Chapter 65

It was the 34th day of summer.

The morning began with the faint weight of five spirits jumping lightly on my chest, urging me to get up and start working. They bounced around playfully, shaking my bed with tiny thuds.

Suri watched from above once I sat up, claiming a perch on my shoulder like he was senior to them all. He looked down at the spirits with an air of superiority that was almost comically smug.

Carrying them all in my arms, we headed outside where they immediately plopped onto the ground and stared up at me, demanding something with pursed lips. Unable to resist their big eyes, I handed out seeds which made them cheerfully bounce around, getting dirt everywhere. Suri mimicked them briefly before losing interest, flapping his wings to perch back on my shoulder, nonchalantly shaking off the dirt as if nothing happened.

After tending to the livestock and checking the crafting table, I spent some time practicing magic. But progress was slow… leveling up didn’t bring any dramatic changes yet, making it hard to stay motivated. Still, I kept at it, hoping things would improve when I reached intermediate level.

As I practiced telekinesis with a rock, a distant figure appeared on the road. Expecting Evangelin, I greeted them enthusiastically – only to realize it was someone else entirely when dust kicked up revealed…

A golden carriage approached, escorted by knights in silver armor. The royal seal featuring an eagle clutching a snake and a roaring lion confirmed who was coming.

My heart raced slightly. Despite my confidence in the crops, selling to royalty was still a gamble. No matter how high the odds, there’s always that lingering uncertainty.

Like a job applicant waiting for interview results, I stood there with a mix of anticipation and nervousness.

What would their verdict be?

Just as I started wondering, Garim stepped down from the carriage.

“Long time no see.”

That deep voice belonged to Gasman Garim himself.

The knights were mostly unchanged from last time, except one now had a scar on his cheek.

“Nice to see you again.”

“Have you been waiting for the results? Aren’t you curious?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Hmm…”

Garim slowly approached, his imposing presence commanding authority. In the past, this might have intimidated me.

But not anymore. To me, he was just another tall guy. Though admittedly, holding the contract results did create some tension.

“What is your name?”

“Pardon?”

“Tell me your name.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. He clearly remembered our previous encounter when he asked my name after everything was done.

“Minho.”

“So, Minho. My asking your name should give you some idea of the outcome, shouldn’t it?”

“I prepared ten types of crops.”

“Ho ho. Impressive. That confident attitude of yours hasn’t changed.”

Garim handed me a piece of paper – the contract.

“We could do it verbally, but Princess Evangelin insisted on having records.”

“I’ll read through it then.”

“Do so. If anything bothers you, speak up. I have some authority to make changes here.”

Garim crossed his arms as I reviewed the document:

[Royal Trade Contract]

[Farmer (Minho) will regularly supply goods worth 40,000 units every two weeks.]

[Total production must reach 40,000 units regardless of type.]

[10,000 units must consist of musk melons and kingsberries.]

[Each crop will be purchased at a fixed rate of 50 gold.]

[Quality inspections will be handled by the royal court. Goods deemed substandard may result in partial contract termination.]

[No new transactions with anyone besides approved merchants or nobles.]

[Contract period is one year from signing date, renewable by the royal court.]

[Major breaches or potential issues may lead to contract cancellation.]

[Disputes will be resolved through negotiation.]

[Two copies of the contract will be kept, one each by farmer and royal court.]

While mostly fair, there were parts that weren’t ideal. Still, nothing deal-breaking.

Essentially, providing 40,000 units of quality produce every two weeks. With the spirits’ help, this was easily manageable. That meant 2 million gold every two weeks!

The sheer amount made me whistle softly. Feeling like a millionaire already.

After covering seed costs and living expenses, I’d finally have surplus funds to unlock new modes. Especially industrialization – the ultimate gold sink at 2 million per activation. But automating tasks sounded wonderful.

With these thoughts, I signed both copies with the pen Garim provided.

“Good. You can read and write. Quite different indeed.”

He smiled faintly.

“Just turned out that way.”

“An unusual farmer you are. Anyway, production has increased. Can you handle 40,000 units?”

“Yes, I can.”

“Excellent. As long as we have a contract, it must be fulfilled. Do you have samples?”

“Prepared.”

Our first summer harvest transaction. After stockpiling carefully, it was time for them to shine. 10,000 units of musk melons and kingsberries, plus 30,000 other summer crops.

The load was substantial enough to visibly weigh down the carriage.

“Let’s inspect. Shane.”

“Sir.”

“Take a bite.”

“Yes sir.”

“Vital, Groller, Pibble.”

Garim distributed samples among the knights. Their stoic expressions softened slightly after tasting the produce.

Faint glimmers of joy. Subtle brightening of features.

Subtle, but not subtle enough to escape my sharpened senses. I felt proud. Even emotionless warriors couldn’t resist the allure of my personally cultivated crops.

“That’s enough. Your expressions say it all.”

Garim took a large bite of peach. Juice dripped down his chin as he savored the sweet aroma. His eyebrows twitched before devouring the whole fruit in seconds.

“Can’t help myself sometimes.”

A genuine smile appeared on his face for the first time.

“Do you always inspect personally?”

“Finished products are off-limits, but regular goods are fine. We’ll continue inspecting directly. If you maintain this quality, it’ll be perfect. Though even if you slip up occasionally, we know good produce when we taste it.”

He dismissed the knights back to the carriage, wiping his mouth with a handkerchief before noticing the spirits playing in the fields.

“Interesting.”

“You mean the spirits?”

“Yes. Not exactly ‘farmer’ material, are you? Literate, able to command spirits while farming… Telling this tale to the princess might earn me some teasing about fairy tales.”

“Haha.”

“Beware though. Possessing treasures beyond your station can attract envy and jealousy.”

“Thank you for the warning.”

“Spoken from hope you’ll be around for a long time. Remember that, Minho.”

“Thank you.”

“Let’s go!”

Garim returned to the carriage. Doors closed, curtains drawn.

The clanking of knight’s armor. The driver’s call.

Leaving a trail of dust, they departed. In their wake came Evangelin, looking somewhat confused as she cautiously approached.

“Welcome.”

“Hi…”

Relief washed over her face upon seeing me.

She became more talkative now, less reserved, with hints of shyness and cuteness creeping into her tone – quite different from our first meeting.

“Shall we go inside?”

“Yes please.”

“Come on, Jack.”

Holding hands with both Evangelin and Jack, we headed inside. Jack’s happiness was palpable as he bounded along between us like a child with parents.

After breakfast, we went mining. Reaching floor 100 marked the start of our desert expedition. Fishing challenges at the oasis. Exploration after failure led us through shifting sands…

Unfortunately, our journey ended with nothing but barren desert. Covered in yellow sand, we returned home feeling somewhat deflated.

As evening approached, familiar red hair greeted me at the door. Warm, gentle, smiling softly after finishing chores.

Returning home always felt pleasant knowing she waited.

Her scent lingered subtly throughout the house, like perfume.

“Welcome back.”

Always the same kind welcome.

Could enjoying someone’s company like this be considered love?

Probably not. At least, not the kind I knew.

Back on Earth, someone like her would have left me speechless with admiration. Her affection was clear.

Yet… my heart remained unmoved.

Too busy lately? Too much work?

Yes, that must be it. Time to confront this issue properly.

Evangelin was great. Truly wonderful. But was it romantic attraction?

Hard to say. Definitely not dislike, but…

Why this hesitation?

Same happened with Anne. Knowing their feelings but unable to reciprocate fully…

It felt like hitting an invisible wall. Shouldn’t be this way given the circumstances…

“Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing.”

“You seem troubled…”

“I’m fine, really.”

Still, her quiet preparation of dinner was comforting. Cozy evening atmosphere.

Was this what liking someone felt like? No, too mild. Should be more intense, more longing…

Or maybe I had issues with emotions? Yet everything else felt normal…

Perhaps healing gradually would help. Frustrating not having UI or encyclopedia entries to consult.

Bitterly smiling, I ate dinner.

Night fell. Spirits returned to their nightly routine of bouncing around before bedtime.

Suri had developed a habit of dozing off on my shoulder lately. Cleaned and tucked in.

Sitting quietly in a chair, I absentmindedly spun a pen on the table.

Randomly writing “Anne” and “Evangelin” on blank paper. Was this strange sensation what I thought it was? Would it ignite into something bigger?

Feels undeserved having two women’s attention. Friends back home wouldn’t believe me.

Lost in these thoughts, I headed to bed.

Another slightly restless day came to an end.

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