“As you wish.”
Marnie smiled and nodded, then carried a cage into the chicken coop. A short while later, she ca out with a cage full of fluffy chicks and handed it to Leon.
“I’ve specially picked out the healthiest eight chicks. You can take them back to your coop now. If they get sick while you’re raising them, you can co to
anyti—I’ll treat them for free.”
“How much?” Leon took the cage and asked.
“Two hundred G each,” Marnie quoted.
Leon sucked in a sharp breath. A whole dressed chicken from John only cost him 16G, and here Marnie was selling each chick for 200G. Robin hadn’t been exaggerating when she said Marnie’s animals were pricey.
In the ga, a chicken cost 800G, but other items were priced high as well—like an ordinary egg selling for 50G. In reality, five Joja eggs only cost Leon 2G. With the price of a single chick here, he could buy 500 eggs.
“Surprised by the price?” Marnie chuckled at his expression. “I bet you’ve bought Joja eggs before, so you think this is outrageous, right?”
“Yeah.” Leon nodded. He was an honest man, and since Marnie could smile while charging so much, she clearly had confidence in her product.
“But do you know how much the eggs from my ranch sell for?”
Sure enough, Marnie didn’t keep it a secret. She looked proud as she explained before Leon could even ask.
“Five G each—and that’s just for the most common quality. If you raise the hens well so they lay bigger, rounder eggs, the price can go up to 10–12G each. And if you get a large egg, it can sell for as much as 50G. A fully grown hen lays one fresh egg every day.”
Her tone grew serious. “Leon, it’s not just high-quality crops that are sought after. High-quality animal products are the sa. While they’re not as potent as crops, eating high-quality at, eggs, and milk can still give a nice boost to health.”
“This isn’t like Joja’s factory farms. Their hens lay three to four eggs a day, but at the cost of nutrition and a shorter lifespan. That kind of bloody, inhumane output is worlds apart from what cos from care and respect.”
“I see.” Leon now understood where her confidence ca from.
If there were high-quality crops, it made sense for there to be high-quality animal products too. No wonder the Junimos had ignored the big egg he’d bought from Joja—it looked heavy but lacked quality. Even the little apples didn’t bother with such subpar goods.
“So, are you still planning to buy these chicks?” Marnie asked after making her case.
“Of course.” Leon nodded and handed her 1,600G in bills.
Marnie took the money and passed him the cage. “You can carry them ho in this. But if you ever decide to build a barn for cows or sheep, I’ll have to drive them to your farm.”
“That’s for the future.”
With that, Leon carried the cage back to Red Star Farm and released the chicks into his coop.
Thrown into a strange new place, the chicks huddled together in the farthest corner. Leon didn’t rush to comfort them. Instead, he went to his cabin, fetched so wood, and built a fence to enclose the area around the coop. Then he returned with a handful of rice.
He scattered the rice in the middle of the coop. The chicks noticed but stayed put, too timid to leave their corner. Leon squatted by the rice, watching. Ti passed, and the chicks slowly adjusted to his presence. Tempted by the food, they inched closer.
When the first chick dared to peck at the grains and nothing bad happened, the rest followed. Soon the rice was gone, and Leon slowly began to pick them up one by one, giving each a gentle stroke. At first they squird, but after a few pats, they relaxed.
Before long, the fluffy little ones were happily milling around Leon, chirping and pecking at his boots. They had already accepted him as their new owner.
Satisfied, Leon opened the coop’s main door, secured it, and unlatched the gate in the fence before walking away. The chicks would now have to explore and adapt on their own. Once they settled in, he’d just need to feed and pet them daily—nothing more.
Leaving the coop, Leon wandered into the Fruit Bat–Mushroom Cave. He checked the mushrooms—still thriving and ready to harvest every three days—then looked up at the rocky ceiling.
He’d heard so odd sounds before coming in. Now, in the dim lamplight, he saw three huge black shapes hanging from the railings embedded in the rock.
“Finally, fruit bats have moved in.”
Judging by their size, Leon was sure these were his long-awaited fruit couriers. Fruit bats were the largest kind of bat—so species had wingspans of up to two ters—much bigger than any bat he’d seen before.
For now, they hadn’t brought a single piece of fruit, but Leon wasn’t worried. Tenants had moved in—why fear they wouldn’t pay rent? If they tried freeloading, he wouldn’t hesitate to evict them, making room for a new batch of rule-abiding fruit bats.
If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider supporting my work by subscribing to
on (/RomayStories). Your support helps
keep delivering more chapters and better quality translations!
Reviews
All reviews (0)