"Ehm, can I help you?" he asked with a strange look on his face as he eyed the kittens across my chest. It was a little embarrassing, but I did my best to wear it with pride. They were my cute and lovely balls of money after all!
"I would like a room," I answered quickly while ignoring his strange gaze.
"Will you need… um, a pen for them?" he questioned, while pointing at my chest.
"No, that won't be necessary, they'll be asleep just like this," I replied with conviction, even though I was talking out of my ass. I had no clue if they would be rowdy or well-behaved. So far, they had slept peacefully the entire journey which left me somewhat astounded.
I would have to put my faith in them.
A short conversation followed and a room was reserved for the night, with some details on the state of the town. It seemed the town was primarily a pit-stop on the way to the Outcast Goblin Dungeon. As for the naming scheme, that's what all of the players called it, so the game had adapted. There wasn't a whole lot going on here, so once I concluded my business with the herder, I would be on my way.
Dropping the kittens off in the room, I decided to mingle with the crowd that had gathered in the tavern. All of them were NPCs, enjoying their evening drinking and eating in relative peace. Well, unfortunately I had business to take care of, so that peace would be temporarily disturbed.
There was an older man that looked to be in his mid-forties, with a sun-kissed face from all the time he had spent outdoors. He was hard to miss, and was the one that the inn's clerk informed me of. According to the intelligence I received, he was the one that managed the local farm and livestock.
"I'm told you're the man to see when it comes to acquiring cattle?" I asked as I calmly walked over to the bar where he was sitting. Settling into a chair with enough space between us, I relaxed as I ordered a drink for myself.
"That's right, what are you looking for stranger?" he replied casually as he sipped his ale. It may have been late in the evening, but that didn't mean we couldn't strike a deal, or at least gather some information for a future transaction. There was always time for business, especially if it walked right up to you.
"Well, I arrived in town not more than a moment ago," I started to explain. "So my knowledge is a bit lacking here, what all do you have available for sale or trade?"
"I have eighteen milk cows, twelve heifers, two breeding bulls, five bulls, and four oxen that I can part with," he stated with a matter-of-fact tone of voice.
He knew his business and didn't even break his sipping motion to explain it all to me. Half of what he listed was useless to me though, I had no use for an ox at the moment seeing as my farm was puny. As far as the cows were concerned, I didn't have the luxury of buying them for their meat, not yet at least so that ruled out the five bulls and the older milk cows that would be ready for slaughter.
I suppose in a way, it simplified things for me.
"I imagine you price them by age and condition, how much are you looking to get out of the milk cows?" I asked sincerely. My knowledge of livestock was limited, but I knew enough to get me by. All the free time to think while doing manual labor in-game, when I was building up Dragon's Breach, let me explore and learn a bit about farming and livestock. Even if I wasn't an expert, I had gathered enough information to start off on the right foot. The rest, would be up to my NPCs.
He took a moment to finish his glass before he turned slightly towards me, looking as if he had a lot to explain. "The conditions of the cows that I keep are all about the same and pricing is done by age. I ask for eight silver coins per heifer that is under thirteen months old; sixteen silver coins for milk cows over twenty-two months old but less than forty-eight months old."
Those prices seemed reasonable, but were still high considering how hard it was to earn money at this point in the game. Inflation was a real thing in The Dragon's Wrath, so in time these cattle would go for much larger sums… it was, essentially, in my best interest to spend now. While others spent their money on gear that would be replaced in weeks if not days, I'll invest every copper into infrastructure, ensuring a strong foundation.
"And what are you asking for the bulls that can breed?" I inquired.
Pushing his empty mug off to the side, he straightened up as he made eye-contact with me. Then, he leaned back as he started to explain the details, "all of the breeding bulls I keep are between thirteen months and forty-eight months old, I also have bulls that aren't mature yet and are under twelve months. I only keep the best for breeding, so those that are over thirteen months are twenty silver coins. If you want one that's less than twelve and not a sure thing, then I ask for ten silver coins."
There was a lot to consider here, especially in relation to the age of the cattle. A milk cow was a cow that had already bred once and was able to produce milk, they were mature around thirteen months and would take about nine months to have a calf.
Though, after four years of age the quality of the milk would deteriorate to the point where the cow was often sent to the slaughter for its meat. Bulls matured around thirteen months of age and could mate for years, but the bulls with bad genetics would often turn into veal or oxen after being castrated.
That was how the industry worked.
If I had enough cattle, I could potentially serve up beef at my local tavern.
In addition to the excessive amount of seafood I had available thanks to the location of Dragon's Breach, plus the game meats of local wolves, rabbits, and potentially goats… well, I may be able to indulge in some rather delicious delicacies. Only time would tell, though. There was still a lot of work to be done.
"I'd be interested in three heifers and a bull, all under thirteen months of age," I finally responded, after giving it some thought. "I would like to inspect them though before purchasing, if that's possible. I've travelled a long way to get here."
"Of course," he replied without any hesitation. "Meet me at the large barn near the eastern edge of the city at sunrise, and I'll show you the stock."
"Perfect, I look forward to tomorrow," I replied as I offered a hand.
With a handshake to seal the deal, I turned my attention back to my drink and ordered a plate of food as well. Entertaining the locals with the hope of gathering some information, I bought some drinks for the few that had gathered around and I spent the better part of two-hours indulging with the NPCs.
It only cost me some copper in the end, so it was worth it.
I was able to learn about horses and their prices, which were outrageous… but at least I was informed now. It would be a long time before I ever purchased a horse as a mount, to the point where I was starting to wonder if I could capture one instead. If there were wild pets to be had, maybe there were wild mounts to be had as well.
Thinking back on the four cattle I would purchase, the young heifers would need a month or two at the minimum to mature and develop in order to bear a calf, then they would have to give birth some nine months later before they could produce milk.
That was a long time to wait, but the game was helping me there. Every day in-game lasted eight-hours, so there were three days per real-day. Then, there was the multiplier for aging and growth of NPC children, animals, and crops at four times. That added up to twelve times faster than normal, and meant the heifers would be giving birth to a live calf in about one real-time month. That wasn't too bad, really.
I still had a week or two to finish off the fifth floor of the dungeon and then return to Dragon's Breach, that time will let the cattle mature. Once I return, three weeks real-time and I would have myself a supply of milk and three more cattle.
Well, it was time to call it a night.
Returning to my room, I only had two hours before the sun would rise, so I decided to sleep in-game and set an alarm. Quickly falling asleep, I had started to dream of my future metropolis in all its glory.