This wild boar counted as an extra trophy, but he could not take it with him now.
Dragging two butchered wild boars to the market at once would make him far too conspicuous, and the drain on his stamina would be hard to bear, seriously affecting his speed.
He swiftly scanned the surroundings. The night was deep, the wind and snow had not ceased, and aside from the howling gale, there was no other movement.
"It can't stay here. Passersby or wild beasts might find it." He made his decision at once.
Grabbing the boar by its hoof, he exerted himself again and dragged the several-hundred-pound beast up—but not toward the main road.
Instead, he headed for a shallow ditch nearby, low-lying and half-hidden beneath piled snow and clumps of dead grass.
With some effort, he shoved the boar into the ditch, then immediately used both hands to rapidly scrape up the surrounding snow.
Mixed with dead branches and fallen leaves, he piled it thickly over the boar.
He moved quickly, striving to make the concealment look natural and leave no obvious traces of human intervention.
Soon, the wild boar was completely buried beneath the snowy ditch. From the outside, it nearly blended into the surroundings.
After finishing, he dusted the snow from his hands and warily swept his gaze around once more.
"I'll deal with my own first and trade it for the things I need most. This one... I'll come back for it later."
He settled the plan in his mind.
Handling them separately was the safest approach.
His first priority was to quickly exchange his family's wild boar for salt, medicine, food, and silver, preparing for their escape.
This unexpected gain could be retrieved later. Handling it separately meant less risk and more room to maneuver.
No