Smelling the aroma coming from not far away, Tilan was curious about what it was, but she didn't intend to ask Flan for it, only wanting to hear his opinion.

As they ate an unknown roasted potato, the two continued along the mountain path, and after a distance, Flan spoke.

"This thing is toxic." He looked at the blackened half-potato in his hand and assessed.

"Toxic?"

"Yes, although the dose is very low and eating it once is not a big deal, eating too much could be problematic." He regretfully looked at the half piece in his hand and then threw it far away.

"I understand now why the Moose Leader bothers to dig soil from underground to grow wheat; too many plants on this land are inedible."

"I used the Secret Technique my teacher taught me to measure the components, and I felt a bit of bitterness on my tongue. That's not a good sign. If consumed in large quantities, the body can become numb and reactions slow, and for children..." He looked back at the two kids devouring food by the stove.

"Eating too much will lower intelligence." He sighed.

Hearing this, Tilan suddenly thought of the places they passed by, so she asked, "Did you also check out places like Lake Wind and Red Pomegranate?"

"Of course, I'm an excellent member of the Slami Association. Investigating local customs naturally involves recording their food and lifestyle." Flan's brow twitched slightly, expressing with a bit of pride.

"The livestock raised around Lake Wind also have certain toxins in their meat, but the dose isn't high. I guess they have experience and usually slaughter them before they are a year old. Have you noticed? Those sheep aren't very big, and also when we ate meat at night, the kids only had boiled bean rice. Although the taste isn't great, it's less toxic."

"What about the fruits from the Red Pomegranate Settlement?" Tilan asked when she heard this.

"The fruits produced by the Red Pomegranate Settlement have a toxicity level between the sheep meat and the beans. Eating one or two a day isn't an issue, but consuming them long-term, one might not live past 50." Flan pondered and did some calculations in his notebook.

"On this land, people's average life expectancy seems to be less than 30." Tilan remembered what Sura had told her before.

"Exactly, so I guess they might not care."

"What surprises me is that the wheat grown by the Moose Leader really has little contamination. If the soil is replaced regularly, its toxin level is probably only slightly absorbed from the air, allowing one to live to about 70 if they don't die from other accidents."

"Good food is a hard currency." Tilan unconsciously repeated the words Sura had told her that day.

No wonder the well-traveled Sura is willing to stay in that small settlement on the prairie. Though the scenery is nice and the environment peaceful, food is likely a crucial factor.

After that, the two continued walking around the mountain path, encountering many small vendors and travelers selling their wares by the roadside.

"Teeth of the Black Spot Beast, sturdy and sharp, can be used to make many tools, exchangeable for food and leather."

"Snake Scale Fruit, found in the western swamp, contains toxic juice, particularly effective when applied to weapons, needs valuable items for trade."

"Semi-automatic rifle, 90% new, recently acquired from an eastern settlement, priced at 80 steel stamps."

Looking at the many people surrounding the rifle, the maiden and Flan were curious, but it was hard to approach.

"What are steel stamps?" Flan grabbed a passer-by to ask.

"Steel stamps are papers issued by Shilin Mountain Castle, used as currency. If you want to stay overnight there, you must pay 3 steel stamps, but just entering to buy something requires one." The person answered casually.

"So that's what the local currency is."

Finding it difficult to squeeze in and realizing the line was slowly reaching them, Hexia and Flan stepped back to the carriage, where Guy was talking to a man in rough clothing.

"You're back." He greeted them and continued talking to the man.

"Has anything major happened recently? Why do I see that rifles, once very rare, are now common?"

"You've been stuck in a small place too long; the news isn't getting to you." The other man chuckled jokingly.

"There was chaos in the east. Apparently, a large strategic stronghold was overrun by bugs, forcing several major powers to migrate here, clashing with settlements and stations along the way, sparking fights."

"These forces aren't ordinary folks; they have guns, some even have cannons.

As they moved, it was sometimes a matter of war, sometimes trade, allowing many rifles to flow into our area. These things are potent, and many settlements have used them to conquer opponents they couldn't previously defeat or matched evenly."

"Now it has spread to Shilin Mountain Castle. I hear the Grey Feather Species elders living in the Volcano are beginning to discuss how to resolve these issues, whether to issue strict bans or pay high prices to collect these rifles, as these items will eventually disrupt the surrounding balance."

"So, things have been particularly unstable recently, huh?" Guy thought for a moment.

"Indeed, trading caravans now hire more guards to travel to and from Shilin. So, what do you think? Want to return to the old profession and team up with me, Guy?" The man leaned against the cart, raising his eyebrows.

"Hahaha, you know, after that near-death experience, I quit the trade and prefer finding a settlement to peacefully retire. Besides, with guns around, my longbow might not suffice against those people."