Chapter 12. Peanut Harvest
Kasia was standing face-to-face with the chickens.
“Kasia, what are you doing right now? Goldie, you too. What’s going on?”
- Hmph, Goldie keeps avoiding me. I don’t understand why…
(Owner! That woman’s gaze was strange. It was the look of a predator eyeing our chickens!)
“Predator?”
- No, it’s not that… I just remembered the Chicken Gangjeong I ate earlier and my mouth started watering. Ha, but! I only swallowed my saliva! I didn’t think any bad thoughts!
Goldie glared at Kasia.
I quickly ushered Kasia inside and gathered the chickens to calm them down.
“So that’s why Goldie was on guard. Well done. I’ll have a proper talk with Kasia.”
(Still, she’s the owner’s friend, so I didn’t attack. But there won’t be a next time! If something like this happens again, I won’t hold back!)
“Dependable, Goldie! Got it. You did well. Relax and rest.”
I gently petted each of the flustered chickens on the head and entered the house where Kasia was waiting.
When I opened the door, Kasia was sitting at the dining table, clutching her head with both hands.
“Kasia.”
I called her name softly. She flinched and slowly raised her head.
Her eyes were moist, as if she had been crying, and her lips trembled.
“Are you okay? What happened?”
I’m not that kind of person… It’s true. Seeing Goldie and the other chickens made me think of Chicken Gangjeong…
“I see. But thinking of Chicken Gangjeong alone isn’t something to be ashamed of…”
- I did swallow my saliva… I thought of it even though I considered them friends… I am a bad elf.
Kasia gripped her head in self-reproach and bowed her head deeply.
“This is a new feeling for you. You’ve always lived on plants. But after tasting cooked, spicy food, it left a strong impression, huh?”
- Still…
“You just need to avoid doing that next time, right? How about apologizing to the chicken friends first?”
- They’ll probably hate me. And avoid me!
“You’ve been close so far. They’ll understand. I’ll help you.”
Though over 100 years old, Kasia was still considered young among elves.
Eventually, she gave in to my persuasion and decided to apologize to the chickens.
Outside, the chickens weren’t roaming around but huddled together in the poultry house, sharing body heat.
Kasia approached the poultry house hesitantly.
- Um… guys.
As expected, the chickens became wary and gathered behind Goldie.
Goldie, showing his courage, spread both wings wide, ready to charge at any moment.
Seeing that, Kasia’s heart filled with guilt. She hesitated, then closed her eyes tightly and shouted.
“I’m sorry…! I lost my mind for a moment. It won’t happen again, so please be friends with me as before!”
Kasia bowed her head and squeezed her eyes shut.
Her clenched fists trembled.
From Kasia’s point of view, chickens were nothing more than livestock from another world.
But in the short time they had lived together, she had grown attached, and her sincerity showed.
Did the chickens feel Kasia’s genuine apology?
Goldie folded his wings and approached her.
(Alright, I’ll trust you this time. I have a duty to protect our chickens. I’ll be watching from now on.)
Goldie extended the tip of his right wing.
Squinting, Kasia cautiously reached out and clasped his wing.
Then, suddenly.
[‘Communion-Bond’ condition fulfilled. ‘Communion Resonation’ effect activated.]
The ability to share thoughts and communicate with another living being.
Affinity with the bonded species increases.
*Bond: Allows communication between bonded parties.
*Resonation: Builds trust between bonded parties.
“Huh?”
Checking the details, this wasn’t a particularly necessary ability.
Since they already shared Sympathy, a trust relationship would naturally have formed.
At least, incidents like before wouldn’t happen again.
With the small commotion between Kasia and the chickens safely resolved, I moved the bran we had brought from the Village Chief’s mill to the front of the poultry house.
‘How did I say it… put two-thirds into each sack, right?’
Using the shovel usually for manure, I filled each prepared sack two-thirds full.
Then I filled the remaining space in each sack with the bran.
“Sigh, their food is just feed, but the smell is awful. But what can I do? They’re my children.”
Watching the chickens happily bob their heads back and forth as they wandered around made me chuckle.
Keeping the poultry house clean would make them happier and healthier.
After tying the sacks tightly, I flipped and shook them gently to mix the contents well.
Preparation was complete.
Now all that was left was drying.
‘Is there a place nearby suitable for natural drying?’
Hmm…
No matter how much I thought, there was none.
And drying them in the storage wasn’t an option.
(Owner, why are you hesitating?)
“Uh, it’s nothing. Sorry.”
In the end, I decided to use a corner inside the spacious poultry house.
‘Sorry, guys. Since it’s your poop, you’ll have to deal with it.’
I moved the nests of the female chickens closer to the entrance to make space.
Goldie flapped his wings and seemed to be protesting, but what could I do?
I had to endure it.
Listening to Goldie’s unspoken protests, I finished the work, stretched, and wiped the sweat from my brow.
It seemed like nothing special, but it took quite a bit of energy.
“Phew. Finally done. I should check if the peanuts are growing well before heading in.”
I stretched and headed toward the field.
The field looked untouched, in perfect condition.
Thanks to the prior warning, the chickens hadn’t disturbed it.
“No sprouts yet, huh. I was hoping for some since I’ve been raising Rapid Growth chickens. I wonder if plants don’t have Sympathy like animals.”
- Of course not. Only a day has passed.
Kasia suddenly appeared beside me.
Her gloomy mood seemed lifted, returning to her usual dignified self.
Though, she probably hadn’t fully recovered.
“Kasia, any ideas for dinner?”
“Why do you ask?”
- Sigh. Even after what happened earlier, I keep craving Chicken Gangjeong. I keep thinking of that cold Chicken Gangjeong you said was delicious.
“Hahaha, you’re completely hooked? Just think of Chicken Gangjeong as food, and it’s fine.”
Despite having just apologized to the chickens for salivating over them, Kasia wanted Chicken Gangjeong.
But I couldn’t resist it either.
I opened the box of Chicken Gangjeong that had been sitting on the table at home.
It looked dry and stale, like it would be tough and soggy.
Kasia, who had been fidgeting behind me, reached out and grabbed a piece.
- Of…
Then she looked up at me with an expression full of disappointment.
- The crispy coating got soggy… You made me expect so much… What am I supposed to do?
“Of course, freshly fried and hot tastes best. But when it’s cold, the seasoning flavor gets stronger in a way. Try it first. It’s not bad.”
Muttering “I don’t think I’ll like it…,” Kasia slowly chewed and swallowed the piece.
She nodded after tasting it.
- Hm. I understand what you mean. The sogginess on the outside lets the sweet seasoning flavor come through more clearly. The tender meat inside is a bit drier, but it has its own taste. Still, it’s not really to my liking.
I couldn’t help but sigh at Kasia’s impression.
‘I thought Kasia would be different.’
When I said I liked cold Chicken Gangjeong before, people had ridiculed me so much.
Am I really the only one who likes cold Chicken Gangjeong?
I probably won’t recommend it again.
“Oh…? That’s too bad. Then, what do you want for dinner?”
Now that I think about it, I hadn’t thought of any other menu.
Kasia usually liked everything, so I assumed she’d like cold Chicken Gangjeong too.
- I’ll handle my own food.
Kasia came out of her room holding a small pouch woven from grass.
She had been keeping it carefully in her room since arriving here.
Proudly holding it up, Kasia pulled something out from inside the pouch.
They were plants I had never seen before in this area.
“What’s that?”
- Ah, these grow in our world. This thin, long one is called ‘Geiseu’. It’s a bit tough, but the more you chew it, the sweeter it gets, so young elves usually eat it as a snack.
“Haha, so Kasia’s still a baby carrying snacks around?”
- Hmph. What’s the problem? I’m still a young elf.
Elves reportedly live hundreds of years or more.
Once they reach a certain age, they stop counting, so no one knows their exact lifespan.
“What about those leaves? They look a bit like mugwort.”
- Mugwort? Shuk? Ssuk? This is called ‘Porti’. It has a slightly bitter taste but is very healthy, so it should be eaten regularly.
“Really? What are its benefits?”
- If you crush it and apply it to a wound, it heals quickly and scars fade gradually. Eating it directly revitalizes the whole body.
“Oh, can I see it closely?”
I took the Porti from Kasia and examined it carefully.
The roots were intact, as if freshly pulled.
- Hunters, as superhumans in combat roles, hunt monsters in dungeons and acquire loot to amass great wealth.
But despite facing many life-threatening situations, potions have yet to be commercialized, so many hunters suffer severe injuries or lose their lives.
‘If used well…
If I can cultivate Porti, it might be a huge success.’
“The roots are intact. Can we grow this here?”
- Elves only gather food through foraging and don’t know how to cultivate plants. Minho, I’ll give you two roots as a special case.
Two roots aren’t much, but it’s better than nothing.
If they grow well, they can be propagated to increase their numbers.
To be able to plant plants from another world…
Could this be the good karma returned for saving Kasia in the dungeon?
If Kasia is right and the effects occur immediately upon application, escaping poverty wouldn’t be a dream.
‘If I can grow Porti, I can even use it as a potion.’
Currently, potions are only obtained in dungeons at low rates, making them extremely expensive.
A low-grade potion costs hundreds of millions of won, mid-grade reaches billions, and high-grade potions are so rare they aren’t even traded.
No matter how high the price, their effects are priceless to hunters risking their lives fighting monsters.
“I need to plant these in the field immediately. Can we get more?”
The portal Kasia came through hadn’t closed yet.
She said it would remain open since she had to return later.
Then I have to visit there again… I’ll think it over.
Still, since it’s a request from my benefactor, I might comply.
First, I need to successfully grow these two roots.
I carefully planted the two Porti roots about three meters away from the peanut field.
The roots were weak, so if the peanuts sucked up all the nutrients, these precious roots might wither and die.
Watering Porti was added to my daily routine.
Two days later.
The peanuts sprouted.
It seemed my daily visits and kind words, along with touching the leaves, had worked.
Unexpectedly, a notification popped up.
[Peanuts – Sympathy 200% Complete]
(Condition) Plant crops with full affection – fulfilled
(Hidden Condition) Sprout using pure water free of impurities – fulfilled
200% Achievement Effect: Upon meeting the Hidden Condition, a Guardian is born.
*Initial Sympathy bonus: Peanuts undergo Rapid Growth. Additionally, one Guardian is born.
‘Pure water… That must mean water summoned by Kasia’s natural power.’
The most exciting parts were the underlined words: ‘Rapid Growth’ and ‘Guardian’.
I had already experienced Rapid Growth once with the chickens.
They grew so fast that now Goldie and the others were mature chickens laying eggs.
‘But what’s a Guardian? It says the Hidden Condition is fulfilled.’
The more I learned about Sympathy, the more mysterious it became.
I had thought it was simply about sharing feelings with something, but recent experiences proved it was far more complex.
Yet, the Guardian that was supposed to be born wasn’t visible.
No matter how much I looked around the field, besides peanut sprouts and Porti, nothing special was there.
‘Does the skill description sometimes lie? I should investigate a bit more before heading in.’
I looked around the sprouts and the Porti bed again, but still no sign.
It seemed the Guardian had not yet appeared.
In the end, I gave up looking for the Guardian and went back home.
That night.
Bang!
‘Gunfire?’
After completing my military service as a sergeant, I’m no fool.
That was definitely gunfire.
But that was strange.
There was no military base nearby.