"Darling, and how are they domesticated? Like those horses, by spilling blood on them?" Taurina asked curiously, looking at the creatures struggling inside the nets.
"Hahaha," César let out a laugh while shaking his head.
He knew perfectly well why there were no domesticated animals that could serve as mounts on this continent: either they were too weak for the task, or they were so aggressive that controlling them was impossible.
"These pigs, even if they seem harmless right now, if they had enough strength, they would attack us and devour all of us without hesitation. Don't be fooled by their appearance," César warned seriously.
Taurina looked at them with doubt.
"But I remember eating them… and my people have always wished to find them. We've never seen one that was truly strong."
César chuckled and nodded. They were weak, yes—but only because no one knew how to feed them. He could already imagine one of those animals reaching a colossal size, just like in the novel, intimidating entire armies with its mere presence. He quickly shook his head to refocus.
"To domesticate them, you have to give them a specific type of food," he explained.
He called over a goblin and ordered him to bring something from the storage rooms.
When the servant returned, he carried a yellow fruit that released a strong rotten smell. The two women made a face of disgust. They knew that fruit, but no one consumed it; even if you ignored its unbearable stench, its taste was terribly bitter.
However, unlike everyone present, when the green pigs smelled the fruit, they began squealing with frantic excitement.
"It won't be easy to domesticate adults, but if you give them this fruit for some time, their trust in you will increase. Little by little, it will become your companion. Though of course, the ideal situation is to raise them from a young age," César said while looking at the females in the group.
Internally, he was grateful that these creatures reproduced quickly. If he raised them properly, he would soon have a legion.
He couldn't help but think that, besides the intervention of the gods, the continent's cultural backwardness had contributed to its own downfall. No one thought about breeding or farming; everyone preferred hunting and gathering.
"Take the pigs and build a pen near the horse area," César ordered.
Everyone nodded. The shadow horses, being vital for mental training, were located near the central area, protected by the elite.
As the men took the beasts away, César murmured to himself:
'We already have our future mounts… but without Falla Silver, this won't work.'
Without that specific food, these pigs would grow only to about two and a half meters at most.
The Falla plant was a tuber that grew underground, whose fruit emerged as a heavy red berry. But it wasn't the plant itself that César remembered most—it was the legend of the Giga-Root Fruit.
That fruit granted a legendary ability: increasing physical size several times beyond the standard height. However, it was a temporary ability with an extremely long cooldown.
'Temporarily increasing size doesn't interest me, and it's not useful for my soldiers either; it would only make them easier targets for archers,' César thought.
Besides, he knew that fruit was unique: it was said that only one with that property was born every 150 years across the entire world. Once a plant produced that special fruit, no other on the planet would do so until the cycle passed.
But that didn't matter.
For César, the rest of the "common" Giga-Root fruits were far more valuable: they were the fuel needed for the growth of his Jade Pigs to become permanent and massive.
The next day, the news hit César's household like a mana bomb: two of his women were pregnant.
That morning, the group formed by Sasha, Raka, Adira, Taurina, and Lina planned to go out exploring. Originally, Asia and Laura were also going, but in the end they stayed behind under César's strict orders not to overexert themselves. He placed vital importance on the first sprouts of his bloodline.
The five girls looked at their sisters with a mixture of joy and poorly concealed envy that burned in their chests.
"Take good care of yourselves," Sasha said, forcing a smile while adjusting her gear.
"We'll bring back the best plants and meat so your children are born strong."
"You better not slack off just because you're 'heavy'," Raka growled playfully, though her eyes unconsciously searched for César in the distance.
After saying goodbye, the girls joined the search group and ventured into the wetter regions of the mountain, following the trail of Falla Silver.
After hours of walking, the sound of rocks breaking put them on alert.
From the bushes, a group of small, sturdy figures dressed in blue leather, pointed red hats, and mining tools came running out in desperation.
"Gnomes!" Laura exclaimed, recognizing the race of smiths that César had long wished to find.
But the gnomes were fleeing from something terrifying.
Behind them, a colossal creature—a python with metallic scales and fiery eyes—slithered forward, crushing trees in its path.
"Over here, little ones!" Sasha shouted, pointing to a narrow opening in a rock wall.
The girls, the gnomes, and the escort group rushed into the cave just before the python's jaws slammed into the entrance.
The tunnel glowed with a reddish light, and the walls were covered with heavy red berries.
They had found a field of Giga-Root.
"It's the plant!" Raka shouted excitedly, stretching her hand to pull one out.
However, the moment her fingers tugged at the root, the cave floor—which was only a thin layer of sediment—cracked violently.
With a thunderous crash, the ground collapsed, sending everyone into a free fall of several meters.
They landed on a polished stone floor, in the heart of an immense underground city carved with geometric precision:
The Forge of the Gnomes.
"Who dares to invade our sanctuary?" a thunderous female voice echoed, making the walls tremble.
From the shadows emerged an imposing figure.
She was not small.
She was a titanic woman whose head nearly touched the ceiling. Her blue eyes glowed with golden light, emitting an overwhelming physical pressure.
"The Leader…" one of the rescued gnomes murmured, prostrating himself on the ground.
Raka clenched her teeth, unsheathing her weapon.
"That's a gnome? She's the size of a minotaur!"
"That's not her natural size," Laura whispered, observing a fruit shell at the giant's feet.
"She… consumed the Giga-Root Fruit César mentioned. She gained the ability to grow."
The gnome leader looked at them with disdain.
The rescued gnomes immediately pleaded.
"My Lady, these outsiders saved us! Please forgive them!"
"Mph. Since you saved my people, you may leave," the giant declared.
The girls looked at each other. Sasha was surprised that she was letting them go so easily.
'Maybe she has so much confidence in her power that she doesn't fear us revealing her location,' Sasha thought.
But she quickly adjusted her posture. This was the perfect opportunity to fulfill César's wish.
"My Lady, we appreciate your kindness, but I have a request: what about a meeting with our leader?"
"For what?" the gnome asked curiously.
"Our leader has been searching for you for a long time."
"What? Your leader wants to enslave us?" the gnome grew furious, since many races tried to force their labor.
"No, nothing like that," Sasha quickly intervened.
"He deeply admires your skill in smithing and seeks to recruit you for our village."
"Oh, really?" the gnome leader smiled happily, as if she had just received the greatest compliment.
'She seems as naive as a child,' Sasha thought as she saw her reaction.
"Yes, our leader wants you to join us. He offers protection, plenty of food, and warm houses built by incredible minotaurs. You will never have to live hidden again."
Every word was an irresistible temptation.
The gnomes' eyes shone.
Suddenly, the leader returned to her original one-meter size, jumped toward Sasha, and shook her hand with electric enthusiasm.
"I accept, I accept! Take us quickly to your village!" the gnome exclaimed excitedly.