Round 164

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As time passed, the leader Pururuk gradually regained her energy. She was a creature that particularly liked beans, so Ara eventually named her Kongkong.

“Hey guys, come here. Good, that’s right.”

It’s been two days since we posted the YouTube video. During that time, we received contacts from here and there. I handled all the external meetings, and Ara left the rest to Seon-ah.

Thanks to the video that received better feedback than expected, the drama’s recognition, as well as Ara’s fame, increased.

Especially, Ara’s awkward acting became quite a hot topic, and people who didn’t know Ara before got to know about the Yongsan incident through it.

“Oh, you got hurt here. Did you keep running around like this? Come here, let’s apply some ointment.”

Seon-ah attended school every day from our dungeon and even settled in this forest to live. At the same time, she frequently visited the newly built Goblin Village to check on the ecology and health of the kids.

It was both educational and helpful for the kids, a win-win situation.

“Then I’ll be going back now.”

“Okay.”

After dropping off Seon-ah in the forest, I returned to the Slime Village. The bustling village was already filled with over a hundred slimes, scurrying around. It was a scene that might make one think they were natives of this place.

Goo! Mul!

“Hey. Are you doing well?”

Goo-mul~!

I greeted each of the slimes and checked on their condition.

‘Hmm, no issues today either!’

Now it was time to check the fields.

While some slimes were resting in the village, the majority were actually in the fields. The size of the fields had grown several times compared to the beginning, and they were neatly divided and organized, which felt satisfying.

“Kyu-seong Kyu-seong! Did Seon-ah Seon-ah come?!”

“Yeah. I dropped her off.”

“Did she leave?!”

Ara, who was playing with dirt in the field, came running and asked me. Ara seemed disappointed that Seon-ah came and didn’t greet her.

“I’ll bring her when we eat, so you can greet her then.”

“Okay!”

Ara nodded vigorously and handed me something she was holding.

Wondering what it was, I looked closely and saw a bunch of weeds in her hand.

“Weeds?”

“Aren’t you going to eat it?”

“What, weeds?”

“It’s not bad.”

I awkwardly laughed and politely declined.

Then Ara looked puzzled as to why I refused something so delicious, and quickly put the weeds in her mouth.

“Nom!”

Well, at any rate, it’s good that all the weeds in the field are removed. Here lies the true eco-friendly farming method.

‘Not just weeds but also pests are eaten.’

It wasn’t just Ara; all the slimes did the same. They reacted as if they were eating a delicacy, but I couldn’t bring myself to try it.

Wobble wobble-

“Oh, here comes our chief manager.”

Just then, Mark2 approached, proudly showing off his body. I wondered what made him so happy today.

“The rice farming is perfect!”

“Oh? Really?”

“It failed last time! But it will succeed this time!”

Ara, who was interpreting Mark2’s gestures in real-time, passionately exclaimed. Since we were talking about it, we headed to the paddy field, where the rice had grown to waist height in just a few days.

“Wow, it grows so fast.”

“Is this rice?”

“Yes. This is what Ara’s favorite instant rice is made from.”

“Rice is delicious! Instant rice is delicious!!!”

The only one managing the paddy was Mark2. He seemed to be putting a lot of effort into it, and I hoped this time he would successfully harvest the rice.

Afterward, we went around checking each field. The slimes were doing a perfect job, so unless there was a special report, all I did was inspect.

We happened to be harvesting potatoes, so I helped a little with the harvest, and before I knew it, it was time for lunch.

“It’s already lunchtime.”

“Oh oh! It’s lunchtime!”

I sent Woofy to bring Seon-ah, who had just finished her morning classes, and we started preparing lunch.

‘It’s a bit tiring at times like this.’

Since there were so many people, it was exhausting to cook meals for everyone one by one. It also felt unfair for Ara and me to cook something just for ourselves.

As a result, we often made simple large-batch dishes, but there was something unsatisfying about eating that way. Although it was tasty.

“Ara~!”

“Hmph!”

Seon-ah arrived riding on Woofy.

However, Ara turned her head away sulkily despite Seon-ah calling her.

“Seon-ah, you left without saying goodbye to me.”

“Oh, Ara… I’m sorry! Next time, I’ll make sure to come see you first!”

“It’s already too late!”

While watching the two perform another skit, I took out the boiled potatoes and mashed them diligently. I added butter, mixed it well, and combined it with the prepared vegetables. This was a foolproof lunch.

“Okay, let’s eat.”

“Lunch!”

Ara, who had been acting out the skit, ran over and quickly grabbed a spoon. Seon-ah also approached with a pouting expression and took a seat.

I prepared portions for Gomgom, the slimes, and Kkumuris as well, and we all ate the mashed potato salad.

Ah, this feeling of fullness. Potatoes truly are the best.

Moreover, thanks to the item’s effect, it had the ability to provide a sense of fullness, so even eating a little made us feel full. It was practically a diet food.

“Brother, it seems your cooking skills are improving?”

“Of course, they should improve. Cooking is the second most frequent thing I do after farming.”

I’d be disappointed if I didn’t get better at it.

Since most of the farming was done by the slimes, I was spending the most time cooking three meals a day.

“How do the others manage their meals?”

“The goblins cook for themselves in their own way, and the fairies mainly eat honey as their staple food, using my crops as snacks.”

“I see.”

Honestly, the slimes and Kkumuris didn’t need to have cooked meals; they just ate well as they were. It’s not just because they were my crops, but because these guys ate anything well.

But isn’t that how people feel? How could we cook something delicious and eat it only among ourselves? It’s better to eat together.

“But the goblins are cute. I only read about them in books, so I didn’t really know, but experiencing them in person, they’re just like little kids.”

“That’s why they are considered class 1 harmless monsters. There’s a reason they are ranked the same as slimes.”

“I should try eating with the goblins sometime. Since they know how to cook, it’s quite admirable.”

Cooking? Hmm.

Although they called it cooking, it was quite clumsy.

Should I gather the ones who want to learn cooking separately and give them cooking lessons?

‘Should I ask my mother? She’s an expert at teaching cooking.’

For now, I just kept the thought in mind and asked Seon-ah something I was curious about.

“How is Purrruk doing?”

“Kongkong!!”

“Right, Kongkong.”

Ara corrected the name even while eating diligently. Seon-ah patted Ara’s head and said,

“To be honest, since I’m not an expert, I can’t say for sure, but it seems alright. It looks like its energy has been greatly restored.”

“That’s a relief. Do you know when the babies might be born?”

“Well, I don’t know about that either. Since Purrruk is an unidentified monster with no known information, we won’t know until we see for ourselves.”

Hmm, I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

It would end up being Seon-ah’s task to handle. Of course, I would help too, but unless it was really urgent, there wouldn’t be much need for my help.

After finishing our simple meal, I slowly packed my things.

Seeing this, Seon-ah tilted her head and asked,

“Where are you going?”

“Oh, I’m planning to go to the place where we got the bamboo last time.”

“Are you going to get more bamboo?”

“No. There’s something I planted there.”

The legendary herb.

It had been quite some time since I planted it, so it seemed like a good time to check on its condition.

This time, the companions would be Woofy and Mark2.

Ara and Bokkeum were now such usual companions that it didn’t even need mentioning.

“Oh oh, fishing!”

“That’s right. I’ll also bring a fishing rod.” 

I packed the fishing gear that my father had bought for Ara and me. Since we were going to the bamboo forest, we should also visit the sea.

“Is there water there too?” 

“Oh, didn’t I mention? There’s a sea here.” 

“…No matter what, such lies won’t work.” 

“It’s true.” 

I thought I should take the family on a beach outing later. But first, I needed to make sure the sea was safe. 

‘With Ara, I feel reassured.’ 

“Anyway, you should ride Purr. We might stay there for a day.” 

“A day?!” 

“Yes. Purr knows the way, so you can come to see us. You don’t have to go out tomorrow since it’s the weekend.” 

Finally realizing that I was serious, Seon-ah looked at Ara and me as we packed with a bewildered face. 

“Let’s pick a date later and go together. It’ll be fun. There’s a wide beach too.” 

“Huh…? 

“The beach looks dreamy with the sky in such a color. Anyway, I’ll go. In the meantime, take good care of the house with the kids.” 

I waved and first put Ara on Woofy’s back, then prepared Bokkeum and Mark2. 

“Are you really leaving like that? Leaving your sister here?” 

“Study hard and do research, sister.” 

“Leave Ara here!” 

Ignoring Seon-ah’s words, I rode Woofy. Excited for our first trip, Woofy happily puffed up its body and ran. 

“Kya-ha-ha!” 

Ara held onto Woofy’s fluffy fur and laughed brightly. The sound of her giggles spread throughout the village. 

‘I wonder how much it has grown.’

Checking the minimap, I saw the bamboo forest in the distance. Last time I timed it; it took about two hours at full speed. 

No, since Woofy was slower than Purr, it might take longer. 

After running for a little over three hours, the bamboo forest finally began to appear in sight. 

“We’ve finally arrived!” 

Having run without stopping, a sense of relief at finally arriving made my body feel relaxed. 

Of course, Woofy that carried us would have been the most tired, so I quickly got down and helped it quench its thirst. 

-Chap chap chap. 

Woofy drank water diligently. 

Soon, Ara took out a dog Chew from Bokkeum and handed it over. An extra-large dog Chew. 

It was made particularly large so that Woofy couldn’t finish it even if it chewed on it all day. 

-Woof! 

Woofy, seemingly in a good mood, immediately took the chew and ran around the forest. 

“Okay, it’s snack time.” 

“Snack!” 

It had been three hours since lunch. 

It was time for a snack! 

But! 

“Before that, let’s check the Millennium Ginseng first.” 

“Okay!” 

Ara held Bokkeum and Mark2 in each arm and ran off. 

I followed her, looking at the scene with satisfaction. A cool breeze blew, shaking the bamboo. Unlike when I saw it in winter, the clear scenery seemed to refresh my mind. 

“Ah, the air is nice.” 

As I was enjoying the forest, a commotion broke out ahead. 

“Kyu-seong Kyu-seong! Something big happened!” 

“What? Something big?” 

Could it be… 

With a bad feeling, I hurried over. 

There, Ara and the slimes were in a fluster. 

“Wha-what?!” 

“It’s gone!” 

The Millennium Ginseng is gone! 

Only a deep indentation remained where the Millennium Ginseng was, with nothing else there. 

“Where did it go?” 

In a panic, I lay flat on the ground and examined where the Millennium Ginseng had been planted. The soil only had a deep hole, as if someone had pulled out the Millennium Ginseng. 

“It’s gone! It’s gone!” 

Goo~! Goo-goo~!! 

The other kids were also confused by this inexplicable situation and kept making noises. 

“Mark2! Could it be that something happened to the Millennium Ginseng?” 

Goo, goo-goo…?

Mark2 tilted its head and examined the traces. Then it shook its body back and forth. 

Goo! 

“It didn’t die?” 

If it wasn’t a sign of death, could it be that someone actually took it?! 

Tap! Tap! 

At that moment, I heard the sound of Woofy running from behind. 

We naturally looked in the direction of the sound… 

“Huh?” 

The giant Woofy had something in its mouth instead of the chew. And what was in Woofy’s mouth was holding onto the extra-large chew with a struggling grip. 

-Quack? 

“What… are you?” 

Something that looked like an herb root was tilting its head at us.

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