Chapter 3: 3. Keith
"Ugh! This tastes awful... are you sure this is a healing potion? It’s low-grade, right?" Kai asked his system.
That morning, after eating breakfast, he had to drink the healing potion because of his poor health.
He had to drink it three times a day for it to be more effective.
Well, he knew he was already feeling the effects. Like how his body felt lighter, how he could move more easily, and how his body had grown a few inches.
But really, it tasted awful—it was even more bitter than coffee.
[Actually, it’s not as bitter as coffee; it’s just that your tongue isn’t used to it yet, because your tongue is now that of a child—remember that]
Kai clicked his tongue in annoyance, but he just drank the whole potion anyway. He’d gotten a good deal on it.
A low-level healing potion costs just one small bronze coin, while a mid-level one costs one large bronze coin. A high-level one is even more expensive—one small silver coin.
Kai didn’t know the original prices, since the prices the system gave him were already heavily discounted from the original prices.
After drinking the potion, Kai grabbed his bottle of mineral water—which was nearly empty—and downed it in one gulp.
He returned the empty bottle to the system and received one small bronze coin for two bottles.
Kai himself had stocked up on many mineral water bottles in two-liter, one-liter, and 500-milliliter sizes.
He placed them all in a special storage room near his kitchen. It was a room that functioned like a chiller in a refrigerator, using a special cooling magic stone.
At first, the room wasn’t working anymore, but Kai bought the necessary magic stones and fixed it.
Yesterday, he spent the entire day fixing up the abandoned pavilion with Nini, the cat-shaped cleaning robot he’d bought.
Like the rotten cabinets, he threw them out and bought new ones.
The same went for the rotten, damp beds—he tossed them and bought new, high-tech spring beds from Earth. He also repainted the walls with Nini, using mold-resistant paint.
He also bought cooking utensils, both modern ones and those commonly found on Ardhez.
He spent a lot of gold coins, but it all felt worth it, because a comfortable place to live is the best.
"It seems like I’ve spent too much money. After being on Earth, I didn’t have much money, but now I’m actually being very wasteful. Luckily, I’m getting cashback for what I bought, hahahaha."
Kai felt very happy, because just this morning, he found out that all the money he spent on items at the supermarket system would be returned to him double.
[You’ll get even more cashback if you buy items to resell, or in other words, to start a business, master!]
Kai smiled, then took a bite of the potato donut he’d bought on Earth, and only then did he speak.
"I’ll start a business after I learn about the conditions around here from Keith, but by the way, when is he coming—uh, what’s that?"
Kai got up from his seat and looked down, as there was a commotion beneath the pavilion.
After seeing a young man approaching while swinging his sword at the tall, wild plants, Kai grimaced.
He’d have to ask Nini to clean the outside of the pavilion as well.
"Sisi, can Nini clean the outside of the pavilion? Like cutting down the plants and pulling out the weeds?"
Sisi was the name Kai had given the supermarket system, to make it easier to refer to.
[Of course she can; she has advanced sensors. But rather than that, you should go welcome Keith downstairs, master.]
"You’re right. Let’s go downstairs, Sisi!"
With enthusiasm, Kaileon went down to the lower floor of the pavilion.
Keith, who saw Kaileon coming down the stairs, was very surprised. He was surprised again when he realized how clean the pavilion was, with various all beautiful new furnishings.
"Keith! Did you accept my request to work with you?" asked Kai; he was already standing below Keith, and Keith hadn’t expected his young master to be that short.
After all, Kaileon’s younger brother, Justine, was already that tall even though he was only eight years old. It was impossible for an eight-year-old child and a fourteen-year-old teenager to be the same height.
Keith gave a faint smile, feeling a pang of pity for his young master. Then he knelt before his small young master and swore his loyalty to him.
How happy Kai was to hear Keith’s words.
After the oath of loyalty was finished, the impatient Kai grabbed Keith’s hand and asked him to sit with him on the new sofa.
"I can’t sit next to you—"
"Come on, Keith, just sit down. I’m more comfortable talking when we’re sitting together like this. There’s a lot I want to talk about—oh! Right, wait here; I’ll get some snacks and drinks first."
Kai stood up again and went to the kitchen, which was on the ground floor.
Confused, Keith finally followed his young master, and he was surprised once again by the state of the kitchen.
Everything was spotless, with new, more advanced appliances—even better than those in the main kitchen of Arslan Castle.
Keith was surprised again when Kaileon opened the pantry, because there were plenty of food supplies inside.
Though confused, Keith remained silent and helped his young master carry the snacks and cold drinks.
"Come sit down, Keith! I want to know everything you know about the outside world. Now that I’m healthy, I can go out. If I’m expelled from here, I can start a new life while doing business with you."
Hearing his young master’s words, Keith was taken aback.
"What? Why would you have to be expelled?"
Kai laughed at Keith’s expression, "Goodness, Keith... come on, you must know what Duchess Arslan is like, right? If she finds out I’m all better, she’ll surely do everything in her power to get rid of me, won’t she?"
Keith clutched his chest. He already knew about Kaileon’s tragic situation, but he hadn’t realized it was that heartbreaking—it made his heart ache.
How would Kaileon feel if he knew that his biological mother’s death... ugh, better not bring that up. Because right now, Kaileon was happy thanks to Keith’s willingness to work for him.
"First of all, thank you for trusting me to be your servant, young master Kaileon, and second... I understand your intentions, and I won’t let you be kicked out—"
Kai immediately interrupted Keith.
"No, Keith, I want to be kicked out; I don’t want to stay here any longer. Please, help me get out of here. Even though we’ll be living out there, I promise to pay you well, because I know how to do business."
