The old village chief cupped his chin, he opened his mouth to speak but he stopped.
"You are hesistant, what is it? I will do a job, any job."
"Your farm looked to be doing well the last time I saw it, why not sell some of your crops? Surely you did not grow all that just for yourself."
Ren looked Eldrad squarely in the eyes, this old man had been entirely oblivious to his predicament.
"The people don't like me Eldrad, just you and Doma are the exception, and maybe Tuarine. There's the blacksmith assistant too."
Eldrad burst into laughter, and Ren shrank in embarrassment thinking he had said something stupid and unmanly.
"I am sure that they simply do not know how to approach you. You haven't given them many openings you know, Tuarine says that she hasn't spotted you for days. You seem to be all fine by yourself until now."
Ren felt even more embarrassed, it was true that he had holed in his home for days now, but it had come from necessity. Sudden translocation to another world would tilt anybody, his home was the only safe place he knew.
'Could he be right? Doma seemed to take a liking to me once we began speaking.'
"That's a matter for another day, what I need is a job. Anything that will fetch me some quick coins."
"Very well," The old man got on his feet, "The last I heard, The wine factory has had some trouble with some of its lands lately. A crazy pig has taken claim to the territory, and it's extremely hostile to workers that need to pick the berries needed for wine."
He opened one of his windows, and through it, Ren could see a large towery structure. Like his place, it was slightly farther from the cluster of village huts.
"If you speak to Erigald, I am sure he will be more than glad to have you solve this problem."
"I will do it!" Ren responded sharply.
"Don't be in a haste now, this wild pig has killed a hunter in the past. Frankly, I don't know why I told you about the job, you are going to get yourself killed."
"It is already too late Eldrad, and have you forgotten?" Ren left his seat.
"What?"
"I was brought here by the gods, they watch over me."
Eldrad pondered it for a couple of seconds, and then he decided, "Hmmm, I believe you. Let's go see the richest man in the village."
Eldrad was not even as close as enthusiastic as Ren was. A wine house, an actual wine house. Ren had not imagined that he would see such in this world, not to mention in a middle of nowhere like Tunish village.
'The wines from the stalls must have come from there.'
It was just by the outskirts of the village, farther into the kingdom than the village was. The wine house was nothing comparable to the cheese factory Ren regularly sold his milk to, but it was big enough, enough to motivate Ren about making a deal with this owner he was about to meet once he solved his problem.
All of the factory's employees were of Tunish, and they recognized Eldrad right away, treating him with fondness, whereas giving the stranger Ren a cold shoulder.
It was a structure of bricks arranged tall. Its floor stained dark from years of crushed grapes. The air hung heavy with the scent of sweet must and sour fermentation. Great oak presses groaned as juice ran into waiting vats, while along the walls massive barrels stood bound in iron, quietly bubbling as the wine came alive.
"Mr Erigald will see you soon." Said the red haired freckled lady receptionist the two met. Ren was mesmerized, she was the prettiest woman he had ever seen. There was an instant attraction. Ren had had no lover back on earth, and he wondered if the little village of Tunish would change that.
'She's incredibly beautiful.'
The two were directed to a bench, and in front of it was a game of pao on a table where the workers entertained themselves during their breaks.
Erigald made a quick appearance. As soon as the door of his office came open, Eldrad rose on his feet, and Ren followed.
Erigald was not the kind of man that Ren had pictured, it took a kind of man to run such a place, and the man Erigald barely had the appearance. He was stout, with legs and arms so thick one would think his mother was a giant except that he was short, shorter than most men Ren had seen so far in the village. His head was covered with a full cap of hair with a beard so thick and long, reaching just above his knees. The most ugly features on him however were his nose and ears, both for how large they were. Strangely enough, despite all these features, the man Erigald could not be called ugly looking, one could say his imperfections gave him a unique physical appeal.
His clothes told of his status, donning a regal purple robe, and
"Eldrad!" He cried, throwing his arms wide apart and closing in on the village chief. He gave Eldrad such a warm hug, wearing the sweetest smile Ren had ever seen on a person.
"It has been ages since you last visited us, what brings you here." As soon as he said those words, he caught sight of Ren in his peripheral vision, and turned to him.
"Him, he's why you came? Isn't he the village's newest stranger, the one everyone's being talking about?" Erigald drifted to him, observing him, he turned to Eldrad, "He's tall, I'll give you that, and he looks interesting. Definitely not a Combec. I should know, I once lived there."
"Erigald, he has come for work."
"Yes, I have. Mister Eldrad tells me…"
"No, there are no positions in the factory." Erigald interjected.
"Not that job sir, I mean the pig you seek to rid of."
Erigald turned to him, looking at his eyes this time, "It's a devil pig, and it killed the last hunter I sent. I have put a hold on killing it until the soldiers come, I don't want people to dislike me more than they already do."
To this statement, Eldrad coughed.
"Oh, I won't die. I have just the thing to kill this pig." Ren said rather casually.