Farming in the Tower Alone [EN]: Chapter 107

Wandering Merchant Association Headquarters, on the 75th Floor of the Tower. The Tower was a mysterious structure, reaching high into the sky, with each floor presenting new challenges and opportunities.

“What?! The information was leaked?”

“Yes. There was a spy of Grid’s among the Secret Spy Agency agents.”

“How did you manage the agents?!”

Mason, the head of the Wandering Merchant Association, was furious at the report from Vega, the director of the Secret Spy Agency. Mason’s office was high up in the Tower, with windows that looked out over the city far below. Expensive furniture filled the room, but it felt cold and tense today.

The Secret Spy Agency was the Wandering Merchant Association’s secret spy organization. Their job was to get information. But now, one of their agents had been bribed by Grid. This agent was leaking information *to* Grid, not *from* him!

“…I’m sorry.”

“So, have you caught the agents who were bought off by Grid?” If they didn’t catch the spies, any changes to the operation would be leaked, making the spy hunt the most urgent task.

“Yes! We’ve captured a total of nine people: five regular agents, three mid-level agents, and even Deputy Director Itos. We are questioning them in the interrogation room to get them to confess what information they passed on to Grid.”

“Even the Deputy Director was bought off?!” Mason asked, astonished. Someone in the position of Deputy Director would know most of the Secret Spy Agency’s information. It was safe to say that all of the Secret Spy Agency’s information had been passed on to Grid.

“Yes. And it seems your son’s safety has also been compromised.”

“What?! Zeras? Where is Zeras now?” Mason’s heart pounded in his chest. Zeras, his son, in Grid’s hands! He imagined the worst. What would Grid do to him?

“Well… he was deployed on a secret mission to the 55th floor of the Tower under Itos’s orders… Contact with the agents has been lost since three hours ago. There’s a high possibility he’s been taken hostage.”

“Hmm…” He was troubled. Grid would surely demand various things in exchange for his son’s life.

‘What should I do?’ Just as Mason was lost in thought,

Bang!

The door to the association head’s office burst open, and animals entered, led by Iona.

Meanwhile, far away from the tense atmosphere of the Wandering Merchant Association, life on Sejun’s farm continued peacefully.

The harvest festival was over, and a sense of loneliness washed over Sejun like a cold wave. He quickly shook off the gloomy feeling and began to do the necessary tasks. Moving his body was good when he felt down.

“I need to cut the green onions.”

Sejun began to cut the overgrown green onion leaves that he hadn’t cut during the harvest festival. He planned to cut green onions in the large field until he was exhausted.

Scritch. Scritch.

The green onion leaves were being cut quickly. Sejun cut the green onion leaves much faster than before. Sejun was surprised by how much faster he could cut the onions now. Now, the highest stat among Sejun’s stats was agility.

While Sejun was focused on cutting green onion leaves,

Scritch. Scritch.

He saw other rabbits cutting green onion leaves next to him. The rabbits’ feelings were similar to Sejun’s. They were moving their bodies to shake off the gloom. The green onion field stretched out under the evening sky. The air smelled fresh and green. Little rabbits hopped between the rows, their noses twitching as they worked alongside Sejun.

As he worked in the green onion field, the gloom gradually faded.

“Whew. Let’s stop here for today.”

Sejun said as he finished farming with the rabbits late in the evening.

Squeak!

Pyaa!

Pyaap!

The rabbits began to scatter, heading to their homes. Now, the rabbits were building homes not only in caves but also in various places on the ground.

“I should wash up and go to bed too.”

As Sejun went to the tap to wash his face and headed home,

Tingle.

Sejun felt a prickling sensation on the back of his head from a gaze staring at him.

‘Let’s ignore it.’

Sejun tried to ignore it, but

Flap. Flap.

A black dragon statue flew down and landed on the roof of Sejun’s house.

And

-Hmph!

It glared at Sejun again.

“Sigh. Kaiser, what’s wrong?” Sejun, unable to ignore it any longer, looked at Kaiser and asked.

-What do you mean, what’s wrong?! I couldn’t see my granddaughter because of you!

“Eileen?”

-Yes. Is it good that you’re the only one meeting her?!

“How can I meet Eileen when she’s in the administrator’s area?” Sejun, who couldn’t remember what happened when Eileen appeared due to the shock, felt wronged.

“Ah! More importantly, please have this.”

Sejun took out a bottle of Fire Carrot Liquor that he had put in his subspace warehouse. When he woke up after fainting, he found nine bottles of Fire Carrot Liquor in his subspace warehouse. Theo had packed them. The Fire Carrot Liquor glowed with a warm, orange light in the bottle.

However,

[Fire Carrot Liquor]

Liquor made by soaking carrots that have absorbed fire energy for 100 years in soju.

Increases fire attribute affinity and burns away waste products in the body upon consumption.

If magic power is below 100, the body cannot withstand the fire energy of the carrot, and the fire energy of the carrot burns the body as a side effect.

Producer: Red Tower Farmer Udon

Expiration Date: 500 years

Grade: C+

Sejun couldn’t drink the Fire Carrot Liquor because of the option that his whole body would burn if his magic power was below 100. So, he was giving it as a gift to Kaiser, who liked alcohol. Of course, he wanted something in return for the alcohol.

-Ahem. Park Sejun, you’re a human who knows how to be considerate.

Kaiser’s voice softened when Sejun took out the Fire Carrot Liquor.

Glug, glug, glug.

The black dragon statue poured the liquor from the bottle into its mouth.

After a while,

-Kuh. Good. The feeling of my esophagus getting hot isn’t bad.

The Fire Carrot Liquor had enough fire energy to burn a body, but for Kaiser, it was just enough heat to warm his throat for a moment.

“Should I give you more?”

-Of course! One bottle isn’t even enough to wet my whistle!

“Here you go.”

Sejun willingly gave Kaiser the Fire Carrot Liquor.

After losing five bottles of Fire Carrot Liquor,

“Um… Kaiser. The scale you gave me as New Year’s money seems to be defective. It disappeared when I woke up. Please give me another one.”

Sejun said, showing his left arm. Sejun had willingly given up the carrot liquor to create an atmosphere to bring up this story.

-What?! That can’t be?!

At Sejun’s words, Kaiser used magic power to examine Sejun’s body. And the powerful magic power reaction remaining on the back of his head.

‘It’s Eileen.’ He felt Eileen’s energy in the magic power. Good job. Good job. It wasn’t strong magic, but he was proud of his granddaughter who had grown to the point where she could destroy the scale with his magic on it.

-Alright. I’ll make you another one.

Kaiser, in a good mood, readily agreed.

Ptooey.

The black dragon statue spat out a black scale.

“Thank you.”

-Ahem. If you’re thankful, give me some more liquor.

“Yes. Here you go.”

Sejun handed two bottles of Fire Carrot Liquor to Kaiser. He had originally planned to leave only one bottle, but things worked out smoothly, so he gave two bottles to Kaiser and still had two bottles left.

Sejun, who came into the house, put Kaiser’s scale on his left arm and re-tattooed the black dragon.

“I feel secure.”

Sejun admired the black dragon tattoo that would protect his life and fell asleep.

“Iona?”

“Hello, Head Mason.”

“Yes. But what’s going on?”

“I wanted to know how Grid’s punishment is proceeding.”

“Well…” Mason began to talk about how there was a spy of Grid’s in the Secret Spy Agency and how his son was currently being held hostage by Grid.

“Is this the association head’s office, nya?”

Squawk?

While Iona and Mason were talking, Theo and the black rabbit, who had followed Iona, were wandering around the association head’s office, looking around.

“Oh! This looks expensive, nya!” Theo was putting things in the association head’s office into his bundle as if they were his own. He was nothing short of a thief.

And

Squawk!

The black rabbit was sitting on Mason’s rocking chair for relaxation and

Creak. Creak.

Playing by rocking back and forth.

‘They really have no manners.’ Mason glared at Theo and the black rabbit, who were openly stealing things and playing in his office, the office of the head of the Wandering Merchant Association. Mason’s anger was a storm brewing in his eyes. He was furious, but now was not the time to get angry.

“Iona, I have a favor to ask.”

“Kyu-kyu-a favor?” Iona was in a state of Kyu 2nd stage of anger at Mason’s attitude of asking for a favor after doing a terrible job.

“Iona, please calm down and listen. If you rescue my son, we will supply the goods that we supply for the reconstruction of the Rabbit Kingdom at a 10% discount when Grid retreats to the 55th floor of the Tower.” Iona’s ears twitched. Rebuilding the Rabbit Kingdom was costing a fortune. A 10% discount on supplies? That could save them a lot of money.

“Really?”

At that time,

“Nya nya nya! Leave the negotiations to me, who learned from Chairman Park, the god of deals, nya!” Theo shouted bravely. Now was the time to use the trading skills that Sejun had used against the raccoon tribe a few days ago, taking advantage of the other party’s crisis.

“Who are you?! Who are you to interrupt?! I’m the head of the Wandering Merchant Association!” Mason snapped, his voice tight with fury. Mason, unable to contain his anger, exploded when Theo, who had been bothering him since earlier, interrupted his conversation with Iona.

However,

“Puhuhut. If you ask who I am, it’s only natural to answer.” Our Theo was just happy to have the opportunity to introduce himself.

“This body is the great black…”

“He’s an excellent wandering merchant, Theo.” Iona introduced Theo simply. There was no point in spreading rumors that he was a subordinate of the black dragon. Especially since he had just stolen Mason’s things. Revealing his identity would lower Sejun’s reputation.

“What?! Why is a wandering merchant taking their side?! I’m the head of the Wandering Merchant Association!” Mason retorted at Theo’s words.

“Don’t worry, nya! I’m not on Iona’s side, I’m on Chairman Park’s side, nya!”

“What?!”

“Let’s end this with a cool deal, nya! Instead of saving your son, how about free, nya?!” As a great wandering merchant, I know a good deal when I see one, nya! Rescuing your son is a big job! For my help, we want… nothing! Yes, free! Consider it a… a ‘rescue fee waiver’ for our good friend, Chairman Park!

“That’s ridiculous! 15%!”

“Give it to me for free, nya!”

“20%!”

“Give it to me for free, nya!”

‘What is this guy?’ Mason, who had risen from a low-level wandering merchant to this position, was flustered by Theo, who consistently shouted for free. He was really a guy without common sense. An attitude that didn’t even consider the other party’s profit margin. He was just curious how he became an excellent wandering merchant without knowing the ‘negotiation’ of negotiations.

‘Does he have connections?’ Seeing him with Iona, there was a possibility, but Iona’s personality wasn’t the type to carry such baggage around.

“President Theo, let’s go.”

It seemed like things wouldn’t progress like this.

“Nya?! What are you talking about, nya? The bargaining isn’t over yet, nya!”

“Really? Then there’s nothing I can do. I’m going straight to the 99th floor of the Tower from here. Sejun’s lap is… kkyut.”

“That won’t do, nya!” Theo was furious at Iona’s smile. There was no bigger threat to Theo than this.

“Then shouldn’t we quickly finish the deal on the 38th floor of the Tower?”

“I understand, nya! Iona, be sure to solve the 55th floor and go up, nya!”

“Okay. I promise.”

“Then I’m going, nya!” Theo, who had received a promise from Iona that she would not go straight to the 99th floor of the Tower, hurriedly went down to the 38th floor of the Tower.

Day 271 of being stranded.

“There are only a few hours left until the Blue Moon.”

Sejun said as he ate baguette bread with cheese soup for dinner. Sejun’s heart was very relaxed as he welcomed the 10th Blue Moon after being stranded. Because he trusted Eileen.

Eileen, who had been taking a good night’s sleep due to the aftereffects of Polymorph, fortunately woke up in the morning.

[The administrator of the Tower asks if it’s true that you don’t remember what happened during the drinking competition.]

“Yeah. I drank too much, so I guess I blacked out.”

[The administrator of the Tower is angry, asking why you drank so much that you blacked out]

Eileen was briefly shocked that Sejun didn’t remember meeting her, but she thought it was a good opportunity to create a good first impression with Sejun again, so she thought it was better that way.

“Please take good care of me today too.”

[The administrator of the Tower boasts that you should trust only her.]

After finishing the conversation with Eileen, Sejun only cut green onion leaves and did not harvest any crops today. It was to increase the probability of the Blue Moon’s energy permeating the crops.

And when there was about an hour left until midnight,

“Everyone, to your positions.”

Sejun sent the rabbits and poison honeybees to various fields. It was to not miss any crops imbued with the Blue Moon’s energy.

After a while, the Blue Moon rose. But as time passed, Eileen did not appear.

“…Eileen?” Sejun urgently called Eileen. As Sejun drifted off to sleep, the faint glow of the Blue Moon began to rise in the sky, promising a night of magic and mystery.