Ch.6The Gloomy Black-Haired, Busty Menhera Administrator (1)

Early morning.

“I’m starving to death.”

I found myself muttering as I rummaged through the kitchen shelves.

All that remained on the shelf was a single piece of dry bread.

And even that was only half left because I’d been rationing it bit by bit since yesterday.

I guess I’ll have to go to the market today.

Though I’m not sure if there will be anything to buy.

From the beginning, our Starting Village has nothing.

Literally nothing.

I suppose they didn’t pay attention to details since it’s just the village where players gather basic items before starting their adventure in the game.

Given the situation, the person who calls himself the administrator has given up on everything and remains hopelessly confined to the town hall, and the village has come to a standstill.

The villagers should step up, but the middle class (who would be lower class elsewhere) only think about leaving the village, and the poor never had any power to begin with.

Honestly, I want to leave too.

If not all the way to Odelin City, I’d at least like to go to Reangso Village in the north.

Reangso Village, which I visited while playing the game, was at least a livable place.

It has infrastructure like bakeries, blacksmiths, and breweries, a decent population, and large-scale farming that allows them to be somewhat self-sufficient.

But in my situation, migration itself is extremely difficult.

The Potion Association’s sales permit specifies a location, so I can’t sell potions anywhere but here.

Even if I, a weak NPC with no special abilities or cheats, somehow managed to reach Reangso Village, I wouldn’t be able to earn money.

And in this world, should I do just any manual labor with my body that has only 100 health points?

I’d probably die from exhaustion before a month passed.

So I’m destined to remain attached to this Starting Village shop.

I’ve resolved to do my best with what I have, but I still can’t live like this.

This won’t do.

I put on my coat and left the shop.

I also grabbed a few potions to give as gifts.

I’m planning to visit the village administrator.

As a member of the middle class in our village, I should certainly be able to meet with the administrator privately.

I’ll have a serious conversation and help with the village’s development if I can.

If the village develops and receives the full benefits of civilization, even an incompetent NPC like me can live comfortably and safely.

I don’t want to live a life where I have to ration half a piece of dry bread rolling around in the corner of my shelf.

Things can change.

Just like how the slum dwellers beat up bandits, formed a knight order, and cleaned up their neighborhood.

This Starting Village can definitely change too.

“Administrator!”

I pounded on the door of the shabby village hall.

No answer.

I turned the doorknob and the door opened.

It was unusually dark and damp inside.

I realized why—blackout curtains were hung on every window, blocking almost all light.

As I entered, the smell of dry dust hit me.

Has this place never been ventilated?

“Ouch!”

My foot caught on something scattered on the floor.

“Administrator, are you here?”

“What is it…?”

A voice came from the other side.

In the innermost, darkest corner sat a woman with a haggard complexion.

“Are you the administrator?”

“I am the administrator….”

The woman who answered let out a heavy, listless sigh.

What’s with her?

“Are you really the administrator?”

When I asked again, the woman slowly nodded.

“Yes….”

A young woman sitting alone in the town hall in broad daylight, just sighing.

I heard our village administrator was young and suffering from lethargy.

She meets both criteria.

She must be the administrator.

“I’m Jack, the potion shop owner. My shop is near the entrance to the slums.”

“Ah, yes…. You do good work. Giving out free potions.”

The administrator gave a weak smile.

“But what brings you here…? It’s not tax season yet.”

“It’s not about taxes. I wanted to talk with you, Administrator.”

“What about…?”

The administrator’s tone, expression, and everything about her seemed designed to drain the energy from anyone watching.

Feeling this conversation wouldn’t go anywhere, I took out a Healing Potion from my bag.

“First, drink this. It will restore your energy.”

“You didn’t have to give me this….”

Nevertheless, the administrator slowly reached out and took the potion, drinking it.

“Mmmmm…!”

After gulping down the potion, the administrator exclaimed in admiration while wiping her mouth with her sleeve.

“Wow, this is really delicious….”

Color gradually returned to the administrator’s previously gray face.

Potions really are invincible.

“Whew, I’m sorry…. I showed you something embarrassing…. Please sit down….”

The administrator, now somewhat energized, pointed to the chair across from her.

“But could we open the curtains first?”

“Ah, the curtains….”

When I pulled back the blackout curtains, bright light poured in.

“Too bright!”

Like a vampire exposed to sunlight, the administrator panicked, covered her face, and hunched over.

I wondered if she really was a vampire, but fortunately, she didn’t start smoking or anything—definitely human.

“I’m sorry…. I have nothing to offer you at the hall….”

The administrator, now seated, apologized with a regretful expression.

“It’s fine. My shop only has half a piece of dry bread left. How many people in our village can afford to properly host guests anyway?”

At my words, the administrator lowered her head, seemingly embarrassed.

“That’s actually why I came, Administrator. About the food situation.”

“I’m sorry…. I really have nothing to offer you….”

After looking at the administrator for a moment, I burst out laughing.

“I didn’t come to beg. Don’t misunderstand. I just want to know why our village is so impoverished, and if there’s a role I can play in overcoming this.”

“R-really…?”

The administrator’s face reddened slightly with embarrassment.

“I may be overstepping my bounds as a mere potion merchant, but we can’t continue living like this. I don’t want to spend my days wondering where my next meal will come from. Wouldn’t it be better to live in a bustling place where most necessities are available and no one goes hungry?”

“Yes….”

“But our village is the complete opposite. No people, no goods, always hungry.”

“Yes, yes….”

“So I want to find out what the problem is and help in any way I can.”

“Ah, I see….”

“What exactly is the problem?”

“Hic….”

Suddenly, the administrator started crying.

Wait, what did I say?

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…. I’m such an incompetent administrator, I’m truly sorry….”

“I never said anything like that.”

“But it sounds like everything is my fault…. Which is true….”

The administrator said, her shoulders shaking.

“This Starting Village is a place where all administrators throughout history have failed and fled…. Coming here pretending to be an administrator without the necessary skills… what confidence made me persist and only burden the residents….”

“Administrator. I wasn’t criticizing you.”

“I’m sorry…! I’m such a useless administrator who can’t even offer a cup of tea to someone visiting the town hall…!”

This is serious depression.

I waited patiently for the administrator to calm down and stop crying.

As I remained quiet, the administrator roughly wiped her eyes and let out a long sigh.

“I’m sorry….”

“It’s alright, Administrator. I didn’t come to hear this. Here, have another one.”

When I offered another Healing Potion, the administrator emptied it instantly.

“Ahh, that’s good….”

After drinking two potions in succession, the administrator’s face brightened considerably.

“Where were we…?”

“What the problem is and how we can solve it.”

“Ah, right….”

The administrator began her explanation with a deflated smile.

Our Starting Village is a very poor place.

It’s located in a remote area with limited trade, and it doesn’t have any notable products.

The land is barren, making farming impossible, and there aren’t many fish in the river that flows beside the village.

The end of the Nambu Mountains extends and lowers to meet our village, but mineral veins are out of the question.

We’re lucky if monsters don’t appear.

Moreover, most of the village residents are poor, and the rest would be classified as lower class in other cities.

There’s no support from kingdoms or empires, and Odelin City, which administratively governs us, shows no interest in this place.

Even adventurers and travelers who might spend money don’t stay for more than a day or half a day before leaving.

How can we revitalize the economy and develop under these circumstances?

As the administrator finished her explanation and seemed about to burst into tears again, I quickly interjected.

“I understand, Administrator. The most urgent issue in our village right now is indeed the food problem.”

“That’s right…. You won’t die from not seeing an opera, but you will die if you don’t eat….”

“Then would you like to look around the village with me? I’d like to verify if farming is truly impossible here, and if there are other food sources.”

“There probably aren’t any…. If there were, our village wouldn’t have fallen this far….”

“But there’s always a possibility. We must do our best with what we have. Let’s go check together, just in case.”

There’s a reason for my confidence.

It’s the knowledge I have of the original work.

My guess is that all previous administrators failed because this is the Starting Village.

The Starting Village is a place you never return to once you leave.

In terms of game systems, it’s a location that doesn’t need further development.

Before I was transported here, development was probably almost impossible for that reason.

But now that I’m here with knowledge of the original work, perhaps I can change something.

I dragged the reluctant administrator outside.

It wasn’t that she didn’t believe me; she just seemed to dislike going outside due to her depression.

All the more reason she needed sunlight and human interaction.

“I don’t want to….”