The Life of a Returned Genius Farmer

Chapter 6: The Trade – Part 2

Lee Han carefully scaled and gutted the fish, then sliced it into neat pieces with his glass stone knife. He sprinkled salt on the fish and placed it on the oiled, heated stone.

A sizzling sound filled the air as the fish cooked to a golden brown, releasing a mouthwatering aroma.

“We need to be careful in the minotaur village,” Seolmyeong warned.

“Why? Is it dangerous?”

“Not exactly, but the minotaurs are all so big that a small human like you could get trampled!”

“A small cat like you could get trampled too.”

“Nya~! I’m quick, so I’ll be fine~!”

“You wouldn’t abandon me and run away, would you?”

“I’ll stay with you if you give me more meat~!”

“That’s a bit of a tall order… Let’s see.”

Lee Han picked up a Sweet Radish and grated it against a rough stone, creating a pile of grated radish. He placed it on a flat stone that would serve as a plate.

“Nya? What’s this?”

“Grilled fish goes well with grated radish.”

Lee Han grinned, remembering the delicious grilled fish he’d once enjoyed at a restaurant.

Seolmyeong, skeptical at first, followed Lee Han’s example and placed some grated radish on a piece of fish. It took a bite and its tail shot straight up.

“I didn’t know that slightly salty grilled fish and sweet and spicy grated Sweet Radish would go so well together!”

“It would be even better with kimchi…” Lee Han mused wistfully. But what could he do? He didn’t have any.

Still, it was a feast compared to his earlier meals. To be able to enjoy grilled fish with grated radish… For someone stranded in another world, he was living quite the good life.

“Is the fish that delicious?!” Bargentus asked, eyeing their meal with interest.

“Want to try some?” Lee Han offered.

“We can’t eat meat!”

“Then there’s nothing I can do. Want some grated radish at least?”

“Oooh! I’ll gladly take some!”

Lee Han grated the rest of the radish and handed it to Bargentus, who eagerly lapped it up from the rock. He seemed to enjoy it immensely. After polishing off the first serving, he pointed to another radish.

“Can I grate and eat one more? I’ll give you more when we get to the village.”

“Sure, go ahead.”

Bargentus enthusiastically grated and consumed the Sweet Radish. Meanwhile, Lee Han and Seolmyeong finished their breakfast.

Feeling satisfied after devouring the entire fish, they both relaxed. Bargentus, seeing them sprawled out, grinned and scooped them up.

“The road is long, so I’ll give you a ride!”

“Oh? It’s okay to walk,” Lee Han protested mildly.

“Don’t be shy! It’s the least I can do after that delicious breakfast!”

Bargentus took off at a run, and Lee Han was startled by his speed. It was like riding in a car, the scenery blurring past them.

Bargentus chuckled at Lee Han’s amazement. “I can go even faster! Want me to pick up the pace?!”

“Whoa, this is plenty fast. How much longer until we reach the village?”

“We’re almost there! See that rock up ahead? We’ll reach my village in about twice the distance we’ve already covered!”

They continued their swift journey, and soon, just as Bargentus had said, they arrived at a settlement surrounded by a crude wooden fence.

It was a surprisingly large village.

As Lee Han marveled at the sight, the gate swung open, and several minotaurs greeted them.

“Welcome!”

“Welcome, human!”

The minotaurs, who appeared to be guards, were wielding the battle axes Lee Han had repaired. Their friendly demeanor suggested they were grateful for his craftsmanship.

“I heard a skilled human was coming,” one of them said, “but I didn’t expect you to be so young.”

As they entered the village, a calm voice called out, “Welcome.”

Lee Han turned to see an elderly minotaur with striking white fur approaching them, leaning on a large staff.

“Greetings,” Lee Han replied. “I’m Lee Han.”

“Welcome, Lee Han. I am Longbiart, the village elder. We are honored to have you here.”

“Thank you for your warm welcome. But may I ask why you’ve invited me?”

“We’ve heard of your skills and were hoping you could repair some things around the village. Of course, we won’t ask you to work for free.”

“Haha, then I shall do my best. What needs fixing?”

“Follow me.”

Longbiart led Lee Han to a large well. Scattered around it were old, wooden buckets, most of them rotten or riddled with holes.

“Can you repair these buckets first?” Longbiart asked.

Lee Han examined them. “They’re too far gone to fix.”

“Hmm… I see. What should we do then?”

“It would be better to make new ones. But I’ll need materials…”

“What do you require?”

Lee Han listed off the necessary materials, and Longbiart led him to a warehouse packed with miscellaneous items.

“Oh…” Lee Han’s eyes widened at the sight.

“You can use anything you find here,” Longbiart assured him. “We’ve been collecting these things for a while.”

Seolmyeong hopped off Lee Han’s shoulder and began exploring the jumble of objects. “Is there anything useful, nya?”

“Let’s see…” Lee Han rummaged through the piles. “Oh, this is beeswax, isn’t it?”

“To be precise, it’s Fire Bee beeswax, nya!” Seolmyeong chimed in.

“Fire Bee?”

“They have wings made of flames, nya! They collect honey from flowers, and their honey is so sweet that everyone loves it! I used to eat tons of it! But beware, they have a fiery sting for anyone who tries to steal their honey without permission!”

“What happens if you get stung?”

“They shoot fire stingers, nya! It feels like your whole body is burning!”

That sounds terrifying. Lee Han shuddered and carefully pocketed the beeswax. He also gathered some scattered nails, then his eyes fell upon something else.

“I almost forgot about this!”

“What is it?” Seolmyeong asked.

It was a human-sized saw, well-maintained and with a sharp blade. Lee Han picked it up and grabbed a suitable plank of wood from the warehouse.

“Alright, let’s get started.”

He used the saw to cut the wood into the desired shapes, then waterproofed the pieces with the beeswax. Gathering the nails and some scrap iron, he activated his Crafting skill.

[Well-made Purifying Wooden Water Bucket]

[A water bucket made of wood. It is used to hold water, but can also hold other things. It is waterproofed with beeswax to reduce warping and increase durability.]

[Durability increased due to the well-made effect.]

[Waterproofing increased due to the well-made effect.]

[Gaia’s Hammer effect activates ‘Purification’ effect]

[Crafting Difficulty: ☆☆]

Had the hammer’s effect been activated because he used it in crafting? Lee Han marveled at the bucket, then called Bargentus over to test it at the well.

“It works great!” Bargentus exclaimed. “And the water tastes even better!”

“It leaks a little,” Lee Han observed, “but I think it’s good enough.”

“Definitely!”

“Do you have any jars or pots?” Lee Han asked.

“Let me check!”

Bargentus returned with a crudely-made earthenware pot. It seemed functional, but…

“It’s too fragile.” Earthenware wasn’t very waterproof and could easily break if dropped. It wasn’t ideal for use at the well.

Lee Han examined the pot, then decided to craft another wooden bucket. This time, it was a well-made, ordinary water bucket.

“Are you done?” Longbiart asked.

“Yes. I made two buckets for now. This should be enough for a while.”

“Excellent! Humans are truly skilled. By the way, this one looks rather special…” Longbiart eyed the Purifying Water Bucket.

“You can keep that one. It’ll be more useful to you than us. We just need a regular bucket.”

“Alright.”

‘I can use the Purifying Water Bucket for washing dishes and laundry,’ Lee Han thought.

“There’s something else I’d like you to fix,” Longbiart said.

“What is it?”

“Follow me.”

Longbiart led Lee Han to a small building. Its roof was half-destroyed, making it clearly uninhabitable.

“During the last typhoon…” Longbiart began.

“There are typhoons in this area?!” Lee Han exclaimed, surprised.

“Yes, there are. It’s not typhoon season now, but we’ll have one next year.”

‘I should prepare for that too,’ Lee Han thought, realizing that even his makeshift tent might not withstand a powerful storm. If a sturdy wooden roof like this could be damaged, his simple shelter was surely vulnerable.

“Please fix the roof here,” Longbiart requested. “We tried to do it ourselves, but we failed.”

“Is that hole over there…” Lee Han pointed to a gaping hole in the roof.

“Yes, our young ones were a bit overzealous and ended up making things worse.”

It seemed their lack of dexterity wasn’t an exaggeration.

Lee Han sighed and climbed onto the roof. It was indeed badly damaged and needed proper repairs.

“First, I’ll need some wooden planks.”

“Our young ones will bring them for you, don’t worry.”

Soon, a group of young minotaurs arrived with an armful of wood. Lee Han instructed them to fashion planks, and with their impressive strength, they quickly produced several wide boards.

“Please lift those up!” Lee Han called from the roof.

The minotaurs complied, passing up the planks one by one. Lee Han secured them with nails, gradually rebuilding the roof. Having such strong helpers made the task much easier.

“This is a temporary fix,” Lee Han said once he was finished. “I wouldn’t recommend using wood for the roof long-term. It warps when it gets wet. Ideally, you should make tiles.”

“Tiles? What are those?” Longbiart asked, curious.

“They’re like earthenware pots, but molded and baked from clay. Do you have any materials for making those?”

“Over there,” Longbiart pointed to a corner of the village.

Lee Han followed him and found a small kiln and a pile of clay.

After examining them, Lee Han cut some wood to create a mold and packed it with clay.

“You make several of these, bake them, and then overlap them like this,” he explained, demonstrating the process.

“…That seems complicated,” Longbiart said, frowning.

“It’s not complicated at all,” Lee Han assured him. It was simply a matter of labor.

But seeing Longbiart’s hesitation, even admitting that making earthenware pots was a challenge, Lee Han realized that crafting tiles would be a significant undertaking for them.

“I’ll come back and make them when I have time,” he offered.

“Oh! Thank you!” Longbiart exclaimed, relieved.

“I think this is all I can do for now… Is there anything else you need help with?”

“That’s all for today. There’s more, but it’s getting late.”

The sun was indeed beginning to set. It was time to head back to his camp.

“As a reward, take anything you want from the warehouse,” Longbiart said generously. “Oh, and is there anything specific you need?”

“Do you have any crops that merchants might be interested in?” Lee Han asked. He couldn’t rely solely on Sweet Radishes to attract traders.

Longbiart grinned and nodded. He disappeared for a moment, then returned with a pouch.

“What’s this?” Lee Han inquired.

“Honey Sweet Potatoes,” Longbiart declared proudly. “They were quite difficult to acquire.”