Chapter 16: The Merchant of Venice (2)

“Yaaaawn…….”

I stretched out a long yawn, then checked the clock on the wall.

[08:00]

Lately, I’ve been waking up easily in the morning.

Normally, I’d be typing away at my computer until late into the night and only fall asleep after seeing the sun rise.

A perfect night owl—active at night, sleeping in the morning.

But these days, waking up in the morning has actually become quite enjoyable.

“……Let’s see.”

I got up from bed and glanced at my desk, where a pile of Offerings had stacked up.

Every morning, the Believers from the Sanctuary sent me fresh fruits and vegetables.

From those, I grabbed a handful of fruits and veggies that could be eaten raw and tossed them into my mouth.

Crunch, crunch—

The crispy vegetables and the sweet-and-sour fruits blended harmoniously in my mouth.

“If I just had some dressing, I could almost eat this as a fruit salad.”

Maybe it’s thanks to eating fresh, organic produce instead of instant food, but lately, my health’s been pretty good.

First of all, the persistent canker sores have completely disappeared.

It was at that moment.

Ding!

[A new Message has arrived!]

“……It’s probably Jeanne d’Arc.”

How did I know right away that it was a Message from Jeanne?

That’s simple.

I’ve turned off all Message notifications from other Believers except for Jeanne d’Arc.

Now that the number of Believers has grown, Messages (Prayers) come flying in non-stop all day long.

Morning, noon, and night.

Ding!

Before meals, after meals.

—Ding! —Ding!

When they’re happy, angry, sad, or excited.

—Ding! —Ding! —Ding! Ding!

There are even Believers who faithfully pray only during the middle of the night.

“……I’m going to lose my mind at this rate!”

For that reason, I’ve kept Message notifications turned off.

Except for one person.

Jeanne d’Arc.

I immediately checked the Message sent by Jeanne.

Omnipotent God.

This is Jeanne, your faithful follower.

It’s truly a beautiful day again.

Birds are singing in the forest, and flowers are blooming in the fields.

Surely, this too is a Blessing of the Creator, bestowed by your loving hand.

Today, a Militia training session is scheduled in the Sanctuary.

I plan to participate as well.

To protect my beloved family.

And…….

To become a sword that cuts down anything that blocks the path of the Creator, and a shield that protects those who follow the teachings of God.

-Jeanne d’Arc-

A polite and upright Message.

I could almost feel Jeanne d’Arc’s determined will.

So, the Militia training to protect the Sanctuary begins today.

“I should go watch the training later.”

After finishing my eco-friendly, organic breakfast, I headed straight to the bathroom.

Swaaah—

The warm stream from the shower refreshed my sluggish body.

I stared absentmindedly at the bathroom ceiling and muttered.

“.It’s already been ten days, huh.”

The suddenly acquired Ability of the Creator.

It’s been a little over ten days since I got this power.

To be honest, it still feels surreal, like a dream.

During that time, the number of Believers has steadily grown—nearly 400 now.

Of course, this was all thanks to Jeanne d’Arc’s efforts.

‘God, there are so many people in need. May I bring them to the Sanctuary?!

Yes.

May I.

Bring them.

Jeanne d’Arc went in and out of Rivera every day, seeking out those in dire circumstances.

As a result, there were always new people at her side when she returned to the Sanctuary.

Most of them were poor or unfortunate, including lonely elders, war orphans, and the sick.

But Jeanne d’Arc welcomed them all.

‘Well, the more Believers there are, the more benefits I get.’

As the number of Believers increased, the types of Offerings also diversified.

Fishermen offered fish, hunters gave jerky, and a carpenter even presented a wooden sculpture as an Offering.

But the most unpredictable Offerings came from the children.

Frogs, stag beetles, crayfish, sparrows, and more.

Some kids, in their pure hearts, even sent live animals or insects as Offerings.

Of course, I sent all of them back without accepting any.

Please do not send living creatures as Offerings from now on!

I’ve made that rule clear.

Receiving lifeforms, shrunken to fit the real world, is a headache to handle.

‘Not to mention, it’s an ethical and moral issue.’

Anyway, aside from that, kids sent all sorts of random items as Offerings.

Most were useless odds and ends, but sometimes there were stones that looked like jewels or minerals.

Those, I set aside in something like a piggy bank.

But the most eye-catching was the blue crystal gifted by Jeanne’s younger sister, Anna.

“Haa……. To get that appraised, I guess I’ll have to go outside after all.”

I can’t just sell it off without knowing its value.

I’m still so scared to step outside my front door that my legs tremble.

After not leaving for five whole years, the outside world feels more like another world to me—more so than Rivera itself.

But if I keep putting it off just because I don’t want to, nothing will ever change…….

That was one of the lessons I learned from my long yet short five years as a Room-bound Creator.

I’ve decided—I need to go outside sometime soon.

At any rate, the Sanctuary is fine for now.

A Blessed Land where crops bear fruit the instant seeds are sown.

Thanks to that, the yield is more than enough for hundreds of Believers to be self-sufficient.

But ironically, because the crops are so abundant, a new problem arises.

Surplus.

Now the challenge is figuring out what to do with the extra crops.

What’s more, people need countless things beyond just food and shelter.

Not every resource can be sourced within the Sanctuary.

To make clothes, you need fabric; to make blankets, you need cotton; to make farming tools, you need iron ore.

The best way is to sell surplus produce and buy needed supplies with the money.

‘Which means, we’ll need traveling merchants to come and trade with the Sanctuary…….

But for those merchants, the Sanctuary is just a suspicious village that sprang up recently.

There’s no way they’d come first.

“Hmm, I’ll have to think this over.”

After my shower, I went straight back to my room and turned on the computer.

Lots of things have changed recently, but the biggest change is…….

“……No matter what anyone says, it’s the Mutube revenue.”

Click!

[Creator TV]

–

•Subscribers: 70,000

The number of Mutube subscribers has steadily climbed and finally reached 70,000.

If I keep up this momentum, 100,000 subscribers should be no problem soon.

“Does that mean I’ll become a Silver Tier Mutuber?!”

With Silver Tier status, Mutube provides all sorts of benefits.

The best of which is the 10% commission discount.

“In short, it means my Mutube income will increase.”

Thinking about the rising numbers in my bank account made me smile unconsciously.

Then, I noticed a new mail in the Mutube inbox.

……Who is it?”

Just as I moved my mouse cursor toward the inbox—

Ding!

[A new Message has arrived!]

Looks like Jeanne d’Arc has sent another Message.

I checked Jeanne’s Message before the Mutube mail.

Oh, God.

An Uninvited Guest has arrived at the Sanctuary.

A merchant introducing himself as Shylock from the Venice Company wishes to meet you in person, God.

However, I do not sense any pure faith toward the Creator from these people.

I humbly suggest it may be best to drive them out of the Sanctuary.

-Jeanne d’Arc-

Someone has visited the Sanctuary.

“..Shylock? Who is Shylock?”

No matter how much I thought about it, it was a name I’d never heard before.

Still, a merchant visiting the Sanctuary is quite an interesting development.

Jeanne d’Arc seems to be very wary of the person in question.

‘Guess I should check the Mutube mail quickly and then head to the Sanctuary.’

Click!

[To Creator TV]

Hello, Creator TV!

This is Park Suhan, manager at Sandbox, a company that prioritizes Mutubers above all else.

I’m also a subscriber who really enjoys the videos you’ve been uploading recently!

‘The ‘medieval Europe’ concept is really fresh, but above all, the daily lives of the new Creator’s Believers, including Jeanne d’Arc, are truly charming!’

So, the reason we’re reaching out from Sandbox is…….

It was an email from a major creator company dominating the Republic of Korea’s Mutube scene.

A message from such a prestigious place to humble me!

“….?”

Wait, no—from such a prestigious place, a message to humble me!

That’s not all.

My Mutube inbox was now overflowing with emails from various companies.

“What the heck is this……?”

I swallowed dryly and started checking the rest of the emails…….

Ding!

[Message has arrived!]

Ah

Once again, it’s a Message from Jeanne d’Arc.

But it’s the first time Jeanne has sent Messages in rapid succession.

It could be an emergency, so I hurriedly opened it.

Oh, God.

The first mistake is ignorance.

It happens because one does not know.

The second mistake is incompetence.

It occurs due to a lack of ability.

And the third mistake…….

The third, I believe, is intentional.

These blasphemers have insulted God before me three times.

Wise and sagacious God.

‘Thou shalt not kill.’

That is what you have taught me.

But.

I am not sure these impious, rude, and greedy ones who only wear the mask of humans can truly be called people.

Therefore, I, Jea—

For those who have insulted the Omnipotent God, Jeanne d’Arc

propose, as an example and warning,

Punishment of Blasphemers, such as the Colosseum.

-Jeanne d’Arc-

“What? Execution?!”

Jeanne d’Arc’s third Message.

It was a rather grim Message indeed.