Chapter 8: Preparing the Perfect Gift

“Phew… I almost died.”

Rushing back to the Floating Island, I tried to calm my racing heart.

Dorori looked at me with concern.

“Chirp.”

“Thanks, Dorori. You saved me.”

I gently patted Dorori’s neck.

“Fabir, you’re back sooner than expected.”

Elenia flew over with a whoosh and then widened her eyes.

“What?! Are you hurt?”

“What?”

I looked down at my right arm. 

There was a scratch I hadn’t noticed before.

The wound was deep, with flesh torn and blood dripping.

Elenia flew off somewhere and returned with mashed herbs.

“Ow, that stings…”

“Stay still. I can’t apply it properly if you move.”

Elenia carefully spread the herbs on the wound, sighing heavily with each application, clearly upset.

“How did this happen? Did you fall in the forest?”

Fuming, I vented to Elenia.

“Here’s the thing. I just went to look at a pretty flower, and an elf shot an arrow at me out of nowhere!”

“Is that true?”

“They even pointed an arrow right at my face! If Dorori hadn’t shown up, who knows what would’ve happened.”

“To think you went through such a ridiculous ordeal… I’m sorry. I was too hasty sending you to the elf forest over maple syrup.”

Elenia’s voice lacked strength. 

Her wings drooped, and she looked like she might cry.

Wow, she’s softer than I thought.

“It’s not your fault. That stubborn elf is the problem. They wouldn’t believe me no matter how much I explained.”

Thinking about it again made my blood boil. 

If I say I didn’t do it, shouldn’t they at least listen?

“Ugh! They called me a thief? Huff…”

“Calm down. Forget about the seed and let’s find another way to build the house.”

“No way, I can’t let this go!”

“What do you mean? You’re going back after that humiliation?”

“They called me a thief! I’m going back to make them apologize!”

To think they called me, someone who’s lived honestly, a thief?

Even when I went hungry, I never did anything shameful.

This was a matter of my beliefs and pride.

And to top it off, they tried to shoot me with an arrow after accusing me.

I’ll walk back into that elf forest with my head held high, no matter what.

“You’re really mad, aren’t you? Well, after such disgrace, it’s understandable.”

“Exactly! I can’t rest easy feeling this wronged! I’m not backing down!”

“So, what’s your plan?”

“Hmm… How do I make them apologize? Should I just storm in and confront them?”

“Can you take on all those elves alone? It won’t just end with arrows if you do that.”

“Ahem, I was just saying.”

I twisted my lips. 

Elenia landed on my shoulder and patted it gently.

“Don’t act rashly. How about approaching it calmly?”

“Got any good ideas?”

“Start by clearing up the misunderstanding.”

“How? They wouldn’t listen to a word I said.”

Elves are as stubborn as they say. This situation proved it.

Elenia shrugged.

“You reached for a flower, right? From their perspective, it might’ve looked suspicious.”

“Ahem… So?”

I tilted my head, and Elenia grinned.

“If words don’t work, show them through actions. Prove you’re not there to steal herbs.”

“Through actions? You mean make it clear I’m there to trade, not steal?”

“Exactly. And to propose a trade, you need something that’ll catch their interest.”

“Something appealing…”

“The more you pique their interest, the more likely they’ll listen to your proposal.”

Rushing in blindly would just repeat today’s disaster.

As Elenia said, I need to bring something that grabs their attention.

“The problem is, I don’t have anything like that.”

Elves see gold and silver as mere rocks. 

Their sense of value is far different from humans’.

“Why not?”

Elenia pointed to the fields and continued.

“You have your crops, don’t you?”

“Crops?”

“Yes. You have crops grown on the Floating Island with Dragon Dung.”

“What? You’re joking, right?”

I chuckled, but Elenia’s expression was serious.

I asked again, confused.

“Are you serious? The forest is full of food. And I heard elves are gourmet connoisseurs. Would they care about mere Potatoes?”

I shrugged, but Elenia replied confidently.

“They’ll definitely be interested. I guarantee it.”

“Even so… Potatoes are a bit…”

Could crops grown on the Floating Island with Dragon Dung really catch the elves’ interest with just Potatoes?

“If you’re not confident with Potatoes alone, plant something more special.”

“Something special?”

“To them, the rarer the plant, the more valuable it is.”

A more unique crop might indeed spark their interest.

Rather than just Potatoes, bringing a variety would increase my chances.

“Alright! I’ll prepare thoroughly and show them! And I’ll get that apology!”

Clenching my fists, I dove into preparations to make them pay for my humiliation.

***

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“I’m the one thankful for such fine crops. Get back safely.”

After delivering crops to the inn, I headed to the Village market. 

With a full purse, my steps felt lighter.

“Let’s see, clothes to change into, eggs… Oh, and bread. And…”

I bought some necessities at the market and stopped by a seed shop.

“Hmm, what would be good…”

I pondered what crops to grow for the elves. 

I needed something to satisfy their gourmet tastes.

I saw tomatoes, pumpkins, corn, and peas—common crops.

Like Potatoes, these were vital for commoners’ tables but likely not enough to impress elves.

“Hmm… Nothing really stands out.”

I moved to a fruit stall. 

Apples and flat peaches caught my eye.

The glossy fruits made my mouth water.

“Oh, I can’t resist. One apple, please.”

“One copper.”

I rubbed the apple on my shirt to clean it and took a bite.

Crunch!

A sweet taste spread in my mouth with a crisp sound. 

The fresh apple aroma was invigorating.

“So refreshing!”

Fruits are pricier and more marketable than field crops. 

Sweet fruits are perfect on their own without cooking.

But the elf forest probably has tastier fruits. 

I’d heard the vast forest in the continent’s center is overflowing with variety.

Sadly, ordinary human fruits wouldn’t catch their attention.

Step step.

I kept browsing other stalls, but nothing stood out.

“It’s gotten late already.”

Should I head back for today?

Unable to make a decision, I walked toward the forest to meet Dorori.

Step step.

Deep in the forest, I spotted something.

“Huh? That’s…!”

A familiar red fruit caught my eye.

“Today’s my lucky day.”

Wild strawberries.

I instinctively picked one and popped it into my mouth.

“Mmm!”

The sweet-tart juice tingled my tongue, filling my mouth with vibrant freshness.

Wild strawberries never get old. 

There’s just never enough of them.

“Wait a sec…”

A spark lit in my mind.

Wouldn’t wild strawberries, with their low yield, pique some interest?

They’d surely stir the elves’ appetites more than field crops.

“This could be a great product.”

Wild strawberries have low yields, but not on the Floating Island. 

Their fast growth means I could harvest them repeatedly.

“A shovel! I need a shovel!”

I rushed back to the Village, bought a shovel, and carefully started digging up the strawberry bush.

Dig dig.

The ground was rockier than the Floating Island’s, but my growing strength made it no issue.

“Chirp!”

As I finished, Dorori flew in.

“Have you seen any other strawberry bushes around? A few more would be great.”

“Chirp!”

“You did? Lead the way.”

***

With Dorori’s help, I dug up five more strawberry bushes and returned to the Floating Island.

Elenia saw the uprooted bushes and asked,

“Why’d you pull up perfectly good trees? Use dead ones for firewood.”

“These aren’t for firewood. They’re new crops to grow.”

I dug holes on the hillside and planted the saplings in a row, watering them evenly from the well.

“Eat lots and bear plenty of fruit.”

Elenia flew over and inspected the saplings closely.

“You’re growing wild strawberries?”

“Yeah. I think the elves will like them.”

“Good choice. But there’s a problem.”

“A problem? What?”

“To bear fruit, they need pollination, but sadly, there are no insects on the Floating Island.”

I tilted my head.

“Why not? You’re here.”

“What does that…?”

Elenia stared at me blankly, then bristled.

“I’m not a butterfly, I’m a fairy!”

“Don’t you like honey?”

“I’m a Guardian… H-honey?”

“And wild strawberries are super sweet, right?”

Elenia’s ears perked up, intrigued. She didn’t hesitate long.

“Ahem, fine. I’ll personally help them bear fruit. Not because I want honey or strawberries.”

“Thanks. I’m counting on you.”

If Elenia eats the flower’s nectar, it’ll naturally pollinate and bear fruit.

“Where did I put my honey jar? Should I get a new one?”

“You’re that excited?”

“Ahem, who’s excited? I’m just preparing tools since it’s been a while since I collected honey.”

“Oh, really?”

Pfft.

Her enthusiasm was cute, and I let out a small laugh.

How delicious would wild strawberries grown with Dragon Dung on the Floating Island be?

I was thrilled with anticipation.