A few days later, Elliot returned to Watatsumi Island.
This time, he came back with plenty of useful supplies.
Among them were many kinds of seeds—mostly wheat—which suited the island's environment well and promised good yields.
As for planting them...
Elliot had never formally studied farming, but really—people of Great Xia were born with a green thumb, and his "skill level" was already maxed out.
Growing these little crops was child's play.
In addition to seeds, he had brought back ducks, wild boars, squirrels, and other animals. His plan was to raise them himself, and once their numbers grew, release them into the wild to breed.
Loaded with goods, he set foot on Watatsumi Island again.
To his surprise, the eyes of the islanders held a completely different look this time.
The hostility that had always been there...
seemed to have... vanished?
At first, he thought maybe he'd just run into one or two people who happened to view him more favorably.
But the deeper he went into the island, the more he noticed—it wasn't just a few individuals.
That wariness toward him had simply disappeared.
The change was strange enough to make Elliot pause.
How had their attitude shifted so drastically after only a few days?
He couldn't figure it out, but didn't dwell on it—so long as his little cabin was still standing, he'd be content.
When he finally reached the cabin, he stopped dead in his tracks.
"...Did I land on the wrong island?"
The sight in front of him didn't match what he remembered.
The insults once scrawled across the cabin walls were gone, and the roof had been repaired and improved.
For a moment, he truly wondered if he'd gotten the location wrong.
But when he spotted the bonfire in front of the door and the "exercise equipment" nearby, he realized—it was indeed his place.
"Don't tell me someone's moved in..." he muttered, half-joking, as he slowly opened the door.
Inside, everything was exactly as he'd left it. Not a single sign of anyone living there.
"How odd... I'm gone a few days, and suddenly everything's improved?"
He never imagined that one small gesture on his part could change someone's opinion of him so dramatically.
While he was still puzzling over it, a woman approached, leading a boy and a girl by the hand.
"Lord Sasayuri, you've returned...?" she called out first.
"Uh... and you are?" Elliot hadn't expected anyone to come greet him voluntarily.
"My name is Rina. I once stole something from you and left a note to apologize."
That jogged his memory—before leaving the island, he'd delivered two bags of meat to her home.
"Oh, it's you. So, what brings you here?" he asked.
"I wanted to apologize to you in person," Rina said earnestly.
"That's not necessary—I've already forgiven you."
"No, I can't leave it at that." She bowed deeply, her tone solemn. "I'm truly sorry for stealing from you."
"Alright, alright—I forgive you. How was the meat? Did the kids eat well?" Elliot's gaze shifted to the boy and girl.
"They did. They both loved it." Rina smiled softly, then patted their heads. "Come on, thank your big brother. He's the one who brought us that meat."
"Thank you, big brother," the two children said in unison, polite and well-behaved.
"That's good to hear. Kids need to eat well to grow strong." A gentle smile crossed Elliot's face.
Seeing that warmth, Rina finally knew she had been right—he wasn't a bad person at all. They had simply stood on opposite sides. All this time, they had misjudged him.
"Lord Sasayuri... there's something else I need to tell you," she said quietly.
"What is it?"
"The food you left by your door... I took it without asking and distributed it to the villagers."
"Oh? That's a good thing," Elliot replied without hesitation.
His answer left Rina blinking in surprise.
"You... aren't angry?"
"Angry? Why would I be? If you take it with my permission, it's not stealing. Just don't waste it." He spread his hands casually.
"I see... Thank you," she said softly.
"No problem."
"Then I won't disturb you any further." She turned to leave with the children.
But they hadn't gone far when Elliot suddenly called after them, "Wait."
"What is it, Lord Sasayuri?" Rina turned back, puzzled.
"Did you say something to the villagers?"
He'd been thinking about how their hostility had vanished, and with Rina giving out his supplies, the question came naturally.
"I just told them about the Sasayuri I know," she answered with a smile.