Chapter 178
Chapter 178
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 178
Chapter Title: The Deadly Potatoes Misunderstanding
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[Title: Dark Elf 2-Panel Summary.jpg]
(Judak's potato box pile meme)
(Clueless dark elves meme)
1. Dark elves cause trouble
2. Judak pretends to forgive them, sends a massive shipment of potatoes
Basically telling them to eat it and die
(Trembling knight frog icon)
Agh;; that's too scary;
[Upvotes 2911] [Downvotes 21]
- 1. If you number them
- 2. Does it look legit? lol dumbass
- OP) Slow-witted goblin boss
- Whoa, imagining myself in their shoes is dizzying;
- What are they gonna do now?
- It's basically the same as publicly announcing he's abandoning the dark elves;
- Judak*) No fuck no
[Title: Judak) Declares Dark Elves Are Trash Tier Losers]
(- Judak*: How about this? meme)
(Potato boxes galore meme)
(Dark elves bawling meme)
Judak: Dark elves don't need to know
Might as well declare "eat potatoes and drop dead quick" lol scary;
[Upvotes 3215] [Downvotes 102]
- How can he send that with a smile?
- Whoa this one's actually scary;
- Fr other person watching
- Thought it was someone else for real
- I gotta not fuck up and do good... whoa not even a ban, straight up "die" with potatoes scary;
- Judak*) No fuck no
It was sent with the best intentions.
And yet, not only had I sent poison to a poor race,
I'd become the ultimate piece of shit who insulted them to death on top of it.
"Uwaaak no way!"
It felt kinda off before sending, maybe I should've previewed it again.
Potatoes didn't have a great reputation in the medieval era.
Devil's crop.
Causes leprosy, sprouts poison weeds, food for the poor and wretched.
That was the medieval view of potatoes.
- If you get potatoes... uh...
- Better to die honorably yeah;
- If it were me I'd kneel and beg Judak right now fr;
And here it was even worse.
No time to fix the perception before the great war broke out.
People ate whatever they could in the famine, sprouted potatoes included.
Result: food poisoning.
Worst case, nutrient deficiencies led to other diseases and death.
"Potato treatment's even worse than modern times."
No wonder they're called monster feed, says it all.
But potatoes weren't major crops for nothing.
Given time, their value would naturally be recognized.
But with famine everywhere now, no one had the luxury to look that far ahead.
To improve perceptions, I wrote a notice post.
[Notice: Important Potato Bait Notice]
Author: Judak*
Putting up a notice cuz misunderstandings are blowing up yeah
What misunderstanding?
(Monster eating potato meme)
It's about Mr. Potato.
Wrong idea that it's a crop monsters like, that's bullshit
Grown right, no better crop fr
Btw I had a burger with homemade fries for lunch today so calm tf down
(Face red as a beet frog icon)
Why would I tell dark elves to die ffs
How many dark elf memes you think I got saved in my gallery?
[Upvotes 9999+] [Downvotes 420]
- Oh that's what it was? Thought otherwise lol
- Can feel the sincerity in that last line
- Loen) R-Really? Thank goodness...
- But what's Mr. Potato
- Like ultimate respect title
- Judak-sama
- No can't do that
- No better crop ← if that's exaggeration mega upvote lol
- Fr potatoes kinda lol
- Even starving to death soon potatoes are OP
Luckily, posting the notice cleared up some misunderstandings.
But not everyone bought it.
Didn't expect to flip potato stigma overnight anyway.
"Eh, whatever."
As long as the dark elves believe it.
Once someone eats and is fine, others will follow.
The dark elves even seemed eager to trust me as much as possible.
- Loen) I think Judak didn't say that for no reason!
- I wanna believe Judak too
- We owe our survival to him anyway...
Dark elves were pragmatic, like I said.
Rather than nitpick, they'd take my word.
- Loen) So who's eating first?
- Rock paper scissors?
- The boss!
- Boss pls we love you! >u<
- Loen) You trash mobs
But even so, everyone was naturally cautious.
"Head knows, body rejects."
They had experience with food poisoning from eating them, so subconscious aversion.
"How'd modern times fix this?"
Mr. Potato with the worst rep.
Simple fix for the stigma.
Emperor: lol not eating? Fine I'll hog 'em all
Once elites hoarded and monopolized potatoes, commoners rushed to eat them too.
"But no time for that."
Sure, time would reveal it eventually
But I wanted to give certainty now.
"Then only one way."
Feed them potatoes myself.
[Category/Vegetables]
[Fresh Potatoes 5kg] - 8p
"Price is dirt cheap too."
Send sugar and salt, unbeatable food.
But that wasn't enough.
Wanted to give an experience that completely flips perceptions.
Use that new shop feature unlocked last time.
[Rest Area Boiled Potato with Butter] - 4p
[Potato Stew Large] - 37p
Potato-based dishes.
- Ffs potato stew is busted
Of course potato stew was a trap card.
Main goal was building fondness and good vibes for potatoes themselves.
"Aigoo my blood money!"
Twice the price, but no better dishes for changing minds.
['Marketplace Nation' delivery complete!]
So I shipped massive dishes to the starving dark elf city.
- Thud!
"Th-This is..."
"Hiiiik."
Eyes lit up at the sudden fancy dishes.
*
Lumelin, dark elf underground city.
More like an underground canyon, really.
Shoddy ladders patched with ropes and wood.
Houses built into sheer cliffs.
Starving daily was routine for dark elves, but they all crowded the central plaza now.
- Twitching ears
"Boss, what's this?"
"Smell's insane, insane."
Red broth base packed with veggies and meat.
New world for dark elves used to soup with maybe one chunk.
Spice aromas drew them in,
Hearty visuals drove them mad.
But no one stepped up first. Simple reason.
"Leader, we can really eat this?"
Daring to eat something like this?
Meat only from monsters fallen to canyon bottom.
Lucky catches of tainted deer sometimes.
Pooled meager rations to buy tuna from Judak Market after much debate.
"Hmm..."
But this.
This is too perfect, way too much.
"Dunno..."
"Boss is dumb."
"Leader's unreliable."
"Boss or leader, pick one!"
Chaotic, noisy, but Loen cherished her dark elves.
Wanted to say eat up, but could they?
Loen squeezed her eyes shut and typed in chat.
- Loen) Judak... um...
- Judak*) (questioning frog icon)
- Loen) C-Can we have just a little of this red soup dish...?
- Judak*) ???
"Y-Yeah, no good huh?"
Knew it herself, too shameless.
But how to watch them huddled, drooling blankly.
Waiting wrinkled, unexpected reply came.
- Judak*) No
- Judak*) Sent it ages ago and still not eating?
- Loen) Huh?
- Judak*) EAT IT NOW!!!
"Hieeek."
"Heeeek."
Judak's rage.
Three whole exclamation points!
Dark elves jumped, but moods soared sky-high.
"J-Judak says eat!"
"F-For real!"
"E-Eat up quick!"
"Yay!"
Judak's permission, Loen's nod.
Both greenlit, dark elves snatched dishes at terrifying speeds.
Speeds only seen in battle.
Left bubbling potato stew, tore into meat ravenously.
"Delicious... delicious...!"
"Hic, huuuu!"
Meat was good.
But this good?
Silky texture splitting along fibers, sauce-soaked rich juices.
Broth nailing spicy and hearty, insane dipping sauce.
Ravenous dark elves' eyes welled with tears.
"Hic..."
Loen no different.
Saved their lives before.
Now this feast too?
"Why, why?"
Loen never felt such whirlwind emotions.
Ears flapping joy, eyes brimming tears,
Face smiling blissfully.
"I'm here, boss."
Girl in long green hair, comfy pajamas.
"Gasp, World Tree!"
World Tree who'd slept plaza center appeared.
Drew V-sign, scampered to shocked Loen.
Sat beside, stared at boiled potato with butter.
"Looks tasty."
Classic rest area move, about to pop whole thing in mouth.
"N-No!"
"Ah."
Loen snatched potato at lightning speed!
Trying to eat potato.
No matter how appetizing, plump, gorgeous, sweet, melt-in-mouth!
"Gasp."
Loen realized too late, froze.
Other dark elves too.
Blocking World Tree from Judak's food.
World Tree puffed cheeks like a chipmunk, protested.
"Hurts feelings."
"N-No, it's..."
"Judak's stuff is yummy, but snatching it is too much."
Potatoes are poisoned though.
Shouldn't eat...
But Loen knew.
Judak himself said it was fine.
Judak alone looked out for dark elves.
"Uuugh... screw it!"
"Ah."
"L-Leader!"
Loen squeezed eyes shut, shoved boiled potato in her mouth.