Beastmen: She Tames the Land-Chapter 103: In preparation for the trade

The journey back to the caldera saw all four people in high spirits. They left with uncertainty and were going back home with a sense of lightness. They felt unburdened. They knew they had a lot of work to do before the new moon, but they were glad for it.

This was an alliance they made. Their first step in making their presence known. They had no idea just how much their presence would be felt across the Beast Continent in the future.

As they approached the caldera, Kaelen let out a cry. The massive gate of the caldera opened with a grinding sound. The pack came out to welcome them back. Seeing Visha and the others in a good mood, the pack knew that everything went well.

When everyone was crowding around, Visha spoke, "Give us some time to rest. Tonight, we’ll tell you everything you want to know." She bent down and swept Nimo and Kit up into her arms, sending each of them a kiss.

That evening after resting, Visha, Uri, and Xeno stood before the pack, ready to share the news.

"We have made an alliance with the River Clan," Uri began. "In exchange for helping them save their river, we have established a formal trade agreement."

He continued to explain clearly. "They will provide us with clay pots, bowls, and so on. In exchange, we will use flare crystals and cement to trade."

Murmurs started immediately. They didn’t understand why they needed clay pots. They already had their own pots made from claymoss that they could use.

"Why do we need more pots?" Willa raised the question.

Visha answered, "We’ve all used the claymoss pots. You know they don’t transfer heat well. They are durable, but they have their drawbacks. If we continue heating them for too long, they might fall apart. We need something more durable."

"The River Clan has given us the location for a good source of clay." Visha paused. "But we are unable to make use of it. We are still too small to do many things. We have to wait until we become stronger and no longer need to rely on others."

"Clay is more valuable than we give it credit for," Uri says. "As the priestess said, they are durable. It is better to use them to store the food we have in the warehouse. The priestess also needs them for herbs."

"And the flare crystals?" Willa asked. "We shouldn’t trade a resource like that."

"Xeno responded this time. "The flare crystals are important to us, but they are also important for trade. We currently have a water source we can rely on. We have no enemies. We have more than enough to last, and if we need more, we can find them in the cave. However, there is one thing the flare crystals can give that we don’t have."

He stopped speaking for a moment, allowing the silence and query to spread over the pack. Finally, he said, "Pearls."

A silence fell over the pack. They knew what pearls were. They knew that wealthy packs in their area had pearls. Only the richest tribes would be able to have pearls. They were a source that showed how powerful a tribe was.

The fact that the River Clan was willing to trade pearls shows that they are more than meets the eye. When Uri and Xeno saw their reaction, they knew they understood. They felt the same when the River Clan mentioned pearls, but they couldn’t react the way the pack did.

"They are willing to give us exclusive rights to their pearls for the recipe that could save their livelihood. This is a fair trade," Xeno concluded.

After explaining the details of their talk with the River Clan, the pack held a jubilant atmosphere.

The next morning, everyone got up, eager to start the new day. They would be making a pre-mix cement and also cement blocks. This way, it would give the River Clan a choice as to what they wanted to use.

Because they needed to make the pre-mix, Visha had to find a way to turn the sap into a powder that would still retain the sticky properties of the binder reed. Finding the right mix to create the cement from the powdered sap took a number of days.

Willa, Chi, and Heta made some woven baskets that could hold the pre-mix. They lined these baskets with rough animal skins, so they wouldn’t leak out.

They created small and large moulds for the cement to sit in. When they were building the gate, they hadn’t needed such small moulds. This time, in order to make it work for the River Clan dwellings, they needed small blocks.

They used the pre-made cement to create this block. This way, they could ensure the colour and quality would be the same when the River Clan used it. They also put aside a small amount to show the River Clan exactly how to make it.

The pack was in good spirits throughout the entire process. The knowledge that their products were wanted by other tribes gave them a sense of pride.

Visha also briefly told Uri and Xeno why she asked for the pearls in the first place. She mentioned the mission from the system.

[New Task Chain: The path of alchemy]

[Task: 1/3 The catalyst of creation]

[Objective: Secure a monopoly on the River Clan’s pearl trading]

She admitted that if not for the system’s request, she would not have asked for pearls because she didn’t see them being of any use to the pack. It wasn’t until they explained on the way home that she understood that people in the Beast Continent valued pearls the way they did.

She told them she believed it might cause a strain with the new alliance, but she still had to ask. Even if it strained the alliance, they had just saved the River Clan; they wouldn’t cut ties with them. If it faile dthe first time, she would find a way to try again.

She also mentioned that she didn’t think the system had her collect the pearls simply for aesthetic purposes. Since it mentioned alchemy, there were other ways to use them.