Chicken Coop

Dusì, accompanied by Ina, arrived at a quaint, grey-bricked courtyard nestled on the outskirts of the fog-enshrouded village, signifying that the residence's proprietor had not long settled in this mysterious locale.

The inhabitants of the town were either mercenaries themselves or descendants thereof; new residents who wished to remain had the choice of purchasing vacant homes or constructing their dwellings along the periphery.

Land management was lax in these parts, and the sparse agricultural yields were hardly considered precious resources. All it took was a courteous word with Mayor Rosa.

The Dragonflame Restaurant and Dusì's abode sat almost diagonally opposite each other in the village. Ina made the journey to the courtyard's entrance in a mere twenty minutes, her pace deliberately slowed to accommodate Dusì's hampered gait.

The outer wooden fence bore a soft, pale yellow hue, providing a splash of color amidst the town's scarce flora. Canopies flanked the courtyard on either side, encircled by fences in turquoise green. Various tools lay scattered in the center, as if their owner had hastily departed, leaving unfinished tasks behind. Ina surveyed the immaculate, well-tended grounds, her impression of the homeowner decidedly favorable.

Nevertheless, her gaze upon Dusì held a trace of curiosity. The girl before her, hair haphazardly bound, sleeves and chest stained with dark grime, seemed ill-suited to this refined environment.

A towering man emerged from the house, his broad shoulders accentuating the bulging muscles of his rolled-up sleeves. A grotesque scar traced its way across his visage, and Ina noted his left eye was blind, shrouded in a cloud of somber grey, unable to move.

Clutching a chisel-like tool, the man saw Dusì and promptly shifted to his right. "Father, the restaurant owner is here to see our chickens."

The man tossed the chisel into a pile of tools, his expression stern. "Little Dusì, I may be blind in my left eye, but I can still see you've dirtied your clothes again."

Turning to Ina, he endeavored a less fearsome smile. "If you're willing to purchase our roosters, that would be marvelous."

Frank led Ina to the sheds lining the courtyard's edge, the high fencing ensuring the chickens remained contained. Peering through the fence's gaps, Ina noted the cleanliness of the coop, lacking any offensive odors, with a layer of sand blanketing the floor. Fluffy hens nested, incubating eggs, while others strolled about leisurely. In a separate, fenced-off section, regal roosters strutted; their relationships appeared less than amicable, as evidenced by the injuries marring several vibrant combs.

Though not much for conversation, Frank attempted to explain their situation to Ina: "Roosters and hens must be kept apart, only united when it's time to hatch chicks. Hens are reserved for laying eggs, and their diet differs from the roosters'. Besides, roosters are always fighting, either amongst themselves or with hens; however, it does prove they are healthy and energetic."

Frank showed Ina the other sheds, each housing chickens of varying ages: adolescent fowls approaching full size, and chicks barely a month old, their yellow down only just shed.

A sudden message shows an update to a random side quest.

Random Side Quest 0-1: Excess Roosters

Difficulty: ★☆

Reward: Unknown

Quest Progress: 25

Quest Requirement: Learn more about Dusì's family's chicken coop and ensure the safety of the food supply

"Do the other townspeople buy chicken meat from you as well?" Ina inquired.

"No, they only buy eggs," Frank replied tersely, Dusì had to explain "Chicken meat isn't the first choice for the townsfolk here. They can buy processed monster meat and sausages from Keira's butcher shop, but they can only purchase a whole, unprocessed rooster from us."

Frank grumbled, "It would dirty our courtyard and fill the air with a foul smell."

"Moreover," Dusì continued, "it's now the Cleary Month and the mercenaries will be bringing back batches of monster meat from the Midnight Marsh. They can only carry the most valuable parts—horns or teeth, but not the meat. Keira's butcher shop gets that meat at low prices, which is far cheaper than our chicken."

Dusì's words reminded Ina to visit Keira's butcher shop when she had the time. However, that didn't deter her from discussing the possibility of purchasing chicken meat here.

The quest progress didn't update, and Ina still asked, "If it's hard to sell chicken meat, why do you raise so many chickens?"

"Eggs," Frank replied. "Eggs are very popular. Everyone needs them for making bread."

"Except for Hana, Father. Her bread doesn't have a single egg in it," the precise Dusì corrected her dad.

Frank disregarded her comment, continuing, "We need more hens, so we have to let them hatch chicks. When the chicks are born, we can't tell their gender. By the time we can, we have no choice but to raise the roosters. We can't just discard them after investing so much food in their upbringing."

As Frank explained, Ina began to understand their father-daughter lifestyle. Frank, a former mercenary, chose to settle in Misty Town after losing an eye. Apart from being a mercenary, he was also a skilled mason who not only built their current courtyard but also occasionally helped the townspeople with repairs. However, these endeavors weren't enough to sustain them, so they started raising chickens. While it proved to be a good livelihood, Frank's concerns grew as the chick flock expanded.

Food was the most significant issue. With expensive grain prices and scarce wild plants in town, Frank had to harvest non-toxic plants from the edge of the Midnight Marsh and collect protein-rich insects for the chicks. Occasionally, they bought damp, discounted grain from Hana's grocery store.

Collecting food daily required a great deal of effort from Frank, and as the number of chicks increased, the plants at the edge of the marsh could no longer suffice. He had to venture deeper into the Midnight Marsh. Although it was safer than his mercenary days, Dusì still worried. After noticing the growing business at the Dragon Flame restaurant, Dusì approached Ina with hopes of selling a batch of roosters to the restaurant, even at a lower price.

Random Side Quest 0-1: Excess Roosters

Quest Progress: 75

Quest Requirement: Make your decision! Whether you clear out the stock of roosters here or invest in Keira's butcher shop, you are solving the restaurant's meat supply problem to some extent.

There might be a third option. Facing the hopeful gazes of the father-daughter duo, Ina slowly spoke, "The restaurant doesn't need much chicken meat right now..."

Before disappointment could show on their faces, she continued, "But we will need a lot of it in the future."

"Do you mean not for now?" Frank somewhat not understood; with an influx of cheap monster meat in the town soon, it made little sense for Ina to buy the comparatively overpriced chicken meat from him.

"Father, she wants to collaborate with you," Dusì, more perceptive than Frank, quickly realized.

"Exactly. I'd like to sponsor your chicken coop, but I request partial ownership. Are you willing to sit down and listen to my plan?"

The three sat at the table, Dusì deep in thought with her eyes darting quickly, while Frank appeared confused, clearly not grasping the business concept.

"How many chickens do you have now? How many eggs can you collect daily? How long does it take to raise a hen that lays eggs and a mature rooster?" Ina fired off questions like a machine gun.

After some thought, Frank replied, "We have 106 in total, with 60 hens. Excluding the young ones, 42 can lay eggs, yielding 20 to 35 eggs per day..." He spoke slowly but demonstrated a thorough understanding of his chickens.

Dusì calculated the figures in her mind. Their primary income came from eggs, selling at approximately five copper coins each. Thus, their daily income ranged between one and two silver coins. The main costs were food and Frank's labor. Food expenses were already around one silver coin daily. When the chicks grew up, it was expected to surpass one and a half silver coins. This didn't account for Frank's daily risk of venturing into the marsh to gather plants and catch insects. In Dusì's eyes, the chicken coop was operating at a loss, which is why she was eager to sell the excess roosters.

However, from Frank's perspective, his labor didn't count as a cost! There wasn't much construction work in town, and even if he didn't tend to the chickens, it would still be idle. Discounting food expenses, the chicken coop still seemed profitable!

After hearing Frank's response, Ina posed another question, "What do you think the value of the entire chicken coop would be if you were to sell it?"

Frank's mind was in disarray. One moment he was thinking about selling just a few roosters, and the next moment he was considering selling the whole chicken coop. He worried that his beloved hens would take some time to adjust and lay eggs in a new environment.

"Two gold coins, no, one and a half will do." One gold coin was equivalent to 100 silver coins, and it had been a while since he'd dealt in gold coins after quitting the mercenary business.

Dusì gave her father a disappointed look: "Three gold coins." She wasn't making an outrageous demand, but reasoned, "Roosters are cheap, counting one silver coin each. Hens are worth more, at six silver coins each. That alone adds up to over four gold coins in value. Even if we sell the whole thing, it should be at least three gold coins."

When it came to bargaining, Ina wasn't about to lose: "Why are hens worth more? Because they can lay eggs. To my knowledge, a hen's prime egg-laying period lasts only a year. The hens in the coop vary in age, some are old and laying fewer eggs, and others are too young to lay. Are they all worth six silver coins?"

Dusì didn't expect Ina to know about chicken rearing and found her point reasonable. Ina continued, "But I do agree with your three gold coin asking price because I'm considering the whole chicken coop, not just the chickens. The shed, fences, interior structures, and your poultry-rearing skills should all be taken into account." She pushed a shining gold coin toward Frank.

"I'll pay the remaining half gold coin within the next week. Now, we both own the chicken coop, half and half. That's fair, isn't it?"

Frank picked up the gold coin, feeling that Ina's proposal made sense, nodding in agreement.

Dusì felt a bit frustrated as if she was being led by Ina. She merely wanted to sell a few roosters but ended up with a new co-owner for the chicken coop. However, she didn't stop the transaction. Ina managed to revive the Dragon Flame restaurant in just a few days and must have her skills. Their family was the only one in the town operating a chicken business, largely because others didn't see its potential. Ina's involvement might not be a bad thing for them.

With Frank's nod, Ina's quest was completed.

[Congratulations on completing Random Side Quest 0-1: Excess Roosters!

Comment: An unexpected path also leads to a successful outcome.

Reward: Nutritious Chicken Feed, 50kg]