After some time, one particular group of people walked inside, looking around proudly. There were two knights, one mage, and in the middle, a young boy who looked about the same age as Rowen. This group was here to help the young master level up in the wilderness and dungeons.
After they entered the shop, the young master spotted Rowen, who was pretty much asleep behind the counter. Then the young master said to one of his knights, "If Uncle Velor hadn't told us to check this place, I would've never come to this shabby shop."
Hearing his voice, Rowen opened his eyes. He was surprised to see the young master wearing rich-looking clothes. He even had a butler with him.
Rowen quickly got up and put on a professional seller's face. But before he could say anything, the young master just said, "Just buy whatever it is. We don't have time."
The butler tossed about fifteen low-grade mana stones on the counter.
Rowen was just about to explain that the potatoes only cost around ten mana stones total—and mention their function—but before he could speak, the group had already left.
It felt more like a donation than a sale. If Uncle Velor hadn't told them to check the shop, they never would've come at all.
After packing the potatoes into a basket for them, Rowen sat back down, thinking to himself, :Rich people really are different… They can casually toss around mana stones like nothing.
The group left, and Rowen excitedly counted the low-grade mana stones. Seeing that there were fifteen, he got even more excited. He quickly closed the door and went upstairs, where his room was.
Then he called out to Fern.
Fern appeared the same as usual—sleepy. Rowen thought, This guy always likes to sleep.
Fern looked at Rowen with an annoyed face.
Rowen took out the low-grade mana stones and told Fern to open the portal. Fern's eyes lit up when he saw the stones, and he quickly summoned the portal.
They both stepped in.
Once inside, Rowen called out the land's screen to check how much energy was left. After seeing there was no energy remaining, he tossed the low-grade mana stones to Fern and said, "Recharge the energy with these."
Seeing the mana stones, Fern started drooling like a hungry dog. Without wasting time, he gulped down ten of them right away.
Rowen called out the screen again. Seeing that the remaining time was now showing one and a half hours until the next batch of potatoes, he got excited. Now he just had to wait and harvest the next batch.
He was left with five mana stones.
After thinking for a moment, Rowen decided there was space for more crops. He made up his mind—he was going to buy new seeds to grow.
Rowen became excited again, because new crops came with new abilities.
Rowen was looking for a normal shop—one that still sold vegetable seeds.
These days, most people were focused on hunting monsters. Some even lived off meat alone, especially adventurers. The demand for side dishes and vegetables had dropped. Fewer people wanted them, and even fewer were growing them.
But Rowen had something different.
His crops carried magical effects—just enough to matter. And some people were getting tired of eating meat all the time. Even if they needed it for energy and mana recovery, not everyone liked it.
Still, with most farmers gone and few seed sellers left, it wasn't easy to find the kind of shop he needed.
That's when an idea hit him.
If I can harvest magical crops… then I can sell the seeds too.
It made sense. Seeds from magically grown crops were rare. If he could keep that part quiet, he could sell them later—on his own terms. But for now, he had to find a starting point.
After searching for a while through back streets and less crowded alleys, he finally found a shop.
It was small and tucked between two larger buildings near the edge of the merchant district. The sign was old but clean: "Wood's Farm Goods & Seeds."
The Wood family, Rowen remembered, were generational farmers. They weren't rich, not anymore. But they had history. Their land had been swallowed up as wealthier merchant families expanded—but the Woods had held on to what they could.
Their shop was one of the last few places still selling seeds the old-fashioned way.
Rowen stepped toward the entrance.
This ought to be a suitable starting point.
He then entered the shop.
Inside, he was greeted by a female receptionist behind the front counter. She looked up as the door opened, watching a boy—maybe sixteen or seventeen—step inside.
She was surprised.
At that age, most were out training in the wilderness or diving into dungeons. No one that young came to buy seeds anymore. Occasionally, older folks—farmers in their thirties—would still come by, clinging to the old ways. But teenagers? Almost never.
After giving Rowen a quick glance, she straightened her posture and spoke politely.
"How may I help you, sir?"
Rowen gave a small nod. After a second of thought, he answered plainly, "I want to buy seeds."
She blinked.
That answer caught her off guard.
For a moment, something like pity flickered in her eyes. She herself had awakened as a mage—not strong, but with enough potential to qualify for training. Still, she hadn't gone out to fight monsters like everyone else. She didn't want to.
She lacked the mana stones… and the confidence.
Her strength was limited. She was stuck at the edge of the training stage, unable to move forward. So she had taken this job instead, quietly accepting her fate.
Looking at Rowen, she wondered if he had done the same.
Another one who gave up on the usual path, she thought. Just like me.
Rowen then cleared his throat, gently urging the receptionist—who seemed lost in thought.
"Can you give me some potato seeds?" he asked.
Snapping out of her moment, she gave a small nod. "Yes, of course."
She stood up and walked over to a shelf along the side wall. Rowen waited silently, watching her move with practiced ease.
He thought about asking more questions or looking around the shop but quickly decided against it.
He didn't want to waste time.
The receptionist returned a moment later, carrying a small, tied pouch.
"These are standard-grade potato seeds," she said, placing them on the counter. "They're basic, but have a high survival rate—freshly sorted."
Rowen nodded and reached into his pouch to pull out two low-grade mana stones.
"Is this enough?"
She took a quick look and nodded again. "More than enough. You're the only customer today, so… thank you."
Rowen gave a polite nod, took the pouch, and turned to leave.
Rowen then cleared his throat, urging the receptionist—who seemed lost in thought—to snap out of it.
She blinked and quickly gathered herself. "Ah, sorry," she said with a small smile. Then she turned around, walked over to a shelf, and pulled out a printed list.
She handed it to Rowen. "Here's the current seed list, along with the prices."
Rowen took the sheet and scanned it.
Potato seeds—250 grams for 1 low-grade mana stone.Tomato seeds—same price.There were also several types of vegetable seeds listed: carrots, onions, beans, and leafy greens. A few fruit seeds were there too, though rarer—berries, small tree saplings, and vine fruit.
His eyes settled on the tomato seeds.
That'll do for now, he thought. Simple, affordable, and something new to grow.
He looked back up at the receptionist. "I'll take one pack of tomato seeds."