"But I'm certain the Village Chief didn't bring you here just for a tour of the warrior's garden," Caretaker Hrok said, watching the expressions on Orion's and the Village Chief's faces.
Then, he shifted his gaze to the Village Chief and asked, "Chief, is something wrong?"
The Village Chief nodded solemnly, diving straight into the explanation for former Caretaker Hrok. Caretaker Hrok's eyes widened dramatically upon hearing the news.
"This... This...." He stumbled over his words momentarily but quickly composed himself and redirected his attention to Orion.
"Let's go," he said, striding forward and motioning for Orion and the Village Chief to follow him.
Together, they retraced their steps back to the door they had entered from, then made their way to one of the smaller wooden huts near the garden.
Arriving at the hut's entrance, former Caretaker Hrok gave a series of taps on the door, and to Orion's surprise, a radiant glow emitted from within the wooden structure. Orion's curiosity grew as he watched the door reveal a tree nymph emerging halfway, her upper body visible while her lower half remained concealed behind the door.
"Open the door, Saria," former Caretaker Hrok instructed, and Orion observed as the tree nymph, sensing the gravity of the situation, nodded in solemn agreement. The door swung fully open, inviting them to step inside.
Stepping inside under the guidance of former Caretaker Hrok, Orion's eyes roamed the interior of the hut. What greeted him was something akin to a warehouse, a space designed to store various fruits and harvested materials from the plants and trees he had seen in the garden.
Boxes were piled haphazardly, brimming with their contents. There was no evident order to the arrangement, making the space appear messy.
In a nutshell, their path wound through a maze of these boxes, each turn revealing a new cluttered section. Eventually, they arrived at a spacious area that was strewn with large pieces of fabric-like materials.
Stepping forward beside him, the Village Chief spoke up, "These materials match the description of the fabric you requested, and they were harvested from the warrior's garden. Initially, we intended to save these for later and use the materials from Caretaker Zola's farm section, but since she's still preparing hers, you can start with these." He continued, "Feel free to examine them if you wish."
As Orion bent down and touched the material, a soft, silky sensation met his fingertips, causing his brow to raise in surprise. Having seen tulgas made from silk, but without the involvement of silkworms, he had pondered the possibility of finding a lightweight yet strong alternative to cotton or wool materials. However, this...
The realization that they could produce such a material from plants renewed Orion's understanding of why they had constructed a towering wall around the farm and positioned the strongholds nearby, rather than within the village itself.
"Yes, this will do the trick," Orion replied with enthusiasm. In the back of his mind, he pondered whether the material could also be fire-resistant. However, he knew that he shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.
"Perfect," The Village Chief exclaimed, his smile reaching from ear to ear. He continued, "I'll immediately send word to the two strongholds, instructing them to commence forging the requested items with the metals. They should have them delivered here by day's end. In the meantime, feel free to use these materials."
He gestured toward the array of fruits in the warehouse. "Help yourself if you're hungry or need a break. And don't hesitate to relay any messages you might have through Saria; she will make sure it gets there quickly."
Emerging from one of the wooden boxes, Saria, the tree nymph, greeted him with a warm smile. Her upper body was visible while her lower body remained hidden. She gave him a friendly wave before disappearing back into the depths of the box.
"Also, I'll make sure to personally deliver a message to your family," the Village Chief reassured Orion. "To ease their concerns, I'll provide them with 100 Kalna fruits in advance as part of our agreement."
This announcement brought a sigh of relief from Orion, who had been considering how to communicate his situation to his family. He couldn't help but imagine the thoughts racing through Ursa's mind when she saw him being taken away so suddenly by the Village Chief.
Orion nodded in agreement with the Village Chief's words, "Alright." Though his family would likely still worry, having such a respected figure relay the news would undoubtedly calm their concerns more than if a guard or someone else were to bring them the message.
Returning the nod, the Village Chief's expression turned solemn, "We'll be counting on you, young man. Until later." With that, he turned around and left, having pressing matters to attend to.
As the Village Chief departed, former Caretaker Hrok directed his attention to Orion. "I'll be close by in the garden if you require any assistance. Don't hesitate to call on me," he offered with an optimistic tone.
Orion nodded, affirming his understanding, and replied, "Alright." A genuine smile appeared on former Caretaker Hrok's face as he continued, "Just as the Village Chief mentioned, the village is counting on you. So, give it your all." With that, he turned on his heels and left, leaving Orion to ponder in solitude within the warehouse.
Still trying to process how abruptly things had become, Orion consciously sought to regain his composure. He retrieved a piece of the material and unfurled it, stretching it to cover the empty area.
Leaning in, he tried to see if he could tear it apart with his hands; however, he stopped, realizing that he might destroy it.
Realizing he needed tools like a knife and sewing materials, Orion called out to Saria. Almost immediately, the tree nymph emerged from the wooden wall.
Her deep blue upper body contrasted with her light crimson lower body, and she had a slim figure that differed from the more voluptuous forms of Dariya or Maleia. Clad in a tight vine-like dress that exposed a significant portion of her skin, both her petite breasts and her flower, she approached. Her curiosity was apparent as she asked, "Is there something I can assist you with?"
Her gaze lingered on the young man before her, curious since only moments had passed since the Village Chief and former Caretaker Hrok had departed.
