episode_0012

“That’s not allowed…! I got it from the capital…!”

The administrative official grabbed the end of the knight’s robe and protested.

What the knights were moving right now was an odd human-sized wooden statue.

It had a strange shape resembling something like an African totem, according to the administrative official, it was supposed to bring good luck.

But no matter how much I searched my original knowledge, there was no grotesque statue like that among the totems that give luck buffs.

It was just taking up space, and it was obvious that the complainants would be scared, so I told them to get rid of it, but they kept whining like that.

“Uh…? No…! Be careful with that…! It’ll break!”

This time, a suspicious-looking crystal ball.

It looked like something a witch would use to show the future on a purple cushion, but the problem was its size.

Is there a crystal ball bigger than a watermelon?

It was so heavy that two security guards were struggling to move it.

“Get rid of it! What on earth is the reason for it to be in the hall!”

Mirella grabbed the waist of the administrative official as she ran over and shouted.

Already strong and boosted by the lid-opening buff, Mirella’s strength dragged the administrative official helplessly.

“I’m sorry… I couldn’t protect you… I’m sorry… I’m sorry for being an ugly owner…”

The administrative official muttered disheartenedly.

A gloomy black-haired woman suffering from depression, hiding human-sized unidentified totems and a watermelon-sized crystal ball.

If it were the medieval times, it would be similar to exposing oneself in the square and asking to be prosecuted as a witch.

Throughout the morning, everything in the hall was taken out and sorted, and the dust was cleaned.

Passersby in the village lent a hand one by one, and soon nearly twenty people crowded around the hall and courtyard.

Some lady swept the administrative official’s clothes into a basket and went to wash them by the river, and some man replaced the broken floorboards with new ones.

With the help of many hands, all the cleaning was done before lunchtime.

After shaking off the dust and removing the trash, the hall, though old, was very clean.

There was no strange smell, the sunlight poured in, and it was almost a complete transformation.

The healing potions were divided and given to those who helped with the work.

Inside the office, the administrative officer was looking around with a puzzled expression.

“It’s cleaner, so it’s better, right?”

“Yeah….”

For a moment, a bright light flashed in the usually lifeless eyes of the administrative officer.

“Huh? This isn’t it?!”

At that moment, Mirella took out a thick ledger from the administrative officer’s desk drawer.

It was the building management ledger we had been searching for.

It was right there in the drawer next to where the administrative officer was sitting.

“Thank goodness… I didn’t lose it….”

The administrative officer slumped to the floor, becoming despondent and teary-eyed.

“I worried so much about losing it…. Thank goodness…. Now I won’t be dismissed…. I could have become just another woman, wandering around, then raped and murdered by bad people….”

Mirella looked at the rapidly deteriorating administrative officer with a pitiful gaze.

“Well, Administrative Officer. Here’s a tempting healing potion.”

She took out a potion from her waist and shook it in front of him.

“A healing potion…. Please….”

“What the heck.”

Mirella clicked her tongue as she watched the administrative officer crawling on all fours.

* * * * *

Throughout the afternoon, the administrative officer worked to support the refugees.

Although he had tried to leave them to their own devices, he ended up sticking around and helping, unable to let go as they struggled like overturned seaweed-covered corpses.

After looking at the building management ledger, he decided to turn an appropriate distance into a settlement village.

Homes would be allocated to each family, and necessary furniture and household items would be gathered later.

Five village security guards busily designated empty houses for the refugees.

In essence, our village’s five security guards doubled as both security personnel and administrative officials.

Even in a small village, there are usually several administrative officials to handle basic affairs.

But here, there were hardly any administrative resources available.

The administrative officer suffered from depression, and the five security guards couldn’t even coordinate their uniforms, leading strangers to mistake them for gang members.

It’s truly absurd.

In a place like this, weak NPCs with 100 health points can’t live without worry.

In areas with weak public safety and administrative capacity, powerless people are nothing more than prey.

There’s a saying that the law is oppression for the strong and freedom for the weak.

It’s unpredictable when and where something like almost getting robbed by bandits might happen.

The town needs to be developed quickly so that competent security officers can patrol every alley and an equipped city hall can exert strong administrative power.

Only then can people like me live comfortably and safely.

I brought the land registry and selected the land to give to the settlers.

We allocated large tracts of undeveloped land on the outskirts and entrusted the detailed distribution to the settlers’ representatives.

We signed an agreement to exempt them from taxes for the next year.

That’s all for now.

Any further support would be too much for our village.

“Thank you so much….”

As we finished the procedures, the administrative officer bowed to me.

“If it weren’t for Jack, I wouldn’t have been able to do anything and would have just cried and sighed….”

“We need to help each other. The well-being of the village is also my path to success.”

“How can I ever repay this kindness…? Maybe if I were pretty, but I’m just plain and ugly like this….”

What on earth is this crazy woman talking about?

“Never mind. Working hard to upgrade our village is how you repay the kindness.”

“Yes, I will do my best….”

“Then, good luck. Oh, and.”

As I was leaving the building, I turned back to the administrative officer.

“When things get tough, come to our shop and take a healing potion. It’s the best for boosting your energy. I’ll give it to you for free.”

“Thank you…. For showing such interest in someone as incompetent and uncouth as me….”

“No, it’s just… Oh my…”

As I was about to leave, I stopped, thinking of something else.

“But, Mr. Administrative Officer, I heard some strange rumors from the refugees.”

The administrative officer scratched his head when I told him that the refugees had nearly burst into tears after meeting me, talking about potion knights and gods.

“It seems that adventurers passing through our village may have spread such rumors….”

“Um, this is a bit awkward. These are stories we can joke about among ourselves, but if they spread outside, the situation will change.”

“In a small rural village, a knight order was established, and a man suspected of being possessed by a god is performing various miracles.

Most of it may be baseless rumors, but there are surely people who take it seriously.

Just like some villagers who truly believe I am a god.

The problem is that among those who believe the rumors, there may be influential figures who would use their power.

How dare they, they might be tempted to come to our village to see if it’s true, for various reasons such as the miracles. The likelihood of them coming armed with swords and spears is very high.

But what’s even more troublesome is the risk of blasphemy.

If the church sends holy knights to ascertain the truth, things will get complicated.

Our newly established village may collapse again.

But on the positive side, the fact that the church is not idle enough to send holy knights to such a remote rural village.

It’s probably better to prepare for greedy lords nearby than to have holy knights visit, which is a once-in-a-lifetime event.

“What if the holy knights come… then it’s over for us…”

To prevent Menhera, the administrative officer, from losing her mind, she quickly administered a healing potion.

* * * * *

Meanwhile, in a room in the Imperial Capital’s Great Temple.

High priests gathered around the round table were discussing the story of a very small village at the edge of a kingdom belonging to the empire.

“So… are you saying that a man in this village has been possessed by a god and is leading a knight order, performing miracles?”

“Yes. Have you ever heard the saying ‘Potions are invincible, and Jack is a god’?”

One of the high priests raised his hand.

“I have heard it. When I went on a pilgrimage to the provinces, I saw young acolytes joking about something similar.”

“It is said that nibbling on the content little by little is a significant trend among young people these days. This is a serious matter, priests. Even if we dismiss things like possessions, miracles, and wonders as exaggerated rumors of ignorant people in the countryside.”

“It can be seen as a kind of sacrilegious act that undermines the authority of God. So, what should we do?”

“Send the holy knights.”

An order was issued to the Holy Knights to investigate the leader who leads a strange group called the Knights while claiming to be God himself.

In response, the Knights immediately dispatched the Holy Knight Liberon to the starting village.