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Chapter 9 – My Vegetables Are Selling Like Hotcakes
[Extra-large potatoes have been sold.]
[Straight, firm green onions have been sold.]
[Napa cabbage, full of spring vitality, has been sold.]
[Large, sweet radishes have been sold.]
These messages kept popping up before my eyes.
I was shocked by those messages.
“What? Why are they selling so well?”
The vegetables I listed were expensive.
What was the reason?
“Because I guarantee they taste that good.”
After all, they were grown in the Yakseon herb garden. Their taste was undeniably superior to any other vegetable. That’s why I priced them a bit boldly. They sold out in less than an hour after being listed!
“Don’t people think it’s a waste of money?”
“Young Master’s vegetables are delicious, so it’s no wonder!”
“…Nureongi, if you eat that much, how will you eat dinner later?”
“I’ll save room for dinner! Hehe!”
Captivated by the sweet radish, Nureongi kept chewing.
If Nureongi were like that, imagine how people would be.
It seemed like selling them periodically wouldn’t be a bad idea going forward.
“I should share some with the villagers, too.”
Giving and receiving are at the heart of the countryside.
This time, however, the situation was a bit special, so I couldn’t give any away. But when the time comes, I plan to share it all.
“The second section will be put to good use.”
“Indeed!”
“And just imagine how amazing the effect of the third section will be!”
“Hehe, seeing you so excited, young master, makes me feel good!”
Nureongi smiled, looking quite pleased.
“By the way, Nureongi, what about the final effect of the second section?”
“Final effect? Are you talking about installing the gate?”
“Yes. What exactly does that mean?”
Installing a gate?
I’ve never heard of it.
Originally, gates were natural disasters.
They were dangerous calamities that could appear anywhere, anytime.
“Installing a gate is very simple!”
“Simple?”
“You can install a gate using a gate core!”
“A gate core?”
Gate core.
I’ve heard of those.
What if you survive a gate until the very end?
You get a gate core as a reward.
With a very slim chance, though.
I’m fairly certain they mentioned that you can use the core to enhance your skills or body.
“Of all things, the materials are ridiculously expensive.”
“But that’s not the end of it!”
“What else?”
“If you carefully choose which gate to install, it can be a huge help!”
A huge help, huh?
“There are different types of gates, right?”
“Right?”
“Then, with a gate that spawns animals, you can summon them endlessly!”
“…Oh, and what if it’s a gate that spews out tons of herbs?”
“Likewise, you could harvest tons of rare-grade herbs or higher!”
Hearing Nureongi’s explanation, everything clicked.
Gate installation is like having a warehouse for gathering resources.
Just hearing about it sounded incredibly convenient.
“Then I absolutely must get a gate core somehow.”
“Install it carefully. Once a gate is installed, it cannot be changed.”
“Hmm… I suppose I should.”
I need to think about what resources I need right now.
Rare-grade herbs and edible monsters would be good.
After all, once the gate is set up, monsters can’t attack me, right?
But the absolute best option is something else entirely.
“I wonder where a gate core might drop out of thin air.”
In other words, obtaining a gate core naturally.
However, since that’s impossible, I dismissed the idea as mere fantasy.
* * *
“It’s just simple indigestion. Here’s some medicine to help with digestion.”
Country life has become familiar to me.
I wake up early to walk with Nureongi through the herb garden.
At noon, I see patients who come through the dimensional gate.
Perhaps it was thanks to treating Ain.
[The patient was satisfied with your treatment.]
[You have acquired 100 Dimension Gate Points.]
[Dimension Gate Points can be used in the Point Shop.]
Patients periodically visited the Dimension Gate.
Moreover, most were mild cases.
However, the fantasy world lacked advanced medical care.
They would likely treat most things with healing spells.
This is why they seemed unable to judge whether an ailment was minor or not.
“You’ve already conquered the tower up to the third floor!”
Nureongi smiled at the rapid progress in conquering the tower.
I nodded at Nureongi’s words.
“By the way, why are all of Ain’s acquaintances so strong?”
So far, two of Ain’s acquaintances had arrived.
I asked both of them to conquer the tower.
In a way that minimized physical strain, of course.
Both of them easily conquered the tower.
Even the little kid right in front of me.
“Kid, how old did you say you were?”
“I told you, I’m not a kid! My name is Rain! I’m 14!”
“Fourteen is still a kid, though.”
Anyway, the Rain standing in front of me was incredibly strong, too.
She seems to be a formidable mage.
Thanks to her, the monsters on the third floor were easily defeated.
“So it wasn’t just a coincidence that you cured Ain-oppa’s illness?”
[T/N: It means “older brother” and is used by a female speaker to address or refer to an older male she’s close to.]
“Of course not. There are no coincidences in medicine.”
“Even the most renowned physicians on the continent couldn’t do it. It’s truly amazing.”
Rain’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“Doctor-nim, you really are human, right?”
“…What do you mean?”
“I mean, I was wondering if you might be a dragon in disguise.”
“As you can see, I’m just an ordinary human.”
“For a human to be this powerful without any special abilities, it actually makes it seem more believable that you are a dragon.”
Rain, being a mage, was overflowing with curiosity.
Perhaps that’s why she kept insisting that I was a dragon.
After all, dragons are known to take human form for amusement.
Unfortunately, though, I’m a real doctor.
“Divine Doctor-nim, I have a proposal.”
“Even if you ask me to come to your dimension, I won’t go.”
“Tch! If only we had the Divine Doctor, our dimension would advance by leaps and bounds.”
“Don’t you dare take the young master! He’s my family!”
I stroked the head of the anxious-looking Nureongi.
“You’re right. I have family here, too.”
Life here was the best possible life.
I had absolutely no desire to abandon it now.
Upon hearing my answer, Rain looked dejected.
“That’s a shame.”
“Just come when you’re sick, get treated, and leave.”
“Yes, I’ll come again…”
“Don’t even think about coming again.”
Rain began gathering her things to leave.
Then—
“Ah, right. Doctor-nim, did you know?”
“What is it?”
“The magic flow around here feels a bit off right now.”
“Magic flow?”
“Should I say the dimension is unstable? It’s not a good sign.”
I tilted my head at Rain’s words.
But I soon grasped what she meant.
“Could it be a precursor to a gate?”
A gate is a phenomenon in which a dimensional rift opens, allowing monsters to spill into our world.
Rain seemed to have sensed that precursor.
“Thanks for the warning.”
“This is nothing. I’ll be heading back now!”
With that, Rain vanished beyond the dimensional gate.
Soon, a gate will appear.
Should I be happy about this?
Or should I be sad?
“If I’m lucky, I might get a gate core, but I can’t stop the gate itself.”
“Then why not seek help from others?”
“Since my brothers are B-rank hunters, they’d probably come if I asked…”
Honestly, it felt awkward.
Especially with my eldest brother.
“What’s the matter?”
“My eldest brother opposed my moving back to the countryside.”
“Why? Why would he oppose you living in such a good place?”
“Because Father passed away here.”
My brother believes that our father died because of the countryside. If only he had lived in the city sooner.
Then he would have healed his frail body and lived longer. That’s why my eldest brother disliked me living in the countryside.
“I really don’t want to hear any more of that nonsense.”
“But is there anything more precious than life itself?”
“That’s true.”
This time, there’s no avoiding it.
I’ll have to call my brothers, even if it means enduring some nagging.
This isn’t just about my life.
The lives of the precious elders of the village are at stake, too.
“Then I’ll contact them first…”
Just as I was about to pick up the phone—
Thump! Thump!
An impatient knock sounded at the gate.
An unpleasant voice followed.
“Heo Jin! Open the door!”
I frowned at the sound of that voice.
I knew exactly who it belonged to, even without seeing them.
I strode over and opened the front gate.
There, of course, was…
“What are you doing here?”
My nemesis, Jin Yeong-seok, stood there.
* * *
I disliked Jin Yeong-seok.
Should I say that I disliked him as a person?
I even disliked letting him into the house.
That’s why we sat in the pavilion near the house.
“What’s suddenly gotten into you?”
When I asked that, Jin Yeong-seok frowned.
“Y-you bastard! I thought you knew Haneul came up here!”
“I knew because she came to say hello.”
“Gah! Then you should’ve contacted me!”
“No, she’s been here for two days. Didn’t you know?”
“I had things to do, damn it!”
Why was he taking it out on me?
“Weren’t you here on vacation to begin with?”
“No way! What do you take me, an A-class healer, for?”
Jin Young-seok suddenly put on a haughty expression.
Then, he started mocking me.
“Unlike you, the ever-leisurely Korean medicine doctor, I’m busy, you hear!”
“Then why did you come down to the countryside?”
“Because of the government’s rural hospital policy.”
“What? You really came down to work?”
“…Then why did you think I came?”
“Well, I thought you were just following Ms. Haneul around.”
“You bastard!”
I thought he was just a fool, crazy about women, but apparently not entirely.
Anyway, is the government pushing a policy to build rural hospitals?
I didn’t know that.
“It really is a good policy, though.”
In the countryside, it’s hard to even get to a hospital, unlike in cities with established infrastructure.
Sometimes, you have to drive an hour just to access one.
Are they building hospitals in every village?
That would definitely be a good thing.
But…
“The healers exiled here must be pitiful.”
After all, that would require the healers’ sacrifice.
Who would want to work in this godforsaken place?
Working in the city is comfortable.
Once this policy takes effect, though, healers will have to come to the countryside.
“That’s why I came looking for you.”
“Me?”
“You’re a half-baked Korean medicine doctor, but you know how to treat patients, right?”
“…I suppose I do.”
“If you can treat patients, you meet the minimum requirement. You’ll work there.”
Indeed.
Now I understood why Jin Young-seok had come for me. He wanted me to run the village hospital. His reason? To protect the healers belonging to his group.
“Because the government will forcibly draft healers.”
Awakeners have a duty to protect civilians.
There’s no right to refuse that duty.
Refuse, and you’re immediately labeled a villain.
That’s why being an Awakeners isn’t all good.
“Honestly, I don’t really care…”
“But it’s good for you, too, right? You get along well with the elders, don’t you?”
“If I refuse, it’s obvious that Ms. Haneul will come. Right?”
”G-guh!”
Jin Yeong-seok looked flustered, as if I’d hit the nail on the head.
He was clearly interested in Park Haneul.
He must be contacting me because he doesn’t want Park Haneul to go to the countryside.
I briefly considered being mean about it.
But…
“Actually, this is perfect…”
I was already considering opening a small, private Korean medicine clinic.
If the government supports that, I’d be thrilled.
Besides, the villagers probably won’t visit often.
I’ll build a clinic near my house and treat patients with fevers alongside providing regular care.”
“Fine, I’ll take it.”
“…Seriously? Without any conditions?”
“Do you know who I am? What conditions are needed to save lives?”
My father has said this since ancient times.
Life is the most precious thing of all.
Never abandon people for money.
“Hehehe! Finding the perfect candidate right away! I am truly capable!”
Seeing that, I want to cancel.
Then,
“Hey, Heo Jin! Bow your head!”
Jin Young-seok suddenly panics.
He pressed down on my head, looking flustered.
“Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?”
“Look over there!”
In the direction he pointed, there was a woman.
She had well-maintained straight hair and was wearing sunglasses.
At first glance, she was clearly a city woman.
She radiated an aura that said just that.
“Why would such a beauty be in this backwater?”
“…Are you finished? I’m leaving.”
“Hey, you bastard!”
When I stood up, Jin Young-seok panicked.
Then something unexpected happened.
Wasn’t that woman who had been looking around from afar coming this way?
“What the hell! Why is she coming over here?”
Jin Young-seok was flustered.
Before I knew it, the woman was standing right in front of me.
She took off her sunglasses and grabbed my arm.
“I missed you! Doctor!”
At that moment, I saw the jealousy twist Jin Yeong-seok’s face.
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This comedy clown is quite funny.
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