Ashes of the Fallen

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.

Only to be rudely awakened by the alarm I had set two-hours prior.

Slowly sprawling out and rolling out of the bed, I realized halfway through that the kittens had ended up sleeping with me for the extra warmth. I guess they thought I was their parent already. Careful not to wake them, I made my way outside and towards the barn where the rancher was supposed to meet me.

Along the way, I couldn't help but notice a herd of cows grazing in a fenced-in area. They were most likely the milk cows that he was selling. Walking over to one, I tried inspecting it and to my surprise, a small window appeared before me detailing the cow. As if I had tried to inspect an animal or an item in-game, it opened up right in the middle of my visual field.