The two men soon arrived at the barter hub, where a small group of warriors had already gathered.
They were most likely asking about the rules and requirements of the hunt.
Luke and Dart moved closer as well and soon heard Gary shouting, "If you can’t submit five toras, then forget about joining the contest. Be a man and trust your skills, or just walk away."
As always, he was blunt and unapologetic, caring little about who stood before him.
A few men grumbled under their breath while others scratched their heads in hesitation.
Luke was surprised too. From what he had heard, there was supposed to be no fee to participate in the contest.
"Something Gary added during the argument," Dart whispered, as if reading his mind. "That guy was dead set on having the contest canceled. But once the Chief got involved, he had no choice but to back down. Still, he agreed on one condition."
"A participation fee, huh?" Luke grinned.
Even if only twenty men joined, that would be a hundred toras collected. On top of that, the participants would also be bringing back meat, which was another requirement of the contest.
So, in the end, it was a win-win situation.
A few people left, while a few chose to stay.
Gary handled them one by one, collecting their toras and registering them by handing each participant a token.
"Go on and get started," he said. "Just remember, any submission made after day fall won’t be counted."
The four hunters immediately rushed toward the forest.
Gary let out a sigh, hoping for a moment of peace, only to spot two more people approaching.
"Guh... not again..."
Luke chuckled. "Is that how you greet your friends?"
Recognizing the voice, Gary peeked outside before a broad grin spread across his face.
"Ah, isn’t it Luke!"
He stepped out of the hub with clear enthusiasm.
Dart shook his head helplessly at the sight. It was still hard to believe that a man who remained so formal even around the Chief could be this friendly with Luke. Then again, the two helped each other often enough, so perhaps it was only natural.
"So, how many toras have you collected so far?" Luke asked, raising a brow.
Gary grinned. "Just enough for you to snatch away with one big hunt. Ah, I’m looking forward to seeing what you bring back today."
Luke shrugged. "Who knows? With all the noise in the forest, I might not find anything worthwhile. Not to mention it’s daytime. Most of the bigger predators should be resting in their dens."
Dart nodded in agreement.
"True. I was thinking of tracking down an elephant, but I’d be lucky if I managed to find one at all."
Gary crossed his arms and said, "The quality of the meat will be a major factor in deciding the winner, so be careful not to challenge something you can’t kill in one or two hits."
Dart gave a sheepish smile. "I’ll keep that in mind."
Resting his hands on his waist, Luke glanced around and asked, "Those people who were here earlier... they were patrol guards, right? If they’re participating, then who’s protecting the village?"
Gary scoffed. "Exactly my concern. But the Chief and people like him were just too eager to hold this oh-so-important contest."
Dart laughed as if Gary’s complaint was the funniest thing he had heard all day.
Luke sighed. "Well, thankfully the contest ends by evening. I’d feel pretty uneasy knowing no one was guarding the village."
After all, a large portion of the rotation fees they paid went toward the protection provided by the Chief and his men, especially during the night. It was only natural for Luke to expect someone to keep watch while everyone else slept.
"Anyway," Gary said, waving a hand, "if you two want to participate, the rules are the same for you. Submit the coins and get your token."
Luke grinned. "You’re really going to charge me too? Come on, man. We’re best buddies, aren’t we?"
Gary grumbled, "So rich, yet still acting like this."
With a sigh, he shook his head before turning toward Dart.
Dart responded with an innocent smile, as if that alone would somehow exempt him from the participation fee.
Gary silently extended his hand, and a crestfallen Dart reluctantly handed over five toras.
A moment later, Gary gave each of them a token.
Luke tucked his away before saying, "You go ahead and start. I need to talk to Gary about something."
Dart grinned as he backed away. "Just don’t use this as an excuse when you lose, okay?"
With that, he turned and sprinted toward the forest.
Luke shook his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips. For all his size and age, Dart was still a kid at heart.
Gary then looked at him and asked, "What is it?"
Luke turned toward the man and said, "I’m looking for a house in the village. Nothing too big, but I’d like at least three rooms, a dining area, a kitchen, and, if possible, a dedicated bathing space."
There were a few homes with proper bathing areas, such as Dart’s house. If he was going to move, he would rather have a place that covered all the necessities of daily life.
Gary raised a brow.
"I’ll keep an eye out, but that’s a sudden decision. Did something happen?"
It was a surprising sight. Gary was genuinely concerned about something that offered him no obvious benefit.
Luke shook his head.
"Nothing major. The place is just getting a little cramped."
He wasn’t lying.
Living with that bear was becoming downright suffocating.
Gary hummed thoughtfully.
"I’ll find you a place by tomorrow. But what about the bathing area you were having built? It’s almost finished, isn’t it?"
"Yeah, forget about that," Luke replied. "Just make sure the new house already has a bathing area."
Gary nodded. "I’ll keep that in mind."
Then he waved a hand dismissively.
"Now, if you don’t want to be left behind, start moving those legs."
Luke grinned.
"Don’t worry. They won’t outrun me."
Not when he possessed skills specifically meant for scouting.
With that confidence, he turned and headed toward the forest.