Healing After Sweeping Spirits with an Almighty Skill - Chapter 60

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 60
60. Merchants and Watermelons
I had a brief meeting with the 1st Exit Merchant Guild.
The Merchant Guild Master, who had led me to the meeting room, set down a cup of coffee before me and maintained an unfailingly courteous demeanor throughout. The man—old enough to be my father—was so deferential that it made me slightly uncomfortable.
“Please, speak freely. We will cooperate without limitation.”
The other merchants in the guild gazed at me with the same gleaming eyes of someone witnessing a savior. I took a sip of coffee and smiled.
‘This is it. Good attitude.’
I had no intention of lording it over them or fishing for praise. Still, it was only natural to want to receive something in return for what I’d given.
‘A four-fold increase in foot traffic isn’t exactly a trivial gift.’
Once the festival started, it would surely climb to seven or eight times the normal volume.
The lines in front of shops would stretch endlessly, but given the Waystation’s nature, rental fees would never rise. The Grand Lord hadn’t raised monthly rent even once in the past decade.
In other words, my existence was nothing less than a moving lottery ticket to these merchants.
“Our 1st Exit’s signature: charcoal-grilled chicken skewers.”
“Our shop’s house specialty: salt bread.”
“My son’s a barista—please, have a latte on us.”
The merchants competed to pile food in front of me.
Of course, they were hoping I’d mention them somewhere—on some video platform or the like—but what did that matter?
I sampled each dish fairly, one bite at a time, and nodded in satisfaction.
“All of it is delicious. Truly worthy of the 1st Exit, with its deep history and tradition.”
“Aha! You understand! The 1st Exit Merchant Guild has been here since the very beginning of the Waystation—a marketplace steeped in history!”
After a brief ice-breaker, I broached the main topic: the festival preparations.
“In truth, there’s not so much involved in ‘unlimited cooperation.’ Mostly banners, streamers, some festive decorations—that sort of thing.”
“Would you perhaps need food for the festival? We can provide it at no cost.”
“Aha, I appreciate the sentiment alone.”
We spent a short time discussing the festival’s operations. The guild master and merchants participated eagerly, their eyes bright with anticipation of the windfall to come.
As I stepped outside after the conversation ended, an unexpected group was waiting for me.
“Jeong Ryong!”
“Jeong Ryong, come use our exit instead!”
Merchants from the exits I’d passed through. Before I could answer, the 1st Exit Merchant Guild Master stepped forward.
“Hold on! How dare you show such lack of honor! Jeong Ryong has already made an agreement to proceed with the festival at our 1st Exit!”
The merchants’ eyes asked silently: is that true? When I nodded, they let out sighs of regret and shook their heads.
But among them, some burned their eyes with determination. They fixed me with a gaze alight with fierce resolve—as if to say, ‘Next time, it will be us.’
A place where there were no eternal allies and no eternal enemies. That was the world of merchants.
* * *
Lunch that day was held at the Pavilion in the Herb Field. The menu was watermelon.
Splash—
We pulled up watermelons that had been soaking in the Water Source all morning, now refreshingly cold.
[Heft!]
[Hup!]
The spirits followed my lead, each pulling up a watermelon of their own.
Sturdy Noum hefted a watermelon as large as his own torso with ease, while the delicate Undines required seven or eight of them clinging together just to manage one.
[Ooooh!]
[Wow! The fruit’s full of water!]
[Delicious-looking! Hehe!]
We carried twenty watermelons to the Pavilion.
With fields stretched out in front and the Water Source spreading behind, the Pavilion was the perfect spot for a midday break.
Whirrr—
Inside the Pavilion, Jeong Jin was running an electric fan.
“Why’s there a fan?”
“Look at this guy, acting ignorant. Obviously watermelon goes with a fan and a hand fan.”
I wasn’t sure about that, but honestly, neither Jeong Jin nor I had experienced anything like this before.
We all settled down together in the Pavilion.
For a moment I worried it might be cramped with so many spirits, but the Sylphs hovered in the air while the Salamanders clung to railings and pillars, so everyone had a place to sit.
Though it was still a bit snug, Noum and the Undines used it as an excuse to press close against me, laughing with delight.
[Hehehe!]
[Giggle!]
Tap-tap—
When I thumped the watermelon, it gave off the sound of perfect ripeness.
“Poonghogi. Slice these watermelons into small pieces for us.”
[Roger!]
Whiiish-!
As Poonghogi sent blasts of wind, the watermelons were sliced into perfectly bite-sized pieces.
The red flesh studded with black seeds looked utterly appetizing.
“This is one of the fruits humans love most. Since it’s mostly water, I think you Undines can eat it too.”
“Just toss the rinds over in that field!”
“Then, let us partake of this watermelon with gratitude toward Jang Dae-in for his gift.”
[We give thanks for this meal!]
[Wonderful!]
[Hurrah!]
We all reached for a slice each.
[Ooooh.]
[Nom!]
Noum, the Undines, and the Salamanders took their first bites. They paused for a moment, their eyes widening, then began eating faster and faster.
[It’s delicious!]
[Oh my!]
Eyes sparkling as they devoured the watermelon. Even Noum and the Salamanders, despite Jeong Jin’s warnings, crunched right through the rinds.
Watching the spirits eat so happily, I bit into my own slice.
Crack—it shattered crisply against my teeth, and the sweet juice poured out like a waterfall.
“Mmm. Perfect ripeness indeed. Excellently mature.”
“This is incredibly good. Where did this watermelon come from? I need to write it down and get this every year.”
“There’s a box in the storage. It should be labeled there.”
As I noted the taste and continued devouring my slice, Poonghogi spoke up.
[What does it taste like?]
“Very sweet and refreshing. The texture is excellent too.”
[I want to try it too~.]
I felt sorry for Poonghogi, who licked his lips wistfully, but I couldn’t stop eating.
The Pavilion, sheltered from the blazing sun overhead.
Eating watermelon while the electric fan’s breeze washed over us was incomparably special.
[Nom nom!]
The spirits gorged themselves on watermelon.
The translucent bodies of the Undines turned a pink hue matching the watermelon, and the seeds they couldn’t spit out drifted like spots inside their bodies.
The sight stirred a playful impulse in me.
“You all are spitting out the seeds while you eat, right?”
[Huh?]
[Spit?]
“If you don’t spit out watermelon seeds, they’ll grow inside your belly.”
[Whuuuh?]
[Grow?]
“If they grow in your belly, vines will sprout from your mouth. Then you’ll have no choice but to bury yourself in a field to become a watermelon root.”
The spirits’ eyes went wide.
Whoosh-!
The Salamanders exhaled steam in unison, as though on cue. They’d clearly incinerated all the pulp and seeds in their bellies at once.
[Aaaaaah!]
[Waaaah!]
But the Undines had no such ability. They trembled in terror, staring at the seeds studding their bodies.
Smack—Jeong Jin tapped my back gently.
“How could you tease the children like that?”
“Hahaha. Sorry, you guys. I was joking.”
[Really?]
[You’re sure…?]
At my words, the Undines exhaled with relief, then their eyes went fierce.
[Grrr!]
[That’s mean!]
The Undines puffed their cheeks and pelted my legs and knees with their fists. Since they were literally water-fists, they just bounced off with soft splashes—not painful at all.
“Lucky him.”
Ignoring Jeong Jin’s usual nonsense, I reached for another slice of watermelon when—
[Uh?]
Tohhogi and Noum looked up at me, wondering if I was actually joking.
“…You two might actually grow.”
Today, their earthy bodies seemed remarkably fertile.
* * *
In the afternoon, he evolved the Spirit Territory to level 3.
Rumble-rumble-rumble—
With each tremor, the meadow beyond the outer walls expanded once more.
The Spirit Territory was clearly suspended in the air on pillars, yet somehow the territory kept growing wider. It was definitely something worth observing closely the next time.
Spirit Territory LV. 3
┼ Available Constructions
└ Wind Turbine LV. 4
└ Plaza LV. 3
└ Excavation Site LV. 1
└ Blacksmith LV. 2 (pre-completed)
┼ LV. 4 Expansion Conditions (0/3)
└ Wind Turbine LV. 4 (0/1)
└ Excavation Site LV. 1 (0/1)
└ Territory Development Rate (62/100)
┼ ??? Conditions (2/3)
The Excavation Site.
It was the first new building to appear since the Spirit Domain evolved into a full territory.
Available Constructions
┼ Wind Turbine LV. 4
└ Material: Electric Fan (0/1)
└ Material: Blower (0/1)
└ Material: Aluminum (50kg/50kg)
┼ Plaza LV. 3
└ Material: Fountain (0/1)
└ Material: Statue (1/1)
└ Material: Bench (5/10)
┼ Excavation Site LV. 1
└ Material: Flashlight (0/1)
└ Material: Brush (0/1)
└ Material: Seedling Shovel (0/1)
From its name alone and the materials required, the Excavation Site appeared to be a building related to the Relics of the Underground Area.
‘Do we excavate the Relics and then do something with them?’
It seemed unlikely that Relics would generate profit directly, so he wasn’t sure whether the Relics themselves produced some kind of effect as items.
It meant that new structures could be built in the Underground Area, which had been empty save for the Bridge Hall.
‘But that’s not even the biggest advantage of the Excavation Site.’
The Relics were half-buried in earth but already half-exposed above ground. Excavating the buried portions was naturally the work of Noum.
But then, whose task would the already-excavated portions be?
Cleaning away the dirt and debris clinging to the surface of the Relics without causing the slightest damage to them—the work of a spirit with delicate touch.
‘A job for the Sylph.’
The Sylph were already the most numerous spirits in his domain.
But their assigned tasks amounted only to operating the Wind Turbines, cleaning, and the occasional expedition, so most of the time they drifted through the sky with nothing to do.
‘They’ll be thrilled when they hear this news.’
It was time to create new work for the spirits laboring faithfully in his territory.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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