Chapter 78: Where Is All This Meat Coming From?
Tera watched Xavi and a group of hunters drag another dead animal into the settlement. The other clan members cheered at the sight of fresh meat.
"Where are all these animals coming from?" she asked.
Ermin tilted his head. "The forest. Where else?"
"I thought there was barely any meat in the forest when we arrived. We went days without finding anything bigger than a squirrel, and now suddenly there’s meat everywhere?" Tera shook her head. "That’s not normal."
Ermin considered this. "You think something is wrong?"
"I think something is strange." She watched as another hunter jogged past, a smaller animal slung over his shoulder. "This many animals in one area after weeks of nothing... they must have come from somewhere."
Xavi bounded over to her, his face bright with pride. "We brought more meat! You will eat well today."
"I will eat well indeed." Tera’s eyes narrowed. "How many animals did you bring back this time?"
"Four." Xavi puffed out his chest. "All large. The cubs will grow strong."
"Four?" Tera was shocked. "Just this morning?"
"Yes. The forest is full of them now."
"The forest is full of them now," she echoed, her suspicion deepening.
[Host’s tone suggests dissatisfaction with the available food resources]
[(·•᷄_•᷅ )]
’It suggests I’m not an idiot. This sudden surplus does not make any sense.’
[This system acknowledges Host’s concern]
[However, food is food]
Xavi was still standing there, waiting for her to praise his hunting abilities. When she didn’t, he found it strange.
"Are you not happy about the meat?"
"I am happy the clan is eating." Tera sighed. "But I am not happy about how many animals you’re killing."
Xavi blinked. "Killing animals is how we get meat."
"It’s how you get meat today. But what about tomorrow? And the day after?" Tera gestured toward the forest. "The animals were already scarce because of the Collapse. If you keep killing everything you find, there won’t be any left. That is probably why we couldn’t find any when we first got here!"
Xavi’s brow furrowed. "There are many animals now."
"There are more now, but not enough to hunt forever. If you kill them all, we’ll be back to no meat in a few weeks."
The other hunters had gathered around, listening to the exchange with varying expressions of confusion and alarm.
"But if we do not kill them, we do not eat," one of them said slowly.
"That’s the problem." Tera planted her hands on her hips. "So instead of killing them all, we need to keep them alive."
The silence that followed was profound.
"...Keep them alive?" Xavi repeated, as if she had suggested they start farming clouds.
"Yes. Capture them. Bring them back without killing them. We can build an enclosure and raise them. Feed them, breed them, and use the new ones for meat."
The hunters stared at her like she had just announced she could talk to the moon.
"You want to keep the meat alive," one of them said slowly.
"I want us to raise animals instead of just hunting them to extinction. It’s called rearing. It means we’ll have meat without having to hunt for it every single time."
"You can make meat without hunting?"
Tera groaned. "You can’t make meat. You raise animals, and then you kill them later, but not all at once. You keep enough alive to have more babies, so there will always be meat."
The beasts exchanged looks, finally understanding her.
"This is strange," one of them muttered.
"Very strange."
"But... it might work?"
"It sounds better than starving."
Xavi was still frowning. "But that will take a long time. What will you eat now? If we do not kill them, there will be no meat for you."
Tera’s irritation softened. Of course, his first concern was her. She reached out and touched his arm.
"Fruits are very good for me right now. And the herbs from the farm are growing well. We won’t starve in the meantime. And just because there is more animals does not mean you should just hunt carelessly."
Xavi’s ears perked slightly. "You are sure?"
"I am very sure. Fruit is beneficial for pregnant females anyway. It helps the cubs grow."
The magic words. Xavi straightened, his expression shifting to one of fierce determination.
"Then we will capture the animals alive." He turned to his hunters. "From now on, no more killing. We bring them back to the clan."
The hunters looked at each other, then back at Xavi, then at Tera.
"How do we catch an animal without killing it?" one of them asked.
Tera pinched the bridge of her nose. This was going to be a long process.
- ※ - ※ - ※ -
It wasn’t too long of a process.
By the end of that week, they had managed to capture three animals. All three were now living in a hastily constructed enclosure made of branches, sticks and leaves. They seemed confused by their new accommodations but not especially distressed, and they ate whatever the clan brought them with the bemused acceptance of creatures who had decided that captivity was less terrible than whatever else was out there.
The days further blurred together in a rhythm that was starting to feel almost normal.
The second month was barely even over, and they were almost done with the task.
Tera had already decided on the number of shelters that would be put up, dividing it by family.
Some beasts wanted their own private shelters, while others wanted to share.
Xavi’s and Ermin’s own had been erected already, and Tera had actively helped the others this time by adding more walls and rooms to the first shelter.
She did this because she remembered how the task had noted the reinforcement of the first structure as a bonus for completing the task, so she felt this was best. It would serve as storage for the gathered herbs that had been dried and crushed, along with any other purpose Tera was going to give it.
The first proper harvest arrived quietly after this.