Farmer or Cultivator Chapter 13: The Businessman

Chapter 13: The Businessman

"I hope you all love at because we are going to have a ton of them!" Erigald announced.

They all sat by the wooden table awaiting their als, including Erigald’s daughter, and a few seconds later, out ca a woman dressed in a maid uniform and with a trolley of plates of food.

This was the first ti Ren spotted utensils in this world, seeing the steel plates and spoons invoke mories of dinner with friends and family. He was soon pulled from the train of thought once the plate of food got in front of him, with its aroma burying itself inside his nose.

"Mutton, try it, nothing short of delectable." Erigald comnted right before throwing a piece into his mouth, before beginning to chew loudly.

Ren received a large piece he assud to be a part of the sheep’s flank. The at was garnished with vegetables and there was syrup just by its side.

A knife, folk and a spoon all laid by the plate, his instrunts. All had begun eating aside him, and Elizabeth. He glanced at the woman who smiled at him nervously.

’She must be shy, just like how I am.’

He had done this hundreds of tis, nothing was easier. "Co on now, I will feel terrible if you do not at least try the food." Erigald comnted with a mouthful.

Ren shook his head, ’What am I feeling anxious over? It’s just food.’

He dug the knife into the large chunk, cutting out a piece, and then with a fork, he led the piece into his mouth.

"Hmph," It was mouth-watering, the best piece of at he had ever had, Ren was certain.

He heard a soft chuckle, and he opened his eyes to see Elizabeth smiling, she had been watching him. Seeing Ren gave her the courage to take her first bite, and soon enough all of the table were eating.

"Ehh, see. Erina makes the best als. I pay a good amount of money to have her here." The statent flustered the maid, "Oh Lord Erigald, I love cooking for you just as much."

"Of course you do," He turned to Ren and whispered, "If you’re getting that much from a job, of course you will love it." He recoiled and laughed at what he took to be a joke he made, except none on the table felt it was funny.

Erigald rubbed off the tears in his eyes, "So Ren, just how did you kill that pig? I saw the wound you inflicted. However you did it, it must have co fast."

Of course, Ren wasn’t about to reveal his trump card, but he knew that in as much as Erigald was proving to be a silly man, he was not stupid. He would be slt should he tell a bad lie.

"A warrior never reveals his ace." Ren responded, it sounded like a wise saying but

the line was sothing he simply made in the mont.

"Honourable, I too would not tell anyone my ace were I a fighter. I have even milder secrets that I would tell no one not to ntion power."

Ren nodded, and raised his tankard of wine at the little lord.

"Many of our custors, even lords had advised us, asked us to move closer to the capital so that our wine would always reach there on ti, but I say no to them." He gestured wildly as he spoke, this was clearly sothing that he was passionate about.

"There’s more to life than profits, Abba for instance. My grandfather built the winehouse because he sought to entertain the villagers and then he realized that he could make a living out of it. My father continued on the path. If they chose to remain in Tunish why should I be the one who looks differently?"

Ren nodded, but if he was Erigald and knowing that he would make money from moving to the capital, he would do so in a heartbeat.

Ren’s eyes continued to drift to the little girl even though he tried not to look at her. It was difficult, he did not want to seem like he was staring, but the little girl’s asymtry and atypical appearance invoked too much curiosity. He turned to the Eldrad and Elizabeth who both have their attention on their food.

The girl Abba did not look anything like her father, she barely looked human with her proportions, and the way she struggled to eat with her thick three fingered hand was disturbing, Ren had not seen anything like it.

’Three fingers? She has three fingers?’

He turned to Erigald, eting his eyes. Erigald stared at Ren with a stoic deanor, and let out a sigh.

’Oh fuck.’

Ren hurriedly looked away, but not before seeing his hand, and that he too did not have five fingers like most humans do.

"How’s the al?" Erigald asked, suddenly wearing a smile. Ren smiled wryly, it was the best thing he had ever had, "Delectable, I am jealous that you get to eat this all the ti."

Erigald nodded in approval, he let Ren take so more bites of his food before he continued "I am half dwarf, and Abba here is a quarter." As soon as he said this, Elizabeth and Eldrad paused with their als.

"Dwarves bear four fingers like I do." He stated, raising his hand, "Abba has three. My other children seem more human than dwarf, nobody would be able to tell that they have dwarven blood in them thanks to their mother, but Abba’s different. The city will be difficult for her. It’s a miracle that she’s lived this long."

Ren could only look, he had no words to give, what was he to say? How should he react? On Erigald’s speech however, one word got stuck in his mind, ’Dwarf.’

He had thought Erigald was simply an eccentric looking man, but he was also part dwarf. Dwarves, an existence that he had only heard about in folk stories.

"Erigald, I think I could help you maximize your profits from here in Tunish."

The businessman leaned forward slightly, urging Ren to continue. "I have so fruits, berries that are extraordinarily unique, you could probably find no other in this world. You could make a special set of wine with these fruits and sell them at a higher price capitalizing on their rarity."

"Is this true? Does he have fruits you’ve never seen?"

"Yes, they were unlike any that I have ever seen." Eldrad responded.

Erigald cupped his chin in thought, and then smiled.

"I heard that you’re a farr, but nobody ntioned that you’re a businessman." He smiled brightly at Ren.

’Yes!’ Ren was glad with excitent. The dinner had paid off greatly.

"I have a taste of these fruits, and then we will have a deal."

"You won’t be disappointed, Erigald."

"I trust that I wouldn’t." He raised his tankard, "To more partnerships." The rest raised theirs to him.