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After a long time, I went to work early on the farm and came out to the barn where the Yakums were.
Normally, Yakums would have been scattered here and there to graze the moist grass, but today every single one of them flocked around me.
Boo wo wooo
Boo wooooooo
Boow wo woooo
“Okay, okay. Don’t push me too hard. There is still a lot of strawberries left. Hey….Don’t sneak in from back!”
I brought a lot of strawberries from the field and handed them out to Yakums one by one.
They loved strawberries so much that interest was exploding.
This small strawberry did not seem to fill Yakum’s large stomach, but it was distributed and taken care of so well that everyone could enjoy it.
If the merchants camping in Elden village knew that this many strawberries were used as food for Yakums, they would have probably screamed desperately.
Strawberries seems to have become a lucrative item in the Demon world.
But for me, it felt more rewarding and enjoyable for me to see the happy Yakums rather than the bags of gold.
Yakums, who had tasted enough strawberries, left, and finally Bighorn came to me.
As the leader of the group, Bighorn was on the look out while other Yakums ate strawberry leisurely.
“Finally your turn hard-working leader. Try the strawberries.”
I took the strawberries out of the storage and put them in a good way for Bighorn to eat.
Bighorn lowered his head and moved his tongue and took the strawberries into its mouth.
“How is it? Is it good? It’s harvested from the strawberry field I made.”
Boo woo wooo
Bighorn made a pleasant cry, perhaps because he liked the strawberry.
Seeing Bighorn satisfied, I felt more proud.
Bighorn, who emptied all the strawberries in the bowl, pushed his big head towards me.
I quickly noticed that it was not an intention to attack, but was an expression of intimacy.
“Hahaha! Bighorn…You must have really loved the strawberries.”
Bighorn also acted cute, which he don’t usually do.
I burst into laughter while enjoying the cutesy of Bighorn, which could not be seen normally.
“Since our Bighorn always have a hard time taking care of the family. I should give you a special treatment. Shouldn’t I.?”
– Boo!
I filled the bowl once again with strawberries so that Big Horn could eat more.
He acted cute to me one more time, and then turned back to the bowl of strawberries.
I stroked the head of Bighorn, who kept eating the strawberry.
The sun was over the head before I knew it, driving away the bluish energy of the dawn.
“It’s finally today.”
We finished the last harvest of the strawberry field yesterday.
The strawberries were harvested enough to make Lagos feel that the storage we had prepared was insufficient.
There was no loss of freshness or taste in large yields.
And today, I decided to sell strawberries to merchants.
According to the news, Elden village is crowded with merchants who have already arrived first.
Unlike the last time I only sold strawberries, this time, I went through a lot of trouble and finished all the preparations.
Expectations and excitement have already filled my face to see how everyone will react.
It’s been a while since I visited Elden village.
It was no longer a quiet and calm village of the past.
Small-scale buildings were under construction here and there, and the roads in the village, which were almost like soil floors, were neatly maintained.
Although the current change may not seem surprising to Andras and Alfred who came for the first time, it came as a shock to me and Lia, who had visited Elden Village before.
“ Sir Sihyeon has come to the village!”
The news of my visit spread instantaneously.
Several people gathered around the wagon after hearing the news.
“Welcome, Sir. Sihyeon”
“Look here.…Sir. Sihyeon”
From those who greeted me with ordinary greetings, there were also Beast-woman who were enthusiastic as if they had seen a celebrity.
The enthusiastic welcome of the villagers was a little embarrassing.
“Ho! Sihyeon’s popularity in the village is sky-high.”
Andras expressed admiration by looking at the reaction of the villagers.
Alfred also looked around, wondering about this situation.
However, not only good things happened.
“Strawberry Prince.”
“Strawberry Prince.! You’re gorgeous today, too.”
My face frowned as soon as I heard the nickname ‘Strawberry prince’.
And at that moment, Alfred burst into laughter.
“Pfft! Senior, Is this how they call you? Strawberry Prince? Hahaha!”
“That’s a good name for Sihyeon. I don’t think it’s bad.”
Andras nodded with a satisfied smile as if he liked the nickname ‘Strawberry Prince’.
“Is papa a strawberry Prince?”
“Ugh……”
I couldn’t answer Speranza’s innocent question next to me and only made a painful sound.
Lia smiled quietly at my agony.
Welcomed by the residents of Elden village, the carriage headed for the center of the village.
On the street, not only villagers but also merchants who appeared to be outsiders could also be seen.
“Yo! Finally, the main character is here.”
“Reville!”
Reville, approached the wagon, and Heron and Greg followed him behind.
“Welcome, brother! Sister!”
“ We were waiting for you.”
While greeting each other briefly, I noticed that there was a slight change in the costumes of the three.
“Revillele, Heron, and Greg’s clothes have changed.”
“Ummm… That’s…”
“Hehe.. Brother, listen to this. Uncle Reville became the captain of the town’s vigilante group. Hehehee”
Excited Greg proudly announced the news.
I rejoiced and congratulated him.
“Oh….. Congratulations Revillele.”
“ Urgh.…Congratulations… They forced me to do something troublesome.”
“ Hahaha….By the way, was there originally a vigilante group in the village?”
“It happened recently. As there are more guests coming from outside, there’s a lot of noise. There are many people who underestimate since its a Beast-people Village…”
My expression slightly hardened by the unpleasant story.
Reville grinned and continued.
“It’s nothing to worry about. It’s an indicator that the village has grown so much.”
“That’s right. We’ll do our best to protect the village as a vigilante.”
“Brother..! Leave the village security to us.”
Heron and Greg confidently expressed their ambition to protect the village.
Seeing them more reliable than before, I also regained my smile.
While talking, we reached the heart of the village.
There, Lagos, Ergin, and a middle aged Demon who I saw for the first time were talking to each other.
I stopped the horses and got off the wagon.
“You’re here. I was waiting for you Mr. Sihyeon.”
“ How have you been Sir. Ester?”
I briefly greeted the two people who welcomed me.
In the meantime, the middle-aged Demon who was with them sneaked up.
“Hmm.”
He coughed unnaturally, and waited.
Lagos began to introduce him.
“Oh, Mr. Sihyeon. This is Mr. Algott, a member of the Orphine Chamber of Commerce.”
“It’s an honor to meet you Sir. My name is Algott, and I head the Eastern branch of the Orphine Chamber of Commerce.”
“Yes, hello. I’m Lim Sihyeon.”
The Demon called Algott has thick horns and a thick mustache that seems to be well-managed.
Compared to Ergin, he boasted a much heavier presence.
Andras, who was standing behind me, explained in a small voice what I didn’t know.
“The Orphine Chamber of Commerce is a group of merchants on the same scale as the Golden Clock Chamber of Commerce and Eastern branch leader is a person in a pretty high position in the Chamber of Commerce.”
“Thank you, Andras!”
It seemed that there was a strange flow of air between Ergin and Algott.
Ergin was the first to bring up the subject in the awkward tension.
“Hmm, Sir. Ester. When I arrived here and listened to the villagers, I heard that the strawberry harvest was also very successful. I would like to congratulate you from the bottom of my heart.”
“Thank you, Ergin.”
“We have prepared plenty of wagons to keep strawberries fresh, believing in your success this time as well.”
While looking at the gifts he had prepared, Ergin slowly talked about the contract.
At that time, Algott interrupted Ergin and spoke.
“ Calm down Ergin. Why are you in such a hurry, if it’s about a contract, I’d love to join .”
“Oh silly Algott. You may not know this, but Sir. Ester and I already have a deep relationship, so it’s hard for you to scoop in.”
“Ergin. Did you give Sir such a tight contract? As expected from Golden clock chamber.”
Ergin’s smiling face began to crack slightly.
“Ha ha! Algott must have heard only groundless rumors while he was in the far away Eastern branch.”
“In my career as a merchant.. I have never went anywhere without accurate information? If you have that much confidence…Why don’t we talk about the strawberry contract right here to Sir. Ester?”
“Well…”
Algott stroked his gorgeous mustache and showed a confident attitude.
Ergin, on the other hand, faltered slightly, as if he had been pushed back.
“Excuse me both of you. I think you should talk to someone else about the contract.”
“….?”
“…?”
“I’ve decided to entrust Andras here with everything about the strawberry contract.”
In a sudden situation, the two merchants looked at me with a slightly disappointed look on their faces.
Regardless of their reaction, Andras, who was standing behind me, came forward.
“Hello. I’m Andras Rednell Schnarfe, and I’ll be talking on behalf of Sihyeon. I look forward to your kind cooperation.”
“Schnarpe…???”
“Ho, are you Andras, the vice chief of Germours Wizardry?”
“Yes, I am. However, I’m here to help Sihyeon regardless of my position as the vice chief, so I hope you don’t mind it.”
The two merchants looked at Andras in a very confused manner.
“Well..…you guys have fun. I have something else to do with Lagos, so I’ll be leaving first.”
I left the two merchants with Andras, and quickly left with Lagos.
I didn’t want to get involved in the painful contract story once again.
“Lagos. What happened to what I asked?”
“As you said, I gathered baking tools, ovens, and people with cooking skills.”
“Then we can prepare it right away. Lagos, can you help me unload things from the wagon?”
I left Speranza to Lia for a moment and began to unload the luggage I had prepared with Lagos and Alfred.
The children of the village who found me began to flock around.
They were the children who used to come to me to get candy from me.
I approached the cuties, lowered my posture, and looked at them.
“Are you here to get candy today?” –
Nod Nod.
“But what should I do? I didn’t bring any candy today.”
The children made a face as if the sky was collapsing when they heard, I didn’t bring any candy.
A smile formed on my face when I saw that pure reaction.
I said, stroking each of the disappointed children’s heads.
“Don’t be too disappointed. I prepared something much more delicious than candy today.”
“Hey Sihyeon. Is there anything I can help you with?”
“ Andras..!! Are you done already?
Andras replied, scratching his head.
“ Ryan was so thorough in the preparation that I wasn’t left with anything to talk. I just presented the terms of the contract that Ryan told me.”
“Ah! Ryan helped you. So is the contract signed?”
“Not yet.”
“They both asked for some time to think. Ryan never makes a losing contract. You can relax and wait for the good news”
Ergin and Algott, who slowly approached this way, look troubled.
I think it was a good thing that I didn’t deal with the contract myself.
“Guys…You’re also welcome. I think it would be ready soon, so how about joining the little delight.”
The two merchants just kept blinking without replying to my hospitality.
Indeed, the strawberry contract did not seem to have work out as they thought.
I deliberately pretended not to dwell into the issue and guided them to the place where Lagos had prepared.
There was Lagos sitting in front of the table, waiting.
The two merchants took the seat next to Lagos.
“Just a moment please. I’ll get it right away.”
After a while, I put the freshly baked warm bread and pre-prepared milk on the table.
Three of them looked at it with a weird expression.
Even the composed Algott showed signs of discomfort by touching his mustache.
Since it was nothing special, just ordinary bread and milk.
It was so common that it seemed insignificant to the wealthy merchants.
But I didn’t mind their reaction at all, since there was a separate main character.
I put a glass jar filled with something red on the table.
Naturally, the three of them looked at it with a confused expression.
When I opened the lid of the glass, a sweet and sour scent spread around the table.
“Sir. Ester, this is…”
“This is strawberry jam made from strawberries harvested this time. Would you like to taste it?”
I put a lot of strawberry jam in a small bowl in front of each of them.
All three looked at strawberry jam as if they were looking at a mysterious object.
Soon after, they carefully took the strawberry jam into their mouths with a wooden spoon next to the bowl.
Surprise quickly spread across the faces of the three.
“Oh! This is how it tastes?”
“It really tastes like strawberries. No, I think it’s much more flavorful than strawberries.”
“Did you really make this out of strawberries Sir?”
With a satisfied smile at their response, I didn’t stop there and picked up a hot piece of bread from the basket. I cut the soft bread in half and put a lot of strawberry jam in it.
The eyes of the three people who reached the peak of their concentration turned towards me.
Feeling like a mukbang broadcaster, I took a big bite of bread.
I felt a lot of moist strawberry jam inside the warm bread.
Whenever I chewed it, sweet and sour strawberry grains burst out like fireworks through the soft texture.
After chewing it completely, I took a sip of the milk that I prepared in advance!
Oh… It hit the spot
Like the ancestors said, the combination of simple flavors is the scariest?
The satisfaction of the taste seemed to have jumped dozens of times, even though only one spoon of strawberry jam was added.
When I was smiling happily.
“Gulp…”
someone’s mouth-watering sound rang out from the quiet table.
As if the sound was a signal, the three of them hurried to the bread basket.