17 Chapter 17 Kuji the Manager

Wudie walk over looking at Lucis annoyed that his time flirting getting interrupted. He's been chasing the 4 beauty in the village for quite some time already and even proposed to one of them but rejected. After all, his only income is selling firewood. He barely can feed his one wife, how is he going to feed if he have a second one. He's actually flirting around while his wife staring dagger at him.

If it's before, they will still consider marrying him specifically Luna since she's the oldest girl that still unclaimed. Her other friends similar age already have a child or two. But now, it's a different story with Lucis being unclaimed young man in the village.

Wudie walk over and stare dagger at Lucis. He have the thought to embarrass Lucis a bit but looking at his gigantic sword, he's thinking about it 10 times over.

Just glancing once at Wudie, Lucis realize that this dude doesn't like him.

"take him to get more firewood. Mind your manners and don't drag him down while you at it." Kunan feel a bit annoyed by this young man flirting with his daughter. He already planned to give his daughter to Lucis, even if not as a wife, at least as a concubine.

"me? Uncle, I have a job here. Look at all the firewood I brought." he pointed at all the firewood piling up near Yina. They've been using Wudie stock since last night after they promise him some supply when they sold all of the harvest.

"but you said you didn't have much stock anymore?" Boris look at him suspiciously.

"I.. " instead of trying to explain to Boris and Kunan, Wudie look at Yina and Kuji worried that they will get suspicious at him.

Looking at his behavior, Lucis know exactly what this dude thinking.

"I know which wood we need, I just need directions." he quickly interrupt before Wudie embarrass himself more.

"but.. " Kunan trying to explain but Lucis quickly raise his hand stopping him.

"I'm faster working by myself. Just point me at the right direction." he remembers all the useful plant around the 7 Dragon mountains but he's not actually any good with tree. It's a subject he didn't touch yet in the brown jade.

Boris and Kunan look at each other feeling complicated. It is true he can do more by himself. They're just slowing him down if they try to help him.

"Kuji, you bring mister Lucis.." Boris stare dagger at Kuji. "my daughter Kuji know all the area around here, she always follow me hunting wild animal."

Lucis hesitate a bit looking at 17 year old Kuji, she's like a chill paper, shorter than Dini but packed with energy. If not for her beautiful figure, one could easily mistaken her the same age as Dini, maybe even younger.

"alright, let me show this mister how good I am with my bow." she reached her bow and arrow feeling excited.

Boris pinch his eyes and look at Kuji again. "behave yourself, don't drag him down." he almost regretting choosing Kuji after thinking about her wild personality.

"come come, let me teach the proper way of being hunter." she walk over heading toward the entrance of the village as Lucis following behind.

Yina look at Lucis and Kuji slowly disappeared from her sight feeling sad for herself. She's the only one that never talk to Lucis since he come to the village. She want to get closer to him but she feel she's way beyond him, she thought herself as the lowest in the entire village.

'I'm not brave or strong like Kuji, I'm not beautiful like Dini, I'm not smart like Luna. I can't even take care my own family. I'm not even worth to stand before him.' Yina look at herself with a sad expression. while she did make clothes, she and her family have the worst clothes in the village. She use couple of different ragged clothes and thrown away clothes to make her and her family clothes. Not only it is other people garbage, it even dirty beyond recognition. She feel shame at herself the more her though about it.

Kunan look at his daughter looking down and blame himself. In the past, he use to plant herb in the village and sell it to the merchant. But during his trip to the forest, he's attack wild beast and just barely manage to save his life. His back can't take any load anymore and his leg is limping around. With how herb need more complicated care than other plant, he's forced to stop growing herb and switch to small vegetable farm. After the recent tiger attack destroying his farm, they're getting desperate to get food on the table. His daughter inherited his wife weak body and can't do heavy work either. He thought about selling Yina to the marching to support his son that still small.

...

At the forest 30 minutes walk from the village. Lucis following Kuji from behind as she guide the way.

"look at this, this is 2 or 3 hour ago. This size.. this is adult black horn deer." Kuji squat and examined the track on the ground.

"they must be going this way from the river. If we move faster we can still catch up." she clap her hand brushing the dirt.

"let's go. Their horn is valuable for medicine." she walk over following the track.

Lucis quickly grab her collar stopping her. "we're not hunting anything." Lucis been following her and without he realise they've been tracking a deer.

Kuji eyes wide open as she slowly turn her head and look at Lucis.

"aiyah, it's my mistake hihi. We are here for firewood." she scratch her head feeling embarrassed.

"it's this way." she point at the direction where they come from and lead the way back. Her long black hair reaching her knee swaying around as she walk. She didn't even bother tying her hair as she focused on the deer track.

'no wonder I feel something not right. We passed some area that have been cut down already.' Lucis put his palm on his face.

"you know, that deer horn can be sold for 10 silver. I never hunt something that big."

"I'm saving up for for a bow. the fat merchant have a beautiful white long bow, he call it white wolf bow."

"when I have that in the future, I will hunt a wild beast."

"you're uncultured, you need bow to be a hunter."

"you know.. I have my baptism around here. I kill red eye rabbit that day."

And that's how the rest of their journey going on. She's just like a talking machine blabbing on and on like her stop button is stop functioning.

It turned out, with Kuji speed, they only need 15 to 20 minutes walk from the village.

"tada, look." she pointed at the place where there's some brown tree that have been cut down.

"after cutting it down, dry it for a couple of day, it's the most popular firewood in this region. There's special merchant coming here every 2 months and we sell this high quality firewood to them."

she paused a bit and walk over at one of the brown tree. The tree bark is thicker even with the small size if the tree.

"En, this one can get you a couple bronze coin." she nod with satisfied expression.

"okay, that's enough. You, here, sit down and mouth shut." Lucis point at one of the tree trunk near his feet.

"ah okay. Look at that one too, get that one. It's a high quality, definitely." she walk over to the tree trunk and start being the manager.