Most Civil Servants Don't Do Their Jobs Properly

Suhyun sat in the captain's chair on the bridge of Nautilus, formed from the brain of the colossal sea monster. He connected his mana to Nautilus, granting control over its entire interior. To ordinary human eyes, Nautilus's body was too vast to take in at a glance, and its insides were still completely empty. He'd barely managed to craft the minimal components needed to get it moving—like a car with just an engine and outer shell. It had an AI installed, but without time to train it, the AI was little more than a newborn. Aside from the bridge and cargo hold, there was nothing inside.

Having poured every resource he'd gathered since arriving in this world into creating Nautilus, Suhyun's wallet was empty, and so was Nautilus's interior. He let out a hollow sigh.

"Ah, when am I ever gonna fill this thing up?"

Nautilus's interior retained Aspidochelon's flesh intact, vast enough to house two fortresses on its back. The immense mana warped space inside, making it even larger than it appeared from outside. Even filling it with dirt would devour an entire mountain—what could he possibly use? As Suhyun fretted over that, a quest appeared before his eyes.

The quests that had followed Suhyun since he fell into this fantasy world always showed him the path forward. When he had nothing, they granted skills and stats to give him power. When he wished to become a mage, they guided him there. Staring at this quest that pointed the way once more, Suhyun thought of people he knew who might board Nautilus.

Nine years in this world—three as a wandering mage, six as a mage tower grad student—and no one suitable for Nautilus's crew came to mind.

'It's not like I can just pull a straw hat routine and say, "Hey, be my crewmate!" outta nowhere.'

Reliable people were rare. Reliable and competent? Even rarer. Reliable, competent, and willing to board an empty giant ship as his crewmate? Nonexistent. Suhyun wanted capable, trustworthy allies—but those folks had already settled down somewhere. They had no reason to board a massive, empty vessel on a mere acquaintance.

"Guess I gotta at least ask once."

Alone in the empty bridge's captain's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠chair, Suhyun recalled the one merchant who never betrayed him during grad ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠school. He steered Nautilus toward her.

---

The Empire boasted countless cities. Those under direct imperial control, governed by officials dispatched by the palace, had low taxes and less noble pressure—ideal for merchants. Many set up bases there for trade. But no place was without drawbacks. Sometimes, disasters like this struck.

Daiyen's hollow eyes, ringed with dark circles, stared at the request form before her and her company's handmade map. The artifact hairpin Suhyun gifted her—braided into her red ponytail—pulsed with vitality, but it couldn't revive her exhausted state.

The request, forced on her by the city administrator, was simple: "Haul food and necessities from here to there. The sooner you go, the more you get paid—but the later, the less."

The catch? The destination was flood-struck territory. Floods swelled rivers. Swollen rivers turned roads to mud. Mud slowed wagons, ruined campsites. Depending on the flood, detours were needed—finding them took time. Dirty water meant packing more drinking supplies and tarps. Yet the deadline was just one or two days beyond normal travel time. Maddening.

"Milady, all relief goods have arrived."

"Ughhh, no way out, no way!"

As Daiyen agonized over what felt like a rival company's assassination attempt via request, Suhyun appeared—fresh-faced and glowing post-graduation, the polar opposite of her haggardness.

"Daiyen, business booming? Saw wagons outside loaded to breaking."

"Suhyun!"

Her face lit up at the sight of him—the most capable mage she knew, appearing like a fairy-tale hero to solve her woes. She clung to him.

"Help me! The damn bureaucrats are trying to kill me!"

"Doesn't look like you're dying from success. What's up?"

Suhyun had come to scout her for Nautilus, but seeing her thriving business, he'd planned just a greeting and exit. Her state changed that. He asked.

Hearing about the semi-forced request, map, and floods, Suhyun looked at her pityingly.

"Fuckin' bureaucrats know jack shit but act all generous with their 'two extra days' bullshit!"

Daiyen, who always wore a merchant's smile mask and stayed composed in deals, screamed unfiltered. Suhyun grinned at her.

"You're in luck."

"Luck my ass!"

His oblivious words made her want to hurl an inkwell at him—but knowing he'd catch it without spilling a drop, she held back.

"I've got just the thing to solve your problem."

"Really?"

"Buy up everything that'll skyrocket in the flood zone right now. Volume and weight don't matter—I've got a way to arrive in half the requested time."

"What? For real?"

"Yeah. Made it myself."

Following Suhyun outside the city, Daiyen spotted a lone structure with a ramp leading down. Descending, she nearly fainted at Nautilus's vast interior. No end in front, left, right, or below—just endless dark.

"Wh-what the hell is this?"

"My new ride: Nautilus!"

For merchants like Daiyen, hopping cities for trade, transport was home and livelihood. More nights beside wagons than in guild halls. Speed directly tied to profits—one extra day saved cut escort costs, boosted round trips. Endless side benefits.

She'd dreamed of enchanted wagons for more cargo or speed. Never a colossal underground battleship swallowing whole cities. An endless dark void as a moving vessel's guts? Beyond comprehension. As Daiyen gaped, Suhyun led her laughing to the bridge.

"What do ya think?"

His brimming confidence made her swallow hard.

"How much?"

"Whaddya figure?"

Her mind raced. Shipping fees based on volume/weight. Even cheapest sea rates would bankrupt her. This wasn't renting space—it was chartering the whole damn thing. Nautilus's capacity dwarfed Free City's entire output; moving it on her whim? Astronomical.

Selling Red Barley Company lock, stock, and barrel wouldn't cover one trip. Sensing Suhyun wanted something else, she quit haggling.

"What do you want?"

He grinned.

"Be my crewmate."

"Huh?"

Suhyun projected Nautilus's form on the bridge. A translucent whale the size of wagons dwarfed the rice-grain bridge. Daiyen grasped its immensity anew.

"Need someone to handle cargo here. Even a novice merchant could rake it in with Nautilus. A real pro? Sky's the limit."

Buy grain cheap in Free City, sell double—no, quadruple—in floods? Child's play. A true merchant? Eight, ten times. With relief transport clearance for unlimited grain, max out purchases, sell in floods? Plus, Nautilus's scale: stockpile perishables, process raw goods inside, or turn the whale itself into a market. Endless cash.

Suhyun's words sparked dozens of schemes. Trembling, she took the contract he offered.

"Sign, and you control all cargo through Nautilus. Think of the volume."

His devilish whisper tempted. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠She snatched the fountain pen he'd magicked before her, scanned the terms: relocate HQ to Nautilus, manage cargo, pay fees. Versus bureaucrats' near-zero-pay flood run? No brainer. She signed.

As Daiyen signed, the quest rewarded Suhyun as always. Sensing his unique ability evolve in his mental world with a new function, he checked it. He could craft tiny shards of his ability and implant them in others. Spotting his target, he smiled.

"Congrats on becoming Nautilus's administrator. Got a gift—want it?"

"What?"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"A shard of my unique ability."

She pondered briefly, then offered her hand. Suhyun gripped it, implanting the shard per the new instructions.

"Huh? What's this?"

Her status window popped up; she blinked in confusion.

"A piece of my unique ability, The Gamer."

He explained: tiny shard meant basic functions—view her status, send/receive short messages. As her soul grew, it'd expand, mimicking more of his power.

Hearing about his ability, Daiyen fiddled with her hand, eyeing him.

"No wonder you're so damn capable."

Unique abilities ranged from trash to empire-founders, but Suhyun's was top-tier. Shelving that, she bolted to her company.

"Thomas! Pool every liquid asset—buy everything sellable in the flood zone! Ignore volume, weight—everything!"

Beer and wine beat muddy water for profit-per-weight, but weight meant zilch on Nautilus. Filling it with booze? Pocket change.

"Prioritize moisture-resistant food, warm fabrics!"

Thomas, startled by her sudden vigor after near-death vibes, mobilized workers.

"Deploy all available funds for goods!"

Investing soul-deep without worry—Nautilus guaranteed quick recovery. Her spending was fearless.

While Daiyen scraped Free City bare, Suhyun built crew quarters, cargo holds inside Nautilus. Ex-bridge and his space, it was empty; guests needed prep.

Using Metal Deformation and Rock Shaping from his unique ability, Suhyun shaped metal frames, rock walls/floors. Smooth stone cargo holds formed swiftly, linked to the keel from Nautilus's spine—bigger than Daiyen's city warehouses. Ceiling lights finished it.

First creation post-Artifact Meister trait thrilled him. Stats pushed biology's limits effortlessly; quests always guided like prophetic magic. But skills? Absurd even to him. Similar effects demanded huge effort/costs; skills rewarded practice/achievements disproportionately. Magic for that hold? Time/gravity spells, pricey reagents. Skills? Snap.

As he added corridors, worker dorms, bathrooms, kitchen, and Daiyen's office, her wagons returned max-loaded.

"Tour later—unload first! Multiple round trips needed!"

Workers hustled, eyeing the vast hold.

"Magic's such a cheat."

Daiyen marveled at the smooth stone vault from emptiness.

"This hold big enough?"

"Plenty. Their junk plus your buys? Half-full max."

She abacused endlessly beside a writing slate.

Post-unload, wagons returned for more; others sorted cargo. Suhyun showed Daiyen quarters.

"Workers' dorms. Basic 'cause materials short—thoughts?"

Central hall, bunk-lined sides—like forced conscript PTSD bait. Daiyen shrugged.

"Merchants sleep on dew-damp dirt under thin blankets by campfire plenty. No damp, no wind? Luxe."

Suhyun reflected: mages like him built dirt huts, stone/wood beds, stocked bedding. Non-mages minimized for speed—bare survival. Flood run? Worse. She cut worker pay slightly—danger pay unnecessary here.

Next: bathrooms, gendered.

She checked urinals, stalls.

"Flush? Water shortage?"

"Unless shitting nonstop, fine. Planning purification for clean water."

Kitchen: just hearth. She added cookware costs. Empty office: she summoned Thomas for furniture haul, then bridge.

Central table; she spread her secret trade-route map.

"Here's Chromore, our target."

Finger on corner territory.

"Wool and woolens from gentle hills; imports food."

Rolling hills, steady light rain—prime pastures. Map in wagon-days: 12 from Free City.

"15 days yesterday—14 left now."

"Nautilus."

"Right. How long riding it?"

"Max sustainable speed: 10x wagon. Underground straight-line, no roads—faster."

Curvy map for horses/water; Nautilus ignored. Straight line thrilled her spine.

"Hearin' it excites me."

Merchants hated empire hills, tolls. Hills atop hills tolerable; steep pushes, greedy lords? Hell. Mountains couldn't block underground; lords couldn't tax subsurface. Nautilus grew dearer.

"Two days max."

"Perfect. Load up, then sail."

Thus, Nautilus's first trade run was set.