Chapter 3
“What is this…?”
“What are you talking about?”
“This. Right here.”
I pointed at the translucent window, but Tabin only tilted his head as if he couldn’t see anything.
“Can’t anyone else see this?”
“I don’t know what you mean. I don’t see anything…”
“Me neither.”
No one else could see the window.
So it was visible only to me.
Was this what people called magic?
It looked less like magic and more like a game system window.
[Correct!] I am the system that will help Lady Aileen adapt to this world!
As if it had read my thoughts, the message on the window changed.
[The tutorial has just ended. As a reward, you will receive 3,000 points!
“Three thousand points?”
[Yes!] When you collect points, you can buy items you want from the Otherworld Shop!
“The Otherworld Shop? What’s that?”
“Aileen, what are you staring at and muttering about by yourself?”
Tabin asked curiously.
The villagers were also looking at me strangely.
Since they couldn’t see the system window, I must have looked odd.
“I need to use the restroom for a moment.”
Using that as an excuse, I quickly left.
The translucent window kept floating in front of my eyes until I reached a quiet corner.
“So, what’s this Otherworld Shop?”
[This is it!]
The window flashed and suddenly grew as large as my upper body.
“What is this?”
The Otherworld Shop turned out to look exactly like a game shop.
But why were they selling tools like saws and hammers?
This was too—
“…Actually, this is great.”
I had been extremely frustrated with how terrible the tools in this world were.
If I’d had a proper saw, I could have finished the triangular roof in two days.
“If I buy this, can I use it here?”
Of course! The item will be summoned immediately after purchase!
Nice.
Then I’ll start with the most urgent item—a saw—
“What? Why is a regular household saw 10,000 points?”
[The prices reflect real-world market value ˃ᴗ˂]
Don’t reflect that!
The hammer and other tools were all just as expensive.
With 3,000 points, the only thing I could afford was a box of nails.
“Maybe I should at least buy this.”
The nails in this world were inconsistent in size and thickness, and they were expensive too. They were barely usable.
So I purchased the nails.
The moment I pressed the purchase button, my points were deducted, and a box of nails dropped in front of me.
So they really were summoned instantly.
“How do I earn more points?”
[By completing quests.]
“Quests?”
As soon as the word left my mouth, the shop window closed, and a quest window opened.
[Tutorial: Earn the villagers’ recognition.]
[Reward: 3,000p]
So that was the tutorial quest I had just completed.
Quests were divided into main quests and subquests.
There were ten chapters of main quests, but only Quest 1-1 was currently visible.
[1-1. Save the villagers from the rainy season.]
[Reward: 7,000p]
[※ Please complete the subquests first.]
“So the main quests unlock in order?”
[Correct.] You understand quickly!
“I used to be obsessed with games.”
I never imagined that would come in handy like this.
Maybe it’s true that nothing you learn goes to waste.
What about the subquests?
[Q. Help repair Maria’s house.]
[Reward: 700p]
[Q. Fix Hanson’s barn.]
[Reward: 500p]
The rewards were small compared to the main quest.
Well, they were probably easier.
“If I complete all the main quests, is there some kind of special reward?”
Games usually had one. Did this system too?
Of course! You can return to your original world!
“I don’t really want that.”
Even if this place was inconvenient, life here was mentally easier.
At least I didn’t have to worry about money.
The system window filled with “……” as if it were shocked.
[…Even if we make you rich, you still don’t want to go back?]
“Rich?”
[Yes.] We can give you the winning lottery numbers.
Oh. That was tempting.
[If you become rich, you can throw your resignation letter in the face of the Manager Park you hate so much.]
“Deal. Absolutely deal.”
To accomplish what I had long wished for—even on the verge of death—just imagining it thrilled me.
[Then please do your best to complete the quests! (´･ᴗ･`)]
The system window disappeared with a bright, smiling emoticon.
But I could still view the quest window.
“The main quest hasn’t fully unlocked yet, so I’ll collect points by doing subquests.”
The more points I had, the more I could buy from the shop.
“Alright. Let’s do this.”
I clenched my fist with determination.
I would definitely return to my original world and throw my resignation letter in Manager Park’s face.
* * *
Belheim was infamous for its extreme weather.
In summer, it suffered from relentless monsoons. In winter, from heavy snowstorms.
Every year, officials made preparations, but no one could perfectly prevent natural disasters.
Because of that, this time of year made the lord of Belheim, Calix Kraubel, especially irritable.
And when the lord was in a bad mood, the officials beneath him suffered greatly.
They desperately hoped this summer would pass without major damage.
But once again, damage occurred everywhere.
In fact, it was worse than last year.
The officials gathered in the meeting room wore dark expressions as they watched their lord read the report in silence.
The more pages he turned, the sharper his gaze became. If looks could stab, they would have been pierced dozens of times.
After reviewing even the map marking the monsoon damage, Calix Kraubel slammed his desk.
Bang!
The heavy sound echoed through the room like an earthquake.
The solid oak desk cracked under his strength.
The officials’ faces turned pale at the sight of his monstrous power.
‘Someone say something.’
‘Then you say it yourself!’
“L-Lord…”
One brave official carefully spoke.
“We prepared as best we could, but natural disasters are difficult to prevent—”
“I know. So close your mouth.”
At the cold command, the brave official fell silent.
In the heavy silence, Calix stared at the damage map.
The lord’s castle and the nobles’ district had almost no damage thanks to magical protection.
But the areas without magic were severely hit.
The farther from the center, the worse the damage.
“…Did we fail again?”
He muttered in a low voice.
Then his eyes narrowed.
Looking closely, there was one outer area without any damage marked at all.
It was a small village where hunters lived.
* * *
Three days after the monsoon rains finally stopped and the sky cleared—
“Aileen. The lord is summoning you.”
Early in the morning, armored knights suddenly arrived.
Without even having time to wash up, I was brought here.
I looked around blankly.
Expensive paintings and decorations hung on the walls. A magnificent chandelier sparkled from the high ceiling.
The sofa I sat on was soft enough to use as a bed.
A maid had even served me sweet tea and cake, politely asking me to wait.
“If they’re treating me this well, I don’t think I was dragged here for doing something wrong…”
Then why?
“Ah, are they calling me to ask about how to build the triangular roof and drainage path?”
Ever since word spread that those two things had prevented monsoon damage, requests had poured in from other villages.
Just yesterday, carpenters from the largest workshop in Belheim had come.
“A girl made this? I can’t believe it.”
“Make one in front of us. We want to confirm you really did it.”
It was obvious they were pretending to verify while trying to steal the technique.
If they had politely asked, I might have considered it.
But with that attitude? Of course I refused.
They left angrily, saying they’d remember this.
People throwing tantrums when things don’t go their way—it’s the same everywhere.
I was worried about what they might do.
But I never expected the lord’s knights to show up the very next day.
‘Could the lord have sent those carpenters?’
Maybe they failed to find out, so now he summoned me directly.
What should I do?
It wouldn’t be easy to refuse a lord’s order.
Knock, knock—
As my thoughts spiraled, there was a light knock, and the door opened.
