章 20: A well oiled team.
"This might be the last hunt before Autumn. Don't disappoint me brat."
"Hehehe...old man, you should face the facts. Your disciple has already long surpassed you."
The cocky boy folded his arms and tried to stare down the man with a look of disdain on his upturned face.
The 'young master' pose was swiftly broken in the dangerous forest.
Slap!
"Surpassed in what? Focus and stop bickering with Elder. Lucy is ready."
The group quieted down and looked towards the girl quickly moving into the forest depths.
Lucy was now as nimble as a deer in this forest. Even without activating her abilities she was like a fish in water.
They had not gone deep into the woods when she held out her hand indicating to stop.
After a time she beckoned them over.
"To the east, at our backs. Its stalking the trail and keeping its distance."
Ming turned serious and whispered a reply.
"Seems like it wants an opening to take us down. What about I give it one."
"You up for it?"
"Sure, Just let Lucy tell me when. How do you want to play it?"
Chu held his hand to his chin and thought for a little.
"It will come in hard and fast. Don't block, it's too big for you. Roll to the side and I will flank it. When it aims at me, the neck is yours. Final kill should be yours. If not Lucy will step in with a shot under the shoulders to the heart."
"Sounds good."
"Ready"
The replies came in positive and they dispersed. Ming began walking in the back hobbling as if injured. He kept calling out softly to the others now leaving in front.
Soon he reached an opening between some trees and sat on the ground. His stance was like an injured animal. He sat whimpering clutching his unsheathed sword and foot.
Chu and Lucy were nowhere to be found. The faint walking sounds of Mr Thomas could be heard in the distance.
"Now!"
On the shout Ming rolled on the ground and crouched into position.
As if by magic a large cat leaped through the air and landed on the exact position he was sitting before. The Jaga only had time to turn its head following the rolling boy.
Before the hind legs even touched the ground a shadow burst out from the thickets at the side and a sword stabbed the beast just behind the front shoulders.
The beast let out a roar and turned quickly swatting this ambusher. Chu did not waste time and had moved away after the attack. The beast had now focused on this new enemy when the wounded prey suddenly moved in with a burst of speed.
A well-aimed stab pierced the skin near the neck. The Jaga roared and backed away as its vision suddenly turned blurry. Blood squirted out from the fatal wound in its neck.
With a vicious howl it turned and fled back towards the east.
Lucy jumped down from the tree nearby and grouped up with them. Soon after Mr Thomas walked out from in front and met them.
"Well played brat."
"Lets go."
With Lucy as a companion they did not have to rush to find the creature. They never had to worry about unsuspecting ambushes.
Eventually they found the creature lying on its side, struggling for its last breaths.
Ming released it from its misery with a swift strike to the neck.
Mr Thomas gave a quiet laugh.
"Good job. You guys played your strengths well. A foe this big would have been serious trouble if you had to face it head on. Ambushing tactics are much suitable for kids who are relatively weak.
You have to learn from every experience you get. A beast this large and even faster than you can only kill you. Even better you actually goaded it into running close to the forest edge instead of deeper."
Mr Thomas was very well pleased but he knew better than to give the kids a swollen head. Heaven knows one of them already had a 'big' head.
He was amazed at how efficient the plan was executed. It all hinged on Lucy and her abilities. Ming and Chu were equally amazing. Both had made their strikes count, hitting the vulnerable areas. A product of endless practicing that consequently increased their chances of a lucky strike.
They had been using their time hunting to hone in the skills of striking those fatal spots. The days when they were trying to beat an animal to death by chance was something of the past.
All they needed was the strength to follow through and complete those attacks. Then this team would be even better than most adventurers.
"Chu this kill is mine right?"
"Yes, yes it counts as yours."
Chu answered him for the umpteenth time as they made a makeshift sled to drag the beast back to the forest line. The hand cart hidden there would make the trip to the barn easier.
During the past few days this Jaga had began to roam around the edge of the forest near the barn in the late evenings. Within the last two days Miki had spotted it near the stockade used to butcher the animals.
This was too close to the barn for Chu's liking. Only a few feet and the palisade separated them from a powerful, climbing beast. A fence was not much help against something like this.
A cat this big could ambush someone like Sakura and leap over the fence as if it was a step. Nobody would know when the victim was killed and dragged to the forest.
Thus the hunting party quickly sortied out to eliminate this threat.
Chu could only feel elated.
'Holy crap, I am actually doing this amazing shit!'
Soon they dragged the prize back to the barn. Chu was not too worried about another trail again. Unless it was a demon beast, he was prepared for anything.
It was ironic that the beast was placed on the same butchering block it had been lurking around for just the past few days.
Mr Thomas got to work on the beast and had Ming help him in removing the pelt.
Chu sat at the side in thought.
How could he prevent those predators from following those blood trails back to the barn?
No matter how much he tried, they still ended up luring predators. It was like he still had to accept that those beast would be roaming around his front porch.
Only when they were active near the forest and did their scouting were they able to keep the threat at bay. As soon as they concentrated on the farm the forest slowly became repopulated with danger.
Location, location, location.
He should not try to live in Siberia if he wanted to avoid snow.
For the next few days the hunting group scouted the forest. They fought foxes, a small wildcat and ambushed another Jaga. The smaller beast were the ones that provided the most experience due to head on fighting. Because of this the forest area around them became a little less dangerous.
During this time, Clod stocked up on lumber, firewood and stones. He made stockpiles near the stables and in the forest.
Since this type of activity was going to be the norm, Chu decided to make the best of it.
Furthermore he did not want to loose this chance to improve on his combat skills. He had made some obvious improvements, instead of running from a dog he was now facing a wildcat that was twice as big by himself in confidence.
One day Chu went with the group into the village for their routine trip. He did some negotiation with the Trading Post Master and left the young man with tears of joy.
The following week he arrived at the village with a wagon filled with pelts and another with firewood.
"John what do you think?"
Chu was inquiring as the young man took his time and checked all the pelts thoroughly. He left the firewood for the workers to empty it into the yard.
The both of them were now in the old Trading Post receiving shed outside the south gate.
"I must say they have been even better processed and dried than ours. Of course the quality is better, most of the trappers focus on old animals. Tell you what, give me two sacks of feathers and I will see what I can get sending it to the city. Those dressmakers love those kinds of raw materials."
Chu had a better knowledge of the prices and cost of these raw materials in the inner cities. Merchants since time immemorial had always made money moving goods from one distant lands to another.
In the modern world the profits were dependent on the bulk of the cargo, and in this middle ages civilization it was even more pronounced.
"No problem, tell you what, give me some quality pots and tableware at discount price and I will only take half the profits. Use the other half to boost your sales ledger."
John gave a low whistle.
"You sure? I don't know, that's a lot of profits you will be missing out on."
"Stop fretting, just add-on the usual discounts when winter comes along. At summer prices of course."
"Of course."
John could not begin to contain his joy. Just like Griz, Chu made him register his own merchant company to begin netting his own profits. Afterwards he and the boy made their own arrangements.
This worked out better when they found a merchant to help in the transportation. Chu not only boosted the Trading Post profits in the village but now cut deals with this newly formed merchant company. He also had another reason to engage in trade with John.
It was because he actually had a share in this newly formed company.
"And the pelts?"
"Full price and I have a shipment of lumber heading out later today. I will get the best quality without fail. I have an acquaintance in that field."
If the delivery was a success they were entitled to a hefty profit. John naturally sought his own interest in this matter.
"Pleasure doing business with you Master John."
"No, no, the pleasure is all mine young master Chu."
The both of them laughed with the dollar signs glittering in their eyes.
"Hey I hate to interrupt but Master John I believe you owe me an apology. Not only am I filthy rich, I am here to buy that bead!"
Chu shook his head and gave a wry smile. He was sure 'filthy rich' Ming only possessed twenty coppers to his name.
John gave the boy a glance and turned to Chu.
"I wont bully him. But business is business you know."
Chu waved his hands indicating it was not his problem.
"Do what you want, I already limited him. My paymasters know better than to pour money down a drain."
The next day the group left the village house and returned home.
Not bad for a new farm near the forest.
Instead of being steam rolled by the forest, they were using it to make additional gains.
A wonderful beginning.
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