Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 70: Ha ha ↑ Ha ha ↓ Ha!
“You want to build a tea workshop here? Heh, I don’t agree.”
A cold, dismissive voice cut through the air.
“And who the hell do you think you are? If you don’t agree, just keep whining and dragging your feet—believe it or not, I’ll cut you down right here.”
Merlin’s eyes narrowed as he glanced at the men gathered at his side. Six mages, each of them at the fourth tier, stood behind him like silent shadows. Their presence alone was enough to make the air tremble faintly with restrained magic. If things came to blows, beating down the elf in front of him would hardly be a problem.
Inwardly, Merlin almost laughed at the absurdity of it. Look at me now… I feel like some underworld foreman, lording over construction work with a band of thugs. Whoever dares block the project, we smash them into the ground.
Kaelos, the elf leader, pointed calmly at the soil beneath his feet. “Because this land belongs to us elves. Do you not know that the Academy already allocated the upper reaches of the Emerald River to our people?”
Merlin blinked. He hadn’t known that. His eyes slid toward Stacie, the ever-calm figure at his side.
“Is what he’s saying true?” he asked.
Stacie gave a reluctant nod. “Boss Merlin, it’s true. This land was indeed given to the elves by the Academy.”
Damn it! Merlin’s eyes flared red with frustration. Such a prime location—fertile soil, abundant sunshine, and a climate so perfect for planting—and the Academy just handed it over to the elves? I can’t accept this. I won’t accept it!
His mind burned with envy. The elves, with their irritatingly sharp instincts for nature, had picked a spot that outclassed his own territory by leagues. This place wasn’t just fertile—it was the sort of land that could change the future of an enterprise. He had already envisioned clearing it out, planting crops, maybe even creating a whole new base of production. But now… it was already in the elves’ greedy hands.
The northern upper streams of the Emerald River stretched out like a painter’s masterpiece—soils dark and rich, sunlight falling in gentle golden sheets, the air warm and nurturing. The Academy had already carved swathes of farmland and botanical gardens here.
The elves, with their affinity for nature, were naturally chosen as stewards of this land. It benefited the Academy, too—they didn’t have to spend manpower or time, and still received abundant resources from the elves’ yield.
Even splitting the harvests half-and-half, the Academy was still gaining more than ever before. Since the elves’ arrival, agricultural output had soared year after year.
Merlin knew well the elves’ unparalleled talent for cultivation. More than once, he had daydreamed about forcing them to work for him—planting cotton under his orders. And as for stubborn types like Kaelos? Easy solution. A whip across the back. That’ll teach them obedience.
In ages where slavery still thrived, elves had been the most valuable of all—men handsome, women beautiful, all of them elegant and useful. And when their beauty tired the eye, they were unmatched laborers in the fields. Truly, the best return on investment.
Merlin sighed inwardly. He had to admit reality: this land, by Academy decree, belonged to the elves. Given his tense history with Kaelos, the odds of seizing it were low. But he wasn’t ready to walk away without trying.
“Kaelos, I really want this land. It’s too close to the tea mountains to ignore. So let’s cut the nonsense—name your price. If it’s fair, I’ll buy it outright.”
At those words, Kaelos froze for a heartbeat. Then, slowly, a mocking laugh bubbled up from his chest. His eyes glinted with scorn.
“Hah↑ hah↓ hah! Did I hear you correctly, Merlin? You want to buy this land? Oh, that’s rich—easily the funniest thing I’ve heard all year. Do you really not know that this land cost us elves not a single coin? The Academy gave it to us freely.”
Merlin’s teeth clenched. Of course I know, you shameless, penny-pinching thieves. This land should have been mine. If only I’d arrived at the Arcane Academy earlier, none of this would have fallen into your hands!
His heart seethed. Bastards! To occupy Academy land so brazenly—what gall! What filth!
And yet… Merlin himself had claimed unused plots behind the Beast Taming Academy without permission. That, however, he would never admit was hypocrisy.
Kaelos’s eyes narrowed, venomous with spite. “Merlin, with the kind of relationship we share, do you really think you can take this land from me?”
That single sentence was enough. Merlin instantly understood—there was no chance. And, faithful to his creed that time is money, he didn’t waste breath. He turned sharply on his heel, ready to leave. Better to go back, pick another site, and avoid staring at the elf’s smug, gleeful face a moment longer.
But then Kaelos’s laughter rang out again, sly and serpentine. His lips curled upward, eyes glittering with the look of a predator spotting prey. He stroked his chin and folded his arms.
“Merlin, don’t be in such a rush to leave. What I meant is—with our ‘relationship,’ of course you can have this land.”
Merlin halted mid-step. He turned back slowly, studying Kaelos. He didn’t believe for a second that this arrogant elf, whom he had beaten before, would give away land for free.
“State your terms.”
Kaelos snapped his fingers. “Smart man. As you can see, this land has been carefully cultivated with cassava by us elves. And cassava, let me tell you, is no ordinary crop. If you want this land, you’ll have to pay for it—and for the cassava.”
So it came down to money after all.
“As for the price? I won’t even ask much. See this vast field of cassava?”
Merlin’s gaze swept over the sprawling expanse—hundreds of acres heavy with lush green vines. “You mean… the entire lot?”
“Of course. All of it. Let’s say… ten thousand gold coins for the land and the cassava.”
Kaelos’s face glimmered with cunning triumph.
Merlin’s expression, however, eased at once. Then, a sneer tugged at his lips. These elves really are country bumpkins… ten thousand gold, and they think they’re naming a king’s ransom.
Kaelos, certain he’d just shocked Merlin, puffed with pride. To him, ten thousand was a staggering fortune. To Merlin, in his current position, it was hardly worth raising an eyebrow.
“Ten thousand gold? Why don’t you just rob us outright?”
Before Merlin could speak, Gallant, hot-tempered as always, burst forward. He jabbed an accusing finger at the vast farmland. “If this land were filled with medicinal herbs, then ten thousand might make sense. But you’ve planted plain cassava! Cassava that’s toxic when overconsumed—causes nothing but diarrhea! The only reason anyone bothers with it is its high yield and because plant-eating beasts can stomach it.”
Kaelos chuckled coldly. “If you think it’s expensive, don’t buy. And what’s wrong with cassava? These aren’t ordinary crops. We elves carefully bred them, suppressing their toxins to the lowest degree. Even humans can eat them safely now. At worst, you’ll suffer a little like the beasts do—a few stomach pains, a bout of diarrhea. Nothing fatal.”
“Who the hell would eat that? Boss Merlin, let’s forget this place—it’s not worth it!” Gallant fumed, whirling back to his leader.
But then he froze.
Merlin was no longer listening. He was crouched down at the edge of the cassava field, his hands gripping the thick vines. With a powerful tug, he yanked them free, dragging up a cluster of fat, bulbous roots from the earth.
The cassava glistened with fresh soil. Their sheer size made Merlin’s eyes widen. One acre of this could yield tens of thousands of pounds…
He couldn’t help but admire the elves’ mastery. The crop was nearly identical to Earth’s cassava, retaining only a trace of its original toxins. Thanks to the elves’ breeding, it was no longer deadly—just a mild inconvenience.
Merlin brushed dirt from his hands, his gaze sweeping hungrily over the hundreds of acres before him. The embers of calculation burned hot in his chest. He thought of his ongoing ventures, the industries he was laying down piece by piece. The cassava wasn’t just food—it was opportunity.
Without another word, he pulled out his magic crystal card, its surface gleaming with promise. He looked straight at Kaelos and spoke with decisive fire:
“Fine. As you said—ten thousand gold coins. This land, these cassava fields, all of it is mine!”