The Supermarket System

Chapter 45: 45. Fisherman’s village

After lunch, they had to continue their journey. However, Kai, who wasn’t used to riding horses, felt uncomfortable.

"I’ll just ride a bicycle, Keith. Besides, the roads are pretty good, and I feel more comfortable that way," said Kai.

Keith, who didn’t know what a bicycle was, finally asked, "A bicycle? What’s that, young master? Do you mean a carriage or a flying carpet?"

Kai didn’t understand why there were still no bicycles in Ardhez, yet they knew more about flying carpets.

Flying carpets did indeed exist; they could be used by wizards with the wind element, since magic of that element was needed to fly. But of course, such things were very rare and expensive.

Not all carpets could be turned into flying vehicles.

"This is something that doesn’t exist here yet—it doesn’t use magic, and this device was probably developed as a vehicle because it’s more practical than a horse. Even though it’s not faster than a horse. Here it is, Keith!"

Suddenly, a strange object appeared in front of them. Keith was relieved that the group of adventurers had left; they were heading to the nearest guild to sell part of their catch. Meanwhile, some of the meat was given to Keith and Kai.

"Is this... a bicycle? Is it made of iron?" Keith asked in wonder, because when he touched it, it felt like iron, yet its color was bright light blue and black—it was very beautiful.

"It’s a bit expensive, but at least it’s very light, foldable, and can handle rough terrain," said Kai, who was already ready to ride his bike after putting on his bike helmet and elbow and knee pads.

Although Keith had many questions, he was even more curious to see how his young master would ride this thing called a bicycle.

"Young master, wait!" Keith hurriedly mounted his horse when he saw Kai already speeding away on the bicycle.

Kai looked very happy; he was laughing joyfully. It looked like a lot of fun.

That thing called a bicycle just needed to be pedaled, and the wheels spun on their own. It seemed like a fairly simple contraption, even though the bicycle Kai had bought didn’t look simple at all.

Keith, who was easily intrigued, studied the bicycle while watching from behind.

If such a thing existed, poor people who didn’t own horses would be able to travel easily. Horse-drawn carriages, even though they could be rented, were very expensive. Moreover, the horse-drawn carriage rental business was monopolized by the nobility.

"KEITH!! COME ON, HURRY UP! I DON’T KNOW THE WAY—YOU GO AHEAD!" Kai shouted.

Keith sped up his horse to ride alongside Kaileon.

"That bicycle looks like a lot of fun, young master! I’d like to try it," said Keith.

Kai laughed and replied, "You can try it later, Keith! If we can make them, I want to make lots of them! Using local materials and local craftsmen, too. We can’t buy everything from me, can we? I want our region to be self-sufficient, not dependent on me. Even if it takes a long time, I don’t think it’s impossible."

Keith laughed heartily. He was very happy because his young master was thinking so far ahead. He didn’t just want to make a profit; he also wanted to advance the region. His concern for the common people was also extraordinary. It would be such a shame if a young man like that—who could still grow to be stronger and wiser—didn’t want to become a leader.

Once again, Keith felt that the Duchess’s obsession with getting rid of Kaileon made perfect sense.

"We haven’t addressed the wheat fields and other issues yet, young master!"

"Oh, right, we still have a lot of work to do, but vacations are important too, Keith! Let’s put work aside for now—I’ve had enough for the moment. Let’s just have some fun at your place."

Kai continued pedaling his bike happily. Back on Earth, he’d also enjoyed biking—it helped strengthen his leg muscles. He used to bike to beautiful places in his country, like waterfalls, mountains, lakes, and more.

Now, in the world of Ardhez, Kai was cycling again, traversing roads with breathtaking scenery. There were empty fields filled with wildflowers blooming beautifully. In the distance, he could see a range of majestic mountains, lush forests, and crystal-clear rivers...

He didn’t forget to capture this beautiful journey with a magical recorder floating above his head. Kai didn’t use his smartphone or any other camera from Earth, because the magical recorder could capture images or videos much more clearly—almost as high in quality as what the eye sees. Besides, it only required magical energy, not batteries or electricity.

Just as the sun was about to set, the sky displayed a variety of colors that created a beautiful harmony. Yellow, orange, purple... the dusk sky brought a sense of peace to the heart. Kai and Keith had arrived at a village near the sea, on the border between Verde and Arslan.

It turned out to be quite close to Arslan.

Although it was a village on the outskirts, the rocky roads in the area had been repaired, and some of the houses still looked well-maintained. Fishermen’s boats were also visible.

Kai could see the sun setting over the horizon.

It was absolutely beautiful.

"Where’s your house, Keith?" Kai asked, after successfully capturing the beautiful dusk scenery with his smartphone.

"Not far from here. Let’s go, young master."

Keith led his horse, while Kai had already folded up his bike and stowed it in his dimensional storage.

They arrived at a large teak-wood house. Keith knocked on the door, and a girl around fifteen years old opened it.

"Who is it?" the girl asked.

Keith, seeing the girl’s face in the fading sunlight, recognized her immediately.

The little sister he’d left behind when she was just five years old had now grown up.

"KEITH!!" Suddenly, a young man’s voice rang out loudly. The young man, about eighteen years old, immediately hugged Keith tightly.

The girl was startled when her brother called out Keith’s name.

Before long, the whole family had gathered. They were overjoyed and deeply moved, as it had been ten long years since Keith had left and never returned.

For the time being, Kai didn’t want to disrupt their reunion, so he remained silent and took out a magic lamp to place in front of the house.

Whether it was just Kai’s impression or not, Keith’s family’s house didn’t have any lights to illuminate it at night. It wasn’t just that house; several other houses also lacked adequate lighting. Some used candles or oil lamps.

In fact, magic stone lamps weren’t all that expensive.

"I’ve come with my young master, Kaileon Arslan. I no longer work for the Duke, but for his son. I’m here because my young master allowed me to come home," said Keith.

Finally, Kai appeared, carrying a second magic lamp for the interior of the house. He couldn’t stand the extreme darkness.

It was then that Keith realized his house had no furniture. It felt very empty.

Keith noticed, but he didn’t say anything.

After getting to know Kai, they finally admitted that they couldn’t afford to buy lamps. The seas had been unpredictable for months; there was even a monster called the Kraken in the ocean, haunting the fishermen. Several people had already lost their lives because they were too reckless to set sail.

They had also asked the guild and Count Verdez for help, but no one had arrived.

Because of this, they were forced to find other ways to make money—like selling their furniture or having their children work as servants in the homes of the wealthy...

Keith’s father even cried and apologized, explaining that the money Keith sent every month wasn’t even enough to feed them day to day, since they also had to pay off their debts. They also apologized for not being able to welcome Keith and his young master properly.

Unable to bear such a sad scene, Kai stood up and turned to Keith.

"What if we grill all the meat we have, Keith? Let’s do it outside so the other neighbors can eat too," said Kai.

Keith agreed with his young master’s suggestion. They held a barbecue outside the house, inviting neighbors who were just as struggling as they were.

Everyone came and was delighted; they admitted it had been a long time since they’d eaten such delicious food.

Once they found out that the one cooking for them was Duke Arslan’s son, they were thrilled. They thanked him and were at a loss as to how to repay Kaileon’s kindness.

"You don’t have to pay me anything. Let’s just figure out a way to defeat the kraken so you can go back to work as fishermen. Oh, by the way, if I may ask, when you catch seafood like fish, crabs, and other things, what do you do with them—I mean, where do you sell them all?" asked Kai.

Hearing that, their enthusiasm suddenly gave way to a somber look.

Finally, Keith’s 18-year-old younger brother spoke up.

"Before the kraken appeared, we used to sell all our seafood catch at the market nearby. Some nobles also bought it for their restaurants, since they have a pretty famous seafood restaurant nearby. There’s an inn there too, so a lot of tourists used to come. But all that changed after the restaurant had to close—it was Count Verdez’s own son who shut it down. After it closed, the count’s son reopened it, but the customers didn’t like the food. Eventually, the place lost its customers, and then suddenly the kraken just showed up out of nowhere. We don’t really know what happened either."

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