Chapter 42: Leisurely afternoon tea time is mixed with serious business.
“I’m not worried, so why are you?” Pearl’s eyes narrowed happily, still able to focus on Easter. “It’s the right thing to do not waste such delicious food.”
Easter hummed in response. From the very beginning of his transmigration, his nerves had never truly relaxed. His lips unconsciously curled into a smile. Indeed, Areper was different.
Pearl, "That's more like it~ Otherwise he would think I'm bullying you."
East picked up the System Rabbit and hugged it, ruffled its hair, pinched its ears, and then lazily nestled into the sofa. "Would you dare say that to his face?" he asked with a smile.
Pearl shook her head. "No wonder they can get along so well."
Easter didn't know what to say, and when he tilted his head and saw the four little firemen glancing at him again and again, he slowly typed a question mark.
Yunmu glanced at Pearl and the others, then moved next to East while holding her milk tea. "King, have you two become friends?"
The players can only understand what Ist says; everyone else speaks in a language they can't understand. It's similar to some foreign languages, but they can't find any common ground (some players have personally researched and verified this). However, based solely on Ist's words, the relationship between the two sides has changed from being tense at the beginning to teasing and joking now. It all started with a mysterious person who was not present. Curiosity.jpg
East moved aside to make room, "I guess so."
Yunmu sat down in the seat that East had given up, heard his reply, and asked, "What do you mean? If it's inconvenient, let's talk privately after they leave."
“Hmm,” Easter leaned over, took a cupcake, and handed it to Yunmu. “Eat it, it’s delicious.”
Yun Mu took it blankly, unable to describe her current feelings.
"Your summoned creatures are quite interesting." Pearl's gaze swept over the little firemen, and she made a casual comment.
East's expression shifted slightly.
"Don't be nervous, what's our relationship?" Pearl blinked her left eye.
Easter turned his head away, unable to bear watching. It would make Arip's heart race if he did that, but for anyone else... well, it's beautiful, but I can't appreciate it.
"Be serious," he reminded her.
“You’re just like Randall!” Pearl said.
East was too lazy to pay attention to anyone. He leaned back on the sofa with his eyes half-closed. Many secrets, even information that could be obtained through any means, were difficult to discover for someone in his position. It was as if he were on a deserted island, and no matter which way he went, it was a dead end.
“I’m actually quite curious, how did you two get together?” Pearl said. “To be fair, I can tell you about my first meeting with him. He definitely won’t tell you these things, since they’re all part of his dark history.”
East lifted his eyelids. "Don't be too curious, it's unnecessary."
Pearl nodded in understanding, "No wonder we can share a bed," she murmured.
East was exasperated. Was it so hard for him to think things through in peace? Even food couldn't shut this fish up.
"My little king, did he say something bad?" Yun Mu asked sharply, looking up at Pearl with a wary gaze. His little one was still so young; how could he be harassed by a bad man? Even if he was handsome, it wouldn't work; even if he was a mermaid, it wouldn't work.
East patted Yunmu's little tuft of hair. "No, he's just not very bright."
"Hey, hey, hey, I'm still here," Pearl said, dissatisfied. "It would be better if you talked about it behind my back!"
Easter took a deep breath, but still couldn't help but blurt out what was on his mind, "Eating can't shut you up."
Pearl was embarrassed. He wasn't too surprised by the relationship between the two. Who would have thought that he would stumble upon such an unexpected and extremely interesting thing while he was out for a walk? He couldn't control his restless curiosity (gossip). You see, among them, Arip was the first to have a partner, and the partner's identity was so special. Who could resist being curious? If he wasn't curious, he wouldn't be here.
Easter wearily pinched his brow bone. "We've eaten enough, let's get back to business." He was afraid that if the fish continued to idly do nothing, it would say something even more outrageous.
Pearl quickly took a sip of milk tea to settle the food in her mouth and hurriedly said, "No way~ If you don't want to talk, then don't. Let me enjoy a little more relaxing time, what's wrong with that? It's just a flight route, you can treat me to a couple more delicious meals, and I can make sure it's all done perfectly for you."
East sighed, speechless. Why did Aripor end up associating with a mermaid whose personality was so complicated?
As Easter truly entered society, interacted with people, and experienced life, he increasingly felt that this world was like a giant makeshift stage. The humans, other races, and even the gods in this world were all strange and inexplicable, never acting normally, making him, a person who was seriously planning to do some scheming, seem completely out of place.
East used to think that he was a little abnormal compared to others, but now he realized that what was that? He was perfectly normal.
It's a pleasure to watch a beautiful woman eat, but East is someone who doesn't appreciate it (note: Arip is an exception - East). He only brought it up because he really had something in mind, but unfortunately Pearl gave him an answer that left him unsure whether to continue.
A fragrant and soft little cake was placed in front of him. East looked at it and saw Meimei's uneasy gaze wandering around. "Your Majesty, thinking too much is tiring. You should relax when you need to. We're always here for you, aren't we?"
At this moment, East must have had something in common with Yunmu, and his feelings were mixed, leaving him at a loss.
"Thank you." Easter took the small cake from Meimei's hand, took a small bite, and her warm white hair swayed with the movement. Among the scattered strands of hair, you could vaguely see some pink, which was the light reflected from her earring.
The players present all had one thought: the mermaid was beautiful, a rare beauty in the world, but in front of their king, their king was the most captivating beauty.
Meimei was stunned by the sight of East's appearance and stood there in a daze. When she came to her senses, she cursed in her heart, "This is weird." She had seen all kinds of beauties in the one-dimensional, two-dimensional, and three-dimensional worlds. Today, she was actually so captivated by the appearance of one person.
East tilted her head in confusion, while Meimei covered her heart with her small, unlucky hands. She suddenly understood Yunmu; she was simply the cutest person in the world.
"Your Majesty, please, please, please don't show this side of yourself in front of outsiders," Meimei said solemnly.
Easter couldn't help but chuckle, "Because it's you guys~"
"Another one fallen," Matsukami Yuki commented casually.
"You talk as if you weren't one of the fallen," said Ru Bu Kao Di Gua, who was standing nearby.
“I never said I wasn’t,” Matsushita Yuki said frankly. “The king has a strange kind of magic. Being around him makes you feel at peace and you are easily influenced by his emotions. When he is happy, you feel joy; when he is sad, you want to soothe his sorrow. Even though I am aware of this, I still can’t help but fall into it. If I didn’t know that I am not the king’s type, I would have mistakenly thought that I had fallen in love.”
Why not roast sweet potatoes? Matsuue's analysis is quite frightening. For example, Ister is like a Miao man who can use witchcraft, and these players are being manipulated by witchcraft.
“Ultimately, it’s His Majesty the King who deserves it,” said Roasted Sweet Potato, raising his milk tea and clinking it against Matsuue’s. “Who can resist a well-behaved child? Don’t we all want to give him the best?”
Matsuue Yuki didn't deny it. She took a sip of the milk tea in her cup, and the sweet taste didn't seem as bad as she had imagined.
East didn't notice that the two most rational players had reached a strange consensus, and his attention was focused on Pearl, who was finally willing to be serious.
"It's because the seas around here have been too turbulent lately that I've temporarily come here. Normally, our group lives in the deep sea near the northernmost polar ice caps. Before I leave, I can arrange everything for you." Pearl lazily nestled on the sofa, clearly feeling sleepy after eating.
"It's just a port, not a very big or important one. The main roads are in complete chaos. Unless you're really bored and have nothing better to do, who would keep an eye on this place that's almost been swallowed up by history every day?"
Easter, "There's always been someone watching." Isn't that why Areple came here?
Pearl twirled her long hair around her fingertips again and again. "This is entirely a legacy issue. What was the proposal you were trying to make?"
Easter was at a loss with this mermaid whose emotions were so unpredictable, seamlessly switching between feigning ignorance and genuine stupidity. "Let's compromise on the method you proposed earlier."
“Explain in detail,” Pearl said.
Ester slowly said, "The 'small abysses' in the sea definitely need to be dealt with. For strong individuals, low- to mid-level monsters are easy to handle, and even high-level ones don't require much effort. However, not all merfolk are strong. With so many 'small abysses,' they will likely struggle to cope." The presence of Pearl, an important figure among the merfolk, here is proof of this.
“Hmm, not bad, and then?” Pearl didn’t deny it.
“I can have my summoned creatures help,” Ister said, explaining his plan. More players would be joining soon. “The ‘Small Abyss’ is a dungeon, and players can never have too many dungeons. But you’ll have to provide some assistance. Define a specific area around each ‘Small Abyss’ to ensure that monsters can’t escape from that area. This needs to be maintained for a short time.” Just like what Areber did before, he trusted the players’ abilities—well, he trusted their passion for dungeons and their pursuit of power.
Pearl: "That's too flashy."
"Didn't you expect this outcome when you first brought it up?" Easter retorted.
Pearl curled her lips into a smile. "Aren't you afraid I have ulterior motives? Or do you firmly believe that Arip is incapable of doing this given our relationship? What if I'm lying to you?"
Easter had considered what Pearl said, but so what? As long as he couldn't think of a better way, he could only follow the path that others had prepared in advance.
“Just kidding,” Pearl asked curiously, “How come you weren’t scared?”
East rolled his eyes. "Coincidences can happen, but coincidences this big are bound to raise suspicions." Randall's explanation made sense. At that time, Arip probably didn't even know his identity, so Randall certainly wasn't waiting there beforehand, and the timeline didn't match up. But this fish was different. At first, it was just suspicion, but now the suspicion has been confirmed.
Pearl: "I'm really curious now, how did you two end up together? Aren't smart people mutually exclusive?"
“It’s not that I’m smart, it’s that you’re behaving too stupidly, stupidly in a way that doesn’t suit your status.” East’s speculation was based on his superficial understanding of Areper. Areper might become friends with someone who is a bit silly, but he would never associate with someone who is brainless.
“Alright,” Pearl said, “I’ll agree to what you suggested since you were indirectly praising my intelligence. And we agreed that if it’s halved, it’ll be halved, and there will be some difference. You should know why.”
Easter gave a soft "hmm," mainly to avoid those persistent stares.
"Should we sign the contract now, or do you two discuss it some more?" Pearl asked.
Easter: "Right now."
"That's decisive enough!" Pearl praised.
“Everything has been agreed upon, so there’s no need to drag it out any longer,” East said, adding that the sooner shipping resumes, the sooner it will be.
“Alright,” Pearl said, taking out two parchment scrolls with legal force. “Let’s sign the contract according to our agreed terms. How long will it take?” Lines of text appeared on the parchment scrolls.
“Three years will be fine,” East replied, having gained a considerable advantage according to the contract they had agreed upon.
Pearl glanced at Easter, said nothing, and handed one of the parchments to Easter after both parties had signed and stamped it.
Easter examined it carefully and said, "No problem."
In this not-so-formal meeting room, right after afternoon tea, the contract was finalized in just a few words.
Easter stamped his personal seal and breathed a sigh of relief. It went more smoothly than he had imagined. It all seemed to be thanks to Arebo again. At this moment, he couldn't help but be distracted.
“I’ll be staying here for a while longer,” Pearl said, putting away her contract. “You can still invite me for afternoon tea; I don’t mind wasting your time.”
East was both amused and exasperated, but thinking about how his taste buds had been poisoned by his very first meal in this world, he instantly understood Pearl. "Wait a minute," he said to Pearl, then turned to look for Nana. Nana, who met his gaze, walked over and asked, "What's wrong?"
“Do the recipes for making these foods matter?” Easter asked.
“It’s not important. Do you need it? I’ll go write it now,” Cai Cai said, then realized he didn’t recognize the words in this world. “Can I read it to you and you write it?”
“Mr. Blanchett, do you need the recipe?” Easter said. “Of course, it can’t be for free. What can you offer in exchange?”
“We’re friends now, can’t you give me a few?” Pearl said.
“I don’t own the property; we need to have a fair deal,” Easter said.
"How about magic crystals?" Pearl didn't press the matter; for him, it was something that could be bought with a little money, nothing special.
East's gaze shifted to Nana.
"It's fine as long as the King decides; these aren't really important recipes," Cai Cai said. He never expected the King to propose this kind of exchange. He would be happy to give it to him for free, and any benefit would be an unexpected bonus.
“No need for magic crystals. Exchange them with magic wands and swordsmen’s swords, based on your perceived value. Just use basic ones,” Ister said.
“So that’s what it was for,” Pearl exclaimed. “You really put a lot of effort into your summoned creatures.”
“They deserve it.” Easter didn’t take credit; he had only played a communicative role.
"Okay, ten recipes, fifty portions of each. Don't worry, I'll only use them for my own purposes and they won't be leaked."
East paused for a moment, "Isn't that too much?"
“I think I gave too little. As a friend, let’s double it. It’s not like it’s anything that valuable.” Pearl said generously.
East, “…” Compared to this group of people, he felt more resentful of the rich.
Pearl tilted her head slightly. "I have something to do, I'll be going now. It's cash on delivery, someone will bring it tomorrow."
Easter could tell that Pearl probably had something to do, so he didn't stay any longer.
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