With Abigail leading the way, Leon didn’t have to wander around like a headless fly.
Of course, as paynt for her guidance, Leon told her about their recent sea voyage and the general situation.
But just as he was getting to the part where the three of them landed on the beach and found a giant snake’s shed skin, Abigail suddenly stopped in her tracks.
Only then did Leon notice that they had arrived at their destination.
To his surprise, Butcher John’s at shop wasn’t far from Pierre’s General Store at all—just up in the woods to the northeast.
Leon had never been to this part of town before. It wasn’t on the main road. To get here, you had to take the stone-paved path between Pierre’s General Store and Joja Mart, go around the small square to the north, and pass through a patch of woods before it ca into view.
No wonder he’d never noticed it before. Without looking for it on purpose, this place would be nearly impossible to find.
“We can finish the story later. Buy your at first.” Abigail patted Leon’s shoulder, pointing to a shop with a sign of perfectly marbled red at.
“Mm.” Leon nodded and stepped inside. The first thing he saw was a massive freezer taking up half the space, and a burly man in a blood-stained apron holding a boning knife, working on butchering a sheep.
The shop slled strongly of blood, but it wasn’t dirty or ssy. In fact, it was noticeably cooler inside than outside.
“Well, if it isn’t Abigail. And who’s this stranger with you? Your boyfriend?” The burly man spotted them imdiately, set down his knife, wiped his bloody hands on his apron, and called out.
“No, he’s my friend—the new farr in Pelican Town,” Abigail explained.
“Oh, a farr. Sorry, I thought this girl had finally co to her senses. What a sha.” The man’s voice was naturally loud, so even though he muttered the last part in disappointnt, both Leon and Abigail heard it clearly.
Abigail just curled her lip, while Leon spoke up. “You must be Mr. John?”
“Yeah—Butcher John, Pelican Town’s only butcher and livestock at supplier.” John nodded. “So, young man, want so fresh at?”
“That’s exactly why I’m here,” Leon replied, stepping closer. “Got anything fresh?”
“Of course. What do you need?” John rubbed his hands together. “I’ve got fresh chicken, duck, rabbit, beef, lamb, and pork. Also ham and smoked ats. If you want sothing wilder, I can get you venison, wolf, or bear.”
“Uh, no need for wild ga. Just the usual ats are fine.” Leon wasn’t interested in venison, wolf, or bear. He couldn’t cook them, didn’t enjoy the taste, and didn’t want to waste the ingredients.
And, of course, there was also the matter of following the governnt’s call for wildlife protection.
“That so? Well, have a look and take your pick. I sell small or large orders. Buy enough, and I’ll even have it delivered to your door,” John said with a hint of regret.
“How much?” Leon asked.
“Priced per kilo,” John replied.
“I want it freshly slaughtered,” Leon added.
“Everything in the freezer was slaughtered this morning. Absolutely fresh. Any unsold at at the end of the day goes cheap to the processing plant—never overnight at. So whatever you buy here will always be the freshest,” John assured him.
“That’s true,” Abigail chid in. “He really does business that way—I can vouch for him.”
With Abigail’s word, Leon was convinced. He browsed the massive freezer, then chose two whole chickens, half a pig, and half a cow.
Yes, half. As in, half the animal’s body after removing the head. Leon wasn’t worried about finishing it.
After all, he had his System Backpack and a treasure chest. One froze ti; the other froze temperature. Compared to a normal refrigerator, the difference was like crossing the galaxy.
When Leon ca up to John’s counter carrying half a pig in one hand and half a cow in the other, Abigail carrying the chickens, John stared at him in surprise.
“You’re lean, but you’ve got so strength,” John said with admiration.
“Na your price,” Leon said boldly, still riding the high from his recent earnings.
Instead of weighing them, John replied, “Half a pig—200G. Half a cow—400G. The chickens are 16G each.”
“No weighing?” Leon asked in surprise.
“You’re buying in bulk, so I’m giving you a price that’s just fifteen percent above my cost. If we weighed it, it wouldn’t be this cheap,” John explained.
“This is definitely cheaper than by weight,” Abigail confird.
“Alright.” Leon paid without hesitation, tossing in an extra 3G to avoid making change—and as a little thanks for the discount.
It was cheaper than he expected, but considering his old salary, he could see that the currency here had strong purchasing power.
“Want
to cut it up for you?” John asked.
“Thanks, I’d appreciate it,” Leon said, tossing the at onto the counter.
John imdiately got to work with his knife, breaking down the halves into manageable cuts.
While John was busy, Leon struck up a conversation. “Why set up your shop in a place like this?”
“Just call
John,” he said, cleaving a beef shank cleanly. “I chose this spot to avoid scaring people. Most folks can’t handle seeing slaughter—or even just the butchering process.”
“How’s business?” Leon asked.
“Not bad. The miners in town like to stop by after work for fresh at,” John replied.
Leon noticed that while John answered readily, he didn’t seem to enjoy chatting. His focus was entirely on expertly separating at from bone.
Seeing this, Leon left him to his work and turned to Abigail. “You seem to know John pretty well.”
“Yeah. John used to be an adventurer. When I was a kid, he taught
swordsmanship,” she said.
“An adventurer?” Leon looked at John in surprise. Without Abigail’s words, he never would have guessed the man had once been a fighter.
Sure, John was strong, but he didn’t give off any kind of pressure or threat.
Even Gil, the frail old man who seed halfway to the grave, could sotis give Leon a chilling sense of danger with just a glance.
It made Leon wonder if Abigail had been exaggerating, or if John had simply been a regular adventurer with unremarkable skill.
After all, Leon trusted his own combat instincts—his natural talent for sensing battle strength was one of his most reliable gauges.
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