Ethereal Life, Chapter 25: The Prelude

While the group was chattering, Nai seemed to notice something as he glanced in a particular direction.

Argar saw that Nai was looking at him, but he didn't back down; instead, he smiled at him with a dangerous gleam in his eyes.

"It seems you brought some snakes with you this time, my friend." Nai casually said, but his tone is layered with questioning.

Accepter Garut, however, just calmly bit on the greasy meat with his old teeth. He didn't seem to care at all as he said, "It can't be avoided. People's hearts are born different.".

With a satisfied burp, he glanced at Argar from the corner of his eyes, then at another inconspicuous man not far away, who was monitoring the former.

"To tell you the truth, there are some voices in the village that want to kill you."

Nai narrowed his eyes outward, though his heart somewhat tightened after hearing that. "Hmm." 

Garut saw that nonchalance in Nai's eyes and was a little surprised. "You don't seem too surprised.".

"Indeed. I'm all alone; what can you expect a human's heart to birth?" Nai replied as he pointed out the wickedness in everyone's heart.

Accepter Garut nodded thoughtfully. "It looks like our view of life is the same."

He smiled faintly as he continued, "You don't need to worry, though. The village has already decided to remain on good terms for a long time."

He then glanced at the nonchalant Nai and hesitated for a bit.

Nai, who noticed his hesitation, decided to give him a push and ask, "What is it?".

Seeing this, Accepter Garut finally said after a thought. "Do you want a companion in life?"

"What do you mean?" Nai seems to understand the underlying meaning behind those words, but he still fakes his ignorance.

He looked around, seeing that no one was looking or eavesdropping.

Accepter Garut said, "It's literally what it means, a woman. You're alone here; you naturally need to continue your bloodline, right?"

"Don't tell me you plan to be alone for life."

"I naturally do not." Nai replied calmly. "But, who came up with that plan?"

Accepter Garut drank some water they had brought with them as he replied, "Village Chief and mine." He paused, then continued.

"What is it? Do you want one or two? Don't worry, they will be beauties."

Although he needs women to birth his descendants and increase the population of his territory, He can't just accept anyone. What if they had different preference here?

"Alright, I accept it." Nai decided to accept the offer, it's not a bad thing. But, "However, I need an untouched one. Preferably young and pretty with a sensible attitude."

The old man's eyes lit up as he immediately nodded with a wretched smile. His white teeth are showing. "Naturally, however. The dowry..."

Nai's lips twitched; he knew this was what was coming. But he already knows what to do.

"The miracle waters are too precious. I can only give you one bag. But... I wonder if you want something just below its preciousness?"

Garut wasn't disappointed; instead, he was happy inwardly. The miracle water is very precious after all. It can save lives! But he remained calm outside.

He seemed to hesitate a little before he hesitatingly agreed. "Alright, tell me the other thing you deem precious."

Nai smiled before he said, "I'll teach you how to make ropes, traps, and tools for farming. How about that?"

The old man's eyes widened a bit in surprise. "How?".

"Not too fast. Deliver the girl first." Nai naturally won't be deceived. He needs the goods before they can receive the payment.

"... alright. I'll hold your word for that." Garut said as he took a deep breath. Their village was just lacking in such aspects.

Pests have always been a problem in wheat production. If there is a solution to be found, he will naturally take it.

"A deal." The two looked at each other before they smiled in expectation.

A few seconds later, Nai joined the others in their conversation. It did not take long before he assimilate himself with them.

...

The group looked at their empty cart and then at the walls, which were going farther and farther in their eyes.

"He's a good man."

"I know, we even got to drink a cup of miracle water for free as his token of hospitality."

"Do we get to drink again next time?"

"Nope, that's impossible. This is life-saving water; it will be a waste to just drink it like normal water."

"We're in luck then."

"Do you even wonder where he came from before this?"

"Nope, perhaps?"

"The other end of the grassland? That's too far, but there's a chance."

"All of you talked about this and that. But have you ever wondered about his existence?"

"Why?"

"He looked strong." "I have this feeling I won't be able to defeat him in a fight."

"Hmm?  You too?"

"Actually, me too."

"Ah, I want to go back and live there. So many meats"

After securing half the bag of miracle water, the caravan returned to their journey back home.

At the same time, Argar, who was silent all the time at this moment, was already cooking up his scheme.

Nobody knows what he was thinking, but someone knows he was going to do something bad soon.

The inconspicuous man hidden by a cape not far looked silently at him.

...

Nai sat leaning on his watchtower as he watched the caravan leave his line of sight.

The clouds loom over the horizon and seem unlikely to pass in his region today.

Expressionless, "To think they won't make a move on me is already a good reason for me to trust them a bit."

"That Garut fellow seems to like his identity as an accepter very much. He even told me the village chief and their elders decision between me and them."

"Is this caution? Or in preparation to invade. Backstabbing is the norm everywhere."

"For benefits, yeah."

"At the same time, I need to come up with new products to exchange with them. The pond water, although it seems neither decreasing nor increasing, isn't infinite."

"It must be more limited next time, only one-third." "For now, I'll renovate my territory."

"There will be constant exchange going to happen next month. And it will continue every three days. With my methods, I should be able to get enough wood to reinforce my walls."

"For now, I'll be rebuilding my pyramid shelter into a real castle."

Just a while ago, Garut told him about a place not far away where the caravan had just passed by on the way here: a small creek filled with marbles, stones, and gravel.

He had just said it casually. "It seems they had this misunderstanding that I get to drink my water there."

"It's better that way. My miracle water is precious; how could I give it to them freely next time?"

"The only reason I give them a cup each for free is to make them less strange towards me. In a more apt term, it is to lower their guards and make them accept me."

"It's just a cup anyway; I had more in the pond. But only this time, I'll slowly increase the needed wood to be exchanged with my miracle water."

Nai laughed at the thought of this: "Who knows that my little gesture was immediately repaid without them knowing it?"

"That gravel place and water are what I need the most now. For my castle!" His eyes burn with emotion and ambition.

In his heart, he also desired the castle where those kings lived. A castle that looked like that one is displayed on the Disney logo.

The time it would take to finish this great architecture would be immense. "If I did it alone, I would need half a century, I think. Should I hire them?"

Nai shook his head and said, "So be it. I alone can do it, no matter how long. When the population of my family increases in the future, they can also help me."

"And here I was, already looking forward to the far future. Hahaha." He wiped away the tears of joy below his eyes as he stood up and started working.

Lazy or not, with the boring days he had He can only find entertainment at work. "Stones, gravel, soil, and water—should I use mud as a proxy for mortar and cement?"

Nai had already noticed long ago that the bricks he made from mud and water from the pond were unusually hard, tough, and heavy under the sun.

They didn't even need to be baked in a kiln. "I have no kiln though. Plus, there's no need for now."

It far surpasses the quality of a normal red soil brick. Even when he used the walls as his kicking target, axe chops, spear piercing, and soon.

But all it did was leave some marks and holes an inch deep. "They can."

So it's decided from the start, "My castle will be made from stones, gravel, wood, mud bricks, and mud."

"A castle that will stand above the vast grassland, the lore that will last till the end of time — Viridescent Castle."

His eyes were full of longing for the future.