CHAPTER 155 - I HOPE ARCHELON IS A VEG-ATURTLIAN
🙞❤︎🙜
The next day, we were all in high spirits because of the fairy blessings that we received. My apprentices reported that they got a 2% Farming exp bonus plus a special 5% bonus for one extra skill. Mo’s bonus skill was Foraging, Lari’s was Hunting, and Kharli seemed to have hit the jackpot because she got bonuses on both Fletching and Smithing.
I got up before dawn and was out of the house just as the first rays of sunlight were peeking over the horizon. The first thing I did was to check on my pet to make sure she had everything she needed. Then I went over to the rice paddies and used the System’s [Build] tab to drain them of water. Today’s main task was to clear out the remnants of the harvest to prepare for the upcoming planting season in three days. I also removed the shade canopy over the tea field. When my apprentices arrived, we sowed the bare soil with the [Wild Seed Mix].
I gestured for them to move to the next field. “Now for the last one, our experimental crop!”
Last planting season, the kids had decided they wanted to produce saffron by planting [Crocus] flowers. Thus far, apart from the [Wild Seed Mix], all the seeds we had used were food crops. In Adventure Incarnate, the flowers like [Crocus], [Sunflower], [Poppy], etc. were purely for display. Yes, they could be sold for gold, but they weren’t used for Herblaw or Cooking, which was strange because some of the flowers, like [Dandelion], were edible.
Since the game was now real, there should be room for improvisation, so it should be okay to extract saffron from the [Crocuses].
The flower field was small but lovely. Each [Crocus] stood tall, with each slender stem supporting a single bloom. The smooth and velvety petals were a heartbreakingly vibrant purple, its petals forming a delicate cup shape that gently caught the early morning sunlight. The sweet scent of the flowers had attracted bees, butterflies, and one iridescent hummingbird that hovered over the flowers. I felt a little sorry about destroying all this beauty, but the plants would wilt after the harvest season anyway, even if I left them alone.
“They’re so pretty and fresh!” Mo put on her gardening gloves and used scissors to snip off a flower.
“I’m getting an incredible amount of bonus exp each time!” Kharli’s face flushed red and her eyes sparkled.
Lari and Mo both nudged her with their elbows while rolling their eyes and giving me sidelong glances.
I mentally chuckled at them trying to be considerate of my feelings since I hadn’t gotten a fairy blessing. They didn’t know I was getting a 20% bonus exp because of my level 99 Astrology.
We finished harvesting the crocus flowers and prepared a portion of a new field for the planting season by clearing it of all trees, rocks, and weeds. This took up almost all of our energy, but we did leave a little bit unused for the day’s trip to the Peach Blossom Isle. We drank some [Kola-Kola Soda] before going to the house for breakfast.
“Let’s store the flowers for now and take out the saffron threads later,” I said after we finished eating. The “threads” were the flower’s stigmas, and they were quite valuable. “The Turtle swims all around the world, and they say we might not get another chance to see it again in our lifetime. Is everyone ready?”
They nodded, and we set off for the main house where we got our packed lunch and snacks. Then we loaded the [Viking Longship] with more ham and freshly butchered meat that the Demon Chef prepared for us yesterday. There was also an expertly roasted whole ox and five suckling pigs, along with a dozen assorted chicken dishes. They were all wrapped in banana or lotus leaves and packed in wooden boxes.
“It smells amazing!” Lari bent down to sniff the food before tying it down to the benches.
I pretended to wipe some drool from my mouth. “I’m actually drooling, even though the chef gave us some choice cuts earlier.”
Of course, the staff we left behind had roasted a pig for us, too, and we ate some at breakfast.
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Kharli stacked two small food boxes and tied them together before storing them under a bench. “Teacher, why did you tell the chef to put an apple in the pigs’ mouths?”
I smiled. “The apple makes it look more festive!”
We put everything on the ship even though it would’ve been easier to store the food in our inventory because I wanted to keep my System inventory low-key. Shuye had sent word that the local community was abuzz with the news of a trade delegation that had been sent by the chief of the Peach Blossom Islanders.
Even I knew that the island was impossible to find unless the Great Turtle allowed you to see it. Those who had ships ready to sail yesterday tried to follow the islanders back to their home, but no one was successful except for me and the kids. I expected that the shore today would be full of small watercraft, all looking to follow me to the legendary isle. Therefore, I wanted the public to see that my [Viking Longship] was loaded with boxes of stuff, as a normal farmer’s ship would be.
“Teacher, please put this on. Madam Fengying said we should all wear these.” Kharli took out four veiled hats from her inventory and handed them out to us.
Lari took one and shook out its semi-transparent folds of fine silk before placing the hat on his head. “How old-fashioned! Even grannies from the noble houses no longer wear these veils.”
“She said it’s to protect us from the sun.” Kharli frowned at her hat before putting it on and sitting down on a bench beside Mo.
“Okay, let’s go!” The sun was shining quite fiercely today, so I put wraparound sunglasses on under the veiled hat. Mentally activating the [Viking Longship], I set it on the lowest speed first before very gradually moving the speedometer up to a moderate setting.
I took a deep breath when we sailed out to sea. The air was hot and smelled of the sea, a wet, salty, and slightly fishy tang that invigorated my senses while the ship gently rocked to the rhythm of the waves and wind. The sound of water splashing against the hull and the creaking of the sail was quite soothing.
We’d hardly sailed more than ten minutes away from the mouth of the river when we spotted the first half dozen watercraft. The people on the boats started waving at us and shouting stuff we couldn’t hear. A few shot off signal flares, doubtless to alert the other boats that they had sighted us.
“Er, how do they know it’s us?” I wondered out loud.
“The [Viking Longship] has a distinctive silhouette.” Kharli frowned thoughtfully at the other ships. “Should we slow down to give the others a chance?”
It had only been a day, but the news of what my ship looked like must have spread near and far. I chuckled a bit at the thought of a gossip mill that was as fast as the internet. “Okay. We might as well help them out. Archelon will choose whoever she wants to meet. ”
Slowly, I turned the speedometer down but continued to sail in the direction that the System map indicated. Soon we were joined by a few dozen water vessels of every type and size.
“Look, Teacher, there’s Ruolin!” Mo flung her veil back and stood up to wave at a tall figure at the prow of a luxurious leisure boat that I recognized as the one we had used when we did [Trawl Fishing] at the Emerald Cove last year.
“I hope they can join us on the island,” said Kharli.
Mo sat down. “Yeah, they were nice.”
Alas, it was not to be. An hour later, we sailed through a slight distortion in the air like a heat haze, and the others disappeared from our sight as we found ourselves sailing near a giant sea turtle who was carrying an island on her back. Soon a canoe full of lively young people rowed out to greet us, and we followed them to the beach where the islanders helped us unload our cargo and carry it to the chief’s house.
“I’ve brought a feast! Let’s eat it together,” I said to them. “I’m afraid the food will spoil if we don’t eat it right away.”
They just smiled and pushed me and my apprentices to the door of the chief’s house, where we took our veiled hats off. Lari was once again red-faced and unable to lift his eyes from the ground because of all the scantily-clad women.
“Don’t worry, miss, we’ll take good care of the food,” said a lovely woman who seemed to be in her late twenties. She had long, shiny black hair cascading down to her waist, large brown eyes, and luscious cherry-red lips that were either entirely natural or the result of an amazing lip stain.
Looking around, I saw that the people around us were all dressed up in brightly colored sarongs and wearing bead jewelry or flowers. “Is it just me, or does everyone look more gorgeous than before?”
“The traders came back with a lot of fresh meat, and we’ve been cooking since last night! Today is a feast day,” she said.
The chief’s attendants greeted us with great good humor, their blindingly white teeth flashing and their wrinkles creasing as they seated us and gave us cool fruit juices served in clay cups.
“Oh, how could you be so modest yesterday! You should’ve told us that you’re a famous spirit farmer,” said a little old lady with long salt-and-pepper hair.
The other old ladies, all dressed in colorful sarongs, nodded their heads in agreement and surrounded us like a flock of chattering tropical birds.
“You look hot, why don’t you take those robes off and put on some sarongs?”
“We cooled the juice in the ice cave, but we’re saving the ice for the feast later.”
“Young lady, why don’t you join us? You and your apprentices can live here. I have a very handsome grandson you should meet.”
I simply smiled and enjoyed the fuss they made over us. Eventually, we finished the juice and the ladies decided we should prettify ourselves for the party tonight.