I Somehow Got Tasked With Managing A Realm

Rattle Rattle.

Cogun glanced at the wooden contraption moving beside him as he walked through the moss-covered forest.

These things are weird...

He had been traveling alongside Mergo for several days now, joined by a team of men diligently pulling the filled carts at his side.

"... Are you sure I should not be helping them?"

Mergo, who was absently walking mere chicken-lengths ahead of him, only shook his head at the question.

"As I said before, there is no need for that. These men joined knowing their role when they decided to come on this trip with me. You are practically a guest; just as you did not have our team pluck the feathers of the chicken you served, we would not make you responsible for our own work."

"I guess that makes sense," Cogun sighed, glancing back at the giant logs that the carts rolled on, "But they really must be heavy."

We have been traveling nonstop for days now, but they just keep pulling those ropes. I am sure they were doing the same thing before they even reached me in Codima.

Cogun reflected on this for a bit in silence before turning back to Mergo.

"Why did they join you, anyway? No offense, but I do not see how doing such hard work every day could be worth it."

Without looking back, Mergo replied, "They all have their reasons. Some share my passion for traveling and found that joining my team would be a safe way to do it. In a giant group like this, they do not need to worry about random predator chicken attacks or people harassing them. Some of the other men are only joining us until we reach certain places. I might need to recruit a handful just to replace the ones leaving in Rygard."

"Wow..."

He is going to Rygard?

Although he was a bit surprised at first, it made sense that he'd make the far journey to see the temple.

I kind of want to see it too.

"Not all of them are here just for the trip," Mergo continued, "Some of them are just doing it to bring interesting things we find back to their villages."

"... And what about you?"

"Me?" Mergo paused, looking back at the teen with a grin, "I started out of necessity, but I mainly do all of this out of curiosity now. There was not a single tree within a day's travel of my village, so my first ever trip was an attempt to get some wood for us. I was actually around your age at that time."

"Why wood? Did your village not want to chop down the trees in it?"

Mergo shook his head, "The trees around Claymore are pretty short. Sparing the details, some circumstances pushed me to aim for the giant cherry trees in the north. Those were an entire week's worth of travel away and I had to do it on my own."

Cogun scrunched his face in skepticism.

"A week of traveling to bring back a cherry tree, all on your own, when you were as old as me... at least try to make your stories believable."

"Okay, you caught me," Mergo sighed with his hands up, "I actually had a team of giant chickens help me pull the sled I brought with me."

Cogun's eyes narrowed.

"Right..."

"It was not an easy trip even with them, though," Mergo continued, paying no mind to Cogun's expression, "But I was able to convince the village I reached to let me have a tree in exchange for the pots I brought with me."

"... Honestly, I have no idea whether that part is true or not."

"Huh? Everything was true."

Although Cogun wanted to retort, there really weren't any signs of deceit on the man's face.

Alright. I will just go with it, then.

"So that is how it started? You started traveling around the world after that?" he eventually questioned.

"That was when I first had the idea for it, at least. But running around the world exchanging pots is not something that can be done so easily," Mergo gestured to the carts, "I needed time and materials to make things that would let me actually move what I acquired and I had to find people willing to come with me. So, for the next few years, I kept making trips to the north since the villages there seemed to never have enough pots. Every time I went, those two villages would start fighting over who would get them."

"Fighting..." Cogun stopped walking for a second before quickening his pace to make up for the lost distance, "Were they really that desperate for them?"

"At first they were," Mergo sighed, "I wanted to just split them between the two, but they kept doing challenges to see who could take them all. They started by seeing who could throw a stone the furthest. Then they went from using their hands to launching them with sticks-"

"Throwing them with sticks?" Cogun questioned.

"Yes, they had tied ropes to the end of the sticks to hold them- almost like a pouch. Rather than just seeing who could throw them the furthest, they set up targets to hit instead. Honestly, I do not even think they were doing it for the pots the last time I went; it looked like they were just having fun competing against eachother. That might be for the best, though. After all, I was ready to start my travels on this side of the river, so I ended up teaching them the method we used in Claymore so they could make pots themselves while I was gone."

Cogun paused for a moment.

From what I know, he would not just teach them for nothing.

"So what did they give you in return?" Cogun couldn't help but ask.

Mergo simply smirked at his question, "They gave me the idea to travel the world in the first place. I figured that was enough to make it worth the information."

... Huh. I guess he is not as greedy as I thought he was. I figured it would take a lot for him to share my cooking knowledge with the next village, but maybe it will not take much, after all.

After a bit more walking, Cogun spoke again, "So what are you trying to get from the village we are going to?"

"Clothing," Mergo answered flatly.

Cogun immediately paused; his eyes widened before he quickly shook it off and resumed his steps.

"You are not talking about Ropando village, are you?"

Mergo looked back with his eyebrow raised, "That was quite the reaction... but yes, I was. Is there something I should know about them? All I heard was that the people there wore strange clothing made not from corn husk or mountain chicken hide."

"Well, that is true. Their clothing was known in my village, too... along with their chief's reputation. Ropando keeps picking fights with all of the villages around here. They just keep stealing corn and taking over land. It got to the point where my village and a few others had to join up to confront them when I was a kid. That was when my father-"

Mergo interrupted with a groan, "I get the point. They definitely do not seem to be the type of people I would be able to make a deal with."

"No, they are not," Cogun readily agreed, "Do you know how many times they agreed to stop stealing things only to pretend they never agreed to it a few months later? They are absolute jerks."

"They are jerks with good clothing," Mergo corrected.

"Yes. They are jerks with good clothing who you should not teach my cooking techniques to."

"Oh, do not worry. I am not planning to teach information to people who can not be trusted to honor a deal."

Cogun breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you-"

"But I will not forgo my chance at learning such interesting knowledge simply because they are in corrupted minds," Mergo continued, "Instead of teaching them your cooking knowledge, I will simply give them something physical in exchange... and I will only hand it over after they teach us."

"Something physical..."

The teen glanced back at the carts.

"I am thinking about giving them some of the corn kernels from your village- the ones that pop."

"... You want to give the people who murdered my father my village's specialty?"

"I want to know how to make their clothing," Mergo shrugged, "Would you say I did not compensate your village well enough for that?"

"Ugh..."

As much as he wanted to argue, there was no way he could deny the astronomic value of the mountain chicken hides he was given.

"... Fine," Cogun reluctantly backed off, "But you barely even brought any with us. Even if they agree to your deal, do not be surprised if they go back on their word if you have to return to my village to get some more."

"Hmm... I will keep that in mind."

With that warning echoing through the cherry tree forest, the group continued on their march in an uncomfortable silence.

.

..

...

*Munch*

Loud sounds of crunching echoed off the wooden walls of the crowded village's homes, scattered haphazardly as if tossed onto the grass-covered ground like kernels on a field.

The source of the obnoxious chewing was none other than Ropando's village chief, whose appetite seemed to be as vast as the world itself.

"This corn you brought *munch* is definitely something I want," he declared in between chomps.

Cogun barely even attempted to hide his disgust-laced glare as he watched the man scoop handful after handful of his village's specialty out of the wooden bowl he had prepared.

He could fit a whole field's worth of popped corn in that stomach of his.

Before his own thoughts could leak from his mouth, a figure's back moved in front of Cogun, blocking his shorter body from the chief's view.

"I am glad you like it. As I said, I am willing to get you the kernels you need to plant some for yourself in exchange for someone from your village teaching me how to make the clothing that this village is known for. Once we learn, they will be all your's."

Hidden behind Mergo's back, Cogun freely spat in the chief's direction. Although not seen by the chief, Mergo still drove his heel into the ground and splashed Cogun's leg with a bit of dirt as a warning.

The village chief stopped chewing and briefly slipped into thought.

"Hmm... I can have that arranged," he spoke, gesturing to a man holding a spear by his side who casually approached the two travelers, "He will guide you to the women. I expect you have the kernels I would need to give us a good harvest, right?"

Mergo nodded to his question, "Of course. I have a large pot full of them. That should easily be enough to yield an entire field of this popping corn."

The village chief had a conflicted expression on his face, however. Mergo didn't miss this and spoke again.

"Were you expecting something else?"

"No. Your terms are agreeable. I am simply disappointed that I would need to wait an entire summer to harvest it," the chief explained.

Oh no! A whole summer! How could his poor stomach survive that long!?

Cogun held back his sarcasm, wary of the spear-holding man standing beside him, though his disgusted eyes remained in the direction of the chief's engorged stomach.

"These are all of the kernels I have with me," Mergo admitted, "I would need to do another trip to get more, but we would need to agree on a separate exchange for that trip. I propose that your village can provide one cart-full of cloth for every pot of kernels I bring back."

"An entire cart!?" the chief exclaimed, pointing at the wooden wagon behind the merchant, "Do not be ridiculous. The next season would come before the women would be able to finish making that much! One pot is insulting in exchange!"

Mergo's eyebrow raised.

"I do not yet know your methods, but I must question your estimate. If it was that laborious to make, you would be the only one here wearing such clothing, yet I have even seen young children running around in the cloth."

"Tsk," the chief audibly clicked his tongue, "You do not know enough to be making such conclusions."

"Perhaps you are right, but I will be finding out those details following this conversation, will I not?"

The chief looked at the shrugging merchant intensely. Even for Cogun, whose only experience with negotiations came at getting people to supply his ingredients, it was clear that the Ropando cheif's leverage was falling fast.

A shocked expression emerged on the teen.

He can not exaggerate the labor once we learn how to make the clothing ourselves. If the chief wants the best deal, he would push to make one before we do!

Mergo perfectly laid out this negotiation trap without anyone else noticing.

The Chief had the most leverage while the value of the cloth was uncertain, but this advantage would vanish the moment they learned how to make it themselves. After all, he couldn't exaggerate the labor needed to make the cloth after that point.

This was the exact premise of the trap Mergo sneakily prepared.

While he had the potential for the most value now, making an offer now would essentially reveal that the chief's initial assessment was inflated, as there would be no need to rush the negotiation if it was not. They would be meeting again after they learned everything, after all.

Cogun quickly put together Mergo's thought process, and sure enough, the village chief came to the same conclusion.

"... Four pots filled with the popping kernels for the cart."

Mergo's finger slightly twitched at the chief's proposal- a gesture so slight that only Cogun who was standing behind him was able to notice it.

So he really was exaggerating it!

A slight grin on Mergo's face.

"That is a bit much for me to do. It is not like I can get those kernels on my own. I am willing to give you two pots full of kernels when I come back in exchange for the cart filled with the cloth, but that is the most I can offer."

"Two pots is not enough," the chief argued.

Mergo shrugged, "That is fine, but that is the most I can offer. You can always wait until your current kernels are ready to harvest, though."

The two fell into a tense silence- their eyes locked with neither showing any sign of wavering. After a few tense moments that felt like an eternity, it was the Ropando chief who broke the tension with a sly grin.

"Okay, fine. We have a deal- two pots full of the popping kernels for a cart full of our cloth."

That grin... he is not even hiding it!

"Mergo-"

"Then the agreement is settled," Mergo cut Cogun off and nodded to the chief, "I will return to Codima and gather the kernels following our teachings here."

"Great! Then let us not waste time," the chief flicked his wrist at the speared man, "Go and guide them to the stream."

As the man began walking, the two travelers followed behind him. Cogun took a quick glance at Ropando's chief as they moved from the area.

"Why did you even bother to agree to that?" Cogun whispered at Mergo's side, "There is no way he is going to keep his word. He will probably just say you two agreed to only half of a cart of cloth or something."

"I have a plan, of course," he grinned back, "I just want to make sure we learn their techniques before I go through with it."

A plan...? What kind of plan can stop him from just lying about the deal?

Although Cogun wanted to ask, it was clear by his focused expression that Mergo wasn't willing to answer just yet.

The teen let out a small sigh.

As much as I hate this village, they will have Codima's specialty either way. How much extra he gives up is none of my concern now. I did my job of warning him.

Setting his pity for his new friend aside, the two continued following the man until they reached a small stream where a few dozen women were working.

Hmm...

Cogun's eyes scanned over the area fully littered with branches, stones, and bark. Although very messy, it seemed like nothing was there without purpose.

"Mira!" The speared man shouted out to one of the women, who promptly placed down the thick wooden club she was holding and trotted over to their group.

"Yes?" she made brief eye contact with the two travelers before looking back at the man, "Who are these people?"

"They are two people you will be teaching today. Just guide them through your usual work, no need for anything special."

"Oh... okay."

The man wandered off to a nearby stump and took a seat with a grunt, laying his spear at his side and turning his attention to the working women, a bored expression plastered on his face.

"This whole village is great," Cogun's sarcasm accidentally slipped through his lips as he watched the man's display.

"I am glad you like it so far!"

"Huh? Uh... yes."

Oops.

Cogun couldn't bear to meet the woman's innocent eyes and flusteredly looked away from her enthusiastic gaze.

"Pfft-" Mergo quickly stifled a laugh with a cough and turned to the woman, "Your name is Mira, it seems? We will be in your care for today. Please do not let us hinder you too much- as the man said, we just want to observe how you make the clothing this village is known for."

"Sure thing! I will start from the beginning, so follow me!"

The young woman led the two to a clearing filled with small cherry trees, each likely less than a decade old.

All of these trees are in perfect rows... they clearly were planted.

Before he had the chance to further look around, Mira began speaking.

"So, making the clothing all starts with harvesting the inner bark of the branches from these young cherry trees. Once they get older, the branches are just a bit too difficult to handle, so the ones around this thickness work best," she began, grabbing a stone axe at the foot of the tree and hacking at the branch.

Chop. Chop. Chop.

With one final chop, the branch fell to the ground, which she promptly picked up and exchanged for the axe in her hand.

"Now that we have the branch, we have to get the outer bark off of it to get to the useful part."

Mira sat down at a nearby stump and used it to hold the branch as she started slicing off the bark's outer layer and smaller twigs with a flint blade. With nimble hands, the woman was soon able to peel off the branch's outer layer, revealing the softer region inside.

"See this lighter wood? This is the actual material we use for our clothing," she explained as she made a small cut into the top of the inner bark, "It is easier for the next part if we cut it into sheets, but some of the other women prefer cutting it into strands. It really is a matter of preference, though."

The two travelers watched with curiosity as Mira used the sharpened flint tool to peel off a thin layer of the inner bark.

Wow... she is really skilled with her hands.

Although he had never really worked with shaping wood before, Cogun had spent enough time working with his hands to recognize the skill with which she peeled the branch; somehow managing to peel off the first layer without a single excess cut or damage to the material.

Mira layed this sheet by her side and went right back to peeling the next layer of the inner bark, managing to make a total of three sheets before she reached the sapwood.

"What do you do with the rest of the branch?" Mergo asked, watching intensely as she tossed it aside.

"Oh, the kids usually run by and gather it all for firewood," Mira answered as she picked up the sheets, "It would be a waste not to use the rest of it."

"I agree."

After the short exchange, the two followed behind Mira as she guided them back to the stream.

"Even though we have these sheets, it is a bit too hard to work with right now," Mira began again as she picked up a large stone from the stream's bank, "They need to soak in the stream for about a week before they are really soft enough for us to use."

"A week!?"

Even Cogun couldn't hide his shock.

It only takes a day for my corn kernels to soak- waiting an entire week is crazy!

"Some stubborn pieces take even longer," Mira added.

The two watched as she layed the sheet of bark in the stream and weighed it down with the stone to stop it from flowing away in the water.

"Obviously, I will not make you two wait a week, so I will show you what we do once they are ready."

With those words, Mira stepped into the cool stream and waded around until she spotted a sheet that caught her eye.

Splash.

The woman examined the sheet of bark with dripping hands and soon nodded in satisfaction.

"This one should be fine!"

Making her way to another stump, Mira turned to the two travelers.

"So, there are two ways we can use this. If we are making larger things, we usually just start beating this bark until it gets thin and takes the shape we are looking for."

She pointed out a nearby woman who was doing just that.

Whack! Whack! Whack!

Loud noises sounded as the woman hammered the stripped bark sheet on a stump with what resembled a wooden club. Although it was gradual, the bark did indeed seem to flatten and widen as its fibers spread.

"If we are making something especially big, like a mat or a blanket, we can overlap the edges of multiple sheets and hammer them until they interlock."

"Interesting..."

Cogun caught a glint in Mergo's eyes at Mira's description.

"Is that it for this method? You simply mush everything together to make the cloth?" Mergo questioned.

"Yes, but that is only for the simplest things," Mira explained, "For the actual clothing we use, we use the method that I will show you."

The group returned to the free stump at her words, where she sat crisscrossed and began slicing the sheet into thin strips with her flint tool. Once she finished, the woman took two of these strips and rolled them on her thigh until they bonded together into a thread.

"It is almost like making rope," Mergo commented as he watched.

"Yes- this part is very similar," she agreed, "But the next step is a bit different."

Some time passed before Mira had a thread that was long enough for her to be satisfied with, but once she did, she led the two into a small area tucked under a few tall cherry trees.

"What is that?"

Cogun was the first to ask as he spotted an odd wooden structure hidden in the trees' shade. The object was made from several branches and thin trucks, resembling a vertical wooden rectangle. A singular horizontal branch layed in the middle of the rectangle on which several threads pressed upon, taut from being tied on one end to the top of the frame and the other to small stones hanging at the bottom of the object.

"It is something we use to help us weave clothing."

Had Jacob been watching, he would have easily figured out that this was an ancient weighted loom.

The two watched with interest as Mira began combing the threads with a stone tool and slid a horizontal string between the gaps in the two columns of hanging threads. Once the thread was in place, Mira moved the horizontal stick onto a peg, which caused the two layers of thread to move through each other- the process perfectly weaved the threads together. The woman then used a flat stick to move this woven strand to the top of the loom before repeating the process.

"We do this over and over until we get a piece that is too large to spin around the top branch. After that, we can sew it to make the clothing we are aiming for."

This seems very complicated.

"It is definitely a long process," Mergo took the words out of his mouth, while he continued staring at the loom as if examining its construction, "But I can confidently say it is worth the time and effort, judging by the quality of your clothing."

Mira smiled at the compliment, "Thank you. I agree it is worth it, though it definitely is not easy. I would offer to show you the next step in actually sewing it, but we do not have any cloth that is ready for that yet."

"There is no need- I can figure out the rest of it," Mergo smiled, "Thank you for teaching us all of this- I have certainly learned a lot."

"Of course! I am glad I can help! Well then, I should get back to helping everyone, but it was nice meeting you two!"

Mira gave one last smile to the two travelers, before learning the shaded area and returning to her work.

Cogun watched her retreating figure.

... Mira was oddly nice. Is she really from such an awful village?

Cogun turned to Mergo and examined his expression.

"So, do you think this was worth giving Ropando my village's specialty?"

Mergo simply grinned at his question, taking the chance to examine the loom leaning on a tree from other angles, "I am sure even you will admit that it was worth the exchange. I received far more knowledge than I expected."

A sigh escaped his lips.

"Yeah... I have to agree. There was a lot that they taught us," Cogun paused as Mergo continued his examination, "But now that this is over, will you finally tell me your plan? What are you going to do about the second trip?"

Mergo backed away from the loom with a stretch, a satisfied expression plastered on his face.

"That is easy. I just have to prove his words."

"... Prove his words?" Cogun asked skeptically.

"Yes- prove his words. He wants those popping kernels to snack on, so he knows I will bring the two pots that we agreed to. As you said, what I am concerned about is him lying about how much we agreed to exchange and not getting the full cart of cloth I am after. If I can prove what we agreed to, then I will not have to worry about that."

"And how will you do that?"

"I thought of a way," Mergo grinned, "You will see when we are back."

Despite his confident look, Cogun couldn't shake his skepticism.

"This is Ropando village we are talking about. Putting aside his lies, are you not worried they will just try to steal the kernels we bring back?"

Mergo simply shrugged at his question, "If he tries that, then so be it. Throwing his life away over some kernels would be a pathetic way to go out, though."

"Yeah it would... huh? Did you say he would be the one throwing his life away?"

Cogun looked back to see an eerie grin on the merchant's face, "I did not allow just anyone to accompany me on this journey. Many were tough fighters in their villages. And those carts filled with goods are pretty heavy... I am sure you can imagine how strong the men are who pull them every day."

A cold sweat dripped down the teen's back- he could almost see a small fire burning inside Mergo's eyes.

... It would not be the first time it happened, would it?

His question couldn't be asked, however. His curiosity wasn't strong enough to overcome the tension he felt from the merchant's expression.

Only a small gulp from his throat broke the silence.

.

..

...

Soon enough, the duo found themselves standing before Ropando’s chief once more. Although Mergo and Cogun stood side by side, the latter kept his eyes on the ground, fearing he wouldn’t be able to resist glaring if he met the chief’s gaze.

“Since you are back, I assume you finished watching the women?”

Cogen felt his eye twitch just from his words.

“Yes, we finished learning the techniques. Please give Mira my thanks for teaching us well,” Mergo answered.

“Mhm,” the chief said dismissively, “Now that you are done, you will be giving me that pot of popping kernels.”

Mergo nodded, “A deal is a deal.”

With a wave of his hand, the speared man lifted up the small pot by Mergo’s side and carried it over to Ropando’s chief, who peeked inside and grinned.

“There will be two more of these coming soon, right?”

“Of course! We will be making a journey to get more before nightfall. The travel may take a handful of days, but I can assure you we will spare no time in finishing our exchange. While we are on the topic…”

“Hm?”

Mergo lifted what resembled a small and hollow wooden square he had layed in the fallen grass at his feet after their return. Inside this wooden frame sat a light brown blob.

Why does he have clay?

It seemed like the chief was confused, too.

“What is that?”

“This is just something I came up with to help me on my travels,” Margo smiled innocently, “My memory is pretty bad, you see, so when I go on a long trip like this, I want to make sure I can remember exactly how much I need to bring back.”

The gathering watched as Mergo flattened the clay into a thin, square shape using the frame. He then grabbed a small stick and began scribbling into the clay.

“We agreed on two pots of popping kernels for one cart filling with your village’s cloth,” Mergo spoke aloud, as he drew what resembled two pots and a cart into the clay.

Inside the drawn pots were small dots representing kernels and next to the cart was a square with a crossing pattern that represented cloth.

“I learned a bit more than I was expecting, so I will tell you some knowledge from my home in Claymore,” Mergo narrated, “You can make patterns of anything you want in clay, and interestingly enough, it keeps any patterns you make in it when it is heated. I was fascinated with that concept when I was a kid- you can make patterns and designs of anything you want… even patterns that look just like the pots they were carved into.”

“… Get to the point,” the village chief scoffed, to which Mergo smirked.

“If a pattern can look like a pot, why could one not resemble cloth? Since clay can not be shaped after it heats, it makes it pretty reliable to keep track of things if you use patterns to represent them.”

Prove his words…

Mergo’s earlier words echoed in Cogun’s head.

He actually found a way!

Cogun’s eyes lit up as Ropando’s village chief clicked his tongue.

“Such a thing is unneeded.”

“It is always good to be cautious, is it not? As I said, my memory is quite poor. We would both be sad if I only remembered to bring back one pot of kernels after such a long trip.”

He is amazing!

Cogun’s eyes gleamed with respect as he looked at the merchant.

“Just so that you can be assured I will not make a new one, I would like for us to both put our hands in the clay. If there are any doubts when I return, you can make sure the pattern is right for your hand,” Mergo finished.

Ropando’s chief was nearly fuming, but there was nothing he could do about it. Any argument would make it clear he was trying to scam the merchant. Not only that, Mergo was now the one with all of the leverage.

If he does refuse the clay thing, Mergo can just not do the deal! He knows how to make the cloth now, so even if it takes time and effort, he does not really need the cloth from here!

The village chief, on the other hand, would be forced to wait until the next harvest season for any more of the popping kernels if he refuses.

An evil grin quickly crept its way onto Cogun’s face as he watched the chief trembling in rage.

Yet despite the anger, the outcome was certain for all parties. The group soon excited the village with a clay plaque resting in the cart, still warm from being heated over the Ropando's fire.

As they walked, Mergo turned to Cogun with a smug expression on his face.

“How do you feel now? We went into Ropando’s village, yet we were the ones who did the stealing!”

Although Cogun was relishing the image of the fuming chief in his mind, the teen still tilted his head.

“I know we made him keep his word, but I do not remember us stealing anything?”

“We practically did with the deal we made!” Mergo bragged with a stretch, “Their chief clearly has not seen their process for himself. A single large cloth takes days of labor from many workers. Think of how much work would go into filling a whole cart with cloth! Getting two pots of kernels is nothing compared to that!”

Ah- I did not even think of that!

Cogun looked at the merchant with shock, his expression soon morphing into one of pity. An image of Mira flashed in his mind.

“Those poor girls…”

Mergo shrugged at his mutter, “They put the chief in charge and it was the chief who made such a deal. If they have problems with it, they can take it up with him.”

Hmm…

Before Cogun could think too deeply about it, however, Mergo asked him a question.

“So, Cogun. We are returning to your village to get more of the kernels. Would you want to stay there and return to your usual life or would you prefer to travel with us? You taught me well, but it would always be nice to have the cooking expert himself join us on our travels.”

Cogun paused for a moment and slipped into thought.

Should I go with him?

The last few days were honestly really fun for him. In such a short time, he already met so many people and learned a ton of different things. Neither could have been possible had he stayed back in his village.

It only took us a few days of traveling to reach this place. Honestly, it is a bit overwhelming just imagining what could be out there in the rest of the world.

Still, despite his curiosity, his decision was pretty resolute.

“Sorry, but as fun as it was, I think it is time for me to go home. I can see why you love traveling so much, but I still prefer cooking at Codima.”

Mergo nodded with a small smile, “I understand. I am glad you enjoyed it, though.”

“I did. You are an amazing person, Mergo,”

The merchant let out a laugh “Ha! I am not sure about that. I am no Oracle, I am just exploring for my own sake, after all.”

A brief silence soon followed as the two walked over moss and flattened grass. Eventually, Cogun spoke again.

“Where are you going after you finish with Ropando?”

The merchant smiled, "There are a few places I have in mind. Rygard will be the most major place, of course, but I am also interested in seeing the legends of the last invasion for myself."

Cogun gave him a confused expression, so Mergo elaborated.

"According to the stories, Oracle Ruglace went into the invader's world and brought back some creatures. I heard rumors that they are being kept south of Rygard- I would love to see them for myself."

"Wow..."

That does sound really interesting...

The rumor was almost enough to make Cogun change his decision, but he ultimately shook his head and regained his focus.

"If you do find them, bring one back to Codima! Or if you can not, maybe you can make a pattern of them in one of your pots to bring back for me," he teased.

"Ha! That would be quite the travel- I am expecting you to have some new food to give me in exchange for it."

A sparkle glistened simultaneously in the merchant's and the teen's eyes.

"Of course! Just you wait- I will make something that would be worth traveling the world for!"

"We will both have something to look forward to then!"

With spirited steps, the two continued on their journey back to Codima. It would not be until many years later that their words would come true.