Chapter 4
10.
The adventure keeps on spicing up whenever Kita is allowed to generate ideas. The Kemis are definitely afraid of the Beast Mimis, but due to the rumor about the Beast tamer, Kita thinks it's a good idea to visit the Snowy Tribe. The question is; will she be able to convince Hana, Yuna, and Lulu to accept this dangerous proposal?
"Nyu clearly heard what the merchant and the trader said, right?" Hana questioned.
"Hai!" Kita answered.
"Nyu heard them say that the place is a field with Beast Mimis, right?" Hana added.
"Loud and clear," Kita responded.
"Aaaaand nyu heard Pily when it said that the Beast can eat Kemis, right?" Hana added further.
"Definitely heard that part," Kita replied.
"THEN WHY DO NYU WANT TO GO THERE? ARE NYU INSANE?" Hana loudly said.
"Because there's a Beast tamer there! Maybe we can learn how to do it as well!" Kita suggested.
"That is still risky I think. We have to make it there first before we can try to learn it. It means we will be interacting with the Beasts before learning how to tame them." Yuna commented.
"That's why we are going to complete those trade requests. In that way, we can trade for items! Those items will surely help us survive." Kita argued.
"Trading sounds fun!" Lulu said as she took Kita's bait.
"See? Lulu wants to do it." Kita insisted.
"She wants to do the trading but not the latter idea after doing it," Yuna replied.
"Okay let's put it this way, we are moving base on Runecrystal, right?" Kita said.
"Hai…" Hana and Yuna carefully responded.
"We followed Yuna because it glowed, right?" Kita asked Hana.
"Right…" Hana reacted, she is currently doubting where the conversation is heading.
"Let's try and complete a trade for a single piece of a winter hat. If it glows for a few seconds, it means we are bound to go to the Snowy Tribe!" Kita said as she put out a deal.
"Hmmmm…" The rest reacted as they carefully thought about it.
"So far the Runecrystal only glows whenever there's an integral sign…" Hana said.
"I think it's a fair shot. If it does not glow, I will decide where we will head next." Yuna replied as she evened out the proposal.
"DEAL!" Kita replied as she shook hands with Yuna.
"I have a bad feeling about this…" Hana commented.
In order to decide their next destination fair and square, the Catgirls agreed to the terms. Using the most unpredictable artifact in the world as the decision maker, no one truly knows who favors who. Looks like interacting more with the Runecrytals helps them to slowly understand how it truly works. With that, the group heads to the stall where they exchange woven winter hats.
"Let's see, it says 12 round apples for a weaved winter hat. That seems doable, what do nyu think?" Kita said as she read the trade request.
"Oh, I remember there's a lot of apples near where we slept last night!" Lulu replied.
"Then let's go there now!" Kita energetically said.
"Haiii~" Everyone else responded as they followed Kita.
With a clear objective in their minds, the group immediately proceeded to the forest. The taller trees usually have the most fruits. Going up and down in multiple trees will be exhausting and a waste of energy. Climbing the tallest one has a higher probability of completing the trade request in one go. They decided to climb the tallest one around to save some energy. Having this tactical plan, the group observed their surroundings first.
"Hmmm... so far the trees around here aren't that high enough," Yuna said.
"Most of them do not have that much fruit as well…" Hana added.
As they continue walking, Lulu spots a big old tree in the middle of a spacious field. "Look, that's a big tree!" She mentioned.
"Nyu are right Lulu-chan, well spotted!" Kita replied as she immediately ran towards it.
Lulu genuinely smiled as they all followed Kita toward the big old tree. Upon reaching their target, they witness that the tree has tons of fruits, truly displaying its fresh apples.
"This is a fruitful tree, we can definitely collect them all in one go!" Kita said.
"Hai, it's indeed fruitful…" Hana reiterated.
"We surely can finish it in one go…" Yuna added.
"Yeeeey~" Lulu reacted.
The scenario turns into an awkward one as everyone waits for someone to start climbing the tree.
"Sooo… What are we waiting for?" Kita asked as she looked at the others.
"I can't climb a tree…" Hana confessed.
"Me too…" Yuna responded.
"Me three?" Lulu added as well.
Kita deeply sighed since she was the only one who could climb the tree. "Fineee, I'll climb the tree. Nyu guys catch the apples that I will throw." Kita said as she positioned herself.
"Haiii~" Hana, Yuna, and Lulu answered.
"If only I knew that they all can't climb a tree, I would have found a different deal…" Kita complained as she started to climb.
"Weeeell nyu are the one who wants to go to the Snowy Tribe~" Yuna argued.
"We'll try to help in some other waaaay~" Hana said.
"Fightiiing!" Lulu responded as she boosted Kita's spirit. "Chuuuuu~" Pily reacted.
A few minutes passed, and Kita managed to reach the first branch with a few apples on it. "I'll pull the apples, catch it," Kita shouted.
Kita carefully climbs on top of the branch as she picks apples one after the other. Every time Kita pulls an apple, the rest try their best to catch it. Looks like the tables have turned, Kita is enjoying watching Yuna, Hana, and Lulu run around while anticipating the apples.
"I guess this is also fun," Kita said as she immediately pulled more apples.
The catching game truly made Kita laugh. There are times that Yuna will bump into Hana since they are both looking up, trying to catch the falling apples. The target is to prevent fall damage in the apples, which is why they are catching them before they hit the ground. Hana, Yuna, and Lulu manage to prevent the apples from completely falling, but oftentimes, they are the ones who are hitting the ground. In the end, they were all catching their breath, making the scenario fair and square.
11.
More than an hour of fun has passed. Kita pulled more than 12 apples so that they could eat the excess. Resting while eating under the shade of a big old tree, enjoying the breeze of the wind as the grass waves towards them. When the group managed to regain their energy, they headed back to the Merch Tribe to trade the apples. They are all somehow nervous yet excited, definitely mixed emotions as they approach the stall.
"We would like to trade these round apples for a winter hat!" Kita said to the merchant.
The Deerman Kemi inspects the round apples after he ensures that the fruits are fresh. He immediately accepts the trade. "All good, here you go~" The merchant said as he handed over the winter hat.
"Now for the moment of truth!" Kita said. She puts out both of the Runecrystals inside her bag. Everyone is looking closer at it, making sure that they will witness the result.
A couple of seconds have passed but it's not doing anything. "Hmmm… It's not glowing…" Hana mentioned.
"I guess I'll decide where we will go next?" Yuna replied.
"Yes…" Hana reacted inaudibly but was full of joy.
"It's alright Kitaaaa, we can still do more trading!" Lulu said to Kita as she comforted her.
"Bummer... I guess I'll just have to wear this for nothing…" Kita disappointedly said as she put the winter hat on her head.
When Kita wore the winter hat, both of the Runecrystals glowed for a few seconds.
"Eh?" Yuna and Hana reacted as all of them were shocked by the split-second scenario.
No one can talk since everyone saw what happened, even though it was just a flash. As it all sank in, Kita jumped as she shouted in full spirit "NYATTAAAA!!!!"
"WHYYY!?" Hana complained as she sat down with disappointment.
Yuna sighed but she was still smiling, she is definitely cool at accepting defeats. "I guess nyu won this timee~" Yuna replied.
"Yeheeey~" Lulu cheered as well while jumping, even though she did not truly know what was happening.
"LET'S DO MORE TRADING NOW!" Kita said.
"Haiii~" Yuna, Hana, and Lulu responded but all in a different manner; Lulu with a happy tone, while Hana did the opposite, Yuna on the other hand was neutral.
Since Kita won the deal, the group will venture to the Snowy Tribe. But before they proceed on their journey, they have to be fully equipped first. Proper items for the adventure will help their chances of surviving. Because of that, Yuna drafted their itinerary, a list of what they should gather to trade for what they needed.
"As of now, we only have a single winter hat, which means we need 3 more. Therefore, we still need 36 apples. Next up is ropes, they want 2 fish for each roll. Each of us should have at least one rope, that's 8 fish in total. Lastly, Winter coats and winter boots. 3 rabbits per winter coat while 1 chicken per winter boots. Meaning to say 12 rabbits and 4 chickens. Is everything clear?" Yuna instructed.
"Ettoo… 30 apples…" Hana responded while trying to catch up.
"I want a fish too!" Lulu commented, definitely not minding the whole explanation.
"HAI!" Kita replied even though she did not understand a single thing in the instruction.
Yuna deeply sighed since she fully understood the scenario. "Just follow my lead, I'll handle the checklist." She said.
The group started to move but this time, it was Yuna who set the pace. They are truly a team with effortless coordination. Yuna as the leader, strategic planning keeps them on track. Kita for the heavy load, her tremendous stamina plus athleticism provides the results. Hana is the support, the fact that she can control the water makes fishing easy. And lastly, Lulu, the soft warm persona that comforts everyone, keeping the group balanced and happy.
Numerous hours have passed and slowly, they are accomplishing the tasks one after the other. The easiest one that they accomplished was the ropes, the Catgirls were just playing in the river since Hana took care of the fish swiftly. The next one that they finished was the winter hats. They took this one way more seriously than the previous try. Yuna, Hana, and Lulu covered each angle while Kita pulled the round apples, their effective planning made them quick.
Half of the target was already accomplished, the group wore their winter hat while working on the latter half. They think that it will motivate them but the real reason is mainly for "have fun" purposes. If the first half was easy, the next half is a whole different story. They did not expect that catching rabbits and chickens would be extremely difficult.
Rabbits and Chickens are low intellectual creatures, they belong to the staple food category. Even though they are not as smart as the Mimis, these creatures are exceptionally hard to catch, the agility is just too high.
"Come back here!" Kita shouted as she chased the chicken.
"I... can't… keep… up…" Lulu slowly said as she ran. Her legs are crossing, making her sway through the forest.
"Stop! I have a plaaan." Yuna shouted as she called everyone's attention.
Randomly chasing the rabbits and chickens will not accomplish their goal, they need to outsmart them. After the short meeting, everyone is ready to go. Lulu and Pily will inform them where the other rabbits are since Pily can communicate with everyone. Hana stays near the river, she will control the water in order to trap the prey. Lastly, Yuna and Kita will chase them off, leading the prey to the trap. It's time to execute the plan.
"On the right side near the busheeeess~" Lulu said.
"On it!" Kita replied as she swiftly chased the chickens. "COOOMEE HEEERE!" She added.
"There are also on the left side near the apple tree~" Lulu instructed.
"I'll cover them," Yuna responded as she skated her way toward the rabbits.
"Hana-chaaan, they are clooseee," Lulu shouted as Kita and Yuna managed to lead the prey toward Hana.
"Here we gooo!" Hana said as she made the water on the river rise, she then used the water to swallow the prey, trapping and drowning them.
"NYATTA!" Kita and Lulu reacted.
"There's more to catch, let's go!" Yuna initiated.
"HAI!" Everyone energetically responded.
12.
The strategy is completely working well. Every time they lure the chickens or rabbits, they manage to secure at least 1 of each. The group repeated the technique over and over again until they managed to complete the target. 12 rabbits and 4 chickens, the latter half of the list.
On their way back to the Merch Tribe, each one of them carries a chicken. Lulu cannot carry that much, that's why Kita, Yuna, and Hana carried the rabbits. As they reach the stall where the winter coats and winter boots can be traded, there is quite a problem with the Mooseman Kemi.
"They are drowned…" The merchant said.
"We don't have any other choice, that's the only way we catch them," Kita argued.
"Hmmm… It will be hard for me to use those drowned rabbits and chickens…" The merchant replied as he double-guessed the offer.
"Come on now, they are still good. Nyu can just clean their inside or something." Yuna added.
The Mooseman is still hesitant to accept the offer. It is possible though it will cost him a lot of work.
"Pretty pleaseee…" Lulu said as she used her cuteness. Her eyes are truly convincing, it is definitely hard to say no to Lulu.
"Alright, fine! Here you go, just don't do it again." The merchant said as he lost to Lulu.
"Nyatta!" They all cheered.
"We can now travel to the Snowy Tribe!" Kita said.
"I think we should rest, for now, I can't feel my legs as of the moment…" Yuna suggested.
"I'm also drained, I never used my talent to that extent…" Hana added.
"Sleep? Nyatta~" Lulu commented.
"Oh yeah I forgot, I'm also tired as well. It's quite late anyway hehe." Kita responded as she chuckled.
"I saw an inn near the apple trading stall. Let's spend the night there." Yuna suggested.
"Haaaaiiii~" Everyone reacted as they all slowly walked towards the inn.
Eventually, the group entered the inn. A Squirrelgirl Kemi owns the place and she is indeed a generous one. There are a lot of exchange rates to avail of a room. It could be 1 bag of nuts, 1 fish, or 3 apples. Any of those can be exchanged for an hour of stay in a comfortable room. The Squirrelgirl noticed that Kita's group seemed exhausted, so she let them stay and pay the demand later after they gained their energy back. It was extremely tiring but the day was a thrilling one. The quests prepared the group for a harder journey toward the Snowy Tribe. For now, it's Lulu's favorite part of the day, the dreaming time.
Several hours passed and Kita's group slept through the whole night. From the moment they lay down on the bed, it was the next morning by the time they opened their eyes. They were truly beaten up yesterday.
"My body hurtssss," Kita complained while they were lying on the bed.
"It's already noon, we should start moving…" Yuna suggested even though she can't move at the moment.
"Ba…saasd…. Fs…." Hana said but no one understood what she was trying to say since she was facing down on a pillow.
Lulu is not even joining the conversation, she is just comfortably sleeping while hugging Pily.
The Catgirls are currently suffering from all of the quests hunting that they did. It turns out, finishing all of the tasks in a single day is a bad idea. They could have continued the latter on the next day, but it's too late for that now.
"Let's just leave tomorrow. I want to stay in bed for a little longer…" Kita suggested.
"I agree, we still need to pay for the hours we spend here, it will take us quite some time…" Yuna added.
"Daa…taasdas...Gjhksa…" Hana once again tried to respond.
"Haiiii~" This time Lulu answered since the idea is to sleep more. She agrees to this one regardless of the state.
The group decided to use this time leisurely. They are not in a hurry anyway, a good long rest will surely help them on their way. There are times that over-forcing your own body will only lead to a worse scenario. Taking a rest in between progress is not a bad idea, it can boost one's productivity in this regard. With that said, the group stayed inside the room for a few more hours.
Afternoon came and everyone was satisfied with their long stay. Of course, they immediately hunt fish and gather some nuts in order to pay for the inn. The group also paid in advance, securing another night of stay.
The leisure time is surely well spent. As they roamed around the place, they even saw some establishments offering massages, different fruit drinks, and many other services. As long as they have the trade request item, trading or availing of the service would not be a problem.
"If only we could just stay heeree~" Hana said as she drank her strawberry shake.
"I wish every tribe could at least have some stalls like these," Kita replied.
"Well, we do trade in our tribe, but only items or foods, not like here. Nyu can avail different services here just through trading." Yuna responded.
"I love the beds here~" Lulu commented.
"You sure do, chuuuu~" Pily reacted while being carried by Lulu.
Eventually, the group went back to the inn. There's not that much for them to do since they already have what they need. Completing the other trade requests was only for leisure reasons. The whole day was spent the way they wanted.
The next morning, the group got up early, and it was time for them to leave.
"I will definitely gonna miss this place," Hana said as she half-heartedly walked with the group.
"Me too! I want to do trading again!" Lulu reacted.
"This place is indeed convenient, but we must move forward," Yuna responded.
"LET'S HEAD TO THE SNOWY TRIBE NOW!" Kita energetically said as she once again ran off.
"Haiii~" They all reacted as everyone followed Kita.
End of Chapter 4