Episode 25

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Once we got back to the farm, there was plenty to do.

First things first—I grilled some premium Korean beef tenderloin!

“So good….”

It had been ages since I’d had Korean beef, and it was good enough to bring tears to my eyes. The meat melted in my mouth, seasoned just right with salt and pepper.

“Eat a lot. It’s amazing, right?”

“Yes, it’s even better because you grilled it yourself for me, Master.”

“Good. Don’t hold back—dig in!”

He was the only worker on our farm, and our bodyguard(?) to boot, so I had to make sure he was well fed. I piled his plate high with meat.

After we’d eaten our fill, I gave the house a thorough cleaning, topped off the hay in the rabbit hutch, and made the rounds of the vegetable garden.

A notification floated up, letting me know it would take about four more hours before the next batch of strawberries was ready to harvest.

And then—

‘Purify!’

I purified some more of the nearby land, and the area available for planting expanded dramatically.

I ran my hand through the soft, dark-brown soil, happily pondering what I should plant there next.

‘Maybe something pricey this time? Or play it safe….’

For reference, here’s how many coins I’d accumulated so far.

After coming back to the farm and knocking out a bunch of small quests, I’d built it back up to that amount.

I kept wondering when I’d finally hit 5,000 coins and open the hidden shop, but honestly, I wasn’t all that worried.

The system wasn’t going to let Muriel die, after all.

And besides, there were still eighty-seven days left.

‘Still, sooner is better…. In that case, System, give me a quest.’

The moment I demanded it, a ding! rang out and the system popped up a window.

‘Potion ingredients…?’

Out of nowhere—why a potion?

Could this be… foreshadowing for something that was about to happen?

Potions, by nature, were medicines adventurers stocked up on before tackling dungeons or going on monster extermination runs.

Sometimes just one or two. Sometimes dozens.

Some adventurer guilds even placed bulk orders in the hundreds for their members.

‘That’s why alchemists raked in the cash. The famous ones made even more.’

In the original story, too… when was it again? I couldn’t remember the exact date, but one day, out of the blue, a dungeon had appeared in the Winterberg territory.

Raul had ordered hundreds of potions back then.

‘But that event only happens after Muriel’s exile is over….’

So why were the signs that preceded a dungeon’s appearance—monsters growing more violent—showing up so early?

‘This quest is suspicious, too.’

Out of nowhere, it tells me to gather potion ingredients.

…What, am I going to get an alchemy skill next?

I stared hard at the status window, but no answer came. It was definitely pulling its usual ‘not telling you’ routine.

‘Fine. Whatever… I’ll find out eventually.’

I didn’t know what kind of grand design the system was working toward, but all I could do was what I’d always done—handle what was in front of me.

The next morning.

“…….”

Along with the D-day alert that unfailingly brightened my mornings, an ominous message abruptly popped up across the ceiling.

“Ha….”

I pressed a hand to my forehead and let out a deep sigh.

The system’s at it again.

‘No, I don’t want to make my name known. Even if I have to reveal myself someday, now isn’t the time.’

Moments like this made it hard to tell whether the system was helping me—or shoving me straight into hardship and adversity. Maybe it was doing both.

‘I’ll pass on a high-profile life, thank you very much, dear System god.’

I flicked my hand and dismissed the status window. Scowling, I stepped out of the room, and Lycian—who was cleaning the living room—looked over at me with a puzzled expression.

“Did you have a nightmare? You don’t look so good.”

“Mm… something like that. You didn’t forget we’re heading into the forest this morning, right?”

“Of course not. I’ve already prepared the lunch boxes and all the necessary tools.”

“So thorough….”

No doubt about it—his MBTI definitely had a J in there.

At this point, Lycian almost felt like the butler of the house. A fox butler with a bad habit of overstepping.

I let out a soft chuckle and, out of habit, ruffled his hair in praise.

“Good job. Wrap up the cleaning and let’s eat breakfast.”

“…Yes, Master.”

A faint blush bloomed on Lycian’s cheeks as he dipped his head. For a moment, it almost looked like a lush fox tail was swaying behind his back.

After a hearty breakfast—

The first thing I did was harvest the crops that had finished growing.

“Wow, they look great.”

Potatoes, tomatoes, strawberries, eggplants.

Planning to keep them fresh, I placed the baskets straight into my inventory.

That way, instead of counting as individual vegetables, they counted as one basket each, making it easy to store large quantities.

See? Just like that.

‘No worries about food for a while.’

I let out a satisfied little laugh. A gentle breeze brushed past, and my mood was as bright as the sunshine overhead.

Around nine o’clock, we set off for the forest.

Lycian stayed close at my side, the familiar “special supply”—a sacred sword—gripped in his hand.

For the record, I’d assigned Ninabel to guard the house. If monsters invaded the farm while Lycian and I were gone, it would be a disaster.

—Maaasterrr… hurry back soooon…. Nini’s so lonely without you by her side…. Waaahhh~!

The spirit bombarded me with telepathy every ten seconds, driving me insane. Finally fed up, I snapped back at her sharply.

‘Unless it’s an emergency, don’t talk to me. If you keep crying and whining, I’ll stuff you into a kettle and boil you.’

—Y-you’re so meeean~!! How can you say something so cruel…! But Nini still loves you, Master…! I’ll follow you forever!!

She’s completely unhinged…. I shook my head in disbelief.

Had it been about an hour since we entered the forest?

With nothing to show for it and my energy starting to flag, a status window suddenly popped up in midair.

“…….”

A guide… no, more like a GPS? Either way, the system’s directions were a huge help.

Following its instructions, we really did find an herb cluster.

“Oh.”

Nestled among densely packed trees was a small clearing, maybe about 5 pyeong total.

Centered around an old stump, green-leafed plants sprouted in a tight cluster.

…That’s right. These herbs weren’t dark purple—they weren’t contaminated!

Ding!

Right on cue, a notification chimed as the system popped up another window.