Chapter 68: Deal

"Haha, thank you." Ethan responded with a smile.

"It’s wonderful that the journey here was so safe this time, we didn’t encounter any undead," Leon sighed in relief.

"That should be Mr. Walter protecting you." Ethan introduced Walter to Leon.

Hearing that a vampire was actually cooperating with Ethan, Leon revealed a worried expression, however, seeing that Pearl and Zharok didn’t seem to mind at all, he could only sigh.

"I see, thanks to him, we didn’t have to fight, by the way... what about the fruits from the south? I’d like to see them with my own eyes," Leon asked.

"Please follow me." Ethan led Leon to the greenhouse.

"Haha, I’m really looking forward to it... Hmm? What is this?" It was Leon’s first time seeing a greenhouse built with glass, and he looked at it with open curiosity.

Ethan opened the greenhouse door, and a wave of heat rushed out.

"Uh, this is..." Leon looked inside in astonishment.

"I adjusted the temperature in the greenhouse to the same level as the southern region," Ethan explained.

"I see... Are these Sun Stones?" Leon spotted them scattered inside the greenhouse.

"You know about Sun Stones?" Ethan was slightly surprised.

"I do, they are an extremely rare type of stone that can only be found in labyrinths, it’s said that they contain the power of the sun." Leon stared at the stones in sheer amazement.

"I never expected you to use them here, experienced adventurers carry Sun Stones with them during the winter..."

His gaze moved to the Frost Fruit trees and Wind Banana trees, it was his first time seeing either crop, and he examined them with keen interest.

"This is..." Leon pointed at the Frost Fruit tree.

"This is a Frost Fruit, would you like a taste?" Ethan picked a ripe one, peeled it, and handed it over.

Leon took the Frost Fruit curiously and took a bite, his eyes widened in surprise. "This is truly miraculous! I feel instantly cooled down!"

"Yes, and there are also the Wind Bananas, which are said to grant immunity to wind-type attacks, you can test them out when you return," Ethan said, pointing at the Wind Banana tree.

"Oh, what incredible crops..." Leon marveled.

"The effect remains the same even if the Frost Fruits are made into jam, making them very convenient to carry," Ethan added.

"Is that so? That’s even better, adventurers... no, the nobles will surely love them as well." Leon’s eyes lit up.

"I’m glad you’re satisfied." Ethan smiled.

"Hahaha! Thanks to trading with you, my status within the family has improved significantly! Anyway, we’ll take all the Frost Fruits and Wind Bananas," Leon declared.

"Alright, I need glass panes, Elven Yogurt, and seasonings — same amount as last time," Ethan said.

"No problem, will the same type of glass panes do?"

"Yes."

The transaction went smoothly. Leon stepped out of the greenhouse and confirmed a few details, then stood with satisfaction. "Then it’s settled, you must be busy, so we’ll take our leave."

"Ah, wait a moment, one more question," Ethan said.

"Hmm? Please go ahead..." Leon turned.

"I need World Fragments, do you know where I can find them?"

Leon’s expression stiffened, he was quiet for a long time before he smiled, thin and bitter. "Information regarding the World Fragments is known only to the royal family."

"I see..." Ethan’s shoulders dropped a fraction.

"It’s quite a coincidence — the royal family is also very fond of your pottery, if you wish to know the whereabouts of the World Fragments... would you like to come with us to the Royal Capital?"

The invitation from the Elven Kingdom caught Ethan somewhat by surprise, but he wasn’t opposed to it, he also wanted to visit the Elven Kingdom to witness their technology for himself, since the elven royal family held information on the World Fragments, he absolutely had to make a trip.

Thus, Ethan accepted Leon’s invitation with a smile. "I understand."

"Then whenever you are ready, just let us know," Leon said.

"Haha, alright. Also..." Ethan remembered the book on cultivating Mana Grass.

"Ah, you mean this, right?" Leon caught on and pulled a booklet from his handcart, a thin, palm-sized volume.

"This contains the cultivation methods for Mana Grass left behind by humans," Leon explained.

"It’s smaller than I imagined." Ethan took the booklet, somewhat surprised, compared to the immense value of Mana Grass, the records concerning it were far too sparse.

"Growing crops is a special ability possessed only by humans, they innately knew how to plant, so they rarely left behind written records." Leon paused.

"This booklet was recorded by an elf who had a very good relationship with humans."

Ethan opened the booklet, but upon seeing the black and white text inside, he froze.

"What’s wrong?"

"Um, I can’t read these words," Ethan said awkwardly.

"haha, that makes sense, this is written in Elvish, you only have the Converse skill, so it might be difficult for you to understand the book’s contents," Leon said.

"Meow-woo~! I’ll read it for you, meow~!" Pearl snatched the booklet from Ethan’s hands, it flipped through the pages and read fluently.

"Planting Mana Grass requires fine sand, meow! Unlike ordinary crops, Mana Grass grows in sandy soil, meow! Furthermore, it consumes a large amount of soil fertility, so you must pay close attention, meow~"

"How incredible." Good thing he hadn’t planted them directly — that would have been a disaster, Ethan thought of the fine sand by the river and patted Pearl’s head.

"Thank you so much."

"Meow, meow, meow~. You’ve taken care of me a lot anyway, meow~." Pearl nuzzled into his palm.

"Haha, you two have a great relationship, so — you now know how to plant Mana Grass, will you be able to provide it during our next trade?" Leon asked, expectant.

"I’ll try planting it first and let you know, I can’t guarantee success," Ethan said.

"I believe you will succeed... Well then, we’ll be leaving now." Leon was full of confidence.

"You’ve traveled all this way, why not stay for a meal before you go?" Ethan offered.

"Wouldn’t that be too much trouble..." Leon hesitated.

"Not at all." Ethan smiled.

"Then thank you very much."

Leon accepted Ethan’s invitation and sat down with the other elves, Ethan made them Candied Honey Sweet Potatoes, fries, and burgers, with Frost Fruit juice as the beverage, it was the first time any of the elves had ever seen a burger, Pearl taught them how to eat it.

"Meow-meow! You have to take a big bite all at once, meow~" Pearl opened its mouth wide and demonstrated.

"Like this..." Leon and the other elves clumsily took a bite of the burgers, their eyes lit up instantly.