The festival in the Great Garden was reaching its peak.
A Merfolk saw an opportunity and approached our table.
Upon seeing him, Baek Seonwoo acknowledged him.
– Hello.
“Oh? We meet again!”
– I am Maron. It is a pleasure to meet the rest of you as well.
He was the Merfolk who had helped prepare the ingredients when they were brewing the Elixir with The Elder in the Medicine Room.
– Here, why don’t you have a taste of this?
He handed over a liquor bottle that shimmered with a blue light.
After eating here for a while, I had naturally become accustomed to drinking straight from the bottle rather than using a glass.
Since the surrounding area was already filled with seawater, using a glass would cause the drink to mix with the water instantly.
“What is this?”
– It is called ‘Tears of the Ocean.’ It is a liquor made from seaweed that grows only in the deep Sea.
I knew that alcohol was usually made from agricultural products like fruit or grain.
But liquor made from seaweed… it piqued my curiosity.
I opened the cap and brought it to my mouth before the trapped air could escape.
The salty yet sour taste of seaweed spread through my mouth, accompanied by a deep, rich fragrance of the Sea.
Despite being made of seaweed, it had a clean finish with absolutely no fishy aftertaste.
I swallowed it down just like that.
“Kaaaaah!”
It was a powerful sensation, like a wave crashing.
As the first sip traveled down my throat, a stinging sensation mixed with a refreshing coolness was transmitted through me.
It felt as if I had drunk an incredibly strong carbonated drink that was sour and salty without being sweet.
As if a cold energy was seeping deep into my body, it turned into a chilled ripple that stirred through my entire being, clearing my mind.
To think there was a liquor that woke your senses the more you drank it.
“Brother, what does it taste like?”
“H-How is it?”
Everyone seemed to be waiting to hear my review before trying it, their eyes sparkling in anticipation.
“Uh… it’s a very unique taste. Everyone, take a sip. You’ll have a strange experience.”
The others also picked up liquor bottles and began to chug.
‘First, they’ll be surprised by the taste and fragrance.’
The eyes of my companions grew wide at the same time, as if they had made a pact.
(May we drink some as well, Master?)
Ddakkongi and Little Pepper asked with glowing eyes.
However, the Peanut Guardians were children who had only been born recently.
“Not you guys. I’ll let you drink when you become adults. Maron, would there happen to be any drinks suitable for children?”
– Of course. They may drink anything except for the Tears of the Ocean.
(We are curious too-chu! We want to drink the Tears of the Ocean-chu!)
“Uh-uh. Kids, stay out of this. Go drink some juice.”
The Peanut Guardians looked dejected, but rules were rules.
‘Ah! I missed it!’
I had missed the others’ reactions while talking to the Peanut Guardians.
They would definitely be surprised by the taste and scent first, and then surprised again by the new sensation.
‘Now’s the timing for them to be startled.’
A few people shuddered, perhaps feeling the unexpected wave surging through their throats just as I had.
Jinsu was gulping down the Tears of the Ocean as if it went down smoothly.
It was still alcohol, but since he was an adult, he would manage his own intake, right?
“Kwah~ this is basically just juice?!”
(Master! Can I drink it too-chu! You said juice was okay-chu!)
“Brother Minho said you can’t. If I get caught, I’ll get in trouble too.”
I could hear the two of them whispering.
Little Pepper had a look of shock on his face, as if he felt betrayed by Jinsu, whom he had trusted.
“Wow, this is amazing!”
Baek Seonwoo marveled.
“The taste is exactly what one associates with the Sea, but how on earth did you make it go down like this?”
“I feel like the fatigue of the day is being washed away. In fact, I feel refreshed.”
Maron, who had been quietly watching our reactions with amusement, explained.
– You must not be fooled by that feeling. If you drink excessively because of that clear-headed feeling, you will lose consciousness in an instant. And when the next day comes, you will shed tears because you cannot remember what you did. That is why it is called the Tears of the Ocean.
I thought it was called Tears of the Ocean because it was made from ingredients from the Sea, but that wasn’t it at all.
No sooner had Maron finished his explanation than the table shook once with a thud!
“Ka, Kasia?”
In the direction of the sound, Kasia was fallen asleep with her head slammed against the table.
Looking at her bottle, it was almost empty.
She had finished it all before even hearing Maron’s explanation.
I had momentarily forgotten.
That Elves were incredibly bad at handling alcohol.
“Oh dear. She said she really wanted to see the celebratory performance that’s about to start.”
Since he said her memory would be wiped, I planned to try waking her a few times, and if she didn’t get up, I’d just let her sleep.
– Haha, I shall take my leave now.
Suddenly, Maron stood up with awkward movements and quickly made his escape.
While I was wondering about it, Sailun approached.
It seemed he had safely escorted the Dragon King back to the Royal Chamber.
– Everyone, are you enjoying the festival?
“Yes! Sailun, these Tears of the Ocean have a truly mysterious taste!”
At that, Sailun gave a gentle smile.
– The Tears of the Ocean is the pride of our Merfolk. It is called the Tears of the Ocean because it is said that drinking this liquor can soothe any sorrow. Hm? Why are your expressions like that?
Maron definitely said it was called Tears of the Ocean because people cry after their memory is wiped…?
I wondered whose words were correct.
– Did Maron say that? Phew, that fellow is as mischievous as he is curious. His pranks can be excessive at times… I will make sure to give him a warning later. To play such a prank on our benefactors.
“So the name was a lie. But his explanation seems to be correct?”
Minjun tilted his head and pointed at Kasia.
– …Why is that lady lying face down? The performance is about to begin.
“She drank a whole bottle and her memory’s gone.”
– Oh dear. Still, it is not a liquor that causes hangovers, so it should be fine.
Sailun looked at Kasia with pitying eyes.
I heard from him that there hadn’t been a festival like this since the Dragon King fell ill.
That meant this was a festival performance the Merfolk had been waiting for for a long time.
He said they would work even harder to show us since their expectations were so high.
While enjoying the drinks with Sailun, a spray of water suddenly erupted from the center of the Great Garden.
From within it, dozens of multicolored fish appeared and began to perform a magnificent group dance.
“Wow, how did you train the fish?”
– …Those are Merfolk. They have transformed into the appearance of fish called Starlight Fish. Starlight Fish have the Ability to emit light from their bodies, and because they look like starlight when seen at night, they are called Starlight Fish.
The Starlight Fish moved like a single organism, creating various shapes.
At times they took the shape of a massive whale, then instantly transformed into the figure of a jellyfish.
It was like watching a drone show in the night sky.
As the performance reached its climax, dozens of dolphins joined in.
The dolphins moved freely among the Starlight Fish, showcasing acrobatic feats.
They soared high to perform somersaults and then grazed past the audience, leaving us completely mesmerized.
“Wow…”
Our group could only let out exclamations, unable to close our mouths.
Sailun smiled, seemingly satisfied with our reaction.
“This is the very beauty of our Sea. Seeing a sight like this makes one forget the hardships of the past.”
As the performance neared its end, the dolphins and Starlight Fish merged into one to create the shape of a dragon.
At that moment, the Great Garden was filled with thunderous applause.
***
I felt like I was perfectly fine when I entered my room yesterday, but when I opened my eyes, it was already now.
Last night’s events felt like a dream.
Fortunately, there really was no hangover.
As I waited in the hall, the others began to gather one by one as they woke up.
Then, the Merfolk filled the table with various dishes.
And the Dragon King appeared and sat at the head of the long dining table.
His dignified presence was overwhelming, but we felt a bit closer to him now.
– My friends, I hear you are leaving today.
The title the Dragon King used to address us had changed before I knew it.
From ‘You’ to ‘Friends.’
This change was evidence that his perception of us had shifted in his heart.
We had become true comrades who shared memories, going beyond just being neighbors of the Donghae.
“Yes. We intend to return to Earth now. There are many things we must do back there. We’ve already spent three days here.”
The Dragon King nodded, his eyes filled with deep regret.
– It is a pity. To think you are leaving behind this Sea, which has become even more beautiful by slaying that thing.
I felt that regret as well.
Leaving behind this beautiful Dragon Palace and the Sea was by no means an easy task.
“We feel the regret as well. We have had invaluable experiences here that we will never forget.”
It certainly had been an amazing experience.
Seeing mysterious Marine Life, curing the Dragon King’s illness, and even fighting a giant monster.
Who else in the world could have had such an experience?
We were able to make our Yudae even tighter by going through these things together.
But despite that, the fact that we had to return to Earth remained unchanged.
– Phew.
The Dragon King nodded as if he understood our hearts.
“My friends, I swear that no matter what difficult situation befalls you, I will never turn a blind eye. When you require assistance, I will not spare any support that I can provide.”
His words were solemn and sincere.
The Dragon King’s words were not just a promise, but a vow.
Wherever we were, whatever crisis struck, we had now become companions of the Dragon Palace who could stand together.
“Thank you. We also consider the Merfolk to be precious comrades.”
Everyone nodded their heads.
By risking our lives in battle together, we had become brothers-in-arms.
“My friends,” the Dragon King added. “This Sea will always welcome you. The gates of this Dragon Palace will also always be open to you.”
For some, it was a journey for the purpose of travel; for others, an adventure to fulfill a Merfolk’s request.
But in the end, we saved the Dragon King and, furthermore, saved the Merfolk and this Sea.
Now it was time to return to our daily lives.
As a Farmer rather than an adventurer, and to the Farmland rather than the battlefield.
***
Seira escorted us along with the Merfolk on behalf of Sailun, who was staying by the Dragon King’s side.
Whether it was because we had the Sea God Stone or because we knew the destination clearly, the way back didn’t feel as far as I expected.
– Thank you for everything, Minho.
Seira bowed her head and offered her gratitude.
It seemed she had learned how to greet us by watching us.
“Thank you for giving us such a precious experience.”
At that, the Merfolk floating nearby spoke up, unable to contain themselves.
– Make sure to come visit! Are we not brothers-in-arms!
– That’s right! We will be waiting for you in this Donghae anytime!
We responded with smiles.
“We’ll definitely come back to play next time!”
As we grew distant, Jinsu waved his hand vigorously and shouted.
“Ohh! Brothers-in-arms! I hope there’s a day we can fight together again!”
Soon, the Sea vanished from our sight.
Only now did it feel real.
That the travel-like adventure had ended.
All that remained was to take the car and go home.
‘The date… right. Only two hours have passed here.’
An otherworldly dimension where time flows at a different rate.
Now that I thought about it, wasn’t this like the room of time and spirit from the cartoons?
Wouldn’t it be great if I used this well?
If I made Korean Kimchi and stored it in the other world, the fresh kimchi would ripen quickly, and I could easily make everything from Baechu Kimchi and sour kimchi to aged kimchi in no time.
The same would go for other fermented foods!
Or wouldn’t it grow much faster if I started a Farmland in the other world?
The Elves who decided to do Nongsa could handle the soil conditions.
So I just needed to devise a way to provide water at the right time.
The Rapid Growth already makes things grow fast, but what if they grew even faster so I could harvest them immediately?
“Hehehe. This is huge.”
As I was lost in happy imagination, I felt the gaze of those around me.
When I snapped back to reality, everyone was looking at me with strange eyes.
“Huh? Why?”
– Just what are you thinking? You were grinning far too lecherously.
“Minho… you looked a little like a pervert!”
“What?!”
Calling a Farmer who was only thinking about doing Nongsa a pervert!
When I told them what I was thinking, their eyes sparkled.
“It would be great to train in the other world, wouldn’t it?”
I was about to say something to Minjun, who only thought about training, but the others’ words cut me off.
“Oh! Boss, Eliya would be great!”
“There are Monsters and time flows slowly. I think it’s good.”
Jinsu, Janghyun, and even Suyeon nodding her head…
Ugh, you training nuts.
At least I still have Kasia and Baek Seonwoo!
“Can’t you take me too? It would be great to take research that takes a long time through the Portal to shorten the time!”
Damn.
I forgot the fact that Baek Seonwoo was crazy about research.
Then, the situation was settled with one word from Kasia.
– You still age there, you know?
“Ah?”
***
I returned home.
First, I laid my exhausted body down on the bed.
‘Should I check it now?’
There were notifications that had popped up during the battle with the Starfish.
Time had passed so hectically afterward that I had forgotten about them.
[ ‘Kasia’ and ‘Park Janghyeon’, who successfully launched a powerful attack by linking techniques as comrades-in-arms in battle, achieve Sympathy. ]
[ Achieving Sympathy with ‘Park Janghyeon’. ]
[ Great Achievement! You have connected those who could not communicate to speak without any sense of discord! ]
[ The innate Ability ‘Sympathy’ becomes one level stronger. ]
One can share their heart and communicate with living beings other than themselves.
Minimum Affinity with the species you have achieved Sympathy with increases.
* Yudae: It is possible to connect those under Sympathy so they can communicate with each other.
* Resonation: A relationship of trust is established between targets where Yudae is applied.
* Sharing: You can partially share stats or Skills with a target under Sympathy.
* Interpretation: It is possible to connect even targets you are not currently under Sympathy with so that they can communicate.