A group of dogs, mainly the Masti clan, who returned howling, put a wagon with sled feet on the warehouse side, and all of them rushed down to me and started to report back to me.
Welcome back, glad you're safe. Good day, thank you. Is that what happened?
And as they stroke their heads and bodies back to those reports... they shake a piece of paper that Ellie held in her hand.
"I'm back."
"Oh, welcome back."
When I reply to Ellie's polite greeting, Ellie smiles and offers the paper... and I receive the catalogue of shipments, and I go through it quickly.
Hay, 150 bunches.
Sugar, 10 pots.
5 bottles of tea.
Dried meat, 20 boxes.
The names of tree nuts, cheese, butter, dried fruits on dried vegetables, a wide variety of spices, building materials, and a number indicating a considerable amount of them are all written down here… I rubbed my eyes, looked at Ellie's face, looked at the warehouse… I looked through the inventory again and then I returned my voice.
"... isn't there too much of anything?
This is going to take a few dozen cars...?
"Because your father hunts flame dragons.
To be honest, it was about hay, sugar, and dried meat, but when it comes to dragon ingredients, this is what happens.
As originally intended, please be assured that there is a good record of how much maia cloth will be worth and how much hay you can buy.
I'm going to go over there again to negotiate for the cattle that aren't in the inventory, because they're not packed yet.
That's how we negotiated a couple of times... about 10 trips, all the items in the catalogue, and thank you from the other side, so I'm going to bring them.
... for now, I'll let you rest at home. "
"I see... I see.
Thank you, Ellie, for resting. "
When I said that, Ellie nodded with a smile... and then raised her face to remind me of something like "ahh", raising her voice.
"No, I forgot.
On the way to the village... you sniffed the hay smell not so far from the village, and Black Gee attacked you and beat it up with Masti... no, he knocked it down.
It is good to knock it down, but because it is too heavy to carry it to the boulder, I just drained the blood and processed it down and left it there.
I have to organize the shipment and report it to Hubert, so can you go pick it up with your father? I don't think so, but if a wolf eats me... well, I have no choice but to give up. "
I nodded that I understood the words… I went back to Yurt to get the axe in case there was a wolf, and I went out with Arnah and everyone in the village.
While I was doing that, was it to identify Ellie's personality or something... when Sahey, who had been evacuating over the air, stepped down to Ellie's side and greeted her... and took it and said, "Did you talk on the big side!?" Ellie's wild screams echoed.
When everyone in the village heard that scream, they laughed... and I said, "I'll help!" Walk through the snow retrospectively with some of the dog tribes who spoke up and traced Ellie's footprints and sleigh... to where Black Gee is.
Black Gee lay down in the snow, covered in a lot of snow, like Ellie and the others... As far as the snow goes, it doesn't look like she's been ravaged by wolves or anything.
I checked the state of Black Gee after snowfall, and since there seems to be no particular problem, I wrapped it up with the cloth I brought, and then lifted it up... I returned to Ilke Village in a way led by the dogs who swing their tails.
Then, Arida, who is good at making dried meat, is waiting with a good smile... Moving to the yard together, placing Black Gee gently on the wooden board that Arida has prepared for me on the side of the yard... If we all offer prayers of gratitude together, the demolition work begins with the help of Arida, the dog family, and the women's association.
The soft and delicious part of the meat is for dinner today, so I handed it to Aruna, and the strong and hard part is for dried meat, so I handed it to Arida grandma... It seems that Arida received it with a very happy smile and prepared it in a picture of the yard, and carried it to a picture with all the necessary items for making dried meat... and threw it down on the cutting board.
In that case, take a large knife, then cut the meat chunks into appropriate sizes, and pierce the sliced meat chunks with a crispy knife... If you still pierce a hole, apply salt and crushed dry herbs.
"Hihihi, I can't stand it... if it's such fine meat, it'll be a delicious dried meat.
I'll make it tasty without leaving. "
Whatever you say, there's plenty of salt and plenty of herbs... if you put them on, wrap them in a thin cloth and tie them tightly.
If that's how you finish your usual dried meat... the rest of the meat will be seasoned with plenty of spices and unprecedented flavor.
"Salt, spices, garlic and... this combination should probably taste good, but it's the first time somehow, I don't know what's going to happen.
... well, don't worry, if it tastes bad, I'll eat it responsibly. "
When Grandma Arida talks to the meat like that and proceeds with the work... Hubert comes there, sees me and the dog tribes during the demolition, sees Grandma Arida making dried meat... and then looks at the salt pot next to Grandma Arida and calls out to me with an unspeakably bitter face.
"Um, Dear Diaz... I have a very important question, may I ask you something?
"Oh, I don't mind... did something happen?
As I moved on with my work, Hubert looked at the salt pot and threw the questions and answers.
"... about the salt, how do you get it in this territory?
Looking through this catalogue, it doesn't appear to have been purchased from neighboring territories..... "
"Salt? I bet you bought some salt in a deal with the Paigens, got it from the Eldans... and lately, the Dogs have been picking up rock salt.
Sure... you could pick it up in the south wilderness?
Yes, when I threw words at the surrounding canine tribes, the canine tribes who helped me dismantle them said, "Yes!" He nods forcefully.
For some reason, Hubert leaned down with an expression that looked like he had put a bitter herb all over his mouth... and then pushed his temples around with his fingers to return the words.
"What country and what faction of land is this wilderness...?
Is this the land where someone lives?
"No, Arnah told me it was unattended.
... the plants and trees hardly grow, so it's impossible to live there somehow. "
When I say that, the dogs say, "There are very few animals or birds! Sometimes I see insects!" What a voice.
Hubert, who was leaning on his voice, looked up at heaven and exhaled a loud sigh, then stared at my face... and returned a heavy voice.
"So there's an unmanned wilderness to the south of this meadow, and there's enough rock salt to be picked up... to carry the salt back and forth?
"I haven't been to the wilderness yet, but it will.
According to Arner and the others, the wild rock salt is not bad with rock salt... the salt of the sea made by the Paigens has another flavor, so they also buy it from outside, but it's only a luxury. They basically live with wild rock salt. "
"I see... That's why rock salt from the southern wilderness is indispensable for life here...
... in that case! Why, why! Haven't you secured the wilderness as territory?
You are the Duke and you are given some discretion, so you will first have to secure the land that is indispensable for life!
What were you going to do to secure salt if another country occupied the wilderness!!
Hubert, who seemed to be getting hot while he was talking, shouted so loudly... and I stopped working unexpectedly and said, "Oops!" and shouted.
I didn't think so deeply, or I didn't care... That said, I remember that the Duke had such a right to territorial discretion... If the southern wilderness was unmanned, I was convinced that it wouldn't be a bad idea to secure it before someone took it, and nodded deeply.
"I see, I've never thought about that before.
... so what exactly should I do if I want to secure unmanned land? Should I put up a sign that this is our territory?
As I nodded back, Hubert's expression, which had already become quite a traffic surface, became even more sinister... and then drooped and weakened, exhaling an unprecedented sigh.