Chapter 5
In the end, I decided to take Lor to the market, covering his horns with a hat and wrapping his wings in a blanket.
When we arrived at the town’s market—
“Wow…”
“Byeo!”
It took about twenty minutes by scooter from home to reach Dancheong Market.
Apparently, today was the market day.
Good thing I came by scooter instead of car; the parking lot entrance was jammed with people.
If I’d driven, I might’ve spent an hour just looking for a spot.
“Alright. Let’s go, then.”
I parked in a corner and began exploring.
Along the main road, elderly women were selling vegetables and herbs in red plastic basins.
But what caught my attention was the stalls selling monster by-products, low-grade potions, and even mana stones.
Not exactly what you’d expect in a small rural market.
“Huh…?”
At the entrance stood a big sign — Dancheong Market.
Below it was a smaller one: “with Dancheong-gun Gate Market.”
“Ah… I see.”
So that’s why.
To put it bluntly—
Once upon a time, Korea—and the world—went through a “Gate Boom.”
How efficiently you managed Gates determined national security. Naturally, people’s obsession with Hunters skyrocketed.
And where people’s attention goes, money follows.
So began the trend of slapping “Gate” or “Hunter” on anything to make it sell:
Gate safety charms, Gate multivitamins, Gate K-pop festivals, even a “Makgeolli with Hunters” event (forced attendance, of course).
This market was clearly a leftover from that era.
“Ugh…”
Just thinking about being dragged to those absurd PR events back when I worked at the national guild made me shudder.
‘Hopefully there aren’t any Hunters visiting this place now…’
If I ran into someone I knew here, things would get really awkward.
‘No way. Hunters aren’t that common.’
There’s no guild branch in this town anyway.
I shook off the worry and focused on my goal.
Today’s shopping list: ingredients, seeds, and seedlings for the garden.
The seed shop was on the other side of the market, so I decided to grab some vegetables on the way.
“Glutinous rice donuts! Three for 2,000 won!”
…Donuts?
My feet stopped instinctively.
But no, I must not give in.
I strengthened my resolve and kept walking.
Then—
“Heyy!”
Lor, who had been quiet inside the blanket, began sniffing eagerly.
The donut vendor spotted us and smiled.
“Well, look at that cute kid!”
“Ahaha, thank you.”
“How old are you, sweetheart?”
“Ahhh…? I have slept in the egg through countless ages, for I am the mighty—”
“Four! He’s four years old!”
Phew. That was close.
The man chuckled, clearly thinking it was just some funny baby talk.
“Well, such a talkative kid! Here, try one bite.”
Before I could refuse, Lor opened his mouth wide and chomped.
“Mmm! Sweet and chewy! What is this delicacy?”
“It’s called a glutinous rice donut.”
“Glutinous rice donut! I want more! Buy some!”
But I shook my head firmly.
“No.”
“Bbyaaah…”
Lor’s shoulders drooped in disappointment.
Still, I had to stay strong—today wasn’t a snack run.
“Here, young man, you try one too. Just fried.”
The vendor held one out to me, and before I knew it, I was tasting it.
Warm, chewy, and sweet.
…It was really good.
Maybe… just a small bag wouldn’t hurt?
“Alright, I’ll take ten thousand won’s worth.”
“Haha! Thanks!”
“Woww!”
He even threw in a generous handful for free.
As I turned the corner—
“Corn rice cakes! 5,000 won each!”
“Oooh, that smells good! Guardian, I want to taste that too, darling!”
“No. You already ate.”
“But meals and snacks are different things!”
“….”
“Sweet pumpkin sikhye! Home-brewed!”
“That too! That too!”
“Aw, what a cute kid. Have a steamed bun!”
“Mmm! This one’s delicious too!”
…
By the time we reached the seed shop, my hands were overflowing with snacks.
“Ouchhh…”
Lor let out a satisfied coo, his face shiny from sugar and oil.
Was market shopping always this exhausting?
Finally, I opened the door to the seed store.
The bell jingled softly, and a white-haired old man appeared.
“Welcome. What can I get you?”
“Hello, I’m looking to buy some seeds for a small garden.”
“Garden, eh? What’ve you planted before?”
“I just moved here recently, so… this’ll be my first time.”
“Hmm… I see. What do you want to grow?”
“Maybe… Shine Muscat and blueberries…”
The man’s face twisted oddly.
He let out a long “hmm” like he’d just witnessed something tragic.
That look—it was familiar.
It was the same expression I used to make when rookies tried to challenge a high-rank Gate without preparation.
Did my plan look that hopeless?
“…Never mind. I’ll take lettuce.”
At once, the old man’s face brightened.
“Haha, now you’re thinking straight.”
Indeed, every peaceful life begins with lettuce.
Even that healing novel “The Hidden Power Farmer” started with lettuce cultivation.
“Chicory’s good too. Oh, and mixed greens—this is a good time for planting.”
“I’ll take those as well.”
I didn’t buy much—just a small assortment of leafy greens, plus some spinach, perilla leaves, and scallions.
Perfect for homemade wraps and bibimbap.
Just as I was about to pay, Lor peeked out of the blanket again.
His bright blue eyes darted around before pointing to a small cloth pouch in the corner.
“Guardian, aren’t you buying that one?”
“Huh? That?”
It was a tiny bag of seeds, wrapped in plain fabric.
Unlike the others, it had no label, no photo, no brand name.
What on earth was that?
A mysterious seed with no name… that’s never a good sign.
