One day…
On this day, Ryu and Leanne were once again venturing into the Demon Forest to hunt down monsters.
Of course, Kamiza was with them.
“It’s about time we take a break. Here, have some fruit I found over there earlier.”
Kamiza said, tossing palm-sized fruits to Ryu and the others.
“Grandpa, what are these?”
Ryu, feeling a sense of familiarity, asked his grandfather Kamiza.
“I’m not entirely sure, but I think they’re called Kakao.”
“Kakao… you mean cocoa? No way…”
Upon using his ‘Appraisal’ skill, Ryu confirmed that they were indeed cocoa.
Ryu then cut one of the nuts in half with his dagger, revealing five seeds lined up inside.
“Oh, so these are cocoa…”
“Cocoa? I thought they were Kakao nuts?”
Leanne, peering over Ryu’s shoulder, confirmed.
“Yeah, but they’re supposed to grow further south. I didn’t expect to find them so close to the Landmark territory!”
Ryu was honestly surprised.
Landmark territory had a relatively warm climate, but it was not tropical enough to grow cocoa.
“The Demon Forest is dense with magic. The environmental changes here are drastic. It’s said that if you go further in, you’ll even find an icy world. Well, it’s just a legend.”
Kamiza chimed in, providing important information.
“I see, so it’s related to magic essence… But if this environment allows cocoa to grow, then it’s incredible!”
Leanne wondered, much to Ryu’s delight.
“Are you that happy about this fruit?
“With this fruit, we can make chocolate,”
“Chocolate?”
“Yes, it’s a sweet. Very delicious.”
“Sweet treats! Is it tastier than syrup!?”
Leanne reacted excitedly.
“We use syrup too, but chocolate is exceptionally tasty,”
“Wow! Ryu, you have to make it! I want to try it!”
Leanne exclaimed eagerly.
“But it takes time and effort, you know? Well, I’ll make it anyway.”
Ryu replied.
“Ehh!? Does it take that long? Come on, try to make it in fifteen minutes!”
“Don’t be unreasonable. It takes at least a week…!”
“A whole week!?”
“Yeah, it’s a labor-intensive food.”
“…I see. Too bad…”
Leanne sighed, disappointed by Ryu’s words.
But for Ryu, this meant another task to undertake.
After contemplating, Ryu came up with an idea.
That was to create a direct path this far and enclose the area with walls to establish a cocoa cultivation base.
If successful, it would enable chocolate production, becoming a new source of income for the Landmark family.
“Alright, Leanne, Grandpa. It’s sudden, but since we have cocoa fruits, there should be banana fruits around too. Look for them. Also, let’s enclose this area with walls for development!”
Ryu proposed abruptly, announcing a large-scale construction project.
“Banana fruits? Ah, you mean banana fruits? I think I saw them around here before. But this is right in the middle of the Demon Forest. How extensive of a development are you planning?”
Kamiza asked, without much surprise at Ryu’s audacious proposal.
As Ryu climbed a tree, Kamiza and Leanne followed suit.
“The range should be from there to around that area… And over there should reach the rocky mountain…”
Ryu pointed out.
“It’s quite extensive. For now, let’s make sure the enclosure is built without hindrance.”
Kamiza suggested and descended to the ground.
Kamiza chanted a spell, creating large stone walls over a wide area with earth magic, albeit roughly.
“Ryu, pass me the usual mana recovery potions. Leanne, while I do this, search for banana fruits. Ryu, start making the path. If we divide the tasks, we can finish a bit faster.”
Kamiza decided to carry out Ryu’s proposal without doubting it.
It was proof that he had complete trust in his grandson.
Ryu and Leanne nodded and immediately got to work.
Leanne quickly found banana fruits and began collecting them in one place.
“Oh, Leanne. We need the leaves too, not just the fruits. Also, gather plenty of cocoa fruits.”
Ryu instructed as he used earth magic to lift trees from the ground and collected them with magic storage for the path.
“Huh? Not just the fruits? But bananas are delicious!”
Leanne munched on a banana fruit.
“For now, we need ingredients for making chocolate, so prioritize that.”
“? Understood. Chocolate comes first.”
Leanne agreed, dreaming of the yet-to-be-tasted treat as she diligently gathered cocoa fruits.
