Deadline Is Raining in the Status Window - Chapter 111

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Since Reina seemed so eager to hear it, I delivered the planned words, and both Eugene and Reina clutched their sides laughing. They were absolutely mad, the lot of them.
“C-can I… help… with anything?”
“No, please! Mother’s friend must be exhausted—you should rest!”
“Heh, friend.”
Kanna had already recovered and was moving about. She certainly was resilient.
“….”
Now that I thought about it, wasn’t I the most pathetic here aside from my skills? Titi was crawling around just to get a drink of water, while Eugene and Reina were still energetic enough to trade jokes and laugh. Was I really the only one completely incapacitated?
“Evan used many skills on the way here.”
My concern must have shown on my face, because Gerth suddenly lifted me up in a reverse Lion King pose and sat me on a folding chair. His comment about growing quickly without rushing felt oddly mismatched, which made me laugh.
“You won’t give up on rapid growth, will you?”
“Time is genuinely pressing.”
The near-death experience seemed to have shaken him considerably. As he trimmed ingredients, he muttered about either living in the Tower forever or growing stronger quickly. The familiar aroma of MSG drifted from the boiling water. Perhaps he was planning to make kelp rice.
“I’ve devised food to help Evan regain strength.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
What Gerth was trimming was garlic, and the sauce he pulled from his large pack was bright red, so I couldn’t help but anticipate it greatly. Whatever it was, the food would definitely be spicy. People gain energy from eating spicy food.
“Sister! Squeak!”
My troublemaking younger sibling called out to me, and when I turned sharply, this stubble-headed brat had brought along an even smaller child by the hand. This idiot crawled away to get water and somehow managed to steal someone else’s child from who knows where.
“It’s not kidnapping, squeak!”
The helmet-wearing, stubble-headed Titi explained that while searching for water from the supply box Hubert brought, she’d found a starving child lurking around the campsite. The child was skeletal and hungry, so she’d brought them along hoping we could share a meal, but… the child was indeed unnaturally thin.
“We cannot feed this child our food.”
After examining the child, Gerth spoke firmly, and the child Titi had brought drooped their shoulders dejectedly. It was clear this wasn’t a matter of simply missing a meal or two—if we fed them our spicy red food, the child would surely fall ill.
“Gerth. Do you have another pot?”
“I do.”
Gerth answered concisely and went to prepare different food for the child. Gerth would handle it properly, but given how long the child had gone without eating, starting with thin rice porridge would be best.
“Squeak… should we send them back, squeak?”
“What have you been listening to all this time?”
“Squeak? Just a string of nonsensical gibberish?”
I raised my arm and struck Titi’s helmet with the edge of my hand—*clang*. Titi complained indignantly that I was the only one who could understand the conversation between Gerth and me, as if she could somehow grasp it.
“The food we eat is too stimulating, so Gerth will prepare something different for the child. He just said so.”
“Only you understand that gibberish, sister, squeak.”
This brat was staring at me with wide eyes and getting serious with her older sister. I struck Titi’s head once more with a *thwack*, then turned my attention to the child.
“Is there a village nearby?”
If the child didn’t fall from the sky, there had to be a settlement nearby. When I asked, the child peeked out from behind Titi and nodded.
“What about other adults? Are you the only one starving like this?”
Wondering if this was a case of child abuse, I asked, and the child shook their head. If that were the case, it meant the entire village was in a state of famine like this child.
“Hmm.”
Interesting. Feeling it was worth investigating, I took a bowl of cool sikhye from Hubert, gulped it down, and activated my superhuman skills. With sugar in my system, my energy returned.
“Gerth. Prepare a large quantity of thin rice porridge.”
“Understood.”
Gerth nodded without a word of protest. I wished it meant we shared a perfect understanding, but it seemed like he was simply following my orders without question. I grew anxious—at this rate, he’d get swindled somewhere or end up vouching for the wrong person.
“I’ll be back shortly.”
When I scooped up the surprisingly light Starving Child into my arms, Kanna insisted on accompanying me. She likely didn’t know the full story, but during those hours I’d been gone, she’d clearly worried about me.
Since we could reach the place where we’d made the fire on the child’s pace, the village was nearby. Yet it felt eerily quiet for a settlement, and no one wandered the streets.
Were people actually living here?
“Th-there’s a presence… they’re all… h-hiding, it seems.”
I’d made the right call bringing along the pride of the Assassination Family. But what even was this “presence” she spoke of? I had no idea how to sense it.
In any case, if people were living here, that was fortunate. I could deliver my message.
“If there’s a representative of this village, show yourself! If you cooperate, I’ll provide food!”
Now I could sense what she meant by presence. The moment I shouted, I heard murmuring voices. But the village representative didn’t appear. Whether there was no such person or they were still wary, I didn’t know—but I wanted whoever it was to come out quickly and tell me everything about this place, truth or exaggeration. So I raised the stakes.
“If you don’t come out, this child’s life is forfeit!”
“Ahhhhh! Wait! I’m coming! I’m coming out!”
Out burst a Green-haired Youth from a house that looked like ruins, his stubbled chin suggesting he hadn’t shaved in days. He still looked young—was he really the village representative? Impressive.
“Are you the Village Chief of this village?”
“No, well, I’m not exactly the Village Chief…”
He’d come out in a panic, but he seemed utterly lacking in confidence. His posture was passive, his shoulders drooped—he didn’t look like someone fit to lead a village.
“If you’re going to speak, do it clearly from start to finish!”
“I-I’m the Youth Association leader! Yes! That’s right!”
Ah, so he was the Youth Association leader. This area must have a younger population then. The Port-side Ilam Village’s Youth Association leader was in his late forties.
“Um, so now… will you release the child…?”
“My business isn’t finished yet, so I can’t let them go.”
“Ah, yes…”
The Green-haired Youth stood there groveling and staring blankly at me. He seemed to be urging me to state my business quickly, but why was this village’s Youth Association leader so lacking in manners?
“Didn’t I say I had business? Invite me inside and bring out water or something for your guest!”
“Yes, yes! I understand!”
This man really couldn’t take a hint. Wasn’t it common sense to invite a polite visitor inside and offer refreshments? When I pressed him, the man opened his house door wide and brought two cups of plain water to the table.
I wanted to complain that he’d brought just water when I asked for water, but given this village’s circumstances, expecting proper hospitality was a luxury.
“I’ve heard Laga is a granary region. No matter how severe the famine, isn’t this situation strange?”
“You really do get straight to the point, don’t you…?”
Come to think of it, I hadn’t introduced myself. I rummaged through the inner pocket of my uniform and pulled out a freshly printed business card. My title kept changing, so the cost of reprinting cards was no small matter.
“I am Evan Laef, Market Administrator of the Integrated Market.”
“…Pardon?”
“I am Evan Laef, Market Administrator of the Integrated Market.”
“No, it’s not that I didn’t hear you…”
You certainly are a demanding Youth Association leader. I had no choice but to explain the circumstances that brought me here. We were marching for the 3 to 500 project, we met this child, and since they were skin and bones while adults were starving too, we came to hear the situation.
When I conveyed this concisely, Kanna applauded, saying I’d summarized it so efficiently and brilliantly.
“So, well, I’ll grant that you’re the Ilram Market Administrator, but what exactly do you intend to do with this information…?”
“I want to use it for my purposes.”
“….”
The green-haired youth regarded me with eyes full of distrust. If he was going to send such disrespectful looks my way, I had no choice but to point out his lack of manners.
“I introduced myself properly, yet you won’t even tell me your name?”
“Ah, I—”
“And when I asked you to bring water, you really just brought water and nothing else? That’s hardly proper etiquette!”
“Are you really just here to cause trouble?!”
As the green-haired youth cried out urgently, people began gathering around the house. They seemed anxious that something terrible had happened, so I arranged my expression to be as gentle as possible and addressed the villagers.
“Rest assured. I am Evan Laef, the Market Administrator of Ilram. I’ve come to hear about the difficult circumstances of this place.”
“That’s a lie! Why would the Market Administrator of Ilram come all the way out here!”
“I came to scout around while getting some exercise—thought I might find something worth eating.”
“W-wow, Evan, you’re so, so, straightforward, but that’s actually pretty cool.”
Honesty is always the best policy. Since I’m honest, it makes sense that I’m impressive. As I agreed, Kanna complimented me once more on how cool I was.
“If you’ve come just to mock us, please leave. We’re going through difficult times.”
“I can tell just by looking—things are rough.”
“So if you’re just going to tease us—”
“This conversation isn’t working. Let me provide you with a meal first.”
“Huh?”
I told the green-haired youth and a handful of villagers to follow me, and we returned to where we had been preparing food. When I brought dozens of people back, Hubert said he’d need more ingredients and quickly returned to the Tower.
“Evan. The thin rice porridge is ready.”
“Impressive. That was fast.”
“The firepower of the flash bombs was excellent.”
I thanked Gerth and told the villagers to bring their own bowls and spoons. They scrambled to fetch their dishes and lined up. Once the large pot of white porridge was completely emptied, Hubert arrived, and Gerth busied himself preparing the next dish.
“Now we can have a proper conversation.”
After confirming that the starving child I’d first discovered in this place was eating porridge together with his family, I sought out the Youth Association leader again. The man held a wooden bowl in both hands and still regarded me with suspicious eyes.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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