Chapter 85

I returned home and opened the door to find Evangelin standing right there at the entrance.

The slight gap from pulling the door open.

In that downward glance, only one thing fully came into view.

Evangelin’s eyes slightly drooped, carrying a hint of worry.

“Did nothing unusual happen?”

“Yeah. Nothing unusual.”

Indeed, nothing out of the ordinary occurred. The farm was intact, no losses, though a few people had disappeared—but that wasn’t something Evangelin needed to concern herself with.

“Thank goodness.”

Then she embraced me, and I received her warmly. She seemed quite startled, her breathing unstable.

For a moment, we stayed like that until her breathing steadied, and her earlobes began to redden. Lowering her gaze, she slowly stepped back, returning to her usual self.

“I’ll prepare breakfast right away.”

“Alright.”

I remembered something I wanted to ask Evangelin yesterday but didn’t get the chance.

“Evangelin.”

“Yes?”

“Can you cook this?”

From my bag, I pulled out a moonlight sea bream, its silvery form shimmering enchantingly.

“This is…a new friend.”

“It’s a sea bream, though.”

“A sea bream?”

“Yeah. I thought it’d be nice to invite some people over to share it.”

“Shall I prepare for tomorrow then? It’s too sudden today.”

“Thanks.”

“Not at all. New ingredients are always welcome.”

With a bright smile, she took the moonlight sea bream from me. The warmth of her touch lingered briefly before fading.

To fetch Jack and check if everything was fine, I went outside and entered the greenhouse. The boundary between the cool air and the warm, gentle atmosphere inside was distinct.

“Jack, let’s eat breakfast.”

Chasing after a spirit, Jack nodded happily and followed me closely. Suri also perked up at the mention of ‘breakfast,’ flapping quickly to chase after me.

As if asking what happened, Jack grinned innocently, blissfully unaware of anything unusual. Perhaps that was better.

After eating, Jack returned to the greenhouse. Suri sat on my shoulder for a while, then hearing we might need to go to the mine, she flew into the greenhouse.

Just as I was getting ready to leave, something far off stirred up dust in the distance.

Seeing the dust immediately brought back an unpleasant mood, causing me to naturally frown.

Then, as I frowned and looked on, a golden, luxurious carriage appeared. A royal emblem adorned the grand carriage that approached with pomp.

At the sight of it, the uneasy feeling I had earlier subsided.

Had this carriage arrived a bit earlier, could the outcome have been different?

Though life has no “ifs,” imagination is free.

I postponed my trip to the mine and waited silently for the carriage. It stopped in front of me, and a familiar figure stepped out.

Gasman Garim got down from the carriage.

“Long time no see.”

We hadn’t seen each other in a while, he greeted with ease.

“Nice to see you again. How have you been?”

“No problems. Though, that should’ve been my line.”

Garim tilted his head slightly, scanning every corner of my house before turning back to me.

“Haven’t any strange people visited lately?”

“What do you mean by strange people?”

“Traders, nobles pretending to be knights, or even real nobles.”

Would it be the right choice to answer honestly? Given the things I’ve done, answering felt somewhat awkward. After all, I did those things to avoid leaving evidence.

Reading my hesitation,

Garim’s expression twisted strangely before he confidently declared:

“There must have been.”

Should I brazenly deny it?

After pondering for a moment, I decided it would be better to just agree casually since it was already discovered.

“Yeah.”

“My apologies. It’s clearly our fault.”

“Huh?”

“Because of political and financial gains, unfortunate events arise.”

“Could you explain further?”

“One knight among our group, driven by small greed, planted the seeds of discord.”

“Knight…small discord?”

“You live in the countryside, so you might not fully grasp how much your crops have caused a sensation.”

“Of course. I’ve only heard about it.”

“It’s more impressive than expected. Embarrassingly, the crops grown from the seeds you gave us failed. That raised your value even higher. In such circumstances, it’s natural for wolves to come running when a common farmer holds such treasures.”

“Has the rumor spread?”

“That’s one way to look at it. Although no one dared to touch you due to our royal transaction, we discovered that one of the knights who accompanied us here sold the information for money and position. Unfortunately, by the time we found out, it was already too late.”

“So my address was revealed.”

I chuckled bitterly. While I can’t undo what’s been done, it leaves a lingering sense of regret.

“To be honest, when such incidents occur, dealing with the main perpetrator usually suffices, and we don’t pay much attention to the aftermath. There was only a little compensation.”

His words were quite shocking. Is this how medieval responsibility avoidance works? I didn’t expect even the royal palace to act this way.

“However, if it’s a command from the princess-to-be, the story changes. Especially when it involves a skillful individual who created an irreplaceable trend.”

Here too, skill supremacy reigns. The value of high ability remains unchanged, it seems.

Then Garim tapped the carriage behind him twice.

Soldiers in light armor emerged from within, around eight in number. They stood expressionlessly in front of me.

“Since protection and observation were requested, I’ve brought a small detachment of guards accordingly.”

They looked fairly reliable, though I still worried if they’d suffice for defense.

But considering they’re doing something, I accepted it.

“Thank you.”

“We should return to the topic of trade now. Is the quantity sufficient?”

“Yes.”

“By any chance, do you have any autumn specialties? The princess specifically asked me to inquire.”

“Unfortunately, nothing special. Just wheat and rice.”

“Wheat and rice…”

“They haven’t fully grown yet.”

“Understood. If you experience any inconvenience, please let us know. We can offer assistance as needed.”

“Sure. Please take care on your way back.”

“And when you have time, visit the capital. The princess wishes to see you again.”

“Got it.”

“I’ll take my leave now. Take care of yourself.”

With that, the deal concluded, and Garim left. I felt a bit uneasy.

If I were granted a noble title, would such issues cease?

Honestly, safeguarding myself isn’t the problem.

What concerns me are the people precious to me, the spirits, and Suri.

If something happens while I’m absent, it would deeply upset me.

Like the situation just now. If a noble named Cardoni had visited while I was gone, just imagining it makes me feel uneasy.

In that sense, these measures were indeed welcome, albeit ironically provided by them.

Eight soldiers.

Their expressions lacked enthusiasm.

Fair enough, being dragged from the royal palace to such a rural area would naturally dampen anyone’s motivation.

In that case, perhaps I should give them a small incentive to work harder.

“Would you like some snacks?”

“Pardon?”

“I have some leftover fruits.”

I pulled out two fruit gift sets from my bag and handed them to the soldiers. Clumsily receiving them with stiff movements, they blinked dumbly.

“Eat and keep working. I’ll share leftovers with you whenever I have them.”

It was a kind of bribe, aimed at fostering good relations and subtly asking for favorable treatment.

“Could this be…the one that’s popular in the royal palace…?”

“If you’re referring to what I sell, yes.”

“Wow! Thank you!”

“Me too! Me too!”

“Quiet!”

The sluggish sloth-like group instantly transformed into an energetic team. Constant talk of trends—though I’ve only heard about it—the impact was surprising. Witnessing it firsthand felt different.

“Please take care of us going forward.”

“Not at all. We should thank you!”

“Absolutely! We’ll guard diligently!”

Their newfound spirited responses made me bow in gratitude. Small gifts had made a big difference.

This gives me some peace of mind. Even if I’m absent for a while, it’ll be alright.

Between the forest, mines, and dungeons, the time I spend away will gradually increase.

Without safety measures, I couldn’t venture far. This arrangement brings considerable reassurance.

Even if their skills aren’t exceptional, the mere name of being directly affiliated with the royal palace will deter many from causing trouble.

Originally, fights often rely more on reputation and authority rather than complete annihilation.

“Woah.”

“Ah, this is why…”

As the soldiers marveled over the fruits, I felt proud. Thinking about it, I needed to select guests for tomorrow’s sea bream feast. With eight people here, it dawned on me that inviting these unfamiliar faces for a modest meal might be better than creating subtle distinctions within the village.

Maxim alone should be invited, and the rest filled by these soldiers. Of course, Anne and Evangelin were always fixed attendees.

“Would you like to join me for dinner tomorrow if you’re not busy?”

“Do you mean all of us?”

“Yes.”

“Four of us can’t leave our posts, so it’s difficult.”

“In shifts then. Eat and switch places.”

“Ah, understood. We’ll do that.”

“Alright. I’ll inform you closer to dinner time.”

Having saved myself the task of selecting guests by visiting the village, I noticed the soldiers’ expressions brightened.

Concluding the short conversation, I headed to the mine for work. Effortless mining continued. Without any strain, I spent the day anticipating the taste of the moonlight sea bream.

Just before evening, I invited Maxim to the beach. Hearing about the new fish, he eagerly accepted my invitation like bait biting onto a hook. Maxim truly lives half-crazed for fishing.

Then I visited Anne’s shop.

Ting!

The bell rang announcing my entrance.

“Welcome!”

Anne’s cheerful voice naturally brought a smile to my face.

“I’m here.”

“Minho?”

“Yeah.”

“What brings you here?”

“For tomorrow’s dinner. I came to invite you.”

“Sure! I’ll come.”

“Huh?”

“Tomorrow, I’ll close my shop and stay at home with Evangelin, right?”

“It’s fine either way. Do you mind?”

“Nope! It’s my shop after all.”

“Alright.”

“Hehe.”

Anne casually linked her arm through mine. Her sneaky approach made me chuckle.

“Let’s go home!”

“Huh?”

“Let’s go home like this!”

“To my place?”

“Yeah!”

Her hamster-like cuddling made me laugh as we walked home together.

On the way, she chattered about various topics: recent events, her preferences in flower scents, beautiful combinations of flowers, which flowers bloom in autumn, and their meanings.

Anne’s voice was pleasant to listen to. Rather than finding it noisy, I admired her diligence and dedication.

Walking along like this, we soon reached my house.

The evening aroma wafted out as food was being prepared.

“Smells delicious.”

Anne stuck out her tongue slightly, revealing her anticipation. Evangelin’s cooking is always delicious.

Enjoying a happy evening, Evangelin and Anne eventually returned to their respective homes. The day came to an end. Wrapping myself in blankets, I lay down on the bed.

Despite the eventful day,

it was, as always, a happy one.

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