Where Did You Get This Precious Thing

As soon as Ian came out of the portal, he headed down to the village.

It was to gather some information about the medicinal herb woman, and as soon as he casually brought up the topic, the elders eagerly started sharing stories on their own.

The lady living in the house below, known as the medicinal herb woman, is someone who roams all over Mount Jiri, picking medicinal herbs to sell for a living.

She lives alone, but from time to time, people who seem like monks come and go. They don't really look like official monks, but more like unofficial ones.

Anyway, that's why the villagers call her "Bodhisattva".

The medicinal herb woman was said to rarely interact with the villagers.

She and Ahn Bin had only seen each other once, when Ahn Bin first moved in and greeted her; since then, they'd been neighbors living separate lives, uninterested in one another.

The longest interaction they'd had was today.

'I thought, since she's called Bodhisattva, she'd have a quiet personality, but that's not really the case, is it?'

From what Ian had experienced, the lady seemed to have quite a temperament.

Yet, she also seemed rather timid.

'She seems knowledgeable about herbs, but she's not exactly a healer. And maybe she's a bit gullible?'

Up to now, Ian's impression of the medicinal herb woman was more or less like this.

'For people who are timid and a bit gullible, if you're nice to them, they easily warm up.'

It was based on this judgement that Ian decided to give her a gift, partly as a reward.

What Ian needed was the medicinal herb woman's distribution network.

Crops would have their own channels to be sold, but herbs would be a different matter altogether.

Fortunately, Mount Jiri was well-known as a famous mountain, and it seemed it was renowned for its herbs as well.

'That's why there's a medicinal herb woman living in the house below.'

Just as he hoped.

The humans of Earth might still be unaware, but in a world where monsters roam outside, hunting wasn't the only important thing—purification and healing were just as vital.

And Ian was skilled precisely in purification, healing, and things like medicinal herbs.

All Praerians—the race who wield the power of nature—were proficient at this, but Ian's abilities were even more outstanding among them.

After all, he was the lord of Praerian, who was worried he might end up living not just for centuries, but for eternity.

But this was Earth.

Ian couldn't just go around selling herbs or potions, or heal people one by one.

Ian intended to make the village he'd settled in the hub of purification and healing.

Looking closely, the unique characteristics of Mount Jiri made the cultivation of medicinal herbs seem more efficient than ordinary crops.

That's what was more urgently needed in this world anyway.

For that, he needed a network.

A network expanding from the village out into the wider world.

Those monk-like people who visited the medicinal herb woman's house could be her herb trading partners or sales connections.

He would have to investigate this from now on.

"Bodhisattva!"

Ian called out gently as he stepped into the medicinal herb woman's yard.

"Oh, you're here?"

The medicinal herb woman, who had been sweeping the yard with a broom, quickly turned around to greet him.

Her gaze was already fixed on the basket in Ian's hand.

"Oh my, what's all this?"

Her eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"I brought a variety of things."

"Here, sit over here."

She led Ian to the porch of her house.

Ian took out the contents of the basket and began explaining.

"This is an herb commonly used for treating wounds. This one, if you chew the bark, it relieves pain. And this is a butterfly mushroom..."

"What? Butterfly mushroom?"

The medicinal herb woman's eyes grew round as she practically shouted.

"You, where did you get such a rare thing?"

'Oh! She knows what butterfly mushrooms are? And she thinks they're precious?'

Ian cheered inwardly.

He had picked it thinking it might appeal to humans on Earth, and seeing that it really worked made him happy.

Butterfly mushrooms, while effective, were common in Praeri.

You could find them easily in the Praerian forests, and Hao or Moglee would eat them regularly.

But here, it seemed they were extremely rare. Definitely something that could make good money.

"This is a rare mushroom, isn't it?"

Ian asked.

Only then did the medicinal herb woman realize she had blurted out how precious it was out of excitement.

If this were a real business deal, such behavior was amateurish.

But she wasn't exactly trading with this young man, was she? Or was she? Hmm, was it a deal?

In any case, she couldn't hide her pounding heart.

'Isn't this... the butterfly mushroom, the one that's said to make you an immortal if you eat it? Where in the world did he get this? I've traveled all over Mount Jiri and never seen it.'

It was a legendary mushroom she'd heard about from Taoist monks.

They said it could fetch a price even higher than wild ginseng, if only someone could find it.

Apparently, there were many spiritual practitioners searching for mushrooms, and they said that even a small taste could send you into ecstasy, fill your body with vitality, and make you a master at using techniques like the shrinking step.

And yet, such a rare thing was right in front of her. She was so surprised and delighted that her heart wouldn't settle down.

Of course, her first thought was it couldn't be real, but its appearance matched what she'd heard from the Taoists.

And after recalling the young man's earlier display, she was convinced he couldn't be lying.

'Ah, forget it. I'll just tell him straight.'

Clearing her throat, the medicinal herb woman's eyes gleamed as she asked instead,

"Yes, it's a rare mushroom. But where did you find it?"

Hearing her ask "Where" again, Ian grinned slyly and shook his head.

"Come on, would a wild-ginseng digger ever reveal where he finds his treasure?"

He had gotten this from Ahn Bin's memories.

On Earth, it was said wild-ginseng diggers and herb gatherers never shared the locations they found with anyone else.

"W-well, that's true."

The medicinal herb woman had to agree. She knew this better than anyone.

A herb gatherer never revealed their own collection sites to others.

'This young man is no ordinary person.'

Now that she thought about it, the young Ahn Bin really was an impressive herb gatherer.

She'd sensed it from the touch when he'd treated her leg—it had been no ordinary touch.

'Has he been training somewhere, or is he a professional herbalist?'

Judging by the fact he'd even found the butterfly mushroom, it must be the latter—but it was hard to believe someone so young already had such refined judgment.

Should she make him her real mentor?

She swallowed nervously before speaking again.

"... But are you giving this to me?"

"Yes. It's a gift. Hao caused you some trouble, after all."

"Oh my! Thank you—for such a precious thing!"

Without realizing, the medicinal herb woman raised both arms and shouted.

Once again, the word "precious" slipped out automatically.

"Not just the butterfly mushroom, even this bark is valuable. It's got excellent pain-relieving properties."

"Really?"

Now, without being told, she cut off a bit of the tree bark and chewed it. Sure enough, any pain she had disappeared.

Now the medicinal herb woman fully trusted whatever Ian said.

"I'm sure you're already well aware of the effects of this herb..."

"Of course I am! My leg knows it better than anyone. Thank you. Really, thank you. But how does such a young man know so much about herbs?"

She was effusive with gratitude but then slyly asked what she was curious about.

Ian looked at her and chuckled.

A moment ago she was scolding him, "Do you even know about herbs?"—and now she was wagging her tail.

No, more like she was gently wagging it back and forth.

"Oh, my family... is originally immersed in this field. That's how I know."

This was an answer he'd prepared.

The whole concept of family was something he'd learned from Ahn Bin's memories.

He should have said it's a racial trait, not a family one, but for humans on Earth, this would suffice.

"Ah, I see. That's why you came down to the mountains of Mount Jiri? I was wondering why a perfectly normal young man from Seoul would choose rural farming life here."

The medicinal herb woman nodded.

It seemed the family explanation had worked.

"Still, you don't really have direct ties to this village, do you?"

"No. This isn't my hometown, but I can make it my home from now on."

When Ian answered cheerfully, the medicinal herb woman nodded, yet showed a reaction different from other villagers.

"That's right. Why does hometown matter? This is my birthplace... but where my heart settles is another matter."

She wore a face full of stories. Ian didn't press her for details.

He simply wondered if the people she was attached to were the monks she regularly saw.

"Those monks?"

"Oh yes, the monks and Taoist masters. I study the mind with them. I sell most of my herbs through them."

The information Ian had wanted came out on its own.

"I was just curious—if I grow or gather herbs and mushrooms, where would be a good place to sell them?"

"Oh, distribution? That's all set. These herbs, you can't sell enough of them. There's always somewhere to sell."

Her eyes sparkled.

"Really? Then could I also sell herbs and mushrooms through you, Bodhisattva?"

"Of course! I know plenty of people looking for this kind of thing. Leave it to me."

Leave it to her? Not entirely.

At first, he'd have to learn how the supply chain worked.

That's what Ian thought as he gave her a bright smile.

"It's wonderful to have a neighbor like you, Bodhisattva."

"And I'm glad to have a young man like you as my new neighbor. Especially when it comes to the butterfly mushroom. Bring more when you find them. I'll sell everything for you."

"Please introduce me sometime."

"To the monks? Oh, sure! Should I call them right now? Do you have more to sell?"

"No, not immediately."

Now that the supply channel was open, he just had to gather and cultivate herbs and mushrooms actively.

"All right. Next time the monks and Taoist masters visit, I'll introduce you."

"Yes. For now, everything I brought is a gift, so please enjoy them and take care of yourself, Bodhisattva."

"Oh, thank you. Even the dog-bitten leg is all better now."

The medicinal herb woman, looking embarrassed, quickly took all the things Ian had brought and carried them into her house.

Then she put something in the empty basket and handed it to Ian.

"I can't send you back empty-handed... I don't really have much, but take these. I boiled some fresh potatoes—they're delicious."

What she gave him was potatoes. They looked fluffy and tasty.

"Thank you. I'll enjoy the potatoes. Please look after Hao from now on, too."

"Of course. Just make sure you keep him leashed—he's such a big dog."

"I will."

"Good. Take care. Get home safe."

She smiled and waved as Ian left and climbed the hill.

It seemed that he had completely succeeded in improving relations with his medicinal herb neighbor.

Since both sides had things they wanted from the other, a smooth relationship had formed.

Actually, it was beyond smooth.

The medicinal herb woman now looked to Ian with absolute trust and reliance.

"That went well."

As he stepped into his yard, his heart fluttered.

'Again? Is it just because I want to eat potatoes? Let's have a taste.'

He took out a potato and took a bite. It was nutty and delicious.

But it wasn't just because of the potatoes—he was genuinely happy.

'What's making you so happy?'

'Just, everything is good, I suppose?'

In Ahn Bin's memories, there was an encounter with the medicinal herb woman.

When he first moved in and went to greet her, she had been so curt that he never wanted to acknowledge her again.

But things were different now. The medicinal herb woman was doing her best to get on Ian's good side.

And not just her. The whole village recognized him.

He felt like a treasured member of the community.

This was exactly the rural life Ahn Bin had longed for.

'You really went through a lot, didn't you.'

Maybe because all of Ahn Bin's memories had now transferred to Ian, even his emotions kept blending in.

The suffering, the loneliness, the quiet comfort he found in the scenery of Mount Jiri as a young man.

'... So that's how it was.'

People might move to remote mountains to escape others, but ultimately, people need to live together to some degree.

Neighbors who understand and accept each other are like open doors.

There's really no one who can truly live with all their doors tightly closed.

'Ahn Bin, are you happy now? If you are, then so am I. Just wait—I'll make things even more exciting from now on.'

Ian declared thus to the residual spirit of the young man within his heart.

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