“Meow meow meow.”
Piyo. Piyo.
Theo and Piyot, humming a tune while descending the tower in search of the land deed for the 70th floor of the Black Tower.
As they carefreely hummed down to the 50th floor,
“Meow?! But where do we find the land deed for the 70th floor?”
Theo, who hadn’t been thinking about it until now, fell into contemplation.
Piyo…
[Well…]
Piyot joining in the worry.
As they were walking and pondering,
“Meow? Again, meow?”
Piyo?
[Theo-nim, which way should we go?]
A fork in the road appeared before them.
“This time it’s the left, meow!”
Theo confidently chose a path.
Piyo!
[Wherever Theo-nim goes is always right!]
As Theo and Piyot passed,
Thud.
As if it was expected, the left path closed off, revealing a snake’s face.
And then,
Ssshh. Ssshh.
Hundreds of white snakes appeared in front of the two.
Piyo!
[Leave it to me, Theo-nim!]
Poke. Poke.
Piyot dealt with the snakes using its beak.
Thanks to being well-fed at the farm, Piyot had become quite strong.
“My slave Gaeron, come out, meow!”
-Master, did you call for me!
“Yes, meow! Pick up the coins, meow!”
-Yes!
As Piyot dealt with the white snakes,
Flutter. Flutter.
Gaeron collected white coins above Theo’s head as he moved.
As they were walking along,
“Please save me!”
A scream was heard.
“Puhuhut. It would be great if it’s Uren, meow!”
Piyo!
[It’s probably Uren-nim!]
Both naturally assumed it was Uren.
But,
“What a pity, meow! It’s not Uren, meow!”
Piyo. Piyo…
[That’s too bad. I really thought it would be Uren-nim…]
What they found was not the easy target Uren but rather a fairly large bear.
Disappointed at seeing the
“Hey, don’t just watch, save me!”
The hanging from the wall avoiding the white snakes, called out to Theo and Piyot for help.
“Puhuhut. Alright, meow!”
Snap.
Theo drew his dragon claw,
Swoosh!
and swiftly swung his paw.
And then,
Zzerrzick.
The fragments of Jörmungandr split into six parts.
Clink.
“Piyot, pick them up, meow!”
Piyo!
[Yes!]
Theo had Piyot collect the falling white coins.
Thus, Theo, Piyot, and the escaped from within the fragments of Jörmungandr.
“Thanks for saving me! My name is Panchen!”
While Panchen was thanking Theo,
“Puhuhut. Nice to meet you, meow! Now, stamp the contract, meow!”
Press.
Theo received a stamp from Panchen.
“Huh? Oh!!! What are you doing?!”
Panchen, who had unwittingly stamped the contract, hurriedly read through it. They say you’re in big trouble if you stamp just anywhere…
“Puhuhut. Since Vice Chairman Theo saved you, you have to stamp it, meow!”
Piyo! Piyo?!
[Right! Did you think you’d be saved for free?!]
Theo and Piyot looked smugly at Panchen.
Then,
“Ugh… If you needed money, you should have just said so.”
After reading the contract, Panchen spoke as if it was no big deal.
“Meow?! Then, can you give us 1 billion Tower Coins, meow?”
The amount written on the contract was 1 billion Tower Coins, a sum they had pre-written intending to use if they saved Uren.
“Of course. Who do you think I am?”
“Who else but you are Panchen, meow!”
“Ah… Not that, actually, my dad is Pansur.”
Panchen spoke proudly, thinking he’d surely surprise them.
“Meow? Who’s Pansur, meow? Piyot, have you heard of Pansur, meow?”
Piyo. Piyo.
[No, I don’t know who that is.]
Neither of them knew who Pansur was.
“Wha?! Do you really not know my dad?!”
Seeing Theo and Piyot not knowing Pansur, Panchen felt disappointed. My dad is famous though…
“Stop bragging about your dad and just give us the money, meow!”
Theo demanded money, extending his paw forward.
“Ah… I don’t have any, my dad has the money.”
Panchen suddenly became sheepish.
“What, meow?! So, Panchen can’t pay and is therefore a slave, meow!”
“What?! I said my dad has the money!”
Piyo! Piyo!
[Theo-nim, everything you said is correct! A slave shouldn’t talk back!]
Poke. Poke.
Piyot pecked at Panchen’s head as he protested to Theo.
“Ouch! It hurts, I said it hurts!”
Piyo?!
[A slave talking back like that?!]
“Ouch, it hurts, sir.”
Thus, Panchen learned the humility of being a slave from Piyot.
“Puhuhut. Slave, follow me, meow!”
Theo set off again with Panchen in tow.
However,
Hesitate.
He soon stopped walking.
“Meow?! Where to, meow?”
They didn’t know where to go to find the land deed for the 70th floor of the tower.
Piyo?
[Should we go ask Loui-nim?]
Piyot came up with an idea.
“That’s a good idea, meow! Let’s go ask Loui to find it for us, meow!”
When Theo decided to head to the 79th floor of the tower, where the Kingdom of Kov is,
“Pfft. Are you looking for something?”
Panchen, who had been listening to their conversation, asked with a sly voice. This could be my chance to go to my dad!
“Yes, meow! We’re looking for the land deed for the 70th floor, meow!”
“Then follow me! I know a place where you can find anything!”
“Really, meow?!”
“Of course! It’s a place called the Black Market!”
“Understood, meow! Lead the way, meow!”
“Yes! Follow me!”
Panchen started walking ahead, leading them towards the 66th floor of the tower.
‘Just wait and see, you two! I won’t let you off once we get there!’
He smirked evilly.
The 66th floor of the Black Tower. There was a special market there.
The Black Market, selling all kinds of goods acquired illegally.
And Panchen’s father, Pansur, was the owner of the Black Market.
“Puhuhut. Slave! Move faster, meow!”
Piyo! Piyo!
[Right! We need to hurry back, Theo-nim!]
Unaware, Theo and Piyot hurried Panchen along.
***
Dinner time.
“Cuengi, are you ready?”
Warrr.
Sejun poured chopped potatoes into a black pot as he spoke.
Kueng!
[Cuengi’s ready!]
Cuengi, today’s sous-chef, confidently responded while holding the lid of the pot to Sejun’s question.
“Alright. Let’s start!”
Sejun heated the pot by infusing it with magic into the handle.
And then,
“Cuengi, now!”
Kueng!
[Understood!]
At Sejun’s signal, Cuengi enlarged to about 5 meters and covered only part of the pot with the lid.
And then,
Kuenggggg!!
[It’s getting delicious!!]
Cuengi gently used its kueng-fooo to blow wind into the pot.
Using the high heat of the black pot and Cuengi’s wind, it was an air fryer technique from the 99th floor of the tower.
After Cuengi used the kueng-fooo about ten times,
“Cuengi, that’s enough now.”
Kueng?!
[Is it already done?!]
“Yeah. Let’s open it quickly.”
Kueng!
[Understood!]
Click.
As Cuengi opened the lid of the pot,
Sizzle sizzle.
The remaining heat fried the potatoes.
Whisk whisk.
Sejun sprinkled salt on the fried potatoes and mixed them up and down to let the steam out.
After a while,
“Did it turn out well?”
Click.
He picked up a piece of fried potato and put it in his mouth.
Crunch.
The taste was salty, the outside crispy, and the inside moist. Perfect!
Gulp.
Kueng?!
[Is it delicious, dad?!]
Cuengi drooled as it watched Sejun eat the fried potatoes.
“Yeah. Cuengi, try some too.”
Scoop.
Sejun put a fried potato in Cuengi’s mouth.
Kuehehehe. Kueng!
[Hehehe. Delicious!]
Cuengi hopped around, expressing his joy.
“Ajax, it’s time for dinner!”
In the meantime, Sejun called out to Ajax, who was squatting outside digging up potatoes with a hoe.
“Yes! Hyung-nim!”
Ajax hurriedly flew over in response to Sejun’s call.
‘Heheh! I wonder what delicious thing Sejun hyung has made this time?’
Filled with anticipation.
“Oh! As expected of Sejun hyung-nim!”
Of course, Sejun’s cooking exceeded expectations.
The salty fried potatoes were delicious even on their own.
And they were also delicious dipped in tomato sauce from the morning meal.
While Sejun, Cuengi, and Ajax were enjoying the fried potatoes,
[Master, I’m here!]
“Huh?! Sejun-nim, you’re already having dinner?!”
Veronica returned with Flamie on her shoulder.
Flamie had taken Veronica to see the farm yesterday morning, and they had just arrived back.
Though it was called a tour, in truth, Flamie had taken Veronica to the southwest to collect seeds from the Ents and prune them under Flamie’s direction.
“Flamie, welcome back. Veronica-nim, please join us.”
Sejun offered fried potatoes to Veronica as he took Flamie from her.
Then,
‘What?! Why is Sejun hyung speaking formally to her?’
Sejun hyung is my brother, so he shouldn’t be speaking formally to just anyone!
Ajax felt uncomfortable seeing Sejun speaking formally to Veronica.
Veronica was stared down.
“Oh… Greetings, great White Dragon!”
Veronica, feeling Ajax’s gaze, discovered him belatedly and hurriedly bowed.
‘If you receive formal speech from Sejun hyung again, I won’t let it slide!’
Ajax threatened Veronica with telepathic magic.
‘Yes! Great White Dragon.’
Thanks to that, Sejun ended up speaking informally to Veronica at her earnest request.
As dinner came to an end,
“Flamie, can you stand here for a moment?”
Sejun said, placing Flamie on the ground from his shoulder.
[Yes! Should I stand here?]
“Yes. Just stay like that for a moment.”
After Sejun had Flamie stand,
Pop.
He opened a bottle containing Harvest Elixir.
Sejun planned to use the Harvest Elixir on Flamie to help it grow.
Drip.
Sejun dropped a drop of Harvest Elixir on Flamie’s leaf.
[Hehehe. It’s refreshing!]
Flamie chuckled refreshingly after receiving the Harvest Elixir.
However,
……
Flamie showed no reaction.
‘Is one drop not enough?’
Drip.
With no reaction from the first drop, Sejun dropped another drop of Harvest Elixir.
[Yippee! Master, I feel strong!]
Flamie showed its strength by forming fists with its leaves, but there was no growth in its body.
‘What’s going on?’
Click.
Thinking it dangerous to use more than two drops, Sejun picked Flamie up again,
Swish.
and the roots connected to Flamie quickly disappeared into the ground.
Then,
In the northwest region.
[Grow well, kids!]
Crack. Crack.
Flamie distributed the energy of the Harvest Elixir to the Ents, helping them grow.
This was why Veronica was taken along.
To ensure the Ents could properly absorb the energy of the Harvest Elixir.
Thus, Sejun failed to make Flamie grow.
Drip.
Sejun carefully dropped Enhancing Elixir onto the seed of the Elixir: Cherry Tomato Imbued with Powerful Magic Power, planning to solve the rest quickly now that he used the elixir.
“Ajax, go to the White Tower for a bit.”
Sejun told Ajax to visit the White Tower to plant the enhanced seeds.
Then,
Clang. Clang.
“Sejun hyung-nim, that’s too much…”
Ajax had tears welling up in his eyes, showing an incredibly hurt expression. Sejun hyung-nim, do you dislike me?!
“It’s not like that. Just plant this and harvest it. I’ll call you again first thing in the morning.”
“Really?! You must call me! Got it?!”
“Yeah. Don’t worry.”
“Okay. Then, I’m off.”
Ajax agreed to go to the White Tower only after receiving multiple confirmations from Sejun.
“Take this. After planting the seed, drop a droplet on it, and if there’s no reaction, drop another one.”
Sejun gave Ajax the Harvest Elixir and instructed him.
“Got it! Hyung-nim!”
“Then do well and return. Go back, Ajax.”
“Hyung-nim! You must call me tomorrow morning! Got it?!”
“Yes.”
[Sending back Ajax Mamebe, the Tower Farmer of the White Tower.]
With a promise from Sejun, Ajax returned to the White Tower.
And around that time,
“We’re here!”
Panchen arrived at the 66th floor of the tower with Theo and Piyot.
*****
