Chapter Index





    Ch.8The Gloomy Black-Haired, Busty Menhera Administrator (3)

    This time, the potion was completed only at midnight.

    “Phew, I’m dying here.”

    Mirella put down the ladle and wiped her sweat with a towel, sighing.

    “Good job.”

    “Just words?”

    “I don’t really have anything to give you.”

    “How about a kiss?”

    “No way. Doing that with a child would be a crime.”

    “What’s the big deal? It’s just the two of us here right now.”

    This kid is young but occasionally says crazy things like that, creating a strange atmosphere.

    I answered with a smile and transferred the potion with the ladle.

    It came out just as I expected—a viscous liquid with a clear brown color.

    “I’m going to the river. Want to come?”

    At my suggestion, Mirella narrowed her eyes.

    “To do what?”

    “Not what you’re thinking. Are you coming or not?”

    “I’ll come. It sounds more fun than going home.”

    Mirella and I crossed the town in the darkness and headed toward the western riverbank.

    A couple of old fishing boats used by people to catch fish were leaning against the pebble shore.

    We took one of them and headed to the middle of the river.

    Looking down at the water’s surface reflecting the moonlight, I couldn’t see any fish or anything else.

    When I poured the potion, the brown liquid slowly spread out.

    “Keep rowing.”

    While Mirella, boosted by Vint’s Opener, rowed with all her might, I evenly sprinkled various bottles of potion into the river.

    This was a potion that promotes reproduction and growth, commonly known as the “Reproduction Potion.”

    It’s a slightly modified version of the “Fertilizer Potion” used on farmland, and it should work.

    Surely within a few days, the river will be so full of fish that nets will tear.

    * * * * *

    And a few days later.

    The result was a huge success, just as I predicted.

    The administrator screamed when he heard that a boat had capsized because they caught too many fish.

    When I rushed to the riverbank, I saw fishermen struggling to drag their nets, so full they looked ready to burst, onto the pebble shore.

    “My goodness, my goodness…”

    The administrator clutched his head with a pale face.

    “Is this a miracle… Are you… a god, Mr. Jack?”

    “No.”

    “If not that… are you an apostle sent by God to take care of our poor village?”

    “Not that either. I’m just an ordinary potion shop owner.”

    This worked out well.

    Those fish will become meals for the knights working in the fields.

    The rest will be distributed to the villagers to stave off their immediate hunger.

    And a new rumor began to spread in the village.

    That a glowing man walked on the water and sprinkled holy liquid, causing fish to voluntarily jump into nets and boats.

    Then, a month later, the first harvest was gathered from the fields.

    Thanks to the power of the potion, it happened several months earlier than expected.

    Radishes, cabbages, chicory, onions, garlic, rosemary, and more.

    The Fertilizer Potion was a huge success. Knowledge never betrays you.

    When carts piled high with crops entered the village in a line, people cheered, and some even shed tears.

    “God has not abandoned us!”

    When a stranger suddenly appears, sprinkles strange liquid, and fish and crops appear as if by magic—if this isn’t divine, then what is?

    Some people know that I was the one who achieved this miracle.

    After all, everything I encouraged the administrator and people to do has been a huge success.

    Some have even started to believe that I’m an avatar possessed by God.

    There was somewhat understandable logic behind people’s belief.

    It was because of my possession.

    Apparently, before I possessed him, Jack was a stingy, petty outsider.

    Then suddenly after my possession, he started giving out potions for free and actively helping the village—in the villagers’ eyes, this looked like Jack’s body had been possessed by a god or apostle.

    Along with that, a strange phrase began trending among the children:

    “Potions are invincible, and Jack is God.”

    Kids are the same whether in my original world or this one.

    “Thank you… thank you…”

    The administrator approached with tears glistening in his eyes.

    “Thanks to you, Mr. Jack, we can finally breathe… I won’t be stripped naked, paraded around the square, and executed…”

    Sigh, this depressed, mentally unstable administrator.

    “Here, drink this Healing Potion.”

    When I forcibly poured the potion into the administrator’s mouth, color began to return to his face.

    * * * * *

    I’ve been busy going around trying to increase the village’s food self-sufficiency.

    Mirella, who became my shop assistant, always follows me whenever I go out.

    “Ah, my legs are so sore after walking around all day.”

    And she follows me around, grumbling like this.

    “I’m really busy. Even having two bodies wouldn’t be enough.”

    “Ha, that’s funny. What have you actually done?”

    “What?!”

    Mirella, befitting her high position as vice-captain, meddles everywhere.

    She sticks by my side and always has some nagging comment to make—she’s just noisy.

    But for all her bustling around, she doesn’t really do much.

    The knights are effectively run by Sir Hostante anyway.

    Mirella may be the vice-captain, but she’s essentially a figurehead.

    Pretty, cute, bubbly, and energetic.

    Much better than old, dull men like Sir Hostante.

    So it’s enough for her to just not work, wave her opener around, and show her face here and there.

    Mirella came into the shop and asked, fluttering her collar:

    “Can I wash up? I’ve been sweating a lot after walking around all day.”

    “Go ahead. When have you ever asked permission to wash?”

    “Can I borrow your clothes?”

    “You have your own clothes.”

    “Your clothes are bigger and more comfortable.”

    “Fine, whatever.”

    I brought her an unworn shirt and shorts from the upstairs closet, and Mirella went out the back door humming a tune.

    While I was tidying up the shop, I could hear Mirella washing through the back door.

    Hearing that sound suddenly gave me a good idea.

    What about creating something like a public bathhouse?

    Drawing water would be difficult, so we could set up screens by the riverbank and let people wash there.

    To be honest, the smell coming from the villagers’ bodies isn’t exactly pleasant.

    The hygiene in a slum can’t be good to begin with.

    Poor hygiene leads to easy illness, and if we’re really unlucky, an epidemic could spread.

    That would be the end of our village.

    I should suggest to the administrator that they consider building makeshift shower facilities by the river.

    That’s a good idea.

    While I’m thinking about it, what about running a ranch or livestock pen?

    Food supply is currently flowing smoothly, but there’s no meat.

    If we brought in a few pigs, raised them well, and let them breed, we could increase their numbers in no time.

    Honestly, I’m desperately craving some grilled pork belly wrapped in lettuce.

    Add some grilled kimchi and soju, and it would be perfect. Slurp.

    Anyway, there must be someone among the villagers who used to work with livestock.

    The more I think about it, the more ideas keep coming, and it’s getting very complicated figuring out what to start with and how to proceed.

    It feels exactly like playing a management simulation game.

    Solve problems as they arise, get immediate rewards, and advance to the next level—a repetitive process.

    This is completely like a game, isn’t it?

    I thought this was originally a JRPG, but could it actually be a management game?

    While I was lost in these thoughts, Mirella returned from her shower.

    “Ah, that feels refreshing.”

    Mirella was wearing just my shirt, in a very embarrassing state.

    “What happened to the shorts? Why aren’t you wearing them?”

    “The shirt is so big that I don’t need pants, right? Don’t tell me you’re having strange thoughts about me?”

    “I’m not, you know?”

    “Hmm, are you sure you’re not? Like suddenly pouncing on me…”

    With an evil smile, Mirella slightly lifted the shirt.

    “I could let you touch my chest if you want. By the way, I’m not wearing underwear right now.”

    “Put the towel in the laundry basket over there.”

    I completely ignored Mirella’s crazy talk and pointed to the basket next to the back door.

    “Tch. Even an ox would be more perceptive.”

    Mirella grumbled as she tossed the towel.

    This kid, really.

    Does she think I don’t know what she’s up to?

    You’re a minor, so of course…

    Wait. Did she say ox?

    I just thought of where to use this month’s outstanding shop award money.

    To buy an ox.

    Right now, the knights are all farming by hand.

    As a result, the condition of the fields varies depending on individual capabilities, and it’s also very labor-intensive.

    The Fertilizer Potion doesn’t make the soil softer.

    So what if we bought an ox to pull a plow?

    It could pull plows and carts—it would be extremely useful.

    It’s incredibly expensive, but having one would be good.

    * * * * *

    I donated the prize money to the community center, telling them to use it toward buying an ox.

    The administrator’s eyes nearly popped out as he kept bowing his head in gratitude.

    The village patrol members brought a muscular, magnificent ox from a nearby village.

    It was so enormous that I suspected it might be part monster.

    They attached a plow to the ox to till the land that was difficult for people to work.

    As the ox’s characteristic powerful force broke and turned over the hard soil, people cheered.

    Seeing this, some people made the sign of the cross and shed tears.

    One devout old person exclaimed with emotion that God must have sent that ox to our village through a representative.

    Really now.


    0 Comments

    Heads up! Your comment will be invisible to other guests and subscribers (except for replies), including you after a grace period.
    Note
    // Script to navigate with arrow keys