Season 4: Chapter 110. Nonghyup Union vs. Knights (1)

While the Nonghyup Union tore itself apart with bloody infighting, dawn broke peacefully over Cheese Village.

“

Cock-a-doodle-doo!

” A rooster’s cry from a nearby farm echoed into Sweet Radish’s house.

Almond sat on the sofa and momentarily glanced out the window before turning back to his chat. He was deeply discussing with his viewers.

It wasn’t as bad as the Nonghyup Union, but Almond faced his own dilemma.

“Originally, I planned to use Black Tea and Lemon as guards, you know? Farming was supposed to be just their side job.”

That was the idea, but reality had shifted.

— LOL so that was the plan

— Makes sense, they need guards for sure

— Monsters might come again

Even though Almond had reduced his field size to dodge the monster raid this time, he couldn’t keep shrinking his land forever. To grow larger, he needed proper protection.

“Since Fertile Soil popped up, they’re stuck as farmers.”

Now that Black Tea’s field had become legendary farmland, it would be absurd to assign them as guards. For the time being, they’d have to focus solely on farming.

“I’ll need to recruit real guards, after all.”

His headache deepened. The list of things to protect grew, but the people to protect them didn’t.

“Who’s got the biggest farm after Black Tea?”

— ???

— No clue

— How would we know? lol

The viewers mostly mocked him for asking, but answers still surfaced in a chat of over 100,000 people.

— Probably ForeverAlone

— Yeah, he’s been rising lately

“ForeverAlone?” Almond tilted his head. “Who even is that?”

— Wait what

— Did he just forget??

— That’s the original creator of chikicha!

— Unbelievable lol

“Just kidding~” Almond waved it off, but his viewers didn’t buy it. He had a history of genuinely forgetting important figures.

— Yeah no, that wasn’t a joke

— (Just kidding~) = truth

— LMAO

A donation popped up.

[EggPlant has donated 3,000 won.]

[I was joking too...]

— LOL

— When did he get unbanned?

— Is he free now?

The chat erupted with laughter, but Almond ignored it while drumming his fingers on the table.

‘ForeverAlone... should I use him as a guard? But he’s a full-time farmer. Isn’t farming better for him? But if monsters always target the top farmer, I’ll never have proper guards...’

He mulled over the dilemma. An idea that required outside help slowly formed.

‘Hmm?’

***

While Almond brooded alone, his two loyal knights finally had some downtime together.

“Sir Radish Servant, a cup of tea.” Potato Servant poured him green tea.

“

Mmm.

Sweet. Very sweet.”

— LOL how is green tea sweet?

— What is he saying? LOL

“Indeed, we’ve been through much lately.” Potato Servant lowered his voice as though preparing for a serious talk. “So... about my debt, when will it be cleared...?”

Because of the brutal 7:3:0 share split, Potato Servant had essentially been stuck waiting for Radish Servant to decide when he’d ever be freed.

“You dare bring that up after just one day of harvesting!?” Radish Servant’s eyes flashed, and his hand twitched toward his club.

Potato Servant quickly blurted, “I-I only worry because something seems off, sir!”

“What do you mean?”

“With Black Tea’s farm now filled with Fertile Soil... I can’t help but feel like Lord Almond is hiding something from us.”

— Uh oh!

— Potato Servant’s rebellion arc??

— Calling out Almond himself!!

“What?!” Radish Servant stiffened.

‘I thought the same...’

Indeed, it felt like Almond was concealing something. His avoidance and vague answers all hinted at secrets he refused to share even to loyal subordinates. Yes, Almond had rewarded them with iron armor to prove his trust. However, where did the armor come from? Fertile Soil’s origin also remained equally mysterious.

“When he laid soil on our land, he swore that was the last of it.”

“He did...”

“And yet, he covered Black Tea’s field without any deal or price.”

That stung them. When Radish Servant received Fertile Soil, both of them had to become servants. Black Tea had received her boon outright without such trials.

“Don’t you think... this destroys the chain of command?”

— LOL he just wants the hierarchy back

— Potato Servant coping hard!

— So salty Black Tea skipped the hazing

— PTSD

Honestly, Potato Servant simply couldn’t stand that Black Tea was being treated better than him.

‘So that’s what this is about...’

The bemused Radish Servant realized that his brother’s concern boiled down to jealousy. His own concern was different.

‘Why would Lord Almond do this?’

To hand out Fertile Soil so freely wasn’t like him. Had he been trying to prevent Black Tea’s wrath, knowing that she suspected their maneuver lured the monsters to her fields? That would make sense, but such cunning trickery didn’t feel like Almond’s style.

‘He’s hiding something, but what?’

At that moment, Almond entered. “Come forth.”

— LMAO “come forth”

— Is he knocking on his own door??

— Dude walked in and said “summon yourself”

Potato Servant tumbled back in fright. “A-Ah! My Lord! What brings you here... to this corner...?”

This was Potato Servant’s private space in Sweet Radish House, a place rarely visited even by Radish Servant. Almond’s presence here could only mean one thing.

“I have something to tell you.”

Both of them froze, and what followed shook them to their core.

“There is... another village.”

***

Almond calmly explained how he had found Fertile Soil, the existence of another village, and what had happened there.

“You’re saying... you burned down about twenty villagers with Dragon’s Breath... and that made the soil?”

“Yes.” Almond nodded as if that were nothing.

Potato Servant’s face went pale. He stared at the black earth outside, suddenly very aware of the danger sitting across from him.

‘No way I’m rebelling now.’

Potato Servant’s rebellion fantasy died on the spot.

— Holy crap he actually told them

— 20v1 massacre??? Wtf

— So that’s the “blood and sweat” in the description...

— The man’s past is terrifying

“But why tell us this now?” Radish Servant asked sharply.

“To discuss.”

“Discuss what?”

“Something similar happened yesterday at Black Tea’s farm.”

Radish Servant’s eyes widened.

‘So that’s it!’

The truth finally clicked together. Almond hadn’t given Fertile Soil to Black Tea. It had spawned there after the battle.

“And that’s why you had her farm with it...”

“Correct. The interference still lingered, so I just left it all to her.”

It wasn’t generosity, but damage control.

“And those strangers from the other village? The iron equipment, did that all come from them?”

“Yes.”

The chat window exploded.

— BRO HE FINALLY CONFESSED

— So All Black village was real??

— That teaser clip makes sense now omg

— Insane lore drop

For the first time, Radish Servant noticed that the filter no longer censored the chat. Before, everything about All Black would be erased. Now, Almond could speak about it openly.

“Then... how much gear remains?”

“Around twenty pieces.”

Radish Servant blinked. Even after equipping five players, Almond still had nearly twenty suits of iron left. That explained his heavy load and slow pace.

“They’re too valuable to sell. Prices aren’t stable yet.”

Indeed, Cheese Village had no real demand for weapons. Sweet Radish’s house had tanked all the monsters until now.

“So that’s why you wanted to form the knights.”

“Exactly.”

Now, the protection fees and the confidence to demand them all made sense.

“But the situation has changed,” Almond said.

“Changed how?”

“Another choice has appeared.”

The brothers stiffened at his next words.

“I can make more Fertile Soil.”

He had done it twice already. A third time would surely be possible.

“With monsters and fire, let’s kill and burn them.”

Radish Servant rubbed his chin while calculating. “With our current manpower?”

“I don’t know. What do you think?”

— Does Almond have a brain?

— Has questions, but no answers.

— Didn’t you want to do this??

Radish Servant couldn’t accurately calculate it either. They could get by if the five of them fought well, but if they failed?

“Fail, and we lose everything.”

“True.”

The risk was enormous. Success meant glory, and failure meant the end. They needed to gather more allies.

“And if Fertile Soil appears in ForeverAlone’s field... we won’t be able to claim it.”

“Actually... there’s a way.” Almond hesitated as though embarrassed.

“What way?”

“If someone dies, their interference goes away. While they’re out, the land is free.”

“You mean... kill ForeverAlone?!”

That would brand them as Red Players, which was madness.

Almond shook his head. “No, we won’t kill him. We’ll trap him. Light the outskirts, cut his escape, and let the monsters take him. Then, once he’s gone... we move in.”

The brothers’ jaws dropped. They both thought the same thing.

‘He’s insane...’

— WTF

— This guy is actually a villain

— Soil Demon arc unlocked

— At least stab him outright, don’t barbecue him??

At last, they understood. Almond hadn’t come seeking their input. He had already crafted a plan and just wanted accomplices, partners in guilt.

‘So he already decided everything...’

‘We’re just here to share the blame.’