Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: A Crooked First Button
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We're on our way back to the Prophet's house.
Mandy and Yu-na are carrying the loot we picked up from the battle.
"Aren't you worried? About leaving her all alone."
Yu-na's fretting over Mandy, who'll be left behind after we leave.
Who should be worrying about whom here?
From what I've heard, people in this world are considered adults at sixteen.
I don't know Mandy's exact age, but plenty of girls around her age already have a few kids.
"No, it's not that. It's things like money. Bad people might come and take it all from her..."
"It's fine! The slave tattoo's gone, so I can use the bank again."
"Huh? Bank?"
"Oh~ A bank is a place where you can deposit money..."
In my opinion, Yu-na should be more worried about our own problems.
This world has a functioning society, even if it's a bit different from ours.
Meanwhile, we're walking on thin ice that could crack at any moment.
"Well, that's a relief, but... so you'll live in town?"
"Yeah, I think so. Living alone in a remote place like this has its safety issues..."
Mandy must look too young in Yu-na's eyes.
Among my group, Yu-na's the baby of the bunch.
Maybe she's enjoying having a little sister figure for the first time since we got here.
But to me, Mandy seems sharper than Yu-na.
She's just too polite around us for it to show.
'Anyway, she's an adult.'
I still haven't fully grasped the new mission from the System.
But no matter how I interpret it, I know a way to complete it without issue.
"Oh? There it is. Good thing we made it back before sunset."
We emerged from the forest.
The Prophet's house came into view in the distance.
Along with the fields stretching out like a backdrop.
"Mandy."
"Yes, Benefactor?"
"I've got a few questions."
She looks up at me with bright, sparkling eyes the moment I call her.
While Yu-na and Mandy chattered, I'd sorted out my thoughts alone.
Time to get her take on things.
"That big field seems to be planted with just one crop. Is that the staple food?"
"Oh, no. It's because of the war—we had to stockpile food in a hurry..."
I started with the light questions.
I'd been worrying about Samira's food situation, so this piqued my curiosity.
"That's daynight wheat. It grows super fast!"
"Daynight wheat?"
"Yeah. It grows by soaking up sunlight during the day and moonlight at night, so that's the name."
I'd asked casually, but the answer was a shock.
"How fast does it grow?"
"You sow the seeds, and it's ready to harvest in a month!"
"Harvest in just a month?"
"Yes. But there are a few things to watch out for."
This was beyond my common sense.
I couldn't move on to the next question and kept grilling her about daynight wheat.
"So it's only planted in special situations like wartime."
"Right. It ruins the soil, so we don't grow it normally."
Daynight wheat grows fast but drains the soil's nutrients heavily.
There are rules for sowing it, plus a bunch of other precautions.
"No nitrogen fertilizer around here?"
"Nitro-what?"
"Never mind."
Despite the downsides Mandy mentioned, daynight wheat was incredibly appealing.
Especially here in Samira, with Bae Bong-sik's Fundamental Skill.
He could probably offset those drawbacks.
"Still, it's just a pipe dream."
"Pardon?"
I really wanted that daynight wheat, but there was no way to take it back.
According to the Prophet, we could only bring mana-infused items when we returned.
'There are other restrictions too, she said.'
Mana infusion is the bare minimum.
I don't know what else qualifies, and daynight wheat's just a regular plant.
I let go of the lingering regret.
"Nothing. Oh, earlier you said you have no experience with men?"
"Yes."
"Is virginity important here? Like, is there a concept of chastity?"
Mandy ponders my question.
And I start sensing anxiety from Yu-na.
"I'm not sure. The priestess taught us to carry ourselves properly."
"I see. What if I said we should sleep together? Just for one night."
Both women open their mouths at once.
"Sure."
"No way!"
I couldn't make sense of either response.
We spent the night at the Prophet's house.
Just sleeping, I mean.
'I've got the same mission too!'
That's what Yu-na said yesterday.
She'd gotten an additional mission, identical to mine.
So all my needless worrying was for nothing.
The System wasn't suggesting a threesome or anything.
"I had a dream."
I woke up early at dawn.
The time zone's similar to Earth's, so no jet lag.
After washing up at the well, I came back to find Yu-na and Mandy in the living room.
"Um... guests are coming today."
"Guests?"
"Yes. And the two of you will leave then."
Mandy's saying something eerie.
Talking like her dream is destined to come true.
'Her presence has gotten bigger too...'
Anyway, we got ready to leave.
Since we'd completed the System's mission.
"So both of you have a backpack each... Oh, and dress like you did yesterday for the fight."
We'd packed up the Prophet's gear thriftily.
Prioritizing mana-infused items.
At the same time, Mandy prepared to leave too.
She acted like it was a given, and Yu-na and I helped.
"Breakfast is ready!"
"Thanks~ Digging in."
We spent a long morning like that, then had lunch.
After eating, Mandy prepared tea.
As we sat chatting, my Target Detection suddenly picked up multiple presences.
'Damn.'
A dozen or so people approaching.
All stronger than me.
Especially the two in front—I couldn't even read them clearly.
Knock knock knock.
The knock came soon after.
"They're here."
Mandy went out and greeted the guests naturally.
A woman and a man entered the house.
They screamed "religious folk" at first glance.
The man looked middle-aged; the woman was hard to pin down.
Like someone old but baby-faced.
"Yes. One moment."
Mandy talked with them.
Introductions, purpose of the visit—it felt like confirming what they already knew.
'Even Mandy's vibe has changed.'
While chatting with the guests, she exuded a calm presence.
Like something had happened to her overnight.
"Give us time for goodbyes..."
"Of course. We'll wait outside."
The pair left at Mandy's request.
And then the System message popped up.
Mandy approached us.
"Benefactor, Sis. Thank you. You two changed my fate."
She spoke with tears welling up.
"Don't worry about me. Going with them means I'm safe."
Yu-na and Mandy clasped hands.
Relieved, both of them.
I shouldered my bag and strapped on my weapon.
Time was short.
"I wish blessings on your paths. I'll always pray for you."
"Mandy... Take care."
The countdown started in my head.
Mandy turned to me this time.
"Benefactor. We have to meet again."
"Yeah."
"Benefactor was born with a fate that lets you rip off even a misbuttoned first button. So always have courage... Pfft."
She spouted something cryptic, then burst out laughing.
"Ah, you probably don't need advice like that. But I'll cheer for you anyway."
I nodded.
Told Mandy to stay well.
Just before my vision went dark.
"Last night was a shame. Next time we meet... Wait for real."
Mandy's voice faded faintly.
Thud.
Suddenly, Yu-na and I were standing on asphalt.
We'd safely closed the first Gate.
Samira Main Building conference room.
My core team was all gathered.
"Bro!!! Glad you made it back safe!"
Jang Ho-seop was the last to join.
He'd been out handling external stuff.
While waiting, I showered and got briefed on what happened here.
Fortunately, nothing major went down while I was gone.
"I'll go in chronological order."
Yu-na and I recounted everything from beyond the Gate.
The group listened intently, faces lit with excitement.
Lack of entertainment, maybe?
I could feel their genuine enjoyment.
"Yi Hyun-ssi. Mind if I share what you went through during training sessions?"
The moment I finished, Soo-jung unnie asked.
"It'd be great for the others—fun story, and it'd motivate them..."
"Sure. No problem."
I figured it was better to share.
We'd conquered an unknown Gate world and returned safe.
Nothing secretive about it.
"Bro. But that talk with Mandy and the locals before you came back."
"Yeah."
Jang Ho-seop's turn next.
He's hooked on that world's stuff.
"The Demon King really showing up in reality?"
"No idea. Just repeating what I heard."
"Man, what kinda place is that? Totally different scale from us."
Jang Ho-seop says he wants to go there once.
The others look curious too.
"Still more to tell."
I fielded a few questions, then got back on track.
"Bit early to judge, but... yellow Gates seem conquerable with our strength."
We'd only closed one so far.
Need more experience, but if Gates don't vary wildly, we can hit the time limit on the others too.
"Yeah. The incidents near your starting point probably weren't coincidence."
Yu-na and I visited a world as vast as Earth.
But we only roamed an area the size of a small town.
"Time dilation worries were overblown too."
"Right. Just a bit more time passed here."
Of course, not set in stone yet.
Other Gates might differ.
"So conclusion: gotta experience more to know."
"Yeah. But we do have one sure thing."
"What's that?"
"Rewards."
Yu-na laid out everything we'd brought on the conference table.
"Whoa... that looks nasty."
Jang Ho-seop eyes the club I'd used.
Not sure "club" fits—it's over 1.5 meters long.
Dunno what monster part it came from, but it's insanely tough.
A light tap draws screams.
And top-notch durability, supposedly.
"Only mana-infused stuff passes through Gates, right? People or items."
"Yeah. So you came back naked..."
"These are all from over there."
I'd thought our pre-Gate gear stayed here.
Nope.
All vanished.
"Divide 'em well, and we can outfit everyone here."
Most of what we grabbed there came through intact.
Thanks to that, no naked roadside return.
"Mana-infused materials... you mean monster byproducts?"
Soo-jung unnie inspects the table as she asks.
"Yes. Leather, bones. There's plant-based monsters too."
That's why no swords or such.
Prophet's metal weapons were plain metal.
"Artisans can infuse mana into non-monster stuff too. That should pass."
"Ah, we don't have that tech..."
"Yeah. Gotta ration. And research monster corpses ourselves."
Among Mandy's gifts was cloth from plant monster byproducts.
Good for undies, socks.
Other gear: use as is.
"Ugh... a bit smelly."
"Someone else's castoffs."
"True. Beats being naked."
Jang Ho-seop eyes Yu-na enviously.
Her gear and mine aren't secondhand.
We took the priciest stuff from the Prophet's stash first.
"Divide the spares as you see fit, and store shared stuff like backpacks and guards properly."
This was like bonus income.
Useful stuff we grabbed on our own.
Now for the big one.
Jang Ho-seop asks eagerly.
"Bro. System rewards?"
"Level Up."
"Ooh... if you leveled, then Junior Yu-na..."
I leveled once killing that white chick during the kobold fight.
Game terms: EXP at zero after.
Returning to Earth bumped it again.
That's the Gate-clear reward.
Separate EXP, and plenty of it.
"I only went up 1 level. Based on contribution."
Jang Ho-seop looks disappointed at Yu-na's answer.
I held back.
No need to say I leveled twice.
Didn't mention the System messages either.
"Kinda underwhelming... or is it? Pretty good?"
Jang Ho-seop waffles to the end.
But System rewards don't stop there.
"One more."
I pulled out a small pouch and set it on the table.