Chapter 71
Chapter 71
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Les Misérables Goes on Sale
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After Imperialism started spreading.
I clutched my head and sank into deep thought.
"Anything but turning fully red."
I wanted to become Judak, but not if it meant my body and soul turning red in the process.
I worried some weird notoriety might stick later, but surprisingly, the gallery stayed quiet.
"What? No one's even mentioning it?"
At first, a few odd posts popped up one by one, but now there wasn't even a whisper.
Especially Pride, who had been raging about Imperialism, had gone completely silent—no new posts at all.
When there was still no mention even the next day, I let out a sigh of relief.
"Did it blow over?"
Maybe it hadn't affected things as much as I thought.
I took a breather and started picking out books to sell at the market.
Of course, I went through the shop, checking each one carefully with my own eyes.
I couldn't let even a single weird book hit the streets.
[Les Misérables] - 10P
"This should do."
That was the one book I settled on.
It was a novel that had been loved by the masses for as long as those two fairy tales.
Right, a novel.
But there was a fairy tale version in the fairy tale category—a simplified, easy-to-read adaptation.
It only covered the first part that everyone remembers: stealing bread, getting thrown in prison, and rising to mayor. And the part about Fantine. It looked like a quick read.
"Plus, the artwork feels so cozy."
It must have been made relatively recently; the style was familiar and warm.
Of course, the content itself was devastating.
"Maybe sell fewer copies this time."
Spending points was fine.
But the imbalance between my current points and rice balls had gotten a bit—no, a lot—out of hand.
Points could be converted to rice balls, but not the other way around.
Even if rice balls were just experience points, I needed to be cautious.
[Set sale quantity to 100 copies.]
So I decided to sell the books in batches: first run, second run.
"Alright, let's do this."
[New item listed at the market!]
I released Les Misérables on the market.
[Level up 6 → 7]
[New feature 'Good Deed Points' unlocked!]
"Oh?"
A new feature unlocked right away.
*
[Good Deed Points Level 1]
Receive a 50% point refund as a reward for good deeds performed without expecting compensation.
Gifts received later as thanks are excluded from the compensation criteria.
Limit: Per month/10,000p
Amount refunded so far: 0p
A new feature had opened.
Uniquely, this one wasn't a gallery feature—it was a new way to earn points.
From what I read, it seemed like the system rewarded good deeds with points...
"What the—this is insane!"
Until now, to keep the gallery running, I'd sometimes given out items for free.
Or sold them at cost, or even cheaper.
The world had ended, so what choice did I have?
But now, it was like the system was saying it had no choice but to step in and fill that gap.
"And it gives points?"
Not rice balls—points!
"Let's test it right now."
[Strawberry Shortcake] - 30p
I bought a cake from the shop to try out this system.
Then I grabbed the delivered cake and barged straight into Penny's room.
-Bang!
"W-What?!"
Penny, lying on her bed, flinched in surprise and curled up.
I shoved the entire cake right into her hands.
Her eyes went wide as saucers.
"Eat up. It's delicious."
"Uh? Thanks."
She looked totally confused, but soon flashed a smile like she'd won the world and beamed with joy.
Penny especially loved cakes and breads.
From what I'd heard, outside there was nothing but monster meat, tainted water, and the like.
I left Penny behind and quietly returned to my room to check the system.
[Performed a good deed. Refunded 30p.]
[Bonus: 30p additional.]
Limit: 30/10,000p
"Yeehaw!!!"
And not only had I gotten back all the points I'd spent—I'd gotten more.
The system was a god. Invincible.
I handed out cakes to all the hardworking blue slaves too.
[Lord Judak has shipped 'Strawberry Shortcake'.]
Pure Elf: Cake? Cake!!!
Vamp About to Die: So good...
Vamp About to Die: (Vampire Kon, unable to continue...)
[Performed a good deed. Refunded 60p.]
[Bonus: Additional 30p.]
Your good deed has been converted to points.
"I can't contain this joy..."
Spending money and getting money back?
With this crazy formula in place, didn't it mean I should spend even more?
Brimming with excitement, I headed to the featured posts.
But one post with a unique title caught my eye.
[Title: Central Library Grand Opening Notice]
Author: Lloyd
Long time no see.
Just letting you know that our Kellirton Kingdom has opened a Central Library.
We're doing book donations, loans, and more activities,
So please visit!
(Image of a ruined noble mansion)
(Image of the newly transformed library)
- Whoa, check out that place?
- Looks clean on the outside. Makes me wanna go in.
- Hmph, still miles behind Eladrin Library.
ㄴ Who's this shorty?
ㄴ Oh... WWE after all this time?
- But we already have the Destruction Wiki.
- lololol Who's gonna bother?
- 137.7.32) (World Tree mocking emoji)
Word was that a new library had opened in Kellirton.
It drew a ton of attention right away.
- Culture? That's food, right?
- Three square meals? Noble life?
- Leisure time? Little bastard?
Which made sense—this was a destroyed world.
Survival was everything.
So a library popping up felt like a total shock.
"But what books are they gonna stock it with?"
The issue was where they'd get the books from.
Mountains of tomes had burned in the Great War.
What was left were history records, half-burnt literature, and cheap paperbacks.
- You think people will actually go?
- Not me lol
- What library? Just buy from the market and read at home.
People's reactions were lukewarm, as expected.
"Well, time will tell."
Results would show once some time passed.
For now, the library wasn't the priority.
I'd use this new system in the meantime.
"What day is it now?"
Right on cue, the month flipped at the end of the week, resetting the limit.
I pondered how to split 5,000 points, when the food category caught my eye.
"When in doubt, food distribution is the safe bet."
Even if the world was better off than before, food was always in short supply.
I went to food and picked the most reliable option: baguette bread.
"Baguettes hit every race without bias."
Elves, dwarves, humans—no matter the race, everyone ate bread.
Preferences varied, but it was the most neutral food.
[Baguette Bread] - 3p
"Are prices insane?"
Inflation was rampant—even this cheap baguette cost a whopping 3,000 won.
But up to 10,000 points might as well be free, so I bought 3,300 right away.
"This should be decent."
It was short of the total population, but way better than nothing.
I roughly calculated by race numbers and turned on the gallery to distribute to each race's reps.
But the gallery mood had already shifted.
- Fuck, heading to the library now
- Ab-so-lute-ly read-ing
- Wait, what? Central Library has market new releases? lololol
- Argh, failed the draw again fml
"What."
The once-deserted Kellirton Central Library was packed with crowds after just one hour.
*
Kellirton Library.
They'd bought an abandoned noble mansion and turned it into an art-like library.
It was the very mansion where Evelyn had been hiding.
"Better to repurpose it than let it rot, right?"
Evelyn gazed proudly at the revitalized mansion.
The ducal estate on the city outskirts had ended up inside the expanded Kellirton Kingdom territory.
And tons of people were coming—thanks to the market's new releases.
"Don't push."
"Follow the line. Market new release loans are random draw anyway."
Twenty out of the hundred Les Misérables copies were stored there.
"I waited since morning!"
"Please, please let me win this time..."
Loans lasted five hours total.
Even with the restriction of reading only in designated library spots, the hype wouldn't die.
It was the impact from the prior fairy tale releases.
And the glowing reviews from those who'd read Les Misérables.
[Featured Post: Holy shit, it's so fucking sad...]
Just read Les Misérables.
Went in lighthearted, got lucky and won the draw.
But as I read... fuck, curses just slipped out...
How can stealing one thing turn a person's life into that?
I'd have broken like Jean Valjean and stolen it too—no, I'm sure of it.
But then the real twist: I never saw that guy coming like that.
And still not snapping out of it, stepping over it and pretending, only regretting later...
That's when the sighs came naturally.
How do you pack all that into a fairy tale?
And what happens to Jean Valjean after?
Heard the original novel's a five-parter...
Fuck, I'm going insane fml
[Recommendations 5232] [Disrecommendations 5152]
- Insanity? Fuck, that's me
- Who, what, that guy??
- Might as well not tease, now I'm dying of curiosity lololol
- Just spoil it!
ㄴ Don't spoil, fuck, I haven't read it!
ㄴ Spill everything!!!
ㄴ ...No way on the harsh words
ㄴ Author) What am I supposed to do fml
Spoiler bans meant reviews were full of vague stuff like "that," "it," "him."
Driving unread folks nuts with curiosity.
And one more thing.
Everyone who'd won a draw and finished reading clutched huge bread bags.
Stuffed with massive, fragrant baguettes spilling out of the bags.
- lol Won, and they give bread too?
- Judak is god, Kellirton invincible
Judak had distributed free baguettes.
And since bread drove Jean Valjean's tragedy, the mood fit perfectly.
- Is this the bread Jean Valjean stole?
- But they said it was free
ㄴ For real, is Judak actually a god?
ㄴ His mindset's on another level from ours
ㄴ What even is Judak? Gotta be some solemn, saintly figure, right?
It naturally flowed into Judak praise.
As everyone posted Judak praises, raving about literature and bread...
[Good Deed Points limit reached.]
[Bonus points paid out so far...5,000]
"Yeehaw!"
Judak cheered at the flood of rewards.
Oblivious to whatever was brewing in the seemingly quiet Pride faction.