The older man looked downcast because of the answer given by the younger one.
"Um, Joe… could you explain why you apologized?"
The older man asked in a hurt tone.
"Sorry, Father… but no matter how many times I think about it, I just can't."
It seemed the older one was indeed the father of the younger. Kai began to understand their relationship, though he still had no idea what they were actually talking about.
"Y-you mean…"
"Yes, I can't… I don't want to end up bald like you, Father."
The father touched his completely hairless head.
"I wasn't talking about that!"
The father seemed upset at his son's reply.
"Eh? Not that? Then what?"
A confused expression clearly showed on the son's face.
"Of course, I was talking about becoming a carpenter as great as I am!"
The father explained, still looking angry.
"Oh, that… Sorry, Father, but I want to become even greater than you. That's why I can't be just like you!"
"Joe…"
The father was deeply moved by his son's words. He stepped forward to hug him, but just as he was about to, the boy suddenly dodged to the side.
"Oh, Father… looks like we've got a customer."
The boy said after noticing Kai standing at the doorway. In truth, he hadn't meant to avoid his father's hug—he only wanted to greet the visitor.
"Welcome, is there anything I can help you with?"
The boy greeted Kai at the entrance.
"No, actually I'm not a customer… I just wanted to look around."
Kai was simply telling the truth. Even if he really wanted to buy something, he knew he wouldn't have enough money.
"Oh, I see... in that case, feel free to look around inside,"
the young man said, inviting Kai into the carpentry shop.
Inside, Kai could see a variety of wooden crafts on display. Clearly, they weren't just capable of building houses, but also skilled at making decorations.
Kai then turned his attention to the boy's face. He had a childlike innocence to his features, making him look harmless and definitely not threatening like Kurt—though he did have a pretty solid build. His light brown hair was cut very short, and his dark brown eyes stared back at Kai with a straightforward, almost naive look.
"Hm? Is there something on my face?"
the boy asked, wearing a puzzled expression.
"No, nothing. I was just thinking... you don't really look like a carpenter. Maybe except for your hair, since it's so short."
"Hahaha... I get that a lot... especially about my hair,"
the boy laughed, rubbing the top of his head with a slightly worried look.
He didn't really need to worry though—he was about the same age as Kai, so it wasn't like his hair would start falling out anytime soon. But after seeing his father's perfectly bald head earlier, Kai understood why he was concerned.
"Don't worry! You're still young, so you can definitely do something about that problem!"
"Hahaha, you're right. I'll work hard at it!"
the boy replied, his eyes shining with newfound determination after hearing Kai's encouragement.
"Um, sorry... but this is the first time I've seen you around here, right?"
the boy asked, realizing he had never seen Kai before.
"Yes, that's right... I just moved here. My name is Kai."
"Ah, I see. My name is Joe. Nice to meet you!"
The two of them shook hands.
"Joe, I don't mind if you're fired up about solving that problem of yours, but you haven't forgotten your main duty, have you?"
his father's voice suddenly cut in as he walked toward them. He seemed to have just recovered from the shock of thinking Joe had rejected his hug earlier.
"Yes, Father... I'll make sure to grow such strong hair that it won't ever fall out, even when I'm old!"
"No! That's not what I meant!"
Joe looked confused, not really understanding what his dad was talking about.
"I'm talking about you wanting to become the number one carpenter!"
Joe clapped his right fist into his open left hand after hearing his father's explanation.
"Oh! That's what you mean, Father... of course I'll be the number one carpenter in this village, so don't worry."
"No! There are only the two of us carpenters here, so when I retire, you'll automatically become the number one carpenter in this village!"
"Yeah, that's exactly what I'm aiming for... is there a problem?"
Joe asked with a totally innocent look, not really getting what his father was trying to say.
"Well, Joe... I bet he's talking about all those cliché things, like how you need to be the best carpenter in the world and all sorts of impossible stuff,"
Kai said, leaning his right elbow on Joe's shoulder. After hearing Kai, Joe finally understood what his dad meant. Meanwhile, his dad looked annoyed at Kai.
"I know it's a tough and heavy dream to achieve, but shouldn't young people like you aim for the sky?"
His father said, clearly irritated by Kai's words.
"Don't put unnecessary pressure on your kid, or you'll end up being one of the worst fathers ever... besides, who do you think you are, old man?"
Kai squinted at the dad, still keeping his elbow on Joe's shoulder. Joe didn't seem to mind at all.
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Ronald! I own Ronald's Building and Craft Shop, and I'm the number one carpenter in this village."
Ronald struck a cool pose with his axe while introducing himself. His bald head gleamed like it was shining, and even his thick mustache seemed to twitch on its own.
Kai, however, could only think he looked ridiculous.
"Yeah, yeah... I get it. You're number one here because there's no other carpenter besides you and your son, right? I've met people like you before I came here."
Kai remembered his first encounter with Kurt. The way the old man introduced himself reminded him so much of Kurt that he was pretty sure of it. Plus, the man had just said that only the two of them worked as carpenters here.
"You said your name's Kai, right? So what brings you here?"
Ronald asked, a little annoyed since Kai didn't seem impressed by his introduction.
"As I said… I'm just looking around."
"No, that's not what I mean! I can tell you've got a reason for being here."
"Oh! So you noticed, huh?"
"Of course… someone as great as me would notice!"
"So you realize I'm a hero sent by a goddess to save this village… you really are impressive!"
"Eh! Really?"
Ronald looked shocked at Kai's claim. Kai hadn't expected the old man to take him seriously, so he wasn't that surprised by his reaction.
"I know it sounds unbelievable, but it's true… a goddess suddenly kidnapped me and forced me to save this village."
"Hey, Kai! Don't say it like that! People might get the wrong idea!"
The Fairy Goddess frowned, clearly annoyed, though Kai felt he was just being honest.
"I see… sounds like you've had a rough day dealing with this village."
For some reason, Ronald looked a bit down after hearing Kai's explanation.
"What's wrong? Why do you suddenly look so unenthusiastic?"
Kai asked, genuinely concerned. He knew this wasn't the time for joking around, so he even pulled his elbow off Joe's shoulder to show he was serious.
"Before coming here, you should've seen the state of this village, right?"
"Yes, of course… why?"
"As you can see, this village doesn't have many places to visit or ways to entertain yourself… honestly, it wouldn't be surprising if someone demolished it to build a fancy amusement park and shopping center."
"I've heard that before… so what's your point? Are you ready to give up before even trying?"Maybe it wasn't Kai's place to say that, being unemployed and all, but you should at least try before giving up.
"You probably haven't seen the designs for that amusement park and shopping center, right? If you had, you'd realize that those are exactly the kinds of things this village needs to grow and thrive… I admit I couldn't make something like that myself."
'He's just a carpenter, of course he can't build something that requires tons of materials besides wood,'
Kai thought, taking in the old man's sorry state.
Kai glanced at the Fairy Goddess for advice, but she wore a troubled expression too. She seemed unsure what to say.
"Then why did you tell him to become the number-one carpenter?"Kai asked, pointing at Joe with his index finger.
"Hahaha… honestly, I just wanted him to be able to live on his own, even after he leaves this village."
"Father…"
Joe looked sad seeing his father's desperate expression. This was the first time he'd heard the real reason his father wanted him to become the top carpenter.
"I don't know what's going on in your heads, but don't worry—I'm here now!"
Kai put his hands on his hips.
"I've decided to protect this village from those greedy people and win the hearts of the girls—no! I mean, the hearts of all the villagers!"
Even though his true intention slipped out for a moment, his words managed to fire up Joe.
"He's right, Father! This is our beloved hometown, so we have to protect it with all our strength!"
Joe said eagerly, clenching his right fist.
"I didn't exactly say it that way, but I think you got the point."
Kai felt like he'd just pressed a weird button on the guy, but it seemed like he could let it slide for now.
"First, to become a great carpenter, I've gotta swing this axe a thousand times a day!"
Joe said, lifting his axe again.
"No, that's impressive and all, but that's not how you become a great carpenter,"
Kai quickly replied.
"Eh! Then how do I do it?"
Kai let out a heavy sigh upon hearing that question from a real carpenter like Joe.
He didn't really understand the world of carpentry, but he knew one thing: just swinging an axe wouldn't make you the number-one carpenter. Maybe it would make you an axe-wielding warrior, though.
"Can you make fancy wooden decorations? Do people actually buy them?"
Kai asked, glancing at the crafts displayed in the shop.
"Ah, those are actually my father's aka Joe's grandfather's heirlooms."
Kai was quite surprised when Roland admitted that.
"Honestly, we can't make stuff like that ourselves, so we've never sold any of it,"
Joe added, making them both look even more pitiful than they already did.
"Looks like we should just give up,"
Kai said, finally joining in on the resignation.
"Kai! You can't give up just like that!"
The Fairy Goddess suddenly scolded him.
"I know you're disappointed in them, but I promise—they're skilled at building things. You can count on them for that… just trust them,"
Kai actually wanted proof from her, but he couldn't ask for it in front of the two of them, so he decided to trust them, at least for now.
"Alright… I get it."
He muttered softly, his voice barely audible to only the Fairy Goddess. The Fairy Goddess smiled happily at Kai's response.
"I don't know you guys very well, but you seem pretty confident in your skills as carpenters, right?"
Kai asked them both.
"We might not be able to make detailed crafts like that, but I can guarantee our house-building skills are the best around here."
Roland said confidently, his bald head practically shining as he spoke.
"I don't care how 'the best' you say you are… besides, you're the only carpenters here anyway."
Which meant, no matter what, these two would remain the top carpenters in the village.
"I don't have money right now, but someday I want to build my own palace, so you'd better be ready to help me!"
"Yes!"
Ronald and Joe both answered Kai enthusiastically as he expressed his deepest desire.
"But Kai, why do you want to build a palace? Does it have anything to do with saving the village?"
Joe asked, as if he'd just realized how strange Kai's statement.
"Well… everyone has their own needs, right? So you guys have to be ready to meet those needs as carpenters… that's all."
Kai replied, averting his gaze from them. He couldn't exactly say he wanted to build a palace to live in with his future wives. He didn't even know how many wives he might have, so it was safer to make it as big as possible, just in case.
"I don't really get it, but okay… if there's a problem that needs our help, we're ready to assist!"Joe said, looking enthusiastic.
"Good! I'm counting on you guys!"
Kai also looked pleased with Joe's words.
"So Kai, what are you going to do next?"
Ronald, still concerned about the village's future, spoke up.
"I want to take a look around the village, but is there anywhere I can actually go?"
Kai asked, peering out the window. He didn't see any buildings nearby except for the diner he had already visited.
"In that case, you could visit the mine."
"The mine?"
"Yeah, there's a guy my age named Rock… He's pretty old now, but still incredibly strong. He can definitely help you with anything mining-related."
"Got it… so where's the mine?"
"Just follow the path into the forest and keep going straight… you'll find the entrance."
Ronald pointed the way to Kai, who nodded in understanding.
"Got it… then I'll be off!"
Kai said, immediately stepping out without even waving.
"Be careful out there!"
He could hear Joe calling from behind, but he didn't stop or turn around. He kept moving forward, as if he didn't want to hang around near them.
"By the way, this is my first time entering a forest."
Kai remarked as he entered. Even in his previous world, he'd never been somewhere so full of trees.
"Then this will be a valuable first experience for you."
Said the Fairy Goddess who was not far from Kai.
All Kai could see around him were trees. Honestly, it wasn't much of a view for Kai, who was used to city life.
As Kai stared at the trees, bored, he felt like something was watching him. He stopped walking and looked in the direction where he felt the gaze.
"What's wrong, Kai? Are you feeling tired?"
asked the Fairy Goddess, concerned about Kai's sudden stop.
"No… it's nothing. I guess it was just my imagination," he replied.
Kai shook his head and kept walking. Even though he still felt that gaze on him, he couldn't see anything, so he decided it was just his imagination. He was certain it wasn't a ghost watching him—after all, ghosts don't exist in games… at least not outside horror games. He really hoped that was true.
"Oh, Kai, look!"
The Fairy Goddess suddenly spoke, pointing at something. Kai followed her finger and saw a huge fruit lying on the ground.
"What's that?"
He asked curiously as he walked over and picked it up. The fruit was hug—about the size of a fully grown pumpkin—but when he lifted it, it felt completely weightless, like he was holding a small fruit.
"That's a berry… a blue berry, to be exact."
"A blue berry? This big?"
Kai was surprised by her answer. Looking closer, the fruit really did resemble a blue berry.
"That's a normal size for fruit in this world… and of course, you can find other berries in this forest besides blue berries. Their names depend on their color. For example, if it's red, we call it a red berry."
"I see… so not a strawberry, but a red berry. Got it."
"There are strawberries too, so don't get them confused."
"I'll remember that."
As expected in a farming game world, giant fruits like this seemed perfectly normal.
"Kai, you should put that fruit in your storage bag right away. If you drop it, you'll lose it."
"How am I supposed to fit a fruit this big into such a tiny bag?!"
'How does that even make sense?' Kai thought, but then he remembered he was in a game world, so it probably wasn't unusual here.
"You just touch the fruit to your bag, and it'll go straight in."
"Really?"
Kai nodded, accepting that in this world, even oversized fruits obeyed game logic.
Kai immediately did as the Fairy Goddess instructed and touched the fruit to his bag. The moment he did, the fruit disappeared without a trace from his hands.
"Oh!"
Kai exclaimed in awe, completely taken aback by what had just happened.
"That's basically how you transfer items from the outside into your bag," the Fairy Goddess explained.
"But usually, anything you buy for farming or livestock will go straight into your bag automatically, so there's no need to worry about that."
"I see… very informative," Kai replied.
With that, the two of them continued on until they came across a cave that was most likely a mining site. As they drew closer, Kai noticed a wooden sign that read Mineral Cave, confirming that it really was a mine.
"Hah!"
Suddenly, a strange sound echoed from deep within the cave. A chill ran down Kai's spine. He had a very bad feeling—he was about to encounter yet another weirdo.
Despite his hesitation, Kai had come too far to turn back, so he stepped into the cave.
"Hah! Hah! Hah! Hah! Hah!"
The sounds grew louder and clearer as he moved further inside. Finally, he saw the source: a shirtless old man lifting massive stones as if they were dumbbells, training with all his might.
'No wonder this village is about to be demolished… it's filled with weird people,' Kai thought, watching the bizarre scene unfold before him.