[NR] If Not Friend, Why Bear Friend Shaped? - Chapter 622 (Patreon)

Jason's first stop is to offload the bones. While the claws would likely be really good for making something like a shovel or a pick, that isn’t the most important thing in the area. Maybe if they were attuned to trees, he would have bothered finding a good place to haggle over them. As it was, he focused on trading for the goods he needed for his book.

That left the pelts, which were going to need a lot more effort. The first step of which was to shop around to all the places which might buy them and then some. Not that Jason actually planned to sell to them. Well, if the out-of-town merchants had a good deal, maybe he would have sold to them, but they didn’t.

No, because the vellum Jason wants is special, he was going to trade with the settlement itself. After all, a settlement like this could always use more quality hides with an elemental resistance to water. While the use of such things for vellum has been shown to even potentially allow books to be completely submersed and survive, here they’re looking more towards survival. Any hide with a level of elemental resistance that high would not only need specialized non-water-based inks, but potentially save the town if used to create a shield for one of their ballistas.

Good thing Jason only wants vellum that will passively resist humidity because of where he lives. Not only does that mean he doesn’t need truly special inks, but in a twist, the hides most fit what he wants will also be the best for making vellum and most likely to be up for trade. After all, in a group of monsters with water resistance, which are most likely to have a lower resistance?

The younger ones, of course. That means smaller hides which have less or no scarring. Plus, chances are these won’t be from when the giant beast assaulted the settlement, but the bodies gathered from the area. No wound from being hacked apart by an adventurer because it was taken out by whatever the settlement used to purge the forest of them. Jason just had to convince them his own pelts were worth it.

They make it to the town hall and after a moderate wait, are let in to see the person in charge of community resources, a grizzled old lady. At least that is how she describes herself and while she does look a bit like that, it is mostly a joke. What with her being a grizzly bearfolk. She was heads and shoulders taller than Jason, covered in rich brown fur from head to toe. Her face is round with a snout and bear ears instead of anything more humanoid. Though you can definitely tell she isn’t just a bear pretending to be a person. Besides, there’s no butler.

Anyway, she introduces herself. “Hello! The mayor has told me a bit about you. It isn’t every day that a trio of people manage to claim land out in the forest. Though I swear it does feel like every day that we have some fool group of six or less coming through looking to do so. I think you’re the only party sized group with land out there right now. Anyway, my name is Helina Swift-Water.

“While I understand that until now you’ve been mostly going to the mayor directly. Going forward, I will be your contact. This isn’t because you sought me out this time. Though that was certainly convenient. Rather, things are getting busy and so he has more on his plate. He would have rather continued meeting you all, but life happens sometimes. So, what are you here for? The receptionist said something about a trade, which I assume has to do with those pelts on your backpack.”

Jason nods, “I’m looking for some supplies to write a special book and figured trading goods would be a better bet than gold.”

Helina snorts, “Can’t eat gold. Well, most people can’t. There’s a few species that can eat metals, but you won’t find them around this area. What exactly are you offering?”

Jason pulls out one pelt and shares its info screen.

{Earthshaker Mole Pelt lv26

Description:

The pelt of a lv26 earthshaker mole that was harvested with astounding meticulousness. The pelt has some minor earth magic which has a slight repelling effect towards dirt. Its natural nap is such that it feels the same no matter which direction you slide your hand over it from.

Grade: lv26 Exquisite (Ingredient)}

Helina ignores the screen and goes right to examining the pelt. She rubs her hand on the fur, carefully slides the pad of a finger across the other side, and gently pulls at the edge. After that, she turns to the blue screen.

She nods, “Not often you see a normal quality, exquisite hide. People generally only put the effort in when they believe they could harvest a top quality hide. Besides that, it requires a level of skill you won’t find out here. You can easily get basic cow hides which are exquisite in the capital of any empire. But that is because they’ve managed to perfect the process to where they have a skill specialized for exactly that.”

Off to the side, Courtney can’t help but speak up, “Huh, I didn’t know there was a dependable source of exquisite materials. Their crafters must be pretty amazing.”

Helina snorts and flicks an ear, “They like to think that! There’s a reason I’m out here on the edge of cultivation and not safe and sound twenty or so kingdoms that-away.” And she gestures behind and to the left of the group.

She shakes her head, “The only way those greenhouse plants will ever surpass skill mastery is by being sponsored by the empire’s pantheon. I’m only a bottleneck ahead of your group and my skill levels can’t match theirs, but give me materials I’ve never worked with before and I can handle it. Those fools wine and grouse if the exquisite hide they’re given to work with is even a centimeter different in size from every other hide they’ve worked with.”