Silverleaf Grass

Having secured a supply agreement for Ghost Grass, Samwell was in high spirits. He warmly invited Nara to stay for lunch, hoping to deepen their relationship.

Nara did not refuse. Since she could find a powerful patron for the Wandering Crow Tribe, she naturally had no reason to decline.

When the attendant Katu served the food, Nara removed her veil, revealing her delicate face.

Though her youth had passed, she still retained her charm.

No wonder she had once bewitched the talented men of the Seven Kingdoms at Harrenhal.

Seeing Samwell's gaze, Nara smiled gently and explained:

"I usually wear a veil to avoid unnecessary trouble."

"I understand." Samwell smiled and nodded.

In the Red Mountains, where the law of the jungle prevailed, an overly beautiful woman was bound to attract plenty of trouble.

Still, Nara's decision to remove her veil was also a gesture of trust toward Samwell.

Pointing at the plates before them, Samwell said with a smile, "This is the Blue-Skin Tribe chief's special lunch set. Give it a try and see how it tastes."

"Alright."

Though it was called a "chief's meal," it was hardly lavish—just some roasted meat, wild vegetables, mushrooms, goat's milk, and a plate of wild grass that even Samwell did not recognize.

Samwell picked up the wild grass first and stuffed it into his mouth—

As a man determined to taste every food in Westeros, he naturally had to start with what he did not recognize.

It tasted somewhat bitter and scratched his throat with its heat...

Just as Samwell was about to put this wild grass on his blacklist, he suddenly froze.

His attribute panel had actually reacted!

Strength increased by 0.01!

Overjoyed, Samwell quickly stuffed the other two stalks of wild grass from the plate into his mouth as well.

Nara beside him could not help wondering—did this lord like eating grass that much?

He was not buying Ghost Grass from her to eat it too, was he...

When he saw his Strength attribute increase again, Samwell hurriedly asked Katu beside him:

"What kind of grass is this?"

"My lord, this is Silverleaf Grass."

"Is there any more? Bring me more!"

"Yes."

At that moment, Nara spoke up to warn him:

"Lord Caesar, it would be best if you did not eat too much of this Silverleaf Grass."

"Oh? Why?"

"Because I suspect it is poisonous."

"Poisonous?" Samwell was slightly startled, but then questioned, "Then why does the Blue-Skin Tribe chief eat it every day?"

"Its toxicity should not be severe. Eating a little should be fine, but too much will likely cause problems. If you look into it, you will find that this Silverleaf Grass is a sacred object of the Blue-Skin Tribe. Only the chief may consume it, though some is occasionally bestowed upon tribesmen who have rendered merit.

But chiefs who eat this grass regularly often do not live past forty. Their minds also become somewhat abnormal, and they may even lose control and go mad."

"Then why do they still like eating this grass so much?"

"Because it can cure certain illnesses and turn their skin blue. They believe it is a gift from the gods."

Samwell frowned.

Blue skin, mental abnormalities, yet able to treat certain illnesses...

It reminded him of a certain substance.

The next moment, he abruptly rose to his feet and hurried outside.

"My apologies, Lady Nara. I suddenly have urgent business to attend to. Please continue your lunch."

At the entrance, he happened to run into Katu, who was bringing in more food.

Samwell directly grabbed all the Silverleaf Grass Katu was carrying. As he stuffed it into his mouth, he asked:

"Where does this Silverleaf Grass grow?"

Katu froze for a moment before answering:

"At the very back of the camp, my lord. There is a small cave there."

"Find ten Reachmen soldiers and have them meet me at the cave. Bring shovels."

"Yes, my lord."

When he arrived at the cave Katu had mentioned, Samwell indeed found Silverleaf Grass growing there.

In the dimly lit cave, their leaves shimmered with a faint silvery-white glow.

After hearing Lady Nara's account, Samwell immediately realized that the Blue-Skin Tribe chiefs were likely suffering from chronic silver poisoning!

Silver had antibacterial properties, so it could treat some infections. But consuming too much would cause heavy metal poisoning and turn a person's skin, even their blood, blue.

But the question was, how could this Silverleaf Grass contain metallic silver?

Samwell guessed that there was likely a silver mine buried beneath the Silverleaf Grass!

That was why silver had accumulated in this grass, causing the Blue-Skin Tribe members to suffer the effects of chronic silver poisoning.

But if that was truly the case, then what exactly was increasing his Strength attribute—the Silverleaf Grass itself, or the silver concentrated within it?

Then, thinking of the other substance that could increase his Strength attribute—Golden-Tailed Shrimp—Samwell suddenly formed a bold guess.

By then, Katu had already brought the soldiers over.

"Right here. Pull out the Silverleaf Grass first, then dig deeper."

"Yes!"

The soldiers answered and immediately entered the cave to start digging.

Standing outside, Samwell patiently waited while eating the Silverleaf Grass the soldiers had pulled out.

The commotion drew the attention of the Wildlings, especially those who had once belonged to the Blue-Skin Tribe.

Silverleaf Grass, which they regarded as a gift from the gods, grew in this cave, so they often considered it sacred ground.

But now, those Reachmen were doing who knew what in their sacred ground.

It left them both nervous and at a loss.

Of course, no one dared step forward to protest.

After all, everything in this cave had always been reserved exclusively for the Blue-Skin Tribe chief. Now that Samwell had conquered them, the cave naturally belonged to him as well.

Time passed little by little. Samwell mechanically stuffed Silverleaf Grass into his mouth. What had initially tasted bitter had now become completely tasteless to him.

And just like Golden-Tailed Shrimp, the more Silverleaf Grass he ate, the less effective it became.

Even so, after consuming more than a hundred stalks of Silverleaf Grass, Samwell's Strength attribute rose rapidly, eventually reaching 2.13!

By then, his body had developed a high tolerance for Silverleaf Grass. In the end, he actually had to eat five stalks to gain 0.01 Strength.

Samwell let out a full belch, his mouth filled with the bitter, grassy taste.

He truly could not eat another bite.

Besides, there was not much Silverleaf Grass left.

He had to leave some for seeds. Otherwise, if the Blue-Skin Tribe learned that their sacred tribal plant had gone extinct, they would likely cause trouble.

At that moment, Nara had finished lunch and came to bid farewell with her captured tribesmen.

"Alright, Lady Nara. I wish you a smooth journey. And I hope you find Ghost Grass soon."

Nara looked at Samwell's teeth, stained silver-green by grass juice. She wanted to offer some advice, but hesitated and ultimately said nothing. In the end, she merely bade him farewell politely.

Not long after the Wandering Crow Tribe left, a soldier ran out and said to Samwell:

"My lord, we dug up some ore below."

Samwell hurried into the cave. Sure enough, in a large pit, he saw some lead-gray crystalline ore with a metallic sheen.

Was this silver ore?

Samwell was not entirely sure. The color did not seem quite right.

Still, considering that it might not be pure silver, that could explain its color and appearance.

Samwell turned to the soldier and ordered:

"Go to Eagle's Beak and bring Vidor and Busso here. Also, have men seal off this cave. Without my orders, no one is to approach it!"

"Yes!"