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  3. 028 – She, Who Traded With A Catkin Peddler
She Who Became Immortal

028 – She, Who Traded With A Catkin Peddler

"Lady Euphemia, there's a traveling merchant here," Jade informed me as I worked on grinding wheat into flour in the orc's house early one morning.

"A traveling merchant?" I paused my task and looked at Jade with confusion. Katarina and Kirina, who were helping me, also stopped to listen.

"Is it a cat beastman?" The orc, owner of the house, chimed in, his head tilting in a manner that was more comical than cute.

"Yes, indeed. We haven't been spotted yet. Montego is managing things in the wheat field, but what should we do?" Jade asked.

"Hmm... Let's avoid revealing the appearance of demons. I'll go alone. Katarina and Kirina, keep making flour as usual," I instructed.

"Understood, Lady Euphemia1Seriously, I keep hearing Lady Furina... lady Furina," they replied in unison as I left them behind and headed to the wheat field with the orc.

As we walked through the village, it appeared largely unchanged since the werewolf attack. The chief's house had become mine, but otherwise, things looked normal. However, beyond the hill, significant changes were underway—waterways were being drawn, land plots were being assigned, and orcs were working the soil. Yet, few outsiders ventured to that side, as it bordered the demon realm.

Arriving at the wheat field, we encountered a cat beastman on a carriage pulled by two horses.

Similar to fox people and werewolves, cat beastmen were a type of beastman resembling humans. This one appeared seasoned, dressed in well-made clothes, with dark red hair, brown ears, and a matching tail. Initially appearing handsome, closer inspection revealed a more feminine physique, reminiscent of someone popular among younger crowds.

"Meow!? Why is a human in an orc village, meow!? And a girl, no less!" the traveling merchant exclaimed upon seeing me.

"Hello, I'm Euphemia Grimwood. And you are?" I introduced myself, prompting the merchant to awkwardly respond, "Oh, um, thank you. I'm Leaf Liza, a traveling merchant. But why are you here in an orc village, meow?"

"I'm currently the deputy village chief," I answered proudly, though Leaf still seemed puzzled. Glancing at Montego, who had been dealing with him, Leaf questioned, "Why did that happen, meow?"

"Let's all join the conversation, Mister Leafy-leafy. What brings a traveling merchant to orc territory? Do you even have currency?" I interjected, sensing Montego might reveal too much if left unchecked.

"Currency? Money, you mean? No, no, we don't. It's all barter. I trade fabrics and nails for wheat in Sutin Village, then exchange the wheat elsewhere," Leaf explained.

"Ah, I see," I acknowledged, realizing they operated on a barter system. Leaf expressed concern about trading with orcs for wheat, but I informed him it wasn't possible due to our food security concerns, given the current situation among beastmen territories.

Leaf hesitated, then nodded, understanding the gravity of our situation. Instead of wheat, I offered information in exchange for goods—a deal Leaf seemed interested in.

So, I acquired fabrics, nails, and various other small items from Leaf. I was surprised to find that he even brought butter and cheese, which he had been supplying to Sutin Village previously. The cheese stored in our granary was also sourced from Leaf.

We treated him to pizza and offered him trial-produced hardtack as preserved food, along with my trademark Euphemia smile.

"I'll definitely come again! The pizza was delicious, meow!" Leaf exclaimed cheerfully as he left the village. However, I couldn't shake off a lingering feeling.

"..."

Though I liked Leaf, I wasn't naive enough to assume I had earned his full trust. His lack of probing questions made me feel cautious.

Why was a human like me the deputy village chief of Sutin Village? Initially, I might have blurted it out in confusion, but Leaf didn't pry further into our circumstances. It seemed deliberate, as if he chose not to dig deeper.

Now, how Leaf would utilize the information I provided remained to be seen.

I could only hope that his intentions were good. Even if Leaf turned out to be affiliated with the Beastmen Alliance, it wouldn't pose a significant threat. After all, we hadn't revealed the appearance of demons. Plus, considering the difficult situation within the beastmen territories, it was evident that the alliance wasn't acting cohesively.

Their scattered attacks on various villages suggested disorganization rather than a well-coordinated strategy. Whether this was due to foolishness or some underlying strategy remained unclear due to the lack of information. Witnessing Zamba Broad's actions inclined me to believe the former, but perhaps there was a capable strategist among them, effectively utilizing Zamba.

Now think about it. How the hell I became the village chief?

As I pondered these thoughts, Jade returned to inform me of the arrival of a racoon beastman magistrate accompanied by about twenty carriages. It wasn't yet tax-paying time, according to the orcs.

Understanding the need for caution, I decided to meet with the magistrate myself, ensuring that Yunofeliza demons appearance remained concealed.

"If there's a signal, be ready," I instructed Jade and the others before heading out.

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