Chapter 167: Ah, You're Saying You Couldn't Eat It Because It Wasn't There (3) While Painfolt and Geshtain were away on the elves' continent, a peculiar building unlike anything seen before was installed south of Dwarf Town at Falstead Castle.
Since it was early spring, the weather outside swung back and forth, warm one moment and cold the next, but inside the translucent building, regardless of the climate outside, the temperature stayed perfectly suited for the plants growing within.
Unlike the barren land outside the building, the soil inside was fertile, and all kinds of vegetables and fruits were growing vigorously on it.
Even setting everything else aside, it was a building of a type that had not existed before, so the mysterious installation drew a lot of attention the moment it appeared. And it was none other than…
"Boss! We finished harvesting lettuce in Greenhouse No. 8! With this, all the ingredients for sangchu-geotjeori to be sent to the Selphier Castle branch are ready!"
"Mr. Jinseo! Harvesting cucumbers in Greenhouse No. 4 is finished!"
"Alright. Then let's move on to the next greenhouse."
It was a large-scale greenhouse Jinseo had installed with the mileage he had accumulated.
Back when Jinseo was running Jinseo Bunsik together with his parents, his father wanted to grow vegetables himself in a kitchen garden and use them as ingredients.
But when they barely had enough time even to run the bunsik business, there was no way they could have had time to manage a garden.
Moreover, they did not even have the leeway to secure a garden in the first place, so it remained only a hope that "maybe someday it would be possible," and in the end it became a wish he never fulfilled.
It would've been even better if I could've done it with Dad… It's a shame, but it can't be helped.
Jinseo was belatedly fulfilling his father's small wish on the Francia Continent, in the other world.
In total, there were twenty greenhouses installed on the land he had received from Philip III.
He planted and grew all kinds of vegetables and fruits by type—from peppers, lettuce, and cucumbers to strawberries, tomatoes, and grapes—and even though it had only been half a month since cultivation began, the growth speed was exceptionally fast, to the point that some greenhouses were already producing a second harvest.
If it were the original plan, I could've grown them without lifting a finger, but since it's the basic greenhouse model, it can't be helped.
At first, he had planned to install the "complete greenhouse" upgrade as a space to cultivate plants.
With land for the greenhouse, seeds or seedlings for the plants to be grown, and water, that upgrade handled the rest of the process on its own. Once installed, it had the convenience of requiring you to focus only on harvesting.
But as convenient as it was, it required quite a lot of mileage to install, and to supply the mana consumed to keep the greenhouse running, it had the drawback that one day out of every five, he would have to leave the food truck parked in the other world without operating it.
The standard model would've been more convenient than not being complete, but I'll think about that after I save up more mileage.
After hearing from the AI that the lower the greenhouse's performance, the less mileage it consumed, Jinseo deliberated and ultimately chose the basic greenhouse model instead of the complete one, so he could install as many greenhouses as possible.
Of course, even if it was called "basic," it was still far more convenient in many ways than the greenhouses used in Korea.
"Greenhouse No. 3. Harvesting is now possible for peppers being cultivated in Sectors 15 through 20. Please deploy the personnel needed for harvesting to the relevant sectors."
"Alright, let's get to work."
"Man, that greenhouse field thing is really something. It even tells you on its own when it's time to harvest."
"Thanks to it, we've got work to do too, so it's good. Isn't it?"
When the AI's voice came through the speakers installed outside the greenhouses, the workers waiting outside took the farm tools Jinseo had provided and went into the indicated greenhouse.
Not only did the greenhouse's notification function explain in detail by voice which sectors had finished growing, a soft glow also rose over the fields in the harvestable areas, making it easy to tell where to harvest.
"Greenhouse No. 12. Pests have appeared in Sectors 1 through 4, and Sectors 10 through 13. Please eliminate the pests in the relevant areas."
"This time it's our turn. How dare mere bugs run rampant?"
"Everyone's got the sprayers Mr. Jinseo gave us, right?"
This time, as the AI announced a pest warning by voice, the workers entered Greenhouse No. 12 carrying sprayers filled with pesticide.
If the complete greenhouse handled the tasks needed for plant cultivation on its own, the basic model removed those functions, but could instead issue instructions so they could be carried out through manpower.
"Now then—the taste…"
Entering Greenhouse No. 17, Jinseo picked a well-ripened cucumber and carefully examined the outside.
Thanks to the workers caring for the greenhouse, the cucumber was clean, without a single bug bite mark.
Jinseo turned on the faucet installed inside the greenhouse, washed the cucumber, then dipped it into the ssamjang he had brought and took a big bite.
Crunch.
"Not bad."
As the fresh cucumber's watery flavor combined exquisitely with the salty ssamjang, Jinseo smiled in satisfaction.
After taste-checking the harvestable plants one by one like that, Jinseo went straight into Greenhouse No. 18 next door.
"Hey, Jinseo! Over here!"
Oswald Hamilton, wearing a straw hat, welcomed Jinseo with a big wave of his left hand.
In his right hand, he held a ripe red strawberry that looked perfect to eat.
"Lord of the Castle, how do the strawberries taste?"
"Very good! They're much bigger and sweeter than the strawberries on the Francia Continent, so I really like them! You should have a bite too!"
Oswald Hamilton held out a basket full of strawberries, and Jinseo chose the one that looked the most plump, put it into his mouth, and bit down.
In that instant, sweet juice spread through his mouth.
"These are even sweeter than the strawberries I used to eat in Korea."
"That much? Then… if the word really spreads properly, this greenhouse will be packed with tourists."
"Looks like quite a few have already come?"
Inside Greenhouse No. 18, where strawberries were being cultivated, there were not only Jinseo, Oswald Hamilton, and the workers, but also about ten visitors who had stopped by while touring Falstead Castle and Dwarf Town.
"Guests, this is a salad made with vegetables your children personally picked in another greenhouse. Please try it!"
"This is fruit juice. It's made by blending several kinds of fruit! Oh, and we also have sandwiches with strawberries and cream!"
Tourists seated at the tables installed inside the greenhouse were enjoying a happy time while savoring fresh vegetables and fruits.
Today was the first day Jinseo ran a tourist course where visitors could harvest vegetables and fruits grown in the greenhouses with their own hands.
He served the vegetables and fruits the tourists picked as-is, or after simple preparation so they would be easier to eat, and the response was quite good.
"For your reference, the strawberries you ate are a variety Mr. Jinseo brought from Korea…"
As the tour guide held a strawberry and rattled off explanations, the tourists who had been busily eating fruit listened in, fascinated.
"Just like during last autumn's festival, a lot of people said they'd like to have tourist courses that visitors can participate in even on normal days. Going forward, we'll really benefit from these greenhouses."
Oswald Hamilton chewed strawberries while watching the tourists enjoying themselves.
"If I have the leeway later, I want to grow flowers inside the greenhouses."
"Flowers? That's good too. Eating is good, but nothing makes you happier just by looking at it like flowers do."
Holding the strawberry calyx he had removed, Oswald Hamilton fiddled with the end and shaped it into a flower.
"But first, the urgent priority is replacing the vegetables and fruits used in bunsik entirely with amounts produced here. After that, I want to grow grains and nuts too."
After changing his policy to install basic greenhouses rather than complete ones, Jinseo was fairly satisfied that he could install more greenhouses than expected.
Even so, it was still not enough to fully supply all the ingredients needed for the food truck and the branches.
"Then you should install more greenhouses, shouldn't you?"
"That won't be possible right away, and there's another problem too. First, the urgent priority is solving the mana supply issue."
With the basic greenhouse model, the mana required to keep it running continuously did not need separate replenishment, so there was no issue there.
The issue was that in addition to the basic functions, he was currently using an added function that consumed the land's mana to drastically shorten the cultivation time. To keep using that function, additional mana supply was needed. So the AI had reported that if there was no additional supply, starting after one month he would have to turn that function off.
The AI said I could just repeat turning it on and off on a monthly cycle, but it's still a shame. If I install the greenhouses in a region with abundant mana, it would solve it… Should I try asking the mage tower for help?
As Jinseo looked east toward where the mage tower stood and pondered, a regular customer who had not been seen for some time quietly slipped into the greenhouse.
"So this is that Korean field you always talked about, the greenhouse. Truly peculiar."
"Huh? Dean! When did you arrive?"
"I returned this morning. Hmm, it's sudden the moment I arrive, but Jinseo, I have something to ask of you. Is now alright?"
"Then I'll need to pause food truck business for about three days and prepare."
"Three days?"
"I'm planning to send ingredients to the branches in advance. It seems we'll be staying on the new continent for about a month again, like last time, so I want to prevent any situation where ingredients run out mid-way."
Jinseo discussed what needed to be prepared before going with Painfolt to Keinua, the elves' continent.
"And since we have to bring the food truck, someone from the Order will have to come as the representative…"
"That child."
"Will that be alright?"
"Didn't we go together before? I have no issue with it."
The atmosphere between grandfather and granddaughter was still awkward, but unlike before, there was no hesitation in Painfolt's answer.
"If it's a month…"
"Hm. I see."
Hearing "one month," Oswald Hamilton and Aston Hamilton, who were listening beside them, made troubled expressions.
"Mr. Jinseo, do I absolutely have to participate in this trip as well?"
"Hm? Not necessarily, but is there some situation?"
Normally, Aston would have been excited at the mention of going to a new continent where other races lived, so Jinseo reacted with surprise at Aston hesitating instead.
"Well, you see… I should've told you earlier…"
"That boy's wedding is probably going to be the month after next."
Oswald Hamilton cut in and said it for him.
"Huh? Really? Congratulations!"
"Aston! So you're finally marrying Stella! Congratulations!"
Jinseo and Jason, members of the food truck, were happy about Aston's wedding as if it were their own.
"It looked like you were getting anxious since so much time had passed after the arranged meeting, so it's a relief things worked out. Congratulations."
"Dean, thank you. Mr. Jinseo, I'm sorry I can't help you this time."
"Sorry? With the wedding so close, we can't send the man who's about to become a groom off somewhere far away. I'll find someone else to replace you, Aston. And additionally, the preparations needed for this trip…"
"Ah, there's a dish that absolutely must be included on this trip."
At Painfolt's word "absolutely," Jinseo straightened his back.
"Absolutely? What dish is it?"
"The elves asked for meat dishes. If possible, in a variety of kinds."
"Huh? Meat?"
Meat, from elves.
Jinseo could not understand Painfolt's words at all.
"Th-then… are you sure the race you met was actually elves, Dean?"
"Well, you see…"
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