Chapter 13: Another Player

[STATISTICS]

[AUTHORITY LEVEL: Commoners (435/1500 XP)]

[STRENGTH: D (10/1500 XP)]

[COUNTRY: Small Village (Money: 0/10,000, Villagers: 5/25)]

[SUPPORT: (Public: 95/100(%), Politics: 0/100(%))]

[UPDATE: Authority Level: +35 XP]

[Congratulations! You saved several people!]

[You gained +35 XP]

"You're leaving this soon?" asked Darren when he saw Rich already dressed neatly in his new clothes. He had opened the bag on his horse carriage and chosen a fresh outfit before departing for Mierre-Park, which wasn't too far away.

"I need to head back quickly before my family panics from not hearing from me. Maybe next week, I'll drop by again with a few merchants, Your Highness." Darren chuckled softly at Rich's words.

"By next week, we'll probably have the roof up, Rich. So your friends won't need to worry about getting rained on," Darren said politely. He hugged Rich, who was older than him, patting his back gently in camaraderie. Then it was Elric's turn to embrace Rich just as warmly.

"We can even start working on the roof today. Bit by bit, we'll make sure it can protect us from sun and rain," said Kael, stepping forward to join Darren and Rich. "Besides, now we've got a horse carriage, Rich. My friends can catch up with you later in Mierre-Park."

They all burst into laughter, including Evan, who was busy eating fish with Rhea. Darren wasn't sure when Evan had gotten so close to Rhea. Though her two older sisters still seemed cautious and not fully blended in, Rhea, the youngest, looked very comfortable among the group.

"You guys really should visit Mierre-Park a few times. There's a lot to prepare before winter, right? For example, you'll need to buy some new clothes," Rich said before hugging Evan, who had stood up by now.

"We're probably going to buy some warm clothes and a few sacks of flour. By the way, what's most in demand in Mierre-Park? Maybe we can bring some good items to sell there," Darren said as Rich was about to get on his horse carriage. Rich paused to think for a moment, trying to recall the most sought-after items in Mierre-Park.

"There's going to be a hunting festival soon in Mierre-Park. Maybe you could bring a few bows to sell. If I remember correctly, bows and arrows fetch a good price. Especially with nobles and officials looking for gear to join the festival," Rich said. Bows and arrows were already on Darren's list of potential trade goods. The price was good and offered decent profit for them.

"But we still don't have any bowstrings. Do you think people would still be interested in buying bows without strings?" Darren asked again.

"It's no problem, Your Highness. If you sell even one bow, you can use the profit to buy strings and increase the value. Mierre-Park has everything, even though it's not as crowded as Narima Beach." Darren nodded in agreement. They all watched as Rich climbed into the horse carriage and slowly rode off from their campsite.

Even though they had only known Rich for a few days, Darren felt like he had helped broaden his perspective. Especially now that they had a carriage with three horses—a carriage much larger than Rich's. They would be able to sell more items and earn more money.

"Uncle Darren, can I eat this apple?" Rhea's voice called out to Darren, drawing everyone's attention with her adorable tone.

"Sure, eat as much as you want. Don't forget to give some to your older sisters, Rhea." The little girl took three apples and handed them to her two older sisters.

As far as Darren could remember, they were siblings from the Everglow family. They had an orchard, and their parents had recently passed away.

The eldest was Luna Everglow, who unfortunately was still unconscious even after Elric had given her some of his stored medicine. The second was Mia Everglow, and the third was Thalia Everglow. Rhea was the youngest, now adored by everyone here. She blended in easily, her innocent chatter always amusing and sincere.

Without realizing it, little Rhea had already stolen the hearts of many, making them willingly protect and care for her.

"Or maybe you'd like to eat your apple by the river, Rhea? We can all eat there before we start building the house," Leon suggested, and Rhea eagerly stood up. Meanwhile, her two older sisters looked hesitant. After all, Luna, the eldest, was still unconscious after suffering some wounds and a head injury yesterday.

Darren noticed their hesitation, as did Evan, who had been busy eating fish. "If you guys want to go to the woods, it's fine. I'll stay and watch your sister. Evan and I have some things to discuss here anyway. I promise your sister won't get eaten by a lion."

Evan laughed softly at Darren's casually exaggerated comment. The two girls blushed and then got up to follow Rhea, who had already started walking ahead with the others.

"I think we should start making bows, boss. I'm sure we can sell them in Mierre-Park and stock up on more food. I'm already getting tired of eating just fish and apples," Evan suggested, and Darren took the idea seriously.

"I've been thinking the same. What other goods can we sell besides bows and arrows?" Darren asked. He tried to recall what else they might need.

Besides needing money to buy supplies, Darren also had to gather a total of ten thousand coins. Which meant he would be very busy with winter just six months away.

"Let's start with the most valuable ones," Evan said, taking a deep breath before speaking. "First, bows—those are worth around fifteen silver coins. Then arrows, sold in sets of ten, go for about five silver coins. Apples are cheap—they sell for about the same price as whole wheat bread in Mierre-Park, just one copper coin. So I don't recommend selling apples; they'll just weigh down the carriage. Bows and arrows are the best bet."

"Wait, how much is the value difference between a gold coin, a silver coin, and a copper coin?" Darren asked in confusion.

"One gold coin equals ten silver coins. One silver coin equals ten copper coins. So, for example, if we want to buy a bow that costs fifteen silver coins, it's the same as one hundred and fifty copper coins." Darren nodded in understanding, mentally calculating what goods they should prioritize for sale.

[1 Gold Coin = 10 Silver Coins = 100 Copper Coins]

"Maybe we should wait to start production until the roof is done? As long as we're not getting rained on," Darren suggested. But Evan didn't respond right away. He clutched his stomach uncomfortably. Darren started to notice Evan's strange behavior.

"Boss, I think I have to go. This can't wait. I'll be back soon." Without waiting for a reply, Evan left abruptly, leaving Darren chuckling at his behavior.

In the mild morning weather, Darren turned around and looked at the girl named Luna, who still lay on the dry grass. Her lips were pale, a sign she hadn't fully recovered. He didn't dare touch her casually, even though he just wanted to check her temperature after her fever last night.

Since Elric knew medicine and health, Darren left it all in his hands. He turned away again, grabbed an apple, and bit into it while waiting for Evan to return.

[Added one player to the server.]

Darren heard Sasa's voice. Someone had just entered this world. Not Darren—he knew he had been here far longer.

Click!

Darren heard another sound—the sound of a knife opening from the nearby shelter. Someone was close. It could only be... her.

Darren turned around and saw a knife already aimed at his throat. He didn't feel threatened. He wanted to laugh, seeing that the girl had also ended up trapped in this game world.

"You want to kill me even though I'm the one who saved you?" Darren asked calmly, not the least bit afraid.