Ch.11The Gloomy Black-Haired, Busty Menhera Administrator (6)

I met with the refugee representative along with the administrative officer.

The location was our shop.

Since the houses where refugees temporarily settled were right next to the slums, and our shop was right next to that.

The community center was quite a distance away, and the refugee representative was uncomfortable about leaving his group behind. Plus, the community center was empty of furniture and felt rather desolate.

Since we were trying to persuade them to settle in our village, a cozy and warm place seemed better.

So I brought the refugee representative to our shop.

Mirella, who happened to be watching the shop, scurried to the counter and prepared tea with a clatter.

She’s really quick-witted.

“Here, this way.”

The three of us sat around the small round table used for customer consultations.

The refugee representative was a middle-aged man with graying hair.

Though he looked quite exhausted, his large build and upright posture gave off an imposing presence.

“On behalf of everyone, I thank you, Mayor. Thanks to you, we were able to survive.”

The refugee representative bowed his head to me, not to the administrative officer.

“Ah, not me. This is the administrative officer.”

After I corrected him, the refugee representative looked slightly embarrassed and bowed his head to the administrative officer instead.

The administrative officer suddenly apologized.

“I’m sorry… I don’t look much like an administrative officer…”

I firmly stepped on the administrative officer’s foot under the table to make him shut up.

“Please have some tea.”

Mirella placed teacups in front of us after bringing over a tray.

“Um, I’d like… a Healing Potion…”

When the administrative officer cautiously asked, Mirella brought him a Healing Potion.

He downed it in one gulp.

Is that an addiction?

After taking a sip of tea, I introduced myself.

“I’m Jack, the owner of this shop.”

“Are you a member of the Potion Knights?”

I smiled and shook my head at the refugee representative’s question.

“I’m not part of the Knights. I don’t know how much you know, but the Potion Knights are people from our village’s slums.”

“Slums…?”

After I briefly explained how the Potion Knights were established, the refugee representative exclaimed in admiration.

“Then you’re the one who created the Knights and performed miracles?!”

“What? No? That’s not it. That wasn’t a miracle, wait, wait!”

Suddenly, the refugee representative stood up from his chair and knelt down.

“Please help our republic!”

The refugee representative pleaded, pressing his forehead to the floor.

“Please liberate our republic from those Rosbita bastards! I beg you!”

This person, like some villagers, truly believes I’m some kind of god.

“Now, please get up first. Calm down and I’ll explain everything step by step.”

After finally getting the refugee representative back in his chair, I clarified that bizarre misunderstanding.

I explained that it wasn’t a miracle, but rather using various potions to fertilize the land and feed the fish.

A dark shadow fell over the refugee representative’s face as he understood the situation.

“Not a god… but advanced potion manufacturing…”

“I’m sorry. You must be greatly disappointed.”

“No… It’s my fault for believing rumors without question… But still.”

The refugee representative looked at me with a faint smile.

“You truly are amazing. To think of sharing such valuable potions with the poor for free—that’s truly admirable.”

“It’s nothing. They were about to expire anyway, and since I’d already invested in the ingredients, I thought it would be better than just throwing them away.”

“Even though you downplay it like that, your good deed doesn’t lose its shine.”

“This is a bit embarrassing.”

While we conversed, the administrative officer hadn’t said a word and just kept glancing between me and the refugee representative with hollow eyes.

I’ll need to train him separately later. As the village grows, there will be more meetings like this, and it would be problematic if I always had to accompany him while he remains silent like a mute.

“Anyway… I’m glad everyone made it safely to the village. Mestopin’s Junkyard is so complicated that you could die if you lose your way.”

“Thank you again for saving us.”

“Haha, yes. But… what are your plans now?”

The refugee representative was silent for a moment at my question.

After staring at his teacup for quite some time, he finally spoke.

“Honestly, I’m not sure yet. But what’s certain is that we probably can’t return to the republic.”

“I see… Then how about settling here permanently?”

“In this village?”

“Yes. With the Potion Knights as the core, we’re currently proceeding with urban development plans. As part of that, we’re working on large-scale land reclamation and improving fish catches. Those are the things you misunderstood as miracles.”

“I see…”

“Several groundbreaking plans will be implemented in the future. We’d love for you people from the Zilke Republic to join us in this process.”

As I said this, I tapped the administrative officer’s foot under the table, causing him to jolt upright.

“Oh, yes… That’s right…! If you settle in the village, we will provide various benefits. The benefits are as follows. First, housing support…”

Though stumbling over his words, the administrative officer explained the refugee settlement support plan quite professionally.

With the administrative officer’s support policy presentation and my persuasion, the refugee representative decided to settle in our village.

The Zilke Republic is quite far from the kingdom our village belongs to.

They’re completely unfamiliar with the situation and geography here, and there’s no reason to refuse when someone is offering to save their lives and provide exceptional support.

The refugees, numbering just under fifty, will be a great help to the village.

However, the administrative officer, who should be the most pleased, had completely lost his mind.

“This is terrible, this is terrible…”

After the refugee representative left, the administrative officer remained in the shop, muttering incessantly to himself.

“What should I do… Where do I start… It’s my first time accepting so many refugees… This wasn’t even covered in the exam… This is driving me crazy… If they suddenly decide to leave because they’re not satisfied, that would be a problem… Oh no…”

“What’s wrong with him?”

Mirella stared at the administrative officer, whose mental state was gradually crumbling, with strange eyes.

“Administrative Officer. Instead of worrying, the first thing we need to do is assign houses for the refugees.”

When I spoke to him, the administrative officer nodded.

“Ah, yes… That’s right. Since we promised them houses, we need to provide houses…”

I definitely can’t let him handle this alone.

“Get up. Let’s go to the community center. I’ll help you.”

As I forcibly lifted the administrative officer from his chair, Mirella quickly went to the other side to assist.

And so, the administrative officer was dragged to the community center by me and Mirella as if he were being escorted under arrest.

“Walk on your own feet!”

Mirella shouted.

* * * * *

Upon entering the community center, the first thing I looked for was the building management register.

It contains information on all approved buildings in the village, and I planned to check the locations and sizes of vacant houses to appropriately distribute people.

“Where is it…”

The administrative officer rummaged through a bookshelf on one side of the wall for a long time but couldn’t find it.

“I’m sorry… I rarely need to look at it… I wonder if I lost it…”

“You couldn’t have. Since you haven’t taken it out, it’s probably buried deep somewhere. Let’s look for it together.”

The three of us began searching the community center.

“Why is it so dark in here?”

Mirella strode over and yanked open the blackout curtains that were half-covering the windows.

As bright light flooded into the community center, I clicked my tongue.

I hadn’t realized it before, but this place is a complete mess.

The community center, seen in bright light, was nothing short of a garbage dump.

The drawers and cabinets were full of dusty utensils and office supplies.

Empty bottles and unused scrap paper were scattered across the floor, also covered in dust.

A small two-person sofa, seemingly meant for visitors, had its leather worn and torn with stuffing poking out, while the rest was covered in stains I didn’t want to identify.

“Brother. I think our village’s administrative officer might be mentally ill.”

Mirella came over and whispered.

“Let’s say he’s emotionally challenged.”

“That’s the same thing. My goodness. How can it be dirtier than the slums?”

“What can we do? People with depression can’t clean. They become lethargic.”

“Ugh, this is the worst.”

Mirella grimaced as she picked up underwear randomly strewn across chairs and tables.

But wow, that bra is huge.

It could fit on my head.

Meanwhile, the administrative officer was sitting on the floor, looking utterly dejected.

It was as if black energy was flowing down around him.

“I must have lost it… I’ll be disciplined and dismissed…”

“Don’t worry. I don’t think the central government will care about a lost building management register in this village.”

The administrative officer’s face momentarily brightened at those words, but only for an instant.

“But we can’t continue like this.”

I pondered as I looked at the community center piled with garbage and junk.

“This won’t do. Mirella, go call the security guards. If there are any Knights available, bring them too.”

“Got it!”

As soon as I finished speaking, Mirella ran out of the community center.

“Administrative Officer. The refugees aren’t the issue right now—let’s clean the community center first. We can’t do anything in a place like this.”

“Cleaning… It probably won’t work… I’ve tried several times but failed…”

I figured as much.

People with depression commonly have extremely messy rooms.

They lack motivation and don’t want to do anything.

That’s why organizing their surroundings is essential.

A little while later, Mirella returned with five security guards and four Knights.

This should be enough.

“Eek?!”

The Knights who entered the community center were horrified at the state of the interior.

“Alright, we’re going to start cleaning the community center now!”

I clapped my hands to get everyone’s attention.

“First, please take everything inside, without exception, to the open space outside. There, we’ll sort through what to throw away and what to clean before bringing things back in!”

Since it’s late spring and the weather is warm, let’s completely turn this place upside down.