A friend in a place too far to meet.
Yeoreum knew very well that it was a metaphor for something.
It must mean that the friend was dead, no longer able to be met.
It was a tough ordeal for a child, but not as shocking as when she first learned about Gyeoul's true identity.
Many children had lost friends or family at a young age.
She figured that as long as Gyeoul overcame it, she would be fine.
But that was a misjudgment.
Gyeoul had not overcome the death of her friend.
"I'm fine. I'll surely meet them someday."
At first, Yeoreum thought it was just the innocence of a child speaking.
A lovely belief that her friends were waiting for her in heaven, so it didn't matter if she couldn't meet them right away.
Yeoreum realized her misconception through Gyeoul's next words.
"I'm always ready to meet them."
She was prepared to meet a friend who could only be met through death.
The child spoke calmly, as if not afraid of death at all.
As if she had transcended the concept of death.
Was she hinting at suicide?
Or did she mean that she didn't care if she died at any time?
Whichever it was, both were thoughts an eight-year-old child shouldn't have.
'Could it be...?'
Yeoreum had thought the child was brave for her age.
Was it just because she didn't care about dying?
Yeoreum covered her mouth in shock.
'I have seen Gyeoul show fear of death...'
Like when they encountered a goblin in the beginner's hunting ground or when they first entered the goblin dungeon.
Gyeoul seemed particularly terrified.
If it wasn't fear of death, then why was she scared?
Yeoreum suddenly realized.
Gyeoul was particularly afraid of goblins.
'Could it be that a goblin killed her friend...?'
If that was the case, then Gyeoul's fear wasn't inexplicable.
The fear imprinted on the soul was hard to erase.
Though, recently, even that seemed to be fading.
Gyeoul had been erasing her only remaining fear through hunting goblins.
Perhaps the worst situation had arisen.
'It's a big problem.'
Fear of death is necessary to avoid it.
But she couldn't push the child towards danger either.
Yeoreum repeatedly washed her face with dry hands, trying to compose herself.
It wasn't a problem that could be solved immediately.
It was something to be resolved over time, together with everyone.
Maybe giving her a new goal in life would be good too.
Yeoreum bit her lip and followed Gyeoul into the tent.
"Gyeoul, what are you doing?"
"I'm washing mugwort. Do you want a cup of tea when it's ready...?"
"Yes. I really want to try it."
Was she happy to hear that?
Gyeoul's tail, which had been limp, began to sway ever so slightly.
Yeoreum watched Gyeoul's vague expression of joy and managed a faint smile.
It was a day filled with a heartache sharp as a needle.
✱✱✱
There were many things to do to sell the tea.
I had to register as a business and report the operation to the local government in accordance with the Food Sanitation Law.
But these were impossible tasks for me, since I have no ID.
'I'm done for.'
As I collapsed in despair onto the grass, Yeoreum approached with a good suggestion.
It was to sell my drinks at the cafe inside the guild building.
I followed Yeoreum to the cafe, but my anxiety wouldn't go away.
"Is it really okay to sell the tea I made at the guild's cafe?"
"Yes. We're just adding a few items to the menu. And Gyeoul is providing all the ingredients."
"Wow."
I had been wondering where and how to sell the tea.
Now, I was going to sell it at a cafe in the guild building, which had a lot of foot traffic.
My tail, which had been drooping, began to wag on its own from the excitement.
"But there's a condition."
"A condition...?"
"Yes. You have to clean the ingredients very thoroughly. It's for human consumption, after all."
"Yes. No problem there."
Washing ingredients in pond water, the item's effect would wash away all the dirt.
It would be clean enough to eat as is, so it shouldn't be a problem.
"Okay. And I want to set the prices myself. Is that okay?"
"Yes—!"
It had a mana amplifying buff.
Ten thousand won per cup.
If I could sell just ten cups a day, I'd have no more wishes.
With that hope, I entered the cafe and was shocked to see the sign.
───
Special Homemade Tea
Dandelion Tea: ₩100,000 Effect - Mana Amplification Mugwort Tea: ₩50,000 Effect - Poison Resistance
-These are special teas with buff abilities.
-The effectiveness of the buffs varies depending on the consumer's skill.
-All buffs can be applied cumulatively.
───
"One hundred thousand won...?"
Even with a buff, that seemed excessive.
Wasn't that too expensive?
I couldn't help but look up at Yeoreum.
She was behind me, so I had to tilt my head back to look at her.
"It's not just ordinary tea; it has buffs."
"But how can a cup of tea cost one hundred thousand won...?"
"It's actually quite cheap."
"Cheap?"
One hundred thousand won for a cup of tea.
Unless the Earth was ending tomorrow, it was a price I would never pay.
Yeoreum, seemingly unaware of my feelings, just shrugged.
"This is after we reduced the price because you didn't want it to be so expensive."
"The reduced price is one hundred thousand won...?"
"Yes. Your buff applies cumulatively."
"Cumulative buffs?"
Does that mean the buffs can stack?
My tail curled up like a question mark.
"Normally, you can only apply one buff of each type, right? But your buffs strangely stack."
"Then the effect is better?"
"Yes. That's why even one hundred thousand won is cheap."
If Yeoreum said so, then it must be.
I had nothing more to say about the price.
I just hoped the tea would sell well and thanked the cafe staff.
"Thank you for selling the tea I made."
I bowed humbly, hands clasped above my belly.
Yeoreum and the cafe staff chuckled at my gesture, finding it amusing.
"I'll rely on you as well."
"Okay...?"
They kept laughing for a while, avoiding my gaze, as I stood there puzzled.
'What's going on?'
Is there something funny behind me?
As I turned around in confusion, Yeoreum tapped me on the shoulder.
"Gyeoul, I still have some work to do at the cafe, do you mind going ahead?"
"Go ahead?"
"Yes. You have a lot to do, don't you?"
"Yes. I plan to plant dandelions in the garden."
To sell more dandelion tea, I had to grow dandelions myself.
I pulled out a seedling shovel from my pocket.
"Really? Should I help you plant dandelions later?"
"No, no... I can do it myself..."
"Okay."
All this was to repay Yeoreum.
I couldn't ask her to do hard work.
"I'll be going then—!"
Worried she might follow, I quickly waved goodbye to Yeoreum and returned to my container house.
Looking around the garden, I noticed Sophia was not there.
"Sophia?"
She usually waited for me at home.
Her absence felt strange, leaving a heavy feeling in my heart.
I stood there, lost in thought, when I heard the sound of someone walking through the grass.
Rustle—
It was a small step, like Sophia's.
Turning to the side, I found myself eye-to-eye with a girl hiding in the bushes.
"A unicorn...?"
She had a horn on her forehead, smaller than my little finger.
Startled by my gaze, she cleared her throat and stepped out of the bushes.
"It's impressive that you found me hiding—!"
"Uh, yeah... I have good hearing..."
But didn't she just make a noise loud enough for anyone to hear?
Feeling like it was an awkward thing to point out, I just nodded.
"You're not ordinary, as I've heard—!"
The girl cautiously stepped back, keeping an eye on me.
I was just curious about this stranger's behavior.
"But who are you...?"
"A feisty one, aren't you."
The response didn't come from the girl.
Turning to where the voice came from, I saw Sophia with a frown on her face.
"Sophia, where have you been?"
"I went to buy dandelion seeds."
"Oh."
She must have heard my muttering about needing dandelion seeds.
I approached Sophia with joy in my heart.
"But something seems off."
"What is it?"
"For someone from the radical faction, she seems naïve... almost like a child."
"A child?"
I had assumed she was an adult with a young appearance, like Sophia.
But if she was actually younger than me, there's no need to be afraid.
"Ha! Naïve? I am great Levinas of the horned rabbit tribe!"
"Oh, I see..."
Maybe she's someone with a strong sense of self.
Not sure how to respond, I just fumbled in my pocket.
I was looking for tools to plant dandelions.
"A seedling shovel and... a small watering can..."
As I was about to take out the tools, the boss horned rabbit's mana stone was in the way, so I took it out first.
I needed to take out the tools and then put everything back.
Just as I thought this, the girl gasped in horror at the sight of the mana stone.
Gasp!
"Huh?"
The girl froze like a rabbit in front of a predator, trembling.
She's really odd.
Seemed better not to bother with her.
I decided to just leave her be and focus on tending to the garden.
<+>
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