Only when Baturu drew closer did Kagashi see what was inside the sheepskin bag in his hand.
Salt.
Coarse salt, with large grains and a grayish color, carrying the unique mineral scent of the grasslands.
In this world, salt was a hard currency, more precious than meat.
Baturu handed over the sheepskin bag, and Kagashi took it, pinching a bit with his fingers to taste.
It was salty, pure, and usable.
He nodded, took out a wooden comb from behind him, and handed it over.
Baturu took the comb and turned it over repeatedly, not understanding what it was.
Kagashi pointed to his own hair and mimicked the motion of combing.
Baturu paused for a moment, then laughed.
He tucked the comb into his belt, patted his chest, and spoke a long string of words.
Kagashi couldn’t understand everything, but he caught a few repeating syllables: “Wuen,” “Baturu,” and “Thanks.”
Baturu turned around, pointed toward the camp, and made a “please” gesture.
Kagashi looked back at the four girls.
Roxy gripped her staff and nodded.
Arcs of electricity danced at Misaka Mikoto’s fingertips, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly.
Yoshino hugged Yoshinon and took a deep breath.
Furina adjusted her top hat and raised her chin slightly.
“Let’s go.”
The five of them followed Baturu toward the camp.
The grass was tall, feeling soft underfoot and making a rustling sound.
Behind them, the train’s silver-gray armor glinted coldly in the sunlight.
In the distance, cavalrymen patrolled back and forth between the camp and the train, but none of them raised their scimitars again.
Tents were lined up along the lakeshore, about forty or fifty in total, each with a bonfire in front of it.
Iron pots or ceramic jars sat atop the fires, cooking meat or milk tea.
People were busy among the tents; some were kneading dough, some were sewing hides, and others were milking sheep.
Seeing Baturu lead five strangers into the camp, everyone stopped what they were doing.
Women straightened their backs, children hid behind tents, and old men put down the wool yarn in their hands, squinting as they sized up Kagashi’s group.
When their gazes fell upon Roxy’s glowing staff, some bowed their heads, while others pressed their palms together and murmured something.
Baturu stopped in front of the largest tent in the center, lifted the door curtain, and made a “please enter” gesture.
Kagashi bent down and stepped inside, with the four girls following behind.
The interior of the tent was more spacious than he had imagined.
The ground was covered with thick wool felt, and in the center was a fire pit with a copper pot hanging over it, boiling mutton.
Baturu sat down by the fire pit and patted the wool felt beside him, gesturing for Kagashi to sit.
Kagashi sat down, and the four girls either stood or sat behind him.
Baturu shouted toward the outside, and a woman entered carrying a large wooden tray.
On the tray were roasted mutton, Milk Tofu, and several pieces of Flatbread.
The woman placed the wooden tray by the fire pit and retreated with her head bowed, stealing a glance at Kagashi before quickly looking away.
Baturu picked up a piece of mutton, tore off a chunk to hand to Kagashi, and then tore off another piece for himself.
Kagashi took it and took a bite.
The meat was tender and roasted perfectly; only salt had been added, with no other seasonings, but the natural aroma of the mutton was rich enough.
Kagashi took out a pack of instant noodles from his backpack, tore open the packaging, and handed the noodle block to Baturu.
Baturu took it, but instead of devouring it as he had before, he broke off a small piece and chewed slowly, as if savoring it.
He chewed for a while, then nodded and gave a thumbs-up before shouting outside again.
Another woman walked in carrying a wooden tray, which held several dark, lump-like objects that looked like some kind of ore.
Baturu pointed at the ore and made a “digging” gesture, then pointed to the distant mountains and made a gesture for “many.”
Kagashi picked up a piece of ore and examined it.
It was grayish-black with a metallic luster and felt heavy.
Iron Ore.
He put the ore back on the tray and took twenty packs of instant noodles from his backpack, stacking them on the wool felt.
Baturu’s eyes lit up at the sight of the pile of noodles, but he didn’t rush to take them.
Instead, he shouted outside once more.
This time, an old man with a face full of wrinkles entered.
He held a wooden box carved with intricate patterns.
Baturu stood up, took the wooden box with both hands, placed it respectfully in front of Kagashi, and opened it.
Kagashi’s gaze fell into the box, and he paused.
Lying inside the box were several fist-sized crystals.
Those crystals emitted a faint glow, as if something were sealed inside them.
Kagashi picked up a crystal and scanned it with the Eye of Truth.
[Name: energy crystal (Beast Source)]
[Quality: Rare]
[Description: energy crystal naturally condensed within the skulls of grassland beasts, containing pure biological energy.
Locals call them “Beast Soul Stones,” and for generations, they have been regarded as talismans or burial goods; no one knows their true purpose.]
Kagashi’s fingers tightened slightly.
Zombie crystals were obtained by killing mutants, while these crystals were naturally condensed by grassland beasts.
Both were energy crystal; though their sources differed, their essence was similar.
This was it.
Seeing Kagashi’s expression, Baturu thought he was dissatisfied and hurriedly began to explain with gestures.
He pointed at the crystal, then at the distant grasslands, making a gesture for “beasts.”
These were taken from the heads of beasts.
Then he held up three fingers and pointed south.
Three years ago, people wearing long robes came from the south, trading grain and iron pots for these stones.
They called them “Beast Soul Stones” and said the Mages Association needed them.
The old man took over the conversation, pulling a piece of parchment from his robe and unfolding it.
On it was drawn an emblem: an eye in the center of a hexagram, surrounded by text he couldn’t understand.
The old man pointed to the emblem, then to the south, his expression serious.
It was the symbol of the Mages Association.
Kagashi looked at the parchment, calculating quickly in his mind.
The Mages Association of this world was purchasing energy crystal, which meant they knew what they were used for.
But the tribes on the grasslands didn’t know; they just treated them as talismans or burial goods.
To them, these stones couldn’t be eaten, drunk, or made into weapons, making them far less practical than food and iron pots.
Kagashi put down the crystal and took out five more packs of instant noodles from his backpack, stacking them on the wool felt.
Five packs of instant noodles for five “useless” stones?
He looked at the noodles, then at the crystals in the box.
Fearing Kagashi would change his mind, he hurriedly pushed the box over and gathered the noodles to himself.
Kagashi shook his head and pushed the box back.
Baturu was stunned, thinking Kagashi was calling off the trade.
Kagashi took out another twenty packs of instant noodles from his backpack and stacked them on the wool felt.
Twenty-five packs in total.
Then he pointed to the five crystals in the box, made a “not enough” gesture, and then pointed outside the tent, making a gesture for “more.”
Baturu understood.
He didn’t want just five; he wanted more.
Baturu and the old man exchanged a look, and both stood up at the same time.
The old man lifted the door curtain and shouted outside a few times, while Baturu pulled out a larger wooden chest from a corner of the tent.
He opened it to reveal that it was filled to the brim with energy crystal—dark red, grayish-white, pale blue, and even a few emerald green ones.
Piled together, they looked like a chest of glowing gemstones.
Kagashi counted; there were at least thirty in this chest.
The door curtain was lifted again, and several women entered carrying wooden basins.
The basins also contained crystals, some large and some small, of varying quality, but all were the real deal.
In less than fifteen minutes, a small pile of energy crystal had formed in the center of the tent.
Kagashi did a rough count: over sixty pieces.
Kagashi took out three hundred packs of instant noodles from his backpack.
The instant noodles formed a small mountain on the wool felt, even blocking the light from the fire pit.
Baturu looked at the small mountain, and his mouth slowly widened into a grin, revealing a row of white teeth.
He reached out and high-fived Kagashi.
Deal.
Baturu then pulled the turquoise-inlaid scimitar from his waist and handed it to Kagashi with both hands.
Kagashi was taken aback and didn’t immediately take it.
This scimitar was a sacred object the tribe offered beneath the Wolf-head Banner; it was a symbol of Baturu’s status.
Baturu pressed the scimitar into Kagashi’s hand, patted his own chest, then patted Kagashi’s shoulder, and spoke a long string of words.
Kagashi didn’t understand the words, but he saw the look in Baturu’s eyes—it wasn’t a trade; it was friendship.
Kagashi put the scimitar away and took out ten straw combs, five wooden bowls, and five pairs of chopsticks from his backpack, placing them on the wool felt.
Baturu’s eyes lit up again at the sight of the smooth, exquisite wooden bowls, and he picked one up to examine it.
The trade was over.
The mutton in the fire pit was still bubbling, and Baturu used his knife to cut off the best pieces.
He distributed them to Kagashi and the four girls.
Yoshino took the meat and ate it in small bites, her eyes slowly curving into crescents.
Furina didn’t eat quickly, but she took every bite seriously.
Misaka Mikoto ate heartily, not even wiping the oil from the corners of her mouth.
Roxy ate elegantly, but not a single piece of meat was left on her plate.
Kagashi drank Kumis and chewed on mutton while watching the flickering flames in the fire pit.
Over sixty energy crystal for three hundred packs of instant noodles.
A massive profit!
It might not seem tempting right nobut who knows what the future holds?
“And If you’re enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!”