I Thought It Was a Healing Farming Game - Chapter 6

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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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I thought this was supposed to be a healing farming game.
Chapter 6

“Really? Why?”
“It’s adorable. A Mini Garden Plot. And it’s perfect for growing crops suited to a single person’s meals!”
Kayes regarded me in silence, his gaze steady and unblinking.
I met his eyes without flinching, my own burning with conviction.
The staring match lasted only until Kayes let out a sudden laugh, breaking the tension in an instant.
“Your tastes are quite humble, I must say, our dear customer.”
“I suppose they are.”
I chose not to acknowledge the barb beneath his words, steering back to the business at hand.
“So I do like this place. But what are the terms for moving in? The deposit, the loan—what would those look like?”
If I had to borrow, I needed to minimize it as much as possible.
Interest was the first thing to cut if I wanted to settle into the Village quickly without drowning in debt.
“Hmm…….”
Kayes twirled a pen between his fingers, watching it spin.
When it became clear I wouldn’t be borrowing a substantial sum, he seemed to lose interest just as quickly.
“Purchase price is fifteen thousand Gold. Deposit upfront is two thousand.”
“I see…….”
Fifteen thousand Gold.
If my saved data were still intact, I could have paid it without hesitation.
‘But now I don’t have a single coin to my name.’
I felt him out cautiously, testing the waters with a careful suggestion.
“What if, instead of purchasing…….”
“Rent?”
“Yes! Would that be possible?”
In the past, once Kayes had warmed to me, he’d even offered to let me rent. Would he be amenable now?
I had to wonder if that would work again.
“What, you planning to rent for a month and then leave?”
Kayes threw the question at me with a jesting tone that held just a kernel of truth.
“No!”
I bounded up in protest. Words tumbled out quickly after.
“But it’s important to be careful about borrowing, even small amounts. That’s what I was always told.”
“By whom?”
“My grandmother.”
The moment those words left my mouth, Kayes’s objection died behind his teeth.
A moment passed before he answered, his brow furrowing slightly.
“……One thousand Gold security deposit, fifty Gold monthly rent.”
“One thousand Gold…….”
That was an amount I could borrow without breaking my back.
“The deposit is modest enough that borrowing it shouldn’t pose any real problems, would you say?”
“Yes. If you give me the documents, I’ll review them.”
The moment I took the papers from Kayes’s hands, I began skimming from the very first line.
‘Let’s see. What’s the interest rate…….’

[Credit Score Irrelevant, Maximum Loan Amount: 1,000,000 Gold]

My jaw dropped.
‘A million?’
The cottage sale price was only fifteen thousand Gold, yet the maximum I could borrow was one million Gold.
‘If I borrowed up to the full limit, how in the world would I ever pay it back……? I couldn’t manage it even if I worked my whole life.’
The loan amount that had nearly bankrupted me before was far less than this.
The shock of the first line jolted me awake, forcing me to read the terms with sharp attention.

[Property Loan: Collateral is the purchased building and Labor Covenant, Interest Rate 40%]
[- Full repayment within one year]
[Security Deposit Loan: Covers rental deposits, backed by Labor Covenant or Credit Score. Interest Rate 20%]
[-Monthly Installment Payment (up to 3 missed payments permitted before default)]

‘If I borrow one thousand Gold as a security deposit, that counts as a Security Deposit Loan with a 20 percent interest rate…….’
I worked through the mental arithmetic carefully.
‘If I pay only interest without touching principal, that’s two hundred Gold per month. Plus fifty Gold for monthly rent…….’
Two hundred and fifty Gold became the bare minimum I’d need each month.
Ever since I’d nearly buried myself in debt after carelessly taking Kayes’s casual suggestion the first time I played.
I carried bitter memories of studying real estate terminology in the hospital for weeks afterward.
“Thinking awfully hard about borrowing a thousand Gold.”
Kayes’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.
I looked up and met his gaze with a question.
“Two hundred Gold in interest per month? And another fifty for rent on top of that?”
“That’s right. But you can defer payment three times easy enough, so don’t worry yourself.”
Kayes tossed a Cracker into his mouth and caught it, licking the crumbs from his lips with his tongue.
“You think I’d actually devour a customer just because they skipped an interest payment?”
He said it lightly enough.
But that meant everything written on these terms was genuinely true.
‘This interest rate wasn’t this high in the game before……?’
I couldn’t help but feel thrown off for a moment.
‘Does inflation and interest rates rise in this world like they do in reality?’
I mulled it over briefly and reached a conclusion.
This world didn’t seem to be exactly the same as the game I’d experienced.
The freedom to act outside the system was one thing, but the residents’ reactions had also become more varied and realistic.
“……Thank you for explaining all this.”
“Just put your mark here—”
“Then I’ll find a way to gather one thousand Gold and come back!”
Kayes was about to hand me the seal when one eyebrow twitched.
“Find a way?”
“Yes.”
“How exactly do you plan to do that?”
“By working and earning it.”
I didn’t know how prices were set in this economy, but the current interest rate was wicked enough to make even our grandmother grab her walking stick and chase it away.
“So you’re going to mooch off Siard’s place until then?”
“I won’t overstay my welcome, don’t worry.”
“Huh. Full of confidence, aren’t you.”
“Either way, whether I borrow money or not, I still have to earn it myself, right? Might as well give it my best shot.”
At my confident answer, Kayes let out a dry chuckle.
I set the papers down on the desk and stood up abruptly.
“Then I’ll see you again soon!”
Kayes, leaning back against the sofa, stared at me intently before waving his hand.
“Take care, customer. If you ever look like you’re about to freeze to death on the streets, feel free to come borrow anytime.”
“That won’t happen. Well, goodbye!”
Click.
I walked out with confidence, but closed the door carefully behind me.
Just in case it broke and I had to pay damages.
The moment I stepped outside, a long breath of relief escaped me.
‘Wow. I really did the right thing checking those terms first.’
If the interest rate had been reasonable, I’d planned to borrow for the deposit and live off monthly rent…….
‘Those conditions are just too tight any way I look at them.’
I decided it was better to carefully save up the deposit on my own than to rush into debt.
I walked down the stairs and returned the Access Card.
“Here, returning the card.”
“Thank you. Have a wonderful day.”
With the staff member’s kind smile, I stepped out of the Pub just as the sunset was beginning to paint the sky.
Looking up at that beautiful expanse of color, I made my resolve.
‘All right. I’ll work hard and earn it.’
Peace, rest, comfort—they all require a home and money to truly enjoy them.
Whether in a game or in reality.
I stood gazing at the sunset for a moment, but then I noticed the Clock Tower and snapped back to attention.
“Right. I need to hurry inside!”
The clock’s second hand crept toward six in the evening.
I couldn’t break my promise to Siard, who’d said he’d return early, so I sprinted home at full speed.
“Haah, ah, I’m exhausted……!”
I caught my breath in ragged gasps, steadying myself against my knees.
It had been years since I’d run hard enough to leave myself breathless like this.
Unable to hide my joy, I opened the door and stepped inside to find the house dark and silent.
“Siard?”
Dong.
In the distance, the Clock Tower’s bell tolled.
Dong. Dong.
It was surely announcing six o’clock, yet the house remained quiet.
I turned on the lights and called out to him again.
“Siard?”
No answer came back.
“Perhaps he’s at the Herb Garden?”
I went to my room first and changed clothes.
‘Hmm…… The door isn’t locked, so he must be home.’
The lights were off and everything was quiet, yet the house didn’t carry that particular chill of emptiness—that unmistakable cold of a place where no one dwells.
I made my way to Siard’s room and stood before his door.
It bore a nameplate with a cross drawn on it.
Sensing faint movement within, I knocked gently with the back of my hand.
Knock, knock.
“Siard. Are you in there?”
Just as I wondered if he might be asleep, I heard something fall to the floor inside.
Then came a voice—soft and unmistakably his.
“Would you mind waiting just a moment?”

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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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