Prologue + Chapter 1
Prologue
It was early morning, just as dawn was breaking.
The workers who had gathered for the drainage construction weren’t preparing to work at all. Instead, they were smoking, drinking, and wasting time.
The reason was obvious.
“Is this really going to work?”
Bram Gus, the foreman, had clearly told them there was no need to prepare.
“How many times do I have to tell you it works? During last summer’s rainy season, our village didn’t flood because of this drainage channel!”
Back then, it was so small it was embarrassing to even call it a drainage channel. But I needed to convince him, so I said it anyway.
“That could’ve just been luck. You expect me to believe digging up the ground like children playing around reduced flood damage?”
“It wasn’t children playing. It was a systematically designed waterway.”
I spat the words out.
“The lord himself acknowledged its effectiveness and approved the construction.”
“The lord doesn’t know any better. He just fell for your sweet talk. But that won’t work on me.”
Bram Gus looked me up and down with an unpleasant gaze.
“Not only did he approve some nonsense project after listening to a clueless little girl, he even sent you here as a supervisor. Tsk.”
“……”
“You might ruin those pretty hands of yours. Just go back home quietly. If you want to play in the dirt, go work in a field.”
Ha. Being looked down on for being a woman—even here.
The hand gripping my hammer trembled.
I could understand them not believing in drainage systems. This world didn’t even have the concept of one.
But using my gender to belittle my abilities? That I couldn’t tolerate.
“So, you’re saying you won’t do the construction?”
“It’s not that we won’t. We can’t. It’s obviously going to be pointless. I don’t feel like wasting effort.”
“Then go tell the lord right now that you refuse. Tell him the waterway is useless.”
I stepped aside as if to say, Go ahead.
But Bram Gus only flinched, his long beard shaking, and didn’t take a single step.
‘He’s scared of the lord, isn’t he?’
Strong against the weak, weak against the strong. A classic bastard.
Whether in reality or in novels, men like this always exist.
‘Then I’ll leave it to the lord.’
If this were my old life, I’d be a powerless office worker trying to appease the foreman somehow.
But here, I didn’t need to.
Explaining any further would be useless.
Just as I was about to step back and leave this to the lord—
A window popped up in front of my eyes.
[Q. Hit the annoying foreman on the back of the head.]
[Reward: 0 / 1,000p]
The first time I saw one of these quest windows, I was shocked. Now, I was used to it.
‘You earn points based on how strong the hit is?’
I read the extra description and smiled.
I’d been wanting to hit that jerk anyway. This felt like heaven-sent.
‘If I use a weapon instead of my hand, the impact will be stronger, right?’
My eyes naturally drifted to the hammer in my right hand.
[Warning.] No killing.
A red warning window popped up.
Right. If I smashed someone’s head with a hammer, they’d probably die.
I didn’t want to become a murderer because of trash like him.
So what else could I use?
Looking around, my gaze stopped on a shovel lying in the corner.
…If I hit him with the handle, he probably wouldn’t die, right?
Chapter 1
It was another miserable day, just like any other.
At the construction site, they were shouting that the budget wasn’t enough. My boss, Manager Park, yelled at me for not being able to handle it—even though I was only an assistant manager.
I was stuck in the middle, suffering the most.
That was why I was working overtime again.
“Once I finish this, I’m throwing my resignation letter in that jerk’s face and quitting.”
I’d move to the countryside, somewhere with mountains and rivers. I’d build my own house, grow a small garden, raise a dog, and read as many books as I wanted.
Repeating that vow for the hundredth time, I pounded on my keyboard like I wanted to break it.
“Ugh…”
I don’t know how much time passed.
Suddenly my vision blurred, and dizziness hit me.
“Ah… a nosebleed.”
When blood started dripping from my nose, I hurriedly stuffed tissues against it.
I’d always been healthy growing up. I never imagined I’d get a nosebleed from overwork.
But then again, I’d been working nonstop for ten days straight—even through the weekend. It would’ve been strange if I were fine.
I decided to close my eyes for just a moment before getting back to work.
Then—
“Did you sleep well, Aileen?”
When I opened my eyes again, I was in a strange world… inside the body of a woman I had never seen before.
* * *
At first, I thought it was a dream.
I closed my eyes and opened them again, expecting to wake up. I pinched my cheek. I slapped myself.
Nothing changed.
Only after three days did I finally accept it.
This was real.
I had transmigrated—just like in the novels.
The name of the body I now occupied was Aileen.
I lived in a small village on the outskirts of Belheim, the largest city in the northern part of the Monola Empire. The villagers, including my father, Tabin, were all hunters.
I also learned that magic and the imperial family existed here.
But I still had no idea which novel I’d entered.
“Did I transmigrate into some nameless extra?”
The thought of living in this unfamiliar world felt overwhelming.
Outside, heavy rain poured down, as if reflecting my mood.
Drip. Drip.
“…”
The rain was so strong that it pierced through the wooden ceiling and dripped into my room.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
What kind of house was built like this?
I quickly placed buckets and towels under the leaks.
“…Sigh.”
I figured I should tell the homeowner, so I stepped outside—and was met with a shocking sight.
The living room, kitchen, and even the bathroom—water was leaking everywhere.
Other people transmigrate into royalty or nobles and live luxurious lives.
Why did I have to end up in a life full of hardship?
As I sighed repeatedly, Tabin came out of his room.
“I think the ceiling is leaking.”
“Seems so. Still, this isn’t too bad.”
“What? This isn’t too bad?”
Water was leaking everywhere!
If this was “not too bad,” how bad could it get?
Tabin chuckled.
“Don’t worry, Aileen. Once the rain stops, I’ll cover the roof with grass and leaves.”
“What? That makes no sense!”
I raised my voice without meaning to.
“If you do that, the roof might collapse. Please don’t.”
“But then the water will keep leaking…”
“It’s better than collapsing. So please, absolutely don’t do it.”
After I emphasized it several times, Tabin nodded uncertainly.
* * *
The next day, as soon as the rain stopped, I climbed onto the roof and clicked my tongue.
“It’s amazing this hasn’t collapsed yet.”
There were gaps between the planks. The leaves and grass were soaked and sagging.
Worse, the roof was completely flat—of course, water would pool there.
What shocked me even more was that every house in the village was built the same way.
And the village itself was a mess.
“I wish I could unsee this.”
I had to live here from now on. The thought was terrifying.
“Let’s fix this first.”
This was going to be my home, after all.
After that, I’d figure out what to do about the village.
I couldn’t ignore problems, even if I wanted to.
“Even after transmigrating into a novel, I’m still stuck doing this kind of work.”
Is this the fate of a Korean office worker?
“Aileen, what are you doing up there?”
While I was clearing away the wet grass and leaves, Mr. Hanson from next door approached.
“Why are you removing that? Tabin worked hard putting that up during the last rainy season.”
“…You have a rainy season here too?”
“Of course. It comes every summer.”
He laughed, wondering why I sounded like it was my first time hearing about it.
But I couldn’t laugh.
If heavy rain lasted for days in this condition, it was only a matter of time before the house collapsed.
And if not just the house—the whole village could flood.
‘I have to stop it.’
This was where I’d be living. I had to prevent that tragedy.
“Tabin, why didn’t you stop Aileen from doing something strange?”
“I tried to…”
“I have a favor to ask!”
Just as Tabin came outside, I shouted loudly.
“Please gather everyone in the village!”
