Teacher by day, Farmer by passion

Chapter 71 Spirit Fest [2]

"Is this really spirit wine?"

Ace stared at the porcelain bottle in front of him.

Spirit winery; a building he got as a reward when he leveled up previously.

And now, currently in his hand he held a bottle of wine brewed with spirit rice from that same winery.

Honestly though, to his surprise, the 100 Years of Wisdom didn't include any knowledge about winemaking.

Worse still, Lily, for all her confidence, wasn't exactly an expert in brewing wine either.

Ace uncorked the bottle and took a cautious sniff.

Immediately, he recoiled—the scent was quite strong.

Lily, however, puffed out her chest with pride.

"Master, I may not know the finer details of winemaking, but I do know this space very well. I can tell you exactly how old this wine is!"

Ace raised an eyebrow. "Does it's age even matter?"

Lily gasped, looking at him as if he had just committed sacrilege.

"Master! The older the wine, the more expensive and sought after it becomes!"

Then she timidly added,"Well if it was brewed properly."

"Forget that. I'm here because you said I could open a gate to the Spirit Realm and bring back helpers."

Lily immediately nodded, her eyes lighting up. "Yes, Master! Follow me!"

She led him to a corner where a massive, ancient gate lay in disrepair, its surface covered in cracks and faint, lingering energy.

"Master, you can open the gate with just a thought," Lily said confidently.

Ace smirked. "Just a thought, huh?"

He took a deep breath and, with great ceremony, declared—

"Open sesame!"

To his surprise, the gate actually reacted.

A low hum echoed through the air as its weathered surface shimmered, releasing a surge of spiritual energy.

A system notification appeared before him.

[Currently searching for a spirit beast willing to cross the gate...]

Ace stared at the message, then turned to Lily. "...That actually worked?"

[New helper has arrived, back in cooldown for 168 hours.]

Ace stared at the chubby spirit boy. "So, what exactly can you do?"

Aqua grinned. "Oh, uh... simple things! I can water crops and harvest fruits."

Ace looked at the system interface;

[I can also raise fish, but I don't want to. It's too tiring.]

Ace raised an eyebrow at the screen. Wow, isn't this too convenient? Then why haven't I heard anything from Lily?

[She hides nothing from the host.]

"Oh?" Ace turned his attention back to Aqua, who was still all smiles.

"Where do I get fish?"

The moment he asked, Aqua's cheerful expression stiffened, his face draining of color.

Still, he mustered a bitter smile.

"Through trades, Master. I can initiate trades with other spirits in the Spirit Realm using your farm products."

[Why?! Why does Master know about this?! But I can't even run off with his spirit products now... I'm already named!]

Ace smirked. Now that was an interesting piece of information.

"Good. Make preparations with Lily to trade fish for chickens. If you do well, I'll let you eat tons of Spirit Apples."

Aqua visibly flinched.

[Apples?! What the heck—nooo! Are you going to torture me?!]

Ace chuckled. "Never mind. You can have pork instead."

Aqua's eyes lit up instantly. "Thank you, Master!"

[Ah... this Master knows how to joke. He nearly got me there. Phew.]

Ace glanced at the system screen. This system bonus was really something. Being able to read inner thoughts is pretty useful.

Stepping out of the system space, Ace took a deep breath.

The village had a grand festival to host, and there was still much to prepare.

With a bottle of spirit wine in hand, Ace made his way to the festival grounds.

The area was vast, with stalls lining the perimeter, each bustling with activity.

Some merchants from outside the village had even set up their own booths, drawn by the buzz surrounding the event.

True businessmen—they never missed an opportunity.

Their presence only added to the excitement, ensuring the festival had more to offer than just the villagers' goods.