Early in the morning, Kai busied himself in his field. His actual task was simply to water the five tomato plants he'd planted yesterday and to sow the potato seeds he'd bought from Elly. But since that felt far too easy, he decided to trim all the weeds in the field and hoe the ground as well. According to the Fairy Goddess, if luck was on his side, he might even dig up something useful while hoe the ground.
Yet after only three rounds of cutting weeds and swinging the hoe, he was already exhausted. He couldn't even lift his tools again.
"What is this?! Why does my body feel so weak?!"
Kai wasn't exactly athletic, but he was sure he wasn't this feeble.
"As I told you before, Kai, you have a stamina limit. You can't spend too long farming… the only reason you managed to plant five tomatoes yesterday was because you were still in tutorial mode."
The Fairy Goddess suddenly appeared in his field, explaining the situation. Though startled by her sudden arrival, Kai forced himself to remain calm.
"But how can I get worn out so quickly?! If the girls saw me like this, they'd laugh their heads off!"
"I doubt they'd laugh at you over something like this," she replied kindly.
"That's easy for you to say—you're a fairy brimming with kindness! But let me tell you… girls in the real world are terrifying."
Kai hugged his knees, a frightened look on his face, as though recalling some deep-seated trauma.
"Kai… it seems you've led quite a difficult life."
The Fairy Goddess couldn't help but feel sympathy as she watched him.
"So, why did you come here? Didn't you say you couldn't really help me?"
Kai recalled her words from yesterday, when she had apologized for not being able to help with his farm or livestock. He would have to handle everything on his own. All she could offer was to listen if he ever needed to talk.
"It's true—I really can't help you. I'm sorry… I only came today to tell you something."
"Tell me something? What is it? Don't tell me it's something weird again!"
"Kai, could you please stop assuming I only ever take you to weird places?"
"But that's exactly what happens, isn't it?"
The Fairy Goddess couldn't quite deny his words, so she simply closed her mouth.
"But I don't think Elly and her grandmother's place was weird, right?" she asked softly.
"Well… about that… how should I put it… I'd say the aura of her beauty was downright weird. She nearly made me lose myself and propose on the spot… truly terrifying."
"Kai, isn't that just because you're a pervert?"
The Fairy Goddess let out a sigh of relief. At least he admitted Elly and her grandmother weren't weird—he was the weird one.
"So, what was it you wanted to tell me?" Kai asked, steering the conversation back on track.
"Oh, right… I almost forgot."
Her expression grew serious.
"Kai, I want to show you a secret place—one that only a select few know about!"
"Gulp! A secret place? What kind of place is it?"
"You'll see. Come with me!"
He followed after the Fairy Goddess, feeling envious as he watched her fly so freely. He wished he could travel without using his legs.
She led him toward the forest, but just before entering, Kai came to a halt.
"What is it, Kai? Why did you stop?" she asked, a worried look on her face.
"I should be the one asking you—why are you taking me into the forest?"
"Hm? Is there something wrong with the forest?"
"Something wrong, you ask!?"
Kai's face twisted in anger at her question.
"Have you forgotten what happened to me yesterday?!"
Kai still vividly remembered the trauma he experienced when entering the forest yesterday.
"Are you talking about what happened at the mine yesterday?"
Kai nodded firmly. He didn't want to meet that old man again; in fact, he had already forgotten the man's name.
"Don't worry, this time we're not going to the mine… we're heading somewhere else in the forest, a place ordinary people can't enter."The Fairy Goddess tries to persuade Kai, who still seems reluctant to follow her.
"Come on, Kai… there's no need to be scared. You're a man, right?"
Of course, Kai was a man, and he took pride in that, so he disliked anyone questioning his masculinity.
"Alright, I understand… but if I run into that old man again, I'll run away immediately and never speak to you again!"
"Okay, I promise!"
The Fairy Goddess felt worried and lonely at the thought of Kai refusing to speak to her, so she resolved to do her best to keep him from meeting that old man—at least for now.
"So, what is this place you want to show me?"
Kai asked as they entered the forest.
"Hehe… don't worry… you'll understand once we reach it!"
For some reason, the Fairy Goddess seemed confident that Kai would like the place she planned to show him. Honestly, seeing her expression only made Kai more uneasy. 'She's not going to take me somewhere weird, is she?'
As they reached the middle of the forest, Kai felt as if something was watching him. He wasn't sure what it was, but he quickly looked toward the source of the feeling. He saw nothing, yet he was certain something was there. He had experienced this same sensation yesterday, so he knew it wasn't mistaken.
"Hey, Fairy Goddess… didn't you forget to tell me something about this forest?"
Kai asked, on high alert.
"Forget? Hmm… I'm not sure… if I had forgotten, I wouldn't remember it now, right?"
"That's true."
Kai glanced around again, still feeling watched.
"What exactly are you looking for?"The Fairy Goddess asked as Kai scanned to the right and left.
"I actually feel like someone—or something—is watching us… I'm not entirely sure, but I felt the same thing yesterday… so there's a pretty good chance I'm not just imagining it."
The Fairy Goddess seemed to be thinking hard after hearing Kai's explanation.
"Something I forgot? Watching? I think I know what that is… I must have forgotten to tell you something… but what was it?"
She thought even harder, trying to recall what she should have told Kai.
"PEEEEEETTTTT!"
The Fairy Goddess shouted loudly, startling Kai.
"Why do you have to yell like that?! And what are you even talking about?"
"I'm talking about pet!"
"Yes, I heard that… but what about pet? Are you planning to get one?"
"No, that's not it!"
Kai looked confused as the Fairy Goddess seemed to suddenly remember something important—or maybe that was actually happening right now.
"I completely forgot to explain this yesterday, but actually, you can get pets in the forest!"
"Eh, really… and then what?"
"You don't seem very interested."
"That's true."
Kai had never had a pet before. Managing them seemed like too much trouble, so he had no desire to raise one.
"I think I'll explain about pets later… for now, let's focus on our hidden place."
With that, they continued on their path, leaving the topic of pets aside for the time being.
Before reaching the mine, the Fairy Goddess turned left. Kai noticed the path was overgrown with grass, almost invisible unless you looked closely.She led him deeper into a part of the forest filled with thick bushes.
"Do you want to go through those bushes?"
Kai asked, unsure whether he should keep walking or turn back.
"Don't worry… you won't get hurt at all, even if your body brushes against the bushes."
The Fairy Goddess then passed through the bushes, leaving Kai standing there. With no other choice, he followed her through the dense foliage.
Once they emerged, they were greeted by a stunning view of a lake with crystal-clear water, surrounded by a variety of colorful flowers.
"Where are we?"
Kai asked while looking left and right.
The Fairy Goddess beamed proudly, introducing the place with a sense of accomplishment.
"Welcome to the Fairy Lake… a lake only accessible to certain people—a secret lake!"
She had hoped Kai would be amazed and impressed, but his reaction wasn't what she expected.
"Fairy Lake? Don't tell me this is your home?"He instead gave her a bored look.
"Yes, that's exactly right."
"So, from here, I could throw fruits or harvests into the lake, and you'd receive them… right?"
"Yes, I'm surprised you figured that out."
"That's because it's such a classic setup."
The Fairy Goddess felt embarrassed that Kai had guessed her point correctly, her face showing a mix of maturity and frustration.
"So, can I go home now, you Money-Grubbing Goddess!"
"Wait, Kai! I'll explain everything!"
She tried her best to clarify things so that Kai's impression of her wouldn't get any worse.
"So basically, you need offerings from me for your life in your world, right?"
The Fairy Goddess felt deeply embarrassed, as Kai had correctly guessed what she intended to say. Her face was bright red.
"It's not just me who needs it, but all the fairies as well."
"I don't care about fairies I don't know… so do you need it or not?"
"Yes, of course… I need it."
Kai more or less understood the importance of offerings for the Fairy Goddess and the other fairies, so he could accept her explanation—more or less.
"So… am I really the one who has to do it, Money-Grubbing Goddess?"
"Um… Kai, could you please stop calling me that!"
"Hm? What's wrong with calling a goddess who asks for things without working a Money-Grubbing Goddess, a Greedy Goddess?"
"I'm sorry, Kai… so please stop calling me that! I'm not the one who wants this, but it's part of the rules of my world!"
"Hmmm!"
To be honest, Kai wasn't fond of the idea of giving his things away for free, especially to someone who was healthy and able to work, but it seemed he had no other choice.
Kai then took a berry from his bag and threw it into the lake. The Fairy Goddess looked surprised at the sight.
"Is that enough?"
"Ah, yes… it would actually be better if you offered your own harvest, but since your field hasn't produced anything yet, I guess this will do."
"Good then."
Kai smiled slightly at her words, and so did the Fairy Goddess.
"So… will I get some kind of reward if I can give you a certain amount of offerings?"
"Yes, of course."
"What is it?"
Kai looked very interested in the reward. From what he knew, in games like this, missions like this usually came with extremely rare rewards that couldn't be obtained any other way.
"If you can give me offerings in a certain amount, I can take on a physical form like a human."
"What does that mean? Is that… the reward for me?"
"With that, I could help you take care of your farm and livestock… not just that, I could even manage your house and other things as well."
"Don't tell me… that means…"
"Yes, that's right."
"Oohhh!!!"
Kai looked thrilled at the information he had just received. He had suspected this possibility, but now, with confirmation, he was eager to make it happen. He would make the Fairy Goddess one of his wives.
"So, how do I make you my wife? How many offerings do I need?"
Kai asked, his eyes blazing with excitement.
"Hmm… you'll need 10,000 mining products, 30,000 livestock products, and 50,000 harvest products!"
"I knew it… you really are a Money-Grubbing Goddess!"
"Wait, Kai! Don't leave me!"