"Huff, huff! Is it... finally over now?"
"No. This is only the beginning."
"Then when, haah, huff, when will we finally see the end?"
"Who knows."
A noble young master and his servant.
Young Master Asrahan and his servant, Frontera.
As they exchanged their strained conversation, Aged Kimchi narrowed his eyes. Then he saw a path. A path through the harsh desert winds, one that even the most skilled guide would struggle to follow without losing direction.
"This way, I think."
"Huff, ha, thank you, sir."
"....."
The servant, Frontera, barely managed to follow behind.
His face was flushed red. His breathing was extremely ragged. Naturally so. He had been carrying his young master, who had a broken leg and weighed nearly as much as he did, through the wasteland for days now.
"You seem to be having a hard time. Want to let me carry him for a bit?"
Even Aged Kimchi, who normally wouldn't have offered, finally asked.
But the servant, Dyoll Frontera, only shook his head.
"Oh no, that won't do, sir."
"Why not?"
Was it loyalty to his master?
Or perhaps he still didn't fully trust them?
Could it be he feared this one might run off carrying his young master? Kidnap him?
That didn't seem to be the case.
"Our young master... huff, huff, he just can't rest unless it's my back."
"Your back? No one else's will do?"
"Yes, sir."
"What's so special about your back?"
"It's comfortable. Indescribably so."
This time, the reply came not from the servant but from the young master himself—Reivaj Asrahan, the one Frontera served so devotedly, spoke proudly.
"It's not just physically comfortable. Even my heart feels reassured. As if his back was crafted solely for me."
"Huuuh, hoo, thank you, young master."
"No. I should be the one thanking you. How did the world come to create such a perfect back?"
"This is all, huff, hoo, thanks to the blessings the young master was born with, is it not?"
"You think so? No. I don't believe in luck granted by chance."
"I-Is that so, young master?"
"Yes. The countless conveniences and comforts I enjoy in this life through you, will one day be rewarded to your descendants, or to you in your next life."
"Huff, huh... Yes, that would be wonderful. Preferably in the form of a lot of money..."
"Wealth, eh? That would indeed be wonderful. Shall we take a break now?"
"Of... of all the things you could say... wheeze, huff... that is the most welcome."
As expected.
The servant Frontera's face had passed red and was now going pale. Soon it would turn blue, and he'd collapse in a heap.
Watching that, Aged Kimchi couldn't help but think—
'Poor guy.'
He genuinely pitied the servant Frontera.
Why?
'I want to let him rest.'
But somehow, it felt like he couldn't.
The reason was simple.
"...Let's walk just a little more. I think there's a village about 100 meters ahead."
"Excuse me?"
Servant Dyoll Frontera's eyes mixed joy, resentment, sheer exhaustion, and a questioning glare that asked why that crucial bit of information had to come now.
But there was no helping it.
Aged Kimchi avoided the servant's gaze and looked toward the young master.
"Even if there's a village nearby, this is still the exposed center of the wasteland, and who knows what could happen while we rest."
That, too, was true.
Even if it was the outskirts, this was still a forsaken land. In just the past few days alone, they'd been attacked by monsters eight times.
"Then... that village nearby, it's probably not very big, right?"
"Right. From the signs, it looks like a place where exiles have gathered."
"Even so, there might be a cave to shelter from the wind and rain. Come, Dyoll?"
"...Y-Yes, young master..."
"It'll be tough, but let's go just a little farther."
"......."
"Dyoll?"
"...Sigh. I swear, I'll become filthy rich in my next life."
"Yes. You must do just that."
"And then I'll drive the young master's descendants like slaves and—"
"Hmm?"
"N-No, nothing."
"What do you mean, nothing? I'm pretty sure I just heard something strange."
"Let's get going! Hngh!"
Servant Frontera, his brown hair soaked with sweat, exhaled through his nose and stepped forward with surprising vigor. On his back, Reivaj tilted his head.
"No matter how you try to dodge it, I'm pretty sure I heard you say you'd work my descendants to the bone. Didn't I?"
"Oh dear, I thought only your legs were injured, but your ears must've gone bad too, young master."
"Hoho. So you think I'm completely broken now?"
"Oh no, young master. I'd never dare to think such a thing!"
"Yet here you are, treating me like that."
"Perish the thought! That's absolutely untrue!"
"Hmm. So you're saying you're innocent?"
"Of course, young master!"
"Hah. A loyal servant like you wouldn't say something like that."
"Naturally."
"Right. It's fine. Descendants or not, what does it matter? Your loyalty now is more than enough."
"Hehe, thank you for recognizing that, young master."
"Haha. If your dream in the next life is to become wealthy, then I suppose my dream is to be born with the sturdiest body in the world."
"Are you saying… perhaps dreaming of becoming a Swordmaster, or something that absurd?"
"Why not? Is that so strange?"
"It's not that you can't, but…"
"But?"
"Heheh, wouldn't it be nice if my distant descendant became rich and worked your descendant, the Swordmaster, like a dog…"
"What?"
"N-Nothing, young master."
"I definitely heard something weird again."
"You must have misheard, young master."
"Nope. I definitely heard it."
"Oh dear, our young master's ears really aren't doing well. Let's get going! Hngh!"
"..."
The quietly kind young master who lets it all slide.
The loyal yet sly servant who teases playfully.
As they bickered and walked side by side, Aged Kimchi suddenly thought—
'Are humans, no, are people all like this?'
Joking with each other.
Helping each other with carefree smiles.
Is this how they live?
'Come to think of it…'
Aged Kimchi lifted his head.
A fresh realization struck him.
'Not once, in all of my nineteen past lives combined, have I ever truly approached a world where people like me lived.'
It was a first.
To go to a village of people.
A small understanding tapped at his mind.
And with it, the exiles' village drew nearer.
People peeking out from behind caves, checking this way. Voices calling out to one another.
Aged Kimchi's chest began to pound with both expectation and anxiety.
***
Kuwaang!
The earth shook.
Hearts pounded.
With the tremor, the hearts of the farming corps thudded in unison—both atria and ventricles.
Because they all clearly saw it with their own eyes.
Their Demon King.
Their commander of the farming corps, and leader of the youth association.
Raising one hand toward the sky.
And then, the sight of a rift in space tearing open in the sky above.
And from that rift, a massive chair crashing down to the earth in a spectacular display!
"...Uoooooooh!"
It was a bizarre and overwhelming throne, densely covered in farming tools.
Kim Jangcheol shouted.
"Listen up, starting now. Today, we'll be planting seed potatoes. However, not all 300 members of the farming corps will be participating."
At his declaration, the 300 farming corps members looked at each other. The same question quietly rose in everyone's mind.
'Not all 300 will participate?'
'Then why gather all 300 of us here?'
Kim Jangcheol shouted again.
"Among the set of farming tools I just summoned, there are a few that must and will be useful for today's seed potato planting. From now on, only those of you who pick out exactly those farming tools will be allowed to join today's work."
"...!"
The pupils of the farming corps members shook.
They instantly understood the meaning behind what they had just heard.
'Huh?'
'Only the guys who pick the right tools can work?'
'What about the rest? Just go home?'
'Then... they won't get any snack break?'
That's right.
Only those who work get snacks!
Those who don't work, don't even get a drop of soup!
"When I count to three, choose a tool. One, two, three!"
".....!"
Without even taking a breath, Kim Jangcheol shouted three.
The farming corps members reflexively kicked off the ground and rushed toward the tool-set chair.
"I'm first!"
"This one's mine!"
"Hey, don't push!"
"Just grab anything!"
A chaotic scene of a first-come, first-served frenzy unfolded like a blowout sale. The tools embedded all over the chair were gone in an instant. Kim Jangcheol, breathing heavily, swept his gaze over those holding farming tools.
"You, you, and you."
Pointing with his finger, snap snap.
He picked out twenty people in an instant.
They were the lucky ones who had grabbed things like a hoe, foot-operated spade, hand cultivator, and shovel.
"You'll be working with me today."
"...!"
"As for the rest, mm, regrettable, but rules are rules."
"......"
Those who were chosen, and those who were not.
The fates of the two groups sharply diverged.
Tears welled in the eyes of the chosen ones.
Tears of joy. The hope of receiving today's snack break. The resolve not to eat it all but bring some home for their wives and children.
They clenched their fists in joy.
Meanwhile, the shoulders of the unchosen slumped.
Disappointment and despair. The thought that they'd have to go hungry today. The sorrow of imagining their children skipping meals again because of their unlucky and incompetent father.
Their heads dropped on their own.
But it was then.
The Demon King made an unexpected declaration.
"Even so, there is never enough manpower. Therefore, I ask—those who picked unsuitable tools, do you still have the will to join the work with me, even barehanded?"
".......!"
"If so, step forward. I will honor that will and let you join the work. However, for those who participate barehanded, the chuno given as snack will not be a whole, but a half portion. Naturally, you will do less work than those with the proper tools. So—what say you? Will you still join?"
"...O-Of course, my Lord!"
"That alone is a blessing, Commander of the Farming Corps!"
"Please, just let us join, President of the Youth Association!"
"Thank you, bro—no, Dad!"
"I'm calling him Oppa!"
"...There's a pervert over here!"
The entire group of dejected, disqualified members suddenly burned with the will to participate barehanded. They were just glad to get even half a chuno. They were relieved to know that even if they went hungry themselves, their families might at least get a bite.
And so, both those with proper tools and those joining barehanded were satisfied.
Kim Jangcheol was also very satisfied.
'...Phew, that saved me some emergency rations.'
The truth was, from the start, he had planned for everyone to participate. After all, considering the physically strong bodies of the demons, planting potatoes didn't really require tools.
'Whether you use a hoe or just poke holes in the dirt barehanded, digging enough to plant potatoes is equally easy.'
But what if he had just let everyone work?
Then he would've had to use up 300 chuno for snacks.
However, by employing this high-level lottery-style(?) method...
'Twenty full chuno for the chosen, and two hundred eighty getting half-chuno... that's a total of 160 chuno spent today.'
…He managed to save a whole 140 chuno!
Of course, he did feel a bit guilty, as if he was tricking them!
But there was truly no other way!
'I have to conserve as much as possible. Even with this, it'll be tight until the potatoes are safely harvested.'
That was the harsh reality.
So Kim Jangcheol, without hurting the morale of the troops, cleverly saved chuno with a sly method.
"......"
Sorry, everyone.
But I'm doing this so none of us starve to death.
Even if you find out, please understand just a little.
While steeling his heart and holding onto a pang of guilt, Kim Jangcheol oversaw the potato planting efforts of the farming corps.
And at the same time, a different concern weighed on him.
'Now that I think about it, they should be arriving soon.'
He looked southeast, beyond the potato field.
That was the direction he had sent envoys to, after conquering the Cliff of the Dead and lifting the seal of the First Star Master—to deliver a message to the other Star Masters of the abandoned lands.
'By now, they should have received my announcement about halting the invasion of the human world and starting agriculture.'
Yet, there was still no reply.
At the very least, the Second Star Master—who was located just beyond the Cliff and thus the closest by distance—should have responded by now. And yet, still nothing.
And then it happened.
...Thududududu!
As if in response to his worries, a faint tremor was felt from the southeast, beyond the wide potato fields. It grew closer. Loud dust clouds followed.
Moments later, a demon in the form of a carnivorous plant sprinted forward and bent his root-like limbs in place of knees.
"I greet Lord Credos, Demon King!"
Just how fast had he run?
His entire body was covered in dust and dirt, a complete mess.
That wasn't all.
He was dripping with sap in several places. Most of his branches were broken, more than half gone. He hadn't even had time to properly treat his wounds.
Kim Jangcheol narrowed his eyes.
'This... feels bad.'
He recognized the demon at a glance. Of course—he'd killed this guy a thousand times over back in the game.
'This guy's a Second Star Legion soldier. So why is he in such a wreck?'
Could something have happened?
Just as an ominous feeling crept in—
"To the rightful ruler of the abandoned land, Lord Credos, I bring a message from the Second Star Master. The Second Star Legion is currently under full-scale, surprise invasion by the Third Star Legion and is on the brink of collapse. Therefore, my master earnestly requests reinforcements from Lord Credos."
"...What the f**k?"
Out of the Second Star Legion envoy's mouth came a disaster-level bombshell, on par with finding out your dad cosigned your cousin's massive debt, or your mom bet her life on a pyramid scheme.
[T/L: Read more chapters here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]