Gopuran happily accepted the quest, her sharp-toothed grin widening with clear excitement.
The moment she did, I activated [Vassal's Eyes], linking my vision directly to hers. Instantly, another screen flickered open inside my mind, like suddenly switching on one more television when I was already watching nine others at once. I had already grown used to juggling multiple views, so it only took me a few moments to adjust.
As Gopuran turned her head, my vision shifted along with hers. The forest became much clearer and more vivid than what I could see from my own external sight. The trees loomed taller now, their trunks thick and rough, bark etched with deep grooves and patches of soft green moss. Twisted roots snaked across the forest floor like sleeping serpents.
And just as I had expected, the forest was dense. Very dense.
The deeper we looked, the darker it became. Branches tangled overhead into a heavy canopy, and only thin strands of sunlight managed to slip through, dappling the ground below in shifting patterns. Everything beyond the first few rows of trees dissolved into layers of shadow and mystery.
From nearby came the steady, rhythmic sound of Gopuro chopping branches.
THUNK!
THUNK!
The guy was completely in his own little world now, even humming a happy little tune as he worked. It sounded almost like some kind of goblin folk song.
Then Gopuran turned back toward the castle.
"Big Boss, should we go?"
"Yup!" I replied using my skill.
But before sending her off, I decided to play it extra safe.
I gave her two more pieces of equipment.
The first was the bone knife.
The second was a small wooden shield. A round one, a little bigger than your average frying pan.
The knife would definitely come in handy for cutting through vines and brush. The shield was there in case something dangerous appeared, though I sincerely hoped it wouldn't.
She was already carrying the bone axe as well, so that made three pieces of equipment in total. All still F-tier, but it was the best this poor castle could afford right now.
Gopuran had a small pouch made from animal hide tied securely around her waist with sturdy vine ropes. She slipped the bone knife into it for easier carrying.
That reminded me…
(I seriously need to get them some kind of backpack soon.)
(And maybe some new clothes too.)
Yeah… My only two citizens should not walk around almost naked like this.
Unfortunately, when I checked the shop options earlier, clothes would only become available once the [Item Shop] reached Level 3. Only then would the [Outfit Shop] unlock.
Or when I gathered enough points and materials to build something called the [Clothing Workshop].
Anyway, it was time to go.
Gopuran gave Gopuro a small wave goodbye, then stepped forward and carefully ventured into the forest.
*****
A few moments later.
As Gopuran moved deeper into the forest, to my surprise, her eyes adapted incredibly well to the dark environment. It was almost like seeing through the eyes of a cat. Even in the dim shadows beneath the canopy, everything remained surprisingly clear.
The forest was incredibly quiet.
Only the light rustle of leaves stirred by the wind broke the silence, along with the distant chirping of birds and the soft crunch of Gopuran's footsteps over fallen leaves and twigs. For the first ten minutes, all we saw were trees after trees, with nothing particularly worth mentioning.
Until...
"Big Boss, look!"
Gopuran pointed toward a bush up ahead.
"Yeah, I'm looking!"
Obviously, my eyes were literally her eyes right now, so how could I not be?
That silly thought aside, the bush was actually quite interesting.
Because it was covered in berries.
A berry bush!
Gopuran moved closer, cutting through the vines blocking her path with the dagger. Once she reached it, she plucked one of the fruits from the branch.
It was round and fairly large, about the size of a table tennis ball, with a bright orange skin. Some of the other berries on the bush were smaller and still green.
Looks like orange was the color when they ripened.
I immediately wondered whether they were edible.
Back in my previous life, eating random wild berries was almost always a terrible idea. More often than not, they turned out to be poisonous.
But it seemed Gopuran knew exactly what she was doing.
"This sour berry! Sour berry delish!"
She tossed one straight into her mouth.
"Mmmhh!"
Her vision went dark for a moment as she squeezed her eyes shut.
(Haha, that must be seriously sour indeed!)
Even so, Gopuran still insisted it was delicious and immediately popped another one into her mouth.
"Mmmh! So delish!"
(Yeah, yeah, so delish, I can totally see that.)
Honestly, like hell I believed her.
Then Gopuran paused and looked ahead.
"Big Boss, you can taste?"
"Ah, nope, I cannot."
"Aww... that sad."
She sounded genuinely disappointed before tossing another sour berry into her mouth.
In the end, she ate about half of the ripe berries on the bush. The other half she carefully collected and placed into her pouch, probably intending to bring them back for Gopuro.
"Oh, Gopuran," I asked, another question suddenly coming to mind. "What did you guys usually eat before you met me? Did you have meat every day?"
"Ermmm... no."
Her voice grew quieter after that.
Then she began telling me about how they used to survive before coming here, about the sparse foraging, the long hungry days…
As I listened, I honestly started to feel a little bad.
(Oh damn... no wonder they looked so small and frail.)
(Their diet was seriously awful.)