The Life of a Returned Genius Farmer - Chapter 18

Chapter 18: The Problem Solved – Part 2

[Translation By Divinity]

While the elf stared at the food in front of him with a bewildered expression, the other elves also woke up, and Lee Han called them over.

The white, well-cooked pork was emitting a warm steam. Next to it was a plate of red-stained kimchi. The elves alternately glanced at the pickled cabbage leaves placed separately for wrapping and then at Lee Han, who was already eating.

“Ah… th-thank you for the food.”

“Do elves not eat meat?”

“That’s not it. Well…”

The male elf took courage first. He followed Lee Han’s example, placing some kimchi on a well-pickled cabbage leaf, then adding a slice of meat on top. He neatly wrapped it and took a bite.

Crunch!

The richness of the fatty pork was offset by the spicy kimchi, leaving only a savory flavor. This savoriness blended with the saltiness of the pickled cabbage, further enhancing the taste. The spicy kimchi seasoning harmoniously tied everything together. It was truly a storm of flavors.

The elf couldn’t help but widen his eyes and nod repeatedly at the deliciousness bursting in his mouth.

“Mmm! Mmm! Mmm!”

He wanted to say something but didn’t want to miss the food in his mouth. Caught between these two conflicting desires, he chewed and swallowed the pork wrap in a frenzy, then spoke to the two hesitant elves.

“Hurry up and eat! It’s incredibly delicious! And…”

He felt strength surging through his body. He felt his stamina recovering even more than when he ate the Vitality Cabbage earlier.

Was it because of his strong recommendation? Or was it because Lee Han and Seolmyeong were eating so deliciously in front of them? The two elves hurriedly made pork wraps and put them in their mouths.

“…!!”

Their reactions were no different. The taste permeated their bodies, which had just been detoxified and were exhausted. They couldn’t help but notice their stamina returning at the same time.

Therefore, all they could do was throw away any reservations and devour the food.

“…”

Normally, they would have conversed while eating, but no one said a word. This was because Lee Han wasn’t the type to talk while eating, and neither was Seolmyeong. Moreover, the elves couldn’t speak, whether it was to recover their stamina or to savor this delicious food a little longer.

“Phew… Oh. Th-that’s…”

Having eaten frantically without any regard for his pride as a noble elf, he felt ashamed of his unrefined behavior and bowed his head to apologize to the host.

“I apologize.”

“Pardon?”

“I should have savored the taste more…”

“Haha. I think you enjoyed it plenty. By the way… I’m Lee Han.”

“I’m Eric. And these are Lud and Kaiser, my comrades who are like brothers to me. And since you’re our benefactor… please speak comfortably.”

“I’m Lud.”

“I’m Kaiser.”

The two elves also greeted him politely, and Lee Han accepted their greetings with a smile.

“So, how did you end up poisoned?”

“Ah… that’s…”

“I heard three of you came here secretly… is that right?”

At those words, the three elves’ faces flushed with shame. Lee Han gave a wry smile at their inability to even answer.

“It was recklessness.”

“If you know your mistake, you just need to avoid it next time. But how did the two of them get poisoned?”

“Ah, that’s…”

Lud began the explanation.

They couldn’t dissuade Eric and ended up escorting him here, but as soon as they arrived, they were surrounded by a horde of undead.

“Didn’t the elves clear out quite a few undead last time?”

“Nya. Undead regenerate quickly if left alone for even a day, nya. That’s why it’s called the cursed land, nya.”

“That’s scary.”

“Yes. But the undead weren’t a big problem. As we were about to move after dealing with them…”

“A high-ranking undead appeared.”

A high-ranking undead.

Lee Han groaned slightly at the mention of an intelligent undead.

Shredder had also warned him that while low-ranking undead weren’t a big problem, high-ranking undead were troublesome to deal with, and he shouldn’t enter their territory. To think they encountered a high-ranking undead… It was truly unfortunate.

“A high-ranking undead. What kind of undead are you talking about?”

“A Lich.”

“It’s a powerful undead created when a skilled mage tries to escape death by turning themselves into an undead. Possessing intelligence and the ability to use magic, it’s almost impossible to even inflict damage on it with ordinary skills.”

Kaiser’s hesitant voice was laced with fear. Even though they considered themselves strong, they couldn’t even put up a proper fight against a powerful enemy like a high-ranking undead.

“Honestly, even escaping wasn’t easy. If we hadn’t left the cursed land and entered the forest with the purple light…”

“The forest with the purple light?”

“If you keep going north from here, you’ll find it, nya! It’s a place where many medicinal herbs and poisonous plants grow, nya!”

Medicinal herbs and poisonous plants.

Lee Han made a mental note to visit there sometime later. Seolmyeong continued its explanation.

“There are two reasons why the Lich couldn’t enter that place, nya. First, undead can’t use their full power outside the cursed land, nya. And second, there’s something very dangerous in the purple forest, nya!”

“Something very dangerous?”

“It’s a monster called the Man-Faced Spider, nya. It uses powerful poison, and its threads are as strong as steel, so even the Lich could be hunted if it’s not careful, nya!”

The three elves’ faces paled as they realized they had entered such a dangerous place.

“Still, it’s fortunate you survived,” Lee Han said with a smile, and Eric scratched his cheek and shook his head.

“We wouldn’t have survived if it weren’t for you, Lee Han. Lud and Kaiser were poisoned, and I was almost at my limit…”

Lee Han waved his hands, not knowing what to do as the three expressed their gratitude again. It was coincidental, but it was only natural to save people who were dying.

“But I heard high-ranking undead rarely leave their territory… Did you enter its territory?”

“No. We were in an area with only low-ranking undead.”

The place they were in was the same place Lee Han had been. It wasn’t a particularly dangerous place. If a high-ranking undead appeared there, it must have been due to some problem.

“Anyway… let’s rest for now before you go.”

Shredder, with his wide network, would have asked the dog beastfolk for help. Considering what happened with the monkey beastfolk before, if the dog beastfolk joined the search, they would find these elves and bring them here soon.

Of course, there was a possibility that wouldn’t happen, so he needed to contact them separately.

“Seolmyeong, can you go to the dog beastfolk village?”

“Are you trying to call Shredder, nya?”

“Yes. I don’t know where Shredder is staying, but the dog beastfolk should know where he is.”

“What if they don’t know, nya?”

“If they don’t know… I’ll have to ask for their help. Or we can ask the minotaur beastfolk for help.”

Lee Han stroked Seolmyeong’s back as he spoke, and Seolmyeong, enjoying the touch and purring, got up.

“Then I’ll be back, so don’t go anywhere and stay here, nya!”

“I’m counting on you.”

Seolmyeong, with its tail raised high, started running quickly. Eric watched Seolmyeong disappear in an instant and bowed to Lee Han.

“Thank you very much. I don’t know how to repay this kindness…”

“I would appreciate it if you could bring some crops or seeds that grow in the Elf Kingdom later.”

“Of course. I swear on my family’s honor that I will keep this promise.”

“Haha. Alright. By the way, it seems like you haven’t fully recovered yet, so please rest.”

“No, no. I’ve fully recovered. But, benefactor…”

“I have some work to do.”

He had originally planned to make the wheat field today, but unexpected events had occurred. Even though he hadn’t invited them, these elves would bring him crops and seeds later, so he couldn’t just leave them at the base and go to work.

Deciding to work here today, Lee Han approached the potter’s wheel.

“What is this…?”

“It’s for making pottery.”

“It rotates by pushing here. I’ll help you.”

Eric took off his shoes and stood in front of the potter’s wheel.

Since he was offering to help this much, what could Lee Han do? He let the two elves who had just recovered from poisoning rest a bit longer and then brought clay and placed it on the potter’s wheel.

“Then let’s begin.”

Eric moved his feet quickly. With each step, the potter’s wheel spun rapidly, and Lee Han began shaping the clay into bowls. After making a few bowls, Lee Han examined them carefully and then moved them to the kiln.

“Let me help you with that.”

“Sure. Be careful when you move them.”

“By the way, this is the first time I’ve seen pottery being made like this.”

“How do elves make pottery?”

“We use glass. I suppose there’s no glass here?”

“Glass… That sounds nice. Can we trade for it later if I need some?”

“Haha, yes. My family has a skilled glass artisan. Please let me know anytime if you need anything.”

Eric’s expression was brimming with pride. Lee Han smiled at him, lit the kiln, and showed him the pottery he had at the base.

“Oh… This is…”

“Can I trade these with the elves too?”

“These delicate white bowls… They’re magnificent. Did you make these yourself?”

“Yes.”

Eric kept admiring the beautiful white porcelain, his eyes sparkling. He pointed to one of the pieces.

“Can I buy this one from you?”

“Sure. What can you offer in exchange?”

“Besides glass, our family also has special products…”

Just then,

“Hahahaha!! You guys!! You were here all along!!”

The sky began to darken, and a grating voice echoed through the air. At the sound of the voice, not only Eric but also Lud and Kaiser, who had been lying down, jumped up and drew their weapons.

“C-could it be…?”

“To think it came all the way here…”

Reacting to their response, Lee Han stared intently in one direction. There, in his line of sight,

“Heh heh heh… So this is where you ran off to?”

A skeletal mage, clad in tattered robes, was approaching them with glowing red eyes.