The Life of a Returned Genius Farmer

Chapter 3: Encounter with the Beastfolk – Part 1

According to Seolmyeong, this place was relatively safe. While the threat of monsters lingered, being in a no-combat zone offered some reassurance.

“Where do you live, Seolmyeong?” Lee Han inquired. “Shouldn’t the Witch’s cat be with the Witch?”

“I’m on vacation, nya,” the cat replied casually.

“Oh, that’s nice… huh?” Lee Han’s words trailed off as he sensed a tremor from upstream. Something large was approaching. He instinctively reached for the glass dagger and stone axe he had crafted earlier.

Seolmyeong, perched on his shoulder, remained calm, but Lee Han swallowed nervously as the bushes upstream rustled.

“■■■■■!”

A towering figure emerged—a minotaur, at least four heads taller than Lee Han. The muscular bull-man, clad in leather armor and sporting two sharp horns, strode towards them, wielding a massive stone axe.

“It’s a minotaur, nya. Don’t worry, just greet him first,” Seolmyeong said calmly, in stark contrast to Lee Han’s apprehension.

If Seolmyeong didn’t sense any danger, then there probably wasn’t any. Lee Han bowed respectfully to the minotaur.

“■■■!” The minotaur responded with a deep bellow, dipping its head slightly in return. It didn’t seem hostile.

Relieved, Lee Han turned to Seolmyeong.

“He said hello,” the cat translated.

“You can understand him?” Lee Han asked, surprised.

“Of course, nya! I’m the Witch’s cat! Understanding the beastfolk’s language is easy for me!”

“That’s impressive…”

“You might be able to learn too, nya. If you practice communicating, you might acquire the Conversation skill, and then you can talk to other races!”

Lee Han considered this. He didn’t know how long he’d be in this world, but being able to communicate with other races would certainly be beneficial. He approached the minotaur, who was sitting by the river drinking water, and offered some of the fruits he had gathered.

“■■■■■■?!” The minotaur looked at him quizzically.

Body language was key when verbal communication failed. Lee Han mimed eating the fruit. The minotaur’s expression softened into something resembling a smile, and it accepted the offering.

“■■■!”

“He says thank you,” Seolmyeong translated.

“That’s good.”

The interaction ended there. The minotaur, having quenched its thirst, submerged itself in the river.

Lee Han resumed working on his shelter.

As he was finishing up, the minotaur approached him and offered something: a forearm-sized, red-colored fish.

“■■■, ■■■, ■■!”

“It’s a thank-you gift for the fruit!” Seolmyeong explained. “It’s called a Red Trout. It’s safe to eat!”

The minotaur grinned, then turned to leave, axe in hand. Lee Han reached out and stopped him.

“Lee Han,” he introduced himself.

“■■■■■■!”

“He wants you to call him Bargentus,” Seolmyeong translated.

“That’s a cool name. I’m Lee Han.”

“■■■■■■!” Bargentus raised a hand in farewell and departed.

Lee Han watched him go, then looked down at the Red Trout flapping on the ground.

“Minotaurs are more polite than I expected. He returned the favor right away.”

“Most beastfolk are like that,” Seolmyeong said. “They don’t take things for free. They understand that everything has a price.”

In that sense, they might even be better than humans. Lee Han stroked Seolmyeong’s back and nodded with a smile.

“Well, whatever. Let’s grill this fish and eat.” 

“Ooh! Sounds good, nya!” Seolmyeong exclaimed, its excitement palpable.

Lee Han killed the trout, skillfully removing its scales and entrails. As he examined the fish, a pang of regret washed over him. 

“If only I had some oil, I could cook it properly.”

“How about using Yellow Olives, nya?” Seolmyeong suggested.

“Yellow Olives? What are those?”

“They’re fruits with lots of oil. I saw some on the way here. Let’s go get them!”

Seolmyeong jumped off his shoulder and bounded towards the forest. Lee Han followed, his curiosity piqued.

They hadn’t ventured far into the woods when they stumbled upon a large bush laden with bright yellow fruits.

“I thought they’d look like olives,” Lee Han remarked, “but they don’t.”

The child-sized fruits, shaped like tangerines, glowed with a vibrant yellow hue. Lee Han plucked one and gently squeezed it, releasing a stream of rich oil.

“This is perfect,” he declared. “Let’s take a few back.”

“Nya! I haven’t had grilled fish in ages!” Seolmyeong exclaimed, practically vibrating with anticipation.

“What do you usually eat?” Lee Han asked, amused by the cat’s enthusiasm.

“Hmph! Things like Trollbia, Rockid, and Rosevin, nya. They’re not very tasty!”

The prospect of grilled fish seemed to delight Seolmyeong beyond measure. It bounced excitedly on Lee Han’s shoulder, its tail swishing back and forth. Lee Han couldn’t help but smile.

“Now, I need to start a fire…”

He had gathered dry branches and grass during their foraging trip. He arranged them on a flat stone and picked up a long piece of wood.

“Uooooooooh!” he grunted, exerting effort.

A flint and steel would have made this much easier, but he had to work with what he had. Lee Han vigorously rubbed the wood together until a spark ignited the tinder, and soon, a cheerful fire crackled to life.

Seolmyeong patted his shoulder as he caught his breath. “Good job, nya!”

“…I miss modern conveniences,” Lee Han sighed, longing for the ease of a lighter.

But at least he had fire. Now, all that remained was to cook the trout.

He found a flat stone and placed it on the fire. Once it was hot, he squeezed some oil from the Yellow Olives onto the stone and laid the trout on top.

The fish sizzled invitingly as it cooked, and Seolmyeong danced around the fire, its tail waving excitedly.

“Grilled fish, nya! Grilled fish!”

“You’re awfully excited over some grilled fish,” Lee Han chuckled. “When I have more ingredients and tools, I’ll make you something even better.”

He thought of fish steaks and braised fish dishes. He knew some good recipes, but without the necessary ingredients and utensils, they were out of reach for now.

Seolmyeong, who had been circling the fish like a hungry shark, suddenly stopped and looked up at Lee Han with wide eyes. “You know how to cook other dishes too?!”

“I’ve never met anyone who didn’t like my cooking,” Lee Han replied confidently.

Seolmyeong seemed overjoyed. It jumped onto Lee Han’s arm, wrapping its tail around it. “This vacation is going to be amazing!”

“I’m glad I have you too,” Lee Han said warmly. “Hey, I think it’s done.”

He cut a piece of the oily grilled trout and offered it to Seolmyeong, who eagerly devoured it.

“Delicious, nya!!”

“It would be even better with some salt,” Lee Han mused.

“It’s perfect as it is, nya!” Seolmyeong purred.

Lee Han took a bite himself. The fish was tender and flaky, infused with the rich flavor of the Yellow Olive oil. The skin was crispy, and the flesh was moist. Even he had to admit it was expertly cooked.

Lee Han and Seolmyeong savored every bite, quickly finishing the entire trout. They lay back, content and full.

“Ah, that hit the spot,” Lee Han sighed.

“It was delicious!” Seolmyeong agreed. “But what are you doing now?”

“I’m going to make some fish traps.” 

Now that he knew there were fish in the river, he needed to prepare for the future. He gathered the leftover branches and bark from the shelter he build.

‘I acquired the Crafting skill earlier, didn’t I?’ He wondered how to use it. As he pondered, he collected the materials and focused on the Crafting skill window. A soft light enveloped the materials, and they began to merge and transform.

[Fish Trap]

[A fish trap made of branches and bark. Used to catch fish.]

[Crafting Difficulty: ☆]

“Oh, it worked!”

Unfortunately, there was no “well-made” bonus. But it was good enough for now.

He crafted three fish traps in total. As the sun began to set, he remarked, “Maybe we’ll catch some fish by tomorrow morning.”

“Wow! Really? I hope we catch a lot!” Seolmyeong exclaimed.

Lee Han baited the traps with the trout’s entrails and set them in the river. With luck, all three would be full by morning. But if he was unlucky, they might remain empty. That was beyond his control.

Returning to the campfire, he sat down with a yawn.

“Whew…”

It had been an eventful day. He had arrived in another world, walked a long distance, and built a shelter. He added more wood to the fire and let Seolmyeong curl up on his lap. 

The soft fur against his skin was surprisingly warm. “The sun’s setting, and we’re both exhausted,” Lee Han said. “Let’s call it a day and get some rest.”

“Sounds good…” Seolmyeong yawned widely, then curled up on Lee Han’s stomach, kneading it contentedly as it drifted off to sleep. Lee Han, warmed by the cat’s presence, soon followed suit.

The next morning, Lee Han awoke before sunrise, his habit of early rising for farm work persisting even in this new world.

“Nyaaa~ You’re up early,” Seolmyeong mumbled sleepily, having been roused by Lee Han’s movements. It stretched and rubbed its eyes, then followed Lee Han as he got up.

“Where are we going?”

“To check the fish traps.”

“Let’s go!”

Lee Han’s heart pounded with anticipation as they approached the river. A hearty breakfast or an empty stomach hinged on their catch. He carefully lifted the first trap. It was empty.

Disappointed, he moved on to the second. Also empty.

“Eeeee…” Seolmyeong whimpered, shivering on Lee Han’s shoulder.

Lee Han gave him a reassuring smile, then pulled up the last trap.

“Got one!”

A blue fish was thrashing inside the woven cage.

“Nya nya nya! We caught a Blue Carp! It’s edible! We’re going to eat!”

“Yes, we are!” Lee Han cheered, joining Seolmyeong in a celebratory dance on the riverbank.

After their moment of triumph, they returned to their camp and began grilling the Blue Carp on the flat stone, just as they had with the trout the night before.

“■■~!”

The familiar bellow startled them. It was Bargentus, the minotaur from yesterday. However, something was different this time. The handle of his massive stone axe was broken.

“His axe handle is broken,” Lee Han observed.

“Nya, I think he wants you to fix it,” Seolmyeong deduced.

Bargentus held out his other hand, offering something wrapped in large leaves. It was a chunk of meat, blood still dripping from it.

“What kind of meat is this?” Lee Han wondered aloud.

“Smells like Horned Rabbit, nya! It’s safe to eat!”

“Oh, really? Then we can have meat for breakfast too!”

“Yay!”

“■■■■■■!” Bargentus bellowed, seemingly pleased.

“He says he’ll bring you more meat if you fix his axe handle.”