free to do what you want." he stroke his beard to calm himself. why's the conversation slowly turn like they're chasing him away instead?

"that's good, althought our village is small, everyone here is friendly and take care of each other." grandma Nan quick ease up and smile at Lucis.

"I just remember, elder Dun, there's a wild boar I caught last night. Please distribute to everyone. I see that everyone lack food." the villagers look like refuge from Africa as long as he was concerned. with all these rich soil around, why is it happened.

Lucis walking out and guide them to the back if his house. Elder Dun and grandma Nan stunned by what he said. Another meat? They quickly follow him to the back and saw a wild boar bigger than the one Lucis caught preciously.

they both didn't say anything for a long time continue sizing up the boar and Lucis.

"the reason why everyone still look like that is because everyone saving the meat they got for winter. Some of them waiting for the merchant to sell it." grandma Nan notice about it as soon as Lucis mentioned about the lack food part.

Lucis frown and look at grandma Nan then at Elder Dun. " is that what's going on?"

"did we lack anything else in this village except meat? Why they need money so much?" he quickly gave up on elder Dun looking clueless and look at the smarter grandma Nan.

Grandma Nan surprise by how mature Lucis way of thinking are. She look down and thinking deep about it before opening her mouth. "there's supposed to be barely enough after selling some vegetable, but after that huge field destroyed by the beast, most of them lose their income. Even if they replan the vegetables they won't make it before the merchant arrive. Even the village next to our won't trade resource for money we can only depend on that traveling merchant.."

She paused and look at Lucis expression and continue. "right now what the village need is salt, clothes and grain. The merchant won't be coming back until after winter. They have no choice in this matter too." she frown and contemplating their fate. Every year it's the village chief that supporting the family that lack to pass the winter but this time they're just too many of them. wild beast never have interest on their vegetable before and they have enough fences for wild animal and proper precaution against them. this time is a special case.

"what about going to town?" Lucis frown and cross his arm. 100km is not far if they travel organize.

"mister Lucis, maybe someone like you will have it easy but not for people like us. The immortal abandon this area and the beast running rampant. As you can see, this is all the villager that left after struggling this long."

Lucis suddenly remember about that damn wolf again when she mention about beast running rampant.

Lucis went quiet as he sizing up the boar and fall deep in his own thought.

"how much can we get if we process this boar and sell it to the merchant?" he look at grandma Nan.

"Erm.. " she sizing up the boar carefully. "maybe you should ask Boris or Luna, elder moon granddaughter. They're good with this stuff. But if I must say.. 30 or 40 silver."

"En, that's good enough. Let the farmer replanted the vegetable but tell them don't sell it and only plant if for their own consumption." Lucis pinch his chin.

"mister Lucis, do you have plan?" Elder Dun finally have the courage to speak.

"let see.. When the merchant come?"

"it's should be a another month from now if there's no accidents." grandma Nan starting to feel that their better in her own decisions earlier to share to village problem.

"I'll hunt a couple more wild beast within this month and we process all of them for trading with the merchant. From now on tell them we will solve this problem."

Elder Dun and grandma Nan look at each other with doubt. Why would he do that? What if there's some problem and they don't have enough food through the winter. Saying is simple than doing, just his words is not enough to convince them.

Looking at their expression, Lucis understand what they're thinking. " well don't worry about it for now. Let's distribute this boar to everyone first." Lucis tap Elder Dun shoulder with a smile. He want to reassure them further but in the end, word is just a word and he preferred action than using his mouth. he's not even good with his own words in the first place anyway.

Turn out, elder Dun and grandma Nan didn't actually want to go to the mountain. The wild boar slowly start migrating back here with the start of season changing and they saw a lot of wild animal track yesterday.

With that, they brought all the capable men in the village and start distributing the wild boar meat to everyone again.

They just won't stop taking turn thanking Lucis for the wild boar. He have to ran back home to gain some peace and quiet.