Arc 2 - I am a good boi

It's noon, later I'm going to hunt some animals to sell tomorrow at the market.

Now I'm going to train a little.

"Grrrr!"

But first I'm going to eat something!

My stomach growls like an angry Lannister. I wonder how many Lannisters I'm going to piss off. Many I am sure.

House Lannister is no friend of mine.

In one of my past lives I was Rhaenys Targaryen, a princess assassinated on Tywin's orders. While I don't recall that life, the Lannisters are on my shit list, at least Tywin is, he and his lackeys. The Mountain will die a slow and painful death, I will make sure of them.

As for the others, Lannister my opinion is neutral, yes Cersei is a cunt and so is Joffrey. But Joffrey is not yet born and Cersei is an 18 or 19 years old girl married to a budding violent alcoholic. I will not judge them for actions they have not yet committed.

And who knows I may never meet the Lioness Queen or her crazy cub. Or they may become completely different people. If you throw a stone into the water, ripples will form, and I am not a stone. I'm a giant fucking boulder!

With my dagger I gutted the two fish I caught and stuck them on a stick.

While the fish is frying, I train Tree Climbing. This time I don't want to reach the top of the tree. I want to be able to use this technique instinctively, not having to constantly focus on my chakra.

After eating I want to try another ninja skill: Tree jumping

Ninjas move by jumping from branch to branch, when I was still Owen I tried to replicate this ability when I was a kid- I almost broke my neck!

This time I hope to have better results.

I climb up to a thick branch a couple of meters above the ground, bend my knees and jump to another branch about three meters away. Upon landing I concentrate chakra in my feet to stick to the branch.

"Success! Tree jumping attempt 1 was a success!"

I pump my fist to the sky with joy.

I jump to a branch that is farther away, and then to another. I am gradually increasing the speed.

By the time night begins to approach I'm moving fluidly through the trees, I'm a ninja!

I'm not going to let it go to my head, yes -I've learned a skill that ninjas take months to learn in a couple of hours. But that's not because I'm some kind of super genius, it's Riku Senju's muscle memory. The same muscle memory that helped me learn Tree Climbing so quickly.

I don't have direct access to his memories and abilities, but when I try to learn something that Riku already knew, my body learns it much faster-

"It's like I have a skill learning and leveling boost cheat."

While hunting for my dinner, a type of partridge, I saw some interesting herbs.

In my past life my maternal grandparents lived on a farm in the middle of nowhere, when I was a child I spent the summers there. My grandmother taught me many things, including how to recognize herbs. You see, my grandmother was born and grew up in a time of war and scarcity, they did not have access to many services, doctors among them- My mother was born in my grandparents' bedroom with no midwife or doctor present! If they got sick they had to fend for themselves.

That's why my grandmother was an expert in herbology, and she taught me many things when I was a child. Many of those things I forgot, but some things I still remember.

Sweet chamomile. Sweet Chamomile is good for almost everything, it is good for respiratory conditions, digestive problems and even insomnia! It's the Swiss army knife of medicinal herbs!

I collected a good amount of Sweet Chamomile and put it in my bag.

After hunting a partridge I walk a bit in the forest looking for more medicinal herbs.

As the rays of day began to fade over the horizon, I amassed a good supply of herbs: mint, thyme, pine, and ginger.

I don't want these herbs just for my personal use, I remember the desperation in Alyn's eyes when he told me about his sick child. From the symptoms he described, I think it's the flu. Influenza is a very deadly disease in this age. I hope I can help that child.

I use a bit of thyme to season the meat, the smell...

"Ah... Seasoned meat-" I inhale the delicious smell of meat cooking.

***

I woke up very early.

Yesterday I wanted to hunt before nightfall, but I lost track of time while training.

Today I have to hunt something big, I don't have time to find many small prey.

I skip breakfast and head into the woods in search of good prey. Today I am not walking on the ground, I am jumping from tree to tree!

While I locate a prey I chew some mint leaves.

"Today I have to buy oral hygiene products." Mint helps but never before in my life have I gone so long without brushing my teeth, the feeling is not enviable-

"!"

AHA! A deer!

I debate whether to break his neck with my hands or use my dagger.

I channel chakra and move at high speed towards the deer.

"Buu!"

Before he can continue bellowing I break his neck.

If I used my dagger the deer would bleed a lot, I don't want to get blood on myself- Blood is hard to clean.

With the deer on my shoulders I run towards Frostwood. I'm not going to risk Tree Jumping with the extra weight.

It took me less than an hour to reach the village.

Just like the last few days, the peasants have nothing better to do than stare at me. Today I arrived much later than yesterday so there are more people on the streets. In the market, most of the stalls are already set up and there are already several customers buying.

I walk over to the butcher's stall.

Butcher-san looks at me with displeasure, he must not like me very much. I wonder why?

I am a good boy!

I grin at him.

"Morning butcher."

The guy growled at me. I ignore it.

"The other day you told me that you would sell a whole deer for 5 silver stags, I am willing to sell it at the excellent price of 3 silver stags!" I smiled brightly, even Guy would be envious of this smile.

Butcher-san tries to protest and haggle over the price but is interrupted by a passing man on the street.

"3 silver stags for the deer? Boy I'll buy it from you!"

The guy, a man in his forties who is better dressed than most peasants and with a healthier face, shouts quite loudly, attracting the attention of other villagers.

"3 silver stags of a deer?"

"The deer is quite large and has a lot of meat..."

"I could feed my whole family for weeks-"

More and more people are coming.

"I'll give you 3 silver stags and 5 pennies!"

"3 silver stags and 8 pennies!"

Looks like this has turned into an auction.

In the end I sell it to Fern for the price of 3 stags and 5 stars.

I am rich!

Well no, but I have quite a few coins in my pocket.

Now to spend them...

First I went to the bakery and bought some bread that was still warm, I haven't had breakfast and

I'm hungry! While I eat my bread I walk around the town.

After a while I see who I was looking for, Alyn.

Alyn!"

The hunter turns.

"Ikarus right?" He's not a bad guy, my first impression of him was very wrong. "You've caused quite a stir in the market." Alyn chuckles.

"It was not my intention." I shrugged.

"What can I do for you boy?" Northerners always go straight to the point, I like it.

"More like what I can do for you." Alyn looks at me strangely "The other day you told me about your son. My grandmother knew a lot about herbs and she imparted a lot of her knowledge to me. While hunting I came across several medicinal herbs. Herbs that I think could help your boy ."

His expression lit up and he looked at me with hopeful eyes.

We talked for a while and he took me to his house. A very simple one-story wooden house, the interior is quite basic - two rooms. One is used as a common space (kitchen/dining/living room all in one), the other for sleeping.

Alyn has 2 sons and a daughter. His eldest daughter is already married and lives in another town, his first child is 11 years old and is an apprentice to the blacksmith of the local Lord's castle. His youngest child, Jace, is 5 years old (or 5 Namedays).

The little boy is very pale, he has dark circles under his eyes and he looks quite sweaty.

Poor boy.

I explain to Alyn and his wife, Jeyne, how to use the herbs, their effects, ...

"If this works…" Jeyne looks at her son.

"We have already lost a child this winter." Alyn explains to me.

***

I didn't stay long with Alyn's family, once I explained how to use the herbs I left.

I went back to the market and was disappointed, there were no toothbrushes.

I know they exist in this world, on earth toothbrushes date back more than five thousand years! It seems that in this small village there are none. What I did find was soap, and it's expensive as hell!

A bar of soap the size of my palm cost me 1 silver stag!

Before going back to the forest, I buy several things: salt, a cloak, a sleeping bag, a moneybag, a change of clothes, a tent and a 5-meter piece of rope.

I still have 5 stars and 6 pennies left.

I spent the rest of the day training Tree Climbing and Tree Jumping.

At night I bathed with soap for the first time in days.

"Oh, this feels great!" I washed my clothes, hung them on a clothesline I made using the rope and two trees.

Sitting in my tent, wrapped in the warmth of my cloak, I ate two fish.

"Life is great!"

"My castle doesn't seem like such a distant dream anymore..."

I fell asleep in my sleeping bag with a big smile on my face.

***

The next morning I woke up in a very good mood. After breakfast I packed my tent and went into the forest.

Time to hunt!

3 rabbits and 5 partridges.

Use my rope to tie my prey.

Once in the town people don't stare at me so much anymore, after a couple of days they've gotten used to my presence. Before I even get to the market, several people approach me to buy my prey.

It seems that I am known to sell meat cheaper than the butcher.

Sorry Butcher-san, looks like you're going to run out of business.

It's not my fault, not really.

I walked into the market with a shit-eating grin on my face.

When I walked past the butcher's stall he gave me a malicious look, I ignored him. I went to the baker's stall and bought a loaf.

While I eat my bread I walk around the market looking at the products, I bought a piece of cheese from a merchant and some apples from another.

Half an hour later I leave the village.

"Hey you!"

A voice calls me.

I turn around and see them, two men in armor. They approach me fast.

"You are the boy who has been hunting without permission!"

Well shit.