In the Froststone tribe's camp, tobacco has always been used for treating diseases and for tribal rituals, and it has always been under the care of the shaman Minnie.
Minnie was somewhat surprised when she heard that Todd wanted all the stored tobacco leaves.
In her view, these pungent, acrid dried grass leaves, aside from being used in medicine and incense, were only enjoyed by a few as a stimulant snack, so they were rarely of any use. However, the other party still agreed to Todd's request and promised to give her all the tobacco.
Todd followed Minnie into the forest outside the camp, where, surrounded by flowers and bushes, they saw a tangled tree root.
Minnie tapped the tree roots with her cane, and the seemingly sturdy plant suddenly sank slowly, revealing a hole just big enough for one person to pass through.
With a look of surprise, Todd bent down and crawled into the cave, only to discover that it connected to a naturally formed underground cavern, which was quite unique.
Minnie walked forward for about twenty meters. The wind in the cave grew stronger and stronger. Finally, she led Todd to a wide stone platform.
On the stone platform were many racks made of wooden branches, which were filled with dried tobacco.
Todd stared at the shelf, stunned for a moment: "So many?!"
Old shaman Minnie smiled mysteriously and pointed to the crack under the stone platform.
Todd crouched down, looked closely, and couldn't help but gasp.
Below the stone platform were more than twenty well-sealed earthenware jars.
"Could all of this be...?"
Minnie nodded: "Although many people don't like these bitter leaves, they are surprisingly effective as pain relievers and energizers when dried. During my years in Froststone, I didn't have any hobbies. The only thing I enjoyed doing was collecting bitter leaves from different years."
Todd rubbed his hands together excitedly and said happily, "You've done me a huge favor! I originally thought that the tribe had very little stock of this leaf and that it would take another year to grow it before mass production could be achieved... It looks like the snuff production line can be built right away!"
“Snuff?” Minnie sounded very interested in this new thing. “It sounds like something you inhale through your nose.”
“That’s right. Process these tobacco leaves into powder, add some additives, and you can inhale it directly through your nose.” At this point, Todd turned his gaze to the old shaman: “Minnie, I’m thinking of putting you in charge of snuff production, what do you think?”
“Me?” The old woman sounded quite surprised. “I am the tribe’s shaman. Let the young people do this kind of thing.”
Todd shook his head and said, "Precisely because you are the tribe's shaman, no one is more suitable for this position than you in the study of plants and herbs. Don't worry, although I can't remember the complete formula for snuff, I still know some of the basic production processes, which will help you complete the snuff prototype as soon as possible."
Minnie still seemed a little hesitant.
"Once the snuff is finished, I will allow you to withdraw your share for your own use!"
Upon hearing Todd's words, Minnie smiled for the first time on her wrinkled face.
Having finalized the appointment of the person in charge of snuff production, Todd returned to the camp in high spirits, planning to take some time to check out the camp's defenses.
Before he could take more than a few steps, an argument caught his attention.
Two men who appeared to be tribal leaders, each leading warriors from their respective tribes, stood facing each other on either side, clearly separated.
“You greedy bastards! I’ve come before, that grassland east of Broken Wood Stone is our tribe’s grazing land!” A tall, thin tribal chief shouted at another short, stout chief.
The other man retorted sharply, "You despicable bastard! Your words are as foul as your farts! What gives you the right to graze your livestock on that grassland?!"
"Five warriors from my tribe participated in the defense of Froststone. Two of them lost their lives in the battle! In terms of merit, we should naturally enjoy the grazing rights to that land!" The tall, thin chieftain patted his chest and said proudly.
Another immediately objected: "Our tribe followed Fried, braving the biting winds, traversing mountains and valleys, transporting countless weapons and armor from the distant south. Our tribe lost four sleds and seven men in the process! How dare you compare your achievements with mine here?!"
The two tribes went from arguing to pushing and shoving, and finally to fighting.
Fortunately, Kasper arrived in time with soldiers to maintain order, separating the two tribes and preventing a potential escalation of the conflict.
Having witnessed the entire event, Todd, filled with questions, sought out Ackerman, who was busy distributing supplies at the camp, to inquire about the tribal conflict.
When it comes to this, Ackerman has a lot to say.
“Boss! You have no idea how troublesome these tribal leaders are!” Ackerman pointed to the piles of supplies and sighed, “When we’re fighting, these people can be united against the enemy, but once the enemy retreats, they start to seek their own interests for their tribes.”
Ackerman counted on his fingers, listing them in detail: "Equipment, water, pasture, and even seating order can all become reasons for conflict between tribes."
After listening to Ackerman's complaints, a worried Todd returned to his apartment building.
Rachel, who was directing the barbarians to repair the holes in the wall, saw Todd's expression upon his return, gave Deirdre a few words, went upstairs, and waited quietly at the top of the stairs.
A moment later, Todd walked up the stairs and saw the composed Rachel. He smiled wryly and said, "You should be able to guess what I'm thinking..."
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com