“We-we did it!!” A man shouted as he just pulled out a pink-colored circular plant from the ground. The original name was hard to pronounce, so the people changed the name to ‘pink radish’ instead.
“See? It’s exactly like the picture!”
“Right! It’s also the right size… oh, look here! We have one here too!”
People gasped in astonishment as they pulled out pink radishes from all over the field.
“Let’s see…”
The man dusted off the dirt with his clothes and took a bite. It was very soft even when it was still raw. It tasted like corn and sweet potato mixed together. The man handed it over to his friends. The others seemed to be overjoyed by the taste also.
“It’s good! It’s really good!”
“I heard we don’t eat it raw… but it seems to be okay as it is.”
“Yeah. It kinda feels like biting on an unpeeled orange, but then it feels like an onion too…”
“This is great!”
People were happy not only because of the taste of the pink radish. For the past three weeks, they had been putting in their hard work into raising this pink radish on an expanded field. They were used to raising new types of plants, but this pink radish wasn’t a Bermuran crop.
It was from the seeds that he bought from the Merchant’s world. They had knowledge and information about how to raise it and what it would look like when fully grown, but the experience wasn’t the same like when they were taught by the Bermurans.
In the end, they succeeded. The ground that could grow any crop within one or two days allowed them plenty of chances to test things through trial and error.
“Did you record the process this time? Let’s bring it up to the Mayor!”
“We have to bring it to the cooking team too.”
“Let’s finish harvesting first.”
It wasn’t only the pink radish. The expanded farm was wide as the previous farmland and all of it had new crops waiting to be harvested successfully. Dohyuk brought back one in his bag.
They had enough food already. Crops from the Bermurans were flourishing and they had more than enough as of now. The only downside was that it didn’t taste good, but nobody complained. They were thankful for what they had already.
Yet, Dohyuk wasn’t happy with it.
Before he returned to his world from the Merchant’s world…
“The food you’ve been eating,” Dohyuk spoke more politely than ever. “I want to bring that to my world. All of the ingredients, and the cooking recipes too.”
“…Hmm.”
Emmanoel narrowed her eyes.
“If you want, I can deliver them. If we can trade coins…”
“That’s not enough.”
“Didn’t you say you wanted the food?”
She laughed, but Dohyuk was determined.
“Just purchasing food after food by using coins… I’m not talking about saving money here. I want our people to some day-to-day work that they can enjoy doing. Just like your people.”
“…!
With the city stabilized, the required labor was now very minimal. Everyone was busy doing stuff and they wanted to work anything they could. The problem was when they were resting. There was emptiness amongst people taking rests. However, not all had the same problem as some enjoyed board games while some enjoyed heavy discussions about fighting skills they’d acquired during the day.
But not everyone was into that sort of stuff.
“Feeling the taste… expecting it… and feeling joy in making such food… it was filled with that sort of stuff back then.”
“And you want it back by borrowing the culture from another world?”
“I know I’m being hopeful. It might not work. They might not be interested in it.”
At the very least, he could give it a try.
“I would need permission from the owner first though.”
“Hmmmm.”
“If you want coins, I can pay it up front.”
“It’s not only the food you want to buy from me, isn’t it?”
“…If I’m allowed.”
For example, what about the linen that made up the clothes of the people from this world? How about threaded embroidery? The sewing technique was probably related to the tent they reside in also. If they could create such flexible items, it would help their outside activities also.
“You are a greedy man, Customer.”
He wanted too much. Dohyuk wanted to prepare something to replace every aspect of their lost lives.
“Yeah, if you have coins, you can buy anything from us. That’s the only rule that’s been set for our world.”
Emma flicked her finger. Dohyuk saw the words popping up in front of him. There were some crops, how to cook them or make them into thread… and the cost.
“…”
“It’s expensive, isn’t it? I’m sure you don’t have enough right now.”
“Then…”
“You can pay it later.”
Dohyuk wasn’t expecting that at all.
“But I can’t trust 100% so… I’ll tell my kids to get the amount from you up front. But that will be a deposit. The real price you’ll be paying is…”
She flashed five fingers.
“Five Godly Items. I don’t care about the rank.”
“And the due date?”
“One year in your world’s time. But don’t worry. I know how to get my stuff back if I don’t get paid on time.”
Emma was serious. This was entirely separate from what they have been conspiring. Emma did not care about Dohyuk’s city, and Dohyuk didn’t care either.
“Sure. That will do. And… if I finish my payment, I can purchase newer goods?”
“Let’s talk about that after we finish this one.”
“…Sure.”
And Dohyuk finalized the deal. Emma might have thought she had given too little time. Five Godly Item was not going to be that easy. But it was.
In only about six months of time, Dohyuk had paid his payment in full.
The necklace looked very crude.
<<Strong-toothed Amulet– SS>>
It was a necklace made by connecting the fangs of predators, but it was a Godly Item that was kept within the region of a god.
“This too.”
Dohyuk added as he handed it over to Marie.
“It’s a payment for what I purchased from your boss, so you don’t need to give me anything.”
“I-is it?”
Marie seemed uneasy to even hold the item. Even if Dohyuk said he was paying for what he already bought, it was going to be marked as ‘acquired for free’ in her books. And this wasn’t the first time.
“This is the fifth one, right?”
“Huh? Oh- y-yes!”
“Your boss should know this already, but tell her that I’ve made the full payment. I’ll be visiting her for another transaction soon.”
“Yes.. and about the usual transaction…?”
“I’ll do that also.”
Dohyuk then pointed to the outside of the wall. It was Yuri’s job now to purchase weapons from the merchant. After the first success over at Vehume’s region, Yuri was now the team leader of the fighter teams. She was in charge of training and commanding. With that said, she also had to manage weaponry. She was after all, better at purchasing weapons than Dohyuk.
“If you go out to the city wall… nevermind. Follow me.”
“No, I can go alone…”
“No, you can’t. Just follow me.”
Marie became confused.
‘Why does he think I can’t find the way?’
It wasn’t her first time here. She didn’t get to see the outside of the wall very often, but from what she’d seen a few months ago, there wasn’t much outside the wall. There were a few farm fields and a giant metal dome…
‘Was there anything else? I think there was only land…’
She became curious but she couldn’t refuse Dohyuk’s order. Soon after, Marie’s eyes and mouth opened in shock.
“…Uh.”
“See?”
It was different. What she saw outside the city gate was different from what she remembered. It was very wide.
Very. Wide.