Chapter – 05
The sun had tilted low toward the west.
Mikhail was heading deeper into the lakeside.
Crunch, crunch.
Though he moved forward with a calm expression, his insides weren’t entirely settled. His stomach twisted a bit—just a little bit.
[It was my imagination after all.]
…Talk about being completely ignored.
Crunch.
Mikhail suddenly stopped.
He ran his hand through his hair and clicked his tongue softly.
‘Can’t be helped. It’s because of what the original Mikhail did… Anyway, the sky foxes should be somewhere around here.’
Mikhail looked around and turned to the right.
Crunch.
A lamp tree appeared before his eyes.
A tree with canary-colored leaves scattering light and a deep groove carved in the middle of its trunk.
Mikhail approached the tree and listened carefully.
“Arroong… arong…”
Irregular, shallow breathing.
He’d found the right place.
‘Now then.’
Mikhail pulled out the lunchbox and removed the warm meatballs.
Just as he was about to push them into the tree’s groove…
“Arrr!”
A sharp cry came from the branch beside him.
Mikhail turned his head. A small fox was puffing up its sky-blue fur.
Its round tail resembling cotton fluff swayed anxiously.
“Arrrrrr!”
The threatening cry rang out again.
Mikhail slowly extended his hand toward the fox.
“Squeak!”
The fox flinched in surprise and leaped back. Its black eyes trembled, unable to hide its agitation.
“…”
Silence fell between the person and the creature.
Mikhail smiled faintly and withdrew his hand.
‘It tried to stand up to me because I was touching its sibling. But it won’t be able to follow through. At least not right now.’
The beloved of the howling winds, the sky fox.
However, right now it would be withering away, bound by the superficial meaning of peace and unable to stand against anything.
Mikhail withdrew his gaze from the sky fox beside him and pushed the food into the groove. Then—
“Sniff sniff… sniff…”
Slightly more intense sniffing and rustling sounds followed.
Mikhail stopped paying attention to the presence inside the groove and spoke to the sky fox hovering nearby.
“You should go eat too. There’s nothing weird in it.”
The sky fox beside him raised its head as if uninterested and made babbling sounds.
Even so, its jet-black eyes remained fixed on Mikhail, unable to move.
“Suit yourself. I’m leaving.”
Mikhail picked up the empty lunchbox. He turned away from the lamp tree and retraced his steps.
He felt a gaze on the back of his head along the way, but…
‘This much contact is enough for the first quest.’
There was no reason to act more familiar. Mikhail shuffled along as if he knew nothing.
The round sun had completely disappeared behind the mountain ridge.
Mikhail headed toward the windmill. He needed to retrieve the windbell mushrooms.
Since the day had grown late, Lloyd had probably left by now. He would’ve placed the mushrooms in the hole beneath the windmill.
Ding.
He’d been quickening his pace when it happened.
A golden message appeared before his eyes along with a notification sound.
【Quest: [Divine Beasts] Divine Beasts of Haeohreum Forest (1) Complete】
- Completion Reward: Shop Currency +1
“!”
Mikhail flinched at the sudden notification, but soon a faint smile crept onto his lips.
The first quest had been completed successfully. He’d even obtained Shop Currency as a reward.
Come to think of it, when the currency reached 10, the shop would unlock…
Ding!
At that moment, a message similar to before appeared in succession.
【Quest: [Divine Beasts] Divine Beasts of Haeohreum Forest (1) Complete】
- Perfect Performance Bonus: Shop Currency +1
【Notice: Chain Quest Activated.】
【Quest: [Divine Beasts] Divine Beasts of Haeohreum Forest (2)】
- Quest Reward: Shop Currency +1
‘Oh, this is…’
Mikhail stood still and blinked, then let out a giggle.
The image of the sky fox that had been staring at the sky and babbling came to mind.
‘It seemed uninterested. Guess it ate pretty well though.’
A day passed after that.
Early morning in the shopping district.
[Fountain broken. Under repair.]
Mikhail glanced at the sign set up in front of the broken fountain and moved on.
His destination was the tavern he’d visited before, Fioned’s Early Autumn.
The tavern where he’d gotten food for the sky foxes yesterday—today’s business was also preparing food for the sky foxes.
And while he was at it…
‘I can check on the progress of the side event I’ll be intervening in—the magic tool explosion incident.’
Click.
The moment Mikhail stepped into the tavern, a sharp voice stabbed at his ears.
“Half! Just give me half of this shop and there won’t be any problems! Why don’t you understand?”
“What on earth… why this sudden stubbornness?”
“Don’t like it? Then pay back your debt right now!”
The vicious nouveau riche Kobi raising his voice at the center table.
And across from him sat the tavern manager, Bitron.
As Mikhail watched Kobi and Bitron facing off, Denver approached hesitantly.
“It’s a bit noisy right now… will that be alright?”
Mikhail looked at Denver gauging his reaction and nodded.
“It’s fine. More importantly, I’d like to order the same menu as yesterday. The beef meatballs with red berries.”
“Understood. I’ll prepare it.”
Denver shot into the kitchen. At the same time, Kobi and Bitron’s voices grew louder.
Mikhail sat at an empty table and watched the commotion.
“Just hand over half the shop obediently! I’ll sell combat magic tools there, and you guys can do your business!”
“The repayment period still hasn’t ended. We’re thoroughly making principal and interest payments according to the contract. But demanding half the shop out of nowhere—does that make sense?”
Bitron took a breath and continued.
“Besides, selling combat magic tools? Absolutely not. I don’t want to handle violent items.”
“Hah, this is a military academy! A place where people violently beat each other up! What’s wrong with selling combat magic tools to those guys?”
“No. Students are students. They’re young and immature. I can’t sell items whose safety isn’t guaranteed…!”
Thud!
When a bodyguard behind him slammed the table, Bitron flinched and closed his mouth. Kobi clicked his tongue and sneered.
“You can’t do business spouting pretty words, you know? Guess that boldness you had taking on big deals when you were younger is dead?”
A sharp standoff continued for about ten seconds.
Kobi relaxed his expression and spoke as if doing a favor.
“Well, it’s not like I didn’t expect you to react this way. That’s why I prepared this myself.”
When Kobi gestured again, the bodyguard pulled out a parchment scroll from his pocket. He slammed it roughly onto the table.
“It’s a safety certificate. Check it, Bitron.”
“…”
Bitron picked up the scroll and unrolled it.
His brown eyes scanned the text on the parchment several times.
Bitron set the scroll back down and shook his head.
“This document only proves the safety of the parts. It’s not sufficient to guarantee the safety of the magic tool itself…”
“Oh come on, it’s the same thing! Have you ever seen someone get sick eating a sandwich made with fresh ingredients?”
“…That’s different from this.”
“What’s different! Stop nitpicking!”
Kobi’s neck veins bulged as he twisted his face viciously and raised his voice.
“I tried to resolve this nicely, but you keep crawling up to my head? Shut your mouth and do as you’re told!”
“…”
Kobi, having snapped, looked around the tavern. Greed glistened in his eyes as they landed everywhere.
“If you’re going to keep being uncooperative, I have no choice. This conversation is over. …Even if it’s a bit troublesome, I can make up any excuse to take this tavern.”
“What do you…”
Kobi leaned forward toward Bitron. His glaring eyes stared directly at Bitron’s face.
“Denver and his family owe me a debt, don’t they?”
“…”
“If I make things a little difficult for them, making Denver give up his share of this shop would be nothing.”
Scrape.
Kobi stood up from his chair with a creak. A vile smile spread across his face.
“Then I’ll see you again soon, Bitron.”
Bitron stared at Kobi with a bloodless face, then bit his lower lip hard and opened his mouth.
“…Mr. Kobi. Please wait.”
“…”
“I’ll reconsider the proposal you gave me.”
At Bitron’s now quite obedient appearance, Kobi snorted satisfactorily and sat back down.
“Hmph, should’ve done that from the start.”
“However, please follow one rule of the shop.”
Bitron spoke in a faintly trembling voice.
“All products sold in the shop must be thoroughly inspected before sale. If the sales items are magic tools, that would mean sufficient prior testing.”
“…Tsk, so?”
“I’d like to directly confirm the safety and performance of the items you bring before selling them. If you grant this request, I’ll accept your proposal and ensure there’s no trouble afterward.”
“Hmm.”
Kobi stroked his chin and smiled like a snake.
“If that’s all, it’s not bad. I can bring the items starting tomorrow, so test them then.”
“…Understood.”
Bitron smiled with a look of resignation.
Mikhail turned his gaze away at that sight.
He’d confirmed all the important progression scenes, and also…
“Um… young master. Sorry for the delay.”
Denver approached with a drooping appearance and held out a lunchbox.
His rough fingertips were mottled red and purple from fresh injuries. He must have heard the entire conversation.
“I kept making mistakes and had to grill it about three times… Sorry. I put in the jelly we couldn’t sell yesterday too.”
Mikhail shook his head slightly.
“It’s fine. More importantly, treat your hand first.”
“Ah, thanks for your concern…”
Denver blinked as if a bit surprised, but soon wore a warm smile.
However, the smile quickly faded. What remained was only deep worry.
“…”
Mikhail glanced at Denver and stood up.
His indifferent steps passed by Denver’s side…
“Don’t worry.”
It was a voice so small that no one else would hear.
Denver stopped and turned his head to the side. For a moment, there was the mischievous smile of the troublemaker he’d forgotten about.
“Things won’t go the way they want.”
About an hour later.
Behind the campus, in front of a lamp tree in Haeohreum Forest.
“…”
Mikhail looked inside the lamp tree’s groove.
The inside was empty. Mikhail reached out and carefully placed his hand on the particularly deep hollow space.
‘The hay’s still warm.’
The sky foxes must have quickly hidden themselves after sensing a presence.
Clink.
Mikhail placed the beef meatballs and jelly inside the groove, dusted off his hands, and turned around.
At that moment, a pale outline in the green forest to his right caught his eye.
“…”
Rustling sounds from the thick leaves.
Between them, a pair of cotton-ball tails were swaying.
Mikhail curled up one corner of his mouth. He withdrew his gaze from the tails swinging like pendulums and calmly moved forward.
Just as he left the forest’s edge—
Pop!
A message appeared before his eyes.
【Quest: [Divine Beasts] Divine Beasts of Haeohreum Forest (2) Complete】
- Completion Reward: Shop Currency +1
【Notice: Chain Quest Activated.】
【Quest: [Divine Beasts] Lost Nest】
- Quest Reward: Shop Currency +1
