Chapter 19 - Black Copper Town

As Niles and her group approached the caravan, Pan stepped forward to greet them. Niles introduced herself and her group as traders from Black Copper Town. Pan informed her that they were a group led by their master, Adrian.

Niles was surprised to hear about the man named Adrian and did not know there was a person with so many people working for him around Black Copper Town.

The Wood Puppet Trading Caravan, led by Pan and created by Adrian, had been making its way through the winding paths of the forest for two hours.

As they approached the outskirts of the town, they encountered a trader woman, three guards, and three other people named Niles. After speaking with Pan and understanding they were no danger to them, Niles sat on the side and all of them rested a little.

The puppets stopped to make small talk with her, curious about her wares and her experiences in Black Copper.

Niles was a friendly and talkative woman, and she welcomed the puppets' company.

Of course, she did not know that they were puppets but just odd people with wood masks.

As they chatted, she revealed that the price of food in Black Copper had increased significantly in recent weeks, much to the dismay of the town's inhabitants.

"The crops have been poor this year," Niles explained, "and the merchants who bring in food from other towns are taking advantage of the shortage." "They're charging exorbitant prices, and the people of Black Copper are struggling to afford even the basic necessities."

"Thank you for letting us know," Pan said to Niles. "We'll keep this in mind as we make our way through the town."

As the Wood Puppet Trading Caravan continued on its journey, Pan and Adrian discussed their next steps. They knew that they would need to be careful not to take advantage of the town's difficult situation, but they also needed to make a profit in order to sustain their caravan.

"We'll have to find a way to balance our own needs with the needs of the town," Pan said, his wooden face furrowed with concern.

Adrian nodded in agreement.

As the trading caravan continued on its way, Adrian smiled and nodded.

"So, more food my puppets gather and hunt, more profit that I can make, and when the profits are enough, I can buy the land around me without too much of a problem."

Adrian did not feel bad for the people of Black Copper Town; this does not mean that he wants them to starve and have problems, but he just does not mind what happens to them. In his mind, these kinds of things are just ordinary and not that important; they can be seen by everyone all the time.

Two hours later, The Black Copper Town can be seen by Pan and the other twenty-nine puppets; they started to walk more slowly, and guards on the wooden walls of the town and stationed at the outside saw them and horses, as well as understand that they are carrying bows and arrows.

From outside, not mentioning the poor equipment or their movement, everything about them looked too good in terms of discipline.

A man named Eldar, the guard commander of the Black Copper Town, called others and waited for Pan to come to the entrance of the town. There were not many people at the entrance of the town,, but not too few either.