14: Not a bad deal - Part 1

'Darn it! This old man is nothing special in terms of power, but his presence… it is pushing me back and forcing me to accept his words. Ugh, I need to resist spending money…'

"How much would a packet of seeds cost me, and which one would you recommend?"

Liam did not mean to ask that. But when he opened his mouth, these words left naturally, making the man in front of him let out a happy smile.

"You made the right decision, son. You don't know how many people choose to ignore a thing as magnificent as being self-sustained. In my opinion, everyone should take up gardening and empty out a plot in their yard to plant fruits and vegetables. Ah, here you go. This should be enough."

The old man packed Liam more than 20 packets of different seeds, and Liam paid the old man with an almost reluctant expression on his face.

All through his purchase, the old man kept speaking about how 'kids' had gotten lazy in these times, and in his young age, he used to work hard.

Liam was barely able to excuse himself before he turned the corner so that he would no longer be in the old man's line of sight.

"Tsk, that old man sure was a pain. He was surely from a group that has never seen the outside world. That is why he was able to speak about being self-sustaining so easily."

Considering how most people were not even able to afford a livable space for themselves, having enough space to plant trees and vegetables was just a dream for most. Liam considered himself lucky enough to have a house and some space in his yard to plant all that.

Still, Liam did not consider his investment to be totally useless. He had considered one option about what to do with these plants when he had been forced to buy them.

One of his memories showed him a way to grow magical fruits, an item that usually grew in mana-rich dungeons and could boost someone's mana capabilities two-fold.

Usually, it was impossible for normal magicians to grow these plants, and even in Liam's memories, he could only remember 10 people who could do that among millions of magicians.

Luckily, he used to be one of those 10, so he could do it… in his past life. He would have to experiment in this life to see if he still had the same capabilities or not.

[New item acquired - Normal seeds. User can enhance these seeds with mana to grow a special variety of products.]

The system's chime was reassuring, and Liam took a deep breath before he went back home with the seeds in his hand.

______

"What are you doing?"

Liam asked as he blinked to check if he was hallucinating or not. But no matter how much he tried to clear his eyes, the image in front of him did not change.

Bianca was looking at him from that upside-down position she had found herself in. Liam felt a little awkward looking at the young female.

"Huh? Are you talking to me? I am just looking at the sky and thinking about what to do next. You don't have to worry about it. By the way, what did you bring back? Is it something to eat?"

The younger female rolled herself upright before she pointed toward Liam's bag.

He instantly felt the urge to hide the bag he was carrying behind his back. Bianca's gaze felt like that of a curious sibling that wanted to take away the new toy Liam had gotten.

Liam did not even have siblings, and yet, he felt like he had them. Bianca did not give Liam a chance to hide them before she snatched the bag from his fingers and opened it in front of him.

Her expression turned annoyed as soon as she noticed that Liam's bag did not have anything fun.

"These are some vegetable seeds. Are you interested in gardening? I brought them back because I was in the mood to plant some."

Bianca tossed the bag back to Liam with an uninterested expression on her face. She even let out a disappointed sigh when she looked at Liam.

"Anyway, what I came down here for is to tell you that I will be out of the house for a few days. An important mission has come up, and the association needs my help. So, boss, do not enter my territory during those few days if you value your life. Do you understand?"

Bianca asked in a harsh voice. She was no longer pretending to be that kind and soft-spoken lady she had pretended to be before. Instead, she was showing her 'real' self to Liam.

"Alright, I will stay clear of your area. But make sure you keep whatever you have up there locked in. I do not want an accident like last night repeated."

Liam decided to take it easy and not think much about it. After all, if he treated Bianca like any other human, then he wouldn't have to think much about it.

Bianca made a thinking face that made Liam certain she was not thinking of anything pleasant. And his worries were proven to be right when she opened her mouth next.

"Hey boss, would you like to come with me? You might not have magic, but you do have some skills. I bet you can earn a lot of money if you come with me… Ah, don't worry about being discovered or anything. I will take care of all that."

Bianca offered, and her words sounded confident. There seemed to be no doubt in Bianca's mind that Liam would accept her request, and it made Liam sigh.

'Does Bianca think I will do whatever I can to get money as long as I stay alive…? Fuck, she's right. I can't believe I am saying this, but it doesn't sound like a bad deal. I might as well take it.'