Trapped in a Game That Flopped

Chapter 78

Episode 78

"I'm grateful for your consideration, but..."

Elena, who was struggling to hold the bundle of gold coins I had handed her, spoke with an expression that starkly contrasted with the glittering coins.

"I don't know if it's right for us to just accept Shari's goodwill like this."

"I told you, it's not goodwill, it's employment."

"But..."

Although she didn't continue, Elena clearly seemed to find my actions quite burdensome.

I was actually relieved by the elves' attitude, which showed they had a sense of shame.

It was to a lesser extent, but I had definitely treated the residents I first hired similarly.

Just because they paid me back with land instead of money didn't mean they couldn't live in the village. On the contrary, I specifically hired those people and paid them wages.

Furthermore, out of consideration for those without a place to live, I bought Tom's stable and let them stay there.

If even that wasn't enough, I let them stay at my house, never got angry even when they couldn't handle the work properly, and even gave them money frequently so they wouldn't starve...

'Come to think of it, those bastards. I told them to get lost, and they all just left without even cleaning the shop. Argh!'

At this point, I started to think I might just be a pushover.

"Don't feel burdened, Elena."

I said, looking around at Elena, who still looked uncomfortable, and the other elves.

"It's just employment. And I'm also doing this because there's something I need to get from Elaine, so don't think of it as goodwill."

At that, the bastard, who had been quiet, cluelessly chimed in.

"What is it, Teacher Apothecary-noona?"

"Have some tact and shut up."

"Tch, the noonas only pick on me!"

I let the bastard's awful whining go in one ear and out the other, and continued.

"The ones who actually received goodwill don't even know how to be grateful... Since you've come all this way, you might as well take a huge chunk."

"..."

"Because I'm going to work you hard, too."

When I said that, my eyes flashing, the elves flinched and their shoulders trembled.

But for some reason, a sense of comfort spread over their faces, more so than before.

Moreover, I was deeply moved to see them already starting to find work and clean up the mess without even being told.

'To think the day would come when I don't have to write out detailed instruction manuals for AIs...'

The stupid AIs of Dover Village were atrocious bastards who routinely skipped tasks, even if I planned out every single little detail of their schedule.

And on top of that, they complained so much.

It was a moment when I was watching them with satisfaction, enjoying the peace I hadn't felt in a while.

"Shari!"

That a foreign-object-like noise suddenly cut in.

The former employees, who had vanished in a hurry after my stern order to get lost, pushed past the elves and rushed toward me, one after another.

Perhaps because it was such a tiny village, word that I had brought new employees seemed to have spread already.

"Shari, what's going on? Who are those people?"

"Are they new workers? But you already have enough workers with just us..."

"Are you not going anywhere today, Shari? Are you back for good now?"

It was complete chaos because of the humans who swarmed me all at once, each spouting whatever they wanted to say.

"Quiet, everyone shut up!"

I had no choice but to shout, accompanying it with a bit of profanity.

Perhaps because this wasn't the first or second time, the residents' mouths finally closed.

I delivered a cold sentence to them as they furtively watched me, their eyes rolling back and forth.

"As of today, you're all fired."

"Wh, what did you say?!"

"I said you're fired. None of you need to come here anymore."

At my words, the residents froze, their eyes wide.

Flustered and unsure what to do, they soon stumbled over each other, demanding to know why.

"Why, why?"

"Why are we fired? Did we do something wrong, Shari?"

"Something wrong? Ha! You allowed the thievery!"

I was dumbfounded by their flawless picture of ignorance.

However, as if they couldn't comprehend my justifiable reason for firing them, one of the bastards plucked up the courage to retort.

"B, but... The Heroes came, how were we supposed to stop them?"

"Fine. Let's say we overlook the thievery."

That much, I could understand, as it was the default setting for all the AIs in this village.

But what came after was a problem with their character.

"Then you should have at least cleaned up before I got back. What's the deal with leaving the shop and the field a complete mess?"

"Th, that's..."

"I heard it happened the day before yesterday. Are you saying you just sat around and did nothing for two days?"

As expected, the residents just mumbled at my words, unable to give any answer.

However, that wasn't the only thing I couldn't understand about them.

"And when I told you to get lost, what's with just getting lost without lifting a finger? What have you ever done properly to earn the wages I paid you!"

"Y, you're so cruel, Shari!"

It was then. Tom, who had only ever pelted me with questions with a cheerful face, snapped at me, his face bright red.

"I, if you hadn't taken my stable, I'd be looking after horses right now instead of doing stuff like digging up herbs!"

"Th, that's right! If you hadn't taken my land..."

"If you hadn't made us work..."

With Tom taking the lead, the others chimed in one after another, clamoring and blaming me.

Dover Village wasn't a place users visited often, but.

I thought I finally understood why these bastards, who were supposed to be working at their given posts within the village, couldn't pay back the paltry sums they'd borrowed and gave up their land instead.

I don't know if this, too, was a setting, but these bastards were just fundamentally rotten, lazy, and hated working.

I was thoroughly sick of their unbelievably shameless attitude, so busy just blaming me.

"Is blaming me all you know how to do? What about when you were happy to borrow the money? Why is it my fault that you couldn't pay it back and handed over your land and stables with your own hands?"

"But..."

"You really have no conscience, Tom. Did you forget I gave you money for it, even if it was a bargain price? Same goes for your land, Claire!"

I didn't care whether the bastards were so embarrassed they didn't know where to look; I just unleashed a torrent of their shameful deeds.

"Who was it that paid money for that useless land that was just a pile of rocks?!"

"Ngh..."

"You're all fired, so get lost."

As I hammered in the final nail, Max, who had been relatively quiet, shouted.

"This is unfair!"

"Hmph."

I responded with a snort.

Right, and what were they going to do if they thought it was unfair?

Either get their asses beat by me, or get banned. That's all.

"I'm going to tell the Village Chief and report you, Shari, as a corrupt owner who extorts money from residents and unfairly fires employees..."

"Onslaught."

With the low chant, I slammed my fist into the rock next to me.

Kwang!

The rock, which I had brought over to cultivate stone mushrooms and was half my size, cracked with a single blow.

Krrrrrr...

It crumbled right into dust.

"Go. Before I take back all the wages I paid you."

I ground out the words, and, for old time's sake, gave the bastards, who were frozen blue, a chance to escape.

Despite that, there were still some who, having apparently sold off their sense of tact, quickly changed their tune and clung to me.

"Sha, Shari. We were good, weren't we? Just like you told us, we never said a word about you to the Count's knights!"

"Th, that's right! I'm different from Max. I, I'll do better, so please, just don't fire me..."

"Stop it. It's pathetic."

Before I could even stop them, someone jumped in front of me, blocking the AI's approach.

[Elaine Griselda]

Just as I was making a surprised expression at the unexpected person.

"Can't you hear her tell you to go? Do I need to pierce your ears myself so you can hear? Can I use this instead of an awl... Is that okay?"

I don't know when he picked it up, but Elaine grabbed a branch with a sharply honed tip and snatched Claire by the scruff of her neck.

As he tilted his head and asked with his characteristic cheerful face, the residents' faces instantly turned pale.

"Hheok! I, I'll go! I'll just go!"

"The stable... You're not going to take it, are you, Shari?"

Under pressure from the elves, who were now glaring at them with expressionless faces, even Tom, who had been lingering until the very end, reluctantly ran off.

'A direct, physical threat works better than a large-scale one.'

No wonder those things never seemed particularly scared of me.

Of course, I had restrained my magic as much as possible in front of the residents since I was being chased by Adam.

I had brought back terrifying monster corpses to secure materials, and there were many times, like just now, when I had pulverized rocks or buildings to level the land I'd received instead of debt.

Despite all that, the Dover Village residents didn't feel particularly afraid of me.

Threats of firing or money worked better than that.

'I wondered why that was...'

It seems my consideration and pity, which stemmed from a sense of solidarity after being swindled together by the self-proclaimed hero-party for two years, had become a sort of shield for them.

A belief that I would never, ever harm them.

'From now on, no need to waste time breaking rocks. I'll just wreck them. And then ban.'

Just as I was making a firm resolution, looking pitifully at the rock that had been innocently caught in the crossfire.

"Wow, how can there be humans that shameless?"

Elaine, having apparently chased all the residents out of the shop, walked quickly over to where I was.

There must have been another scuffle inside the shop, as the bridge of his nose was slightly red.

"Teacher Apothecary-noona, were you a pushover?"

"Looks like it."

I didn't deny the bastard's question.

Back then, I was so busy making potions and going to other regions for quests that I was just happy to be able to hire even the residents with money.

"Why are you admitting it so readily..."

When I agreed so meekly, Elaine looked dazed for a moment before muttering in dissatisfaction.

He was a funny bastard, asking the question himself.

The elves, having driven out the uninvited guests, were already gathered in a circle, discussing the building of their new lodgings.

His business was done, so he could have just gone over and joined them.

But Elaine kept hovering around me like a dog that needed to take a shit.

"What? If you have something to say, say it."

I finally turned to the bastard in irritation and asked, and he blurted out.

"I'm sorry."

I widened my eyes at the sudden apology.

"For what?"

"...For suspecting you. Of trying to sell us."

[Elaine Griselda now feels a slight guilt toward you.]

[Elaine Griselda now feels a certain level of affection for you.]