Chapter 5: Preparations Complete  

The business direction is set.  

Now, what remains is when to enter the market.  

And how to do it.  

I don’t have much time.  

Even with the information-gathering prowess of the top chaebol group, this isn’t intel from a year out.  

It’s likely a matter of one or two months.  

If I prepare tightly, a month should be enough.  

To get things on track within that time, one thing is essential.  

“I need to raise their civilization level.”  

The core of everything is how well I utilize my resources.  

Rubbing my stiff neck, I noticed the window brightening outside.  

I didn’t plan to stay up all night, but I did.  

“Well, it worked out. System.”  

[Is there something you need?]  

“Dimension observation.”  

The system unfolded the dimension’s map.  

As I rotated it to check on the Tinyfolk, I couldn’t help but be impressed.  

“Wow.”  

While only a day passed here, 100 days had passed in their dimension.  

In those 100 days, the Tinyfolk had undergone significant changes.  

The first change was their population.  

“The population’s now at 32.”  

Starting from 10, it’s about a threefold increase.  

[The Tinyfolk have short lifespans, so their gestation period is only 8 weeks.]  

“So, they give birth in about two and a half months. No wonder the population’s growing so fast.”  

Once a population starts growing, it tends to explode.  

It’s clear more Tinyfolk will appear in the future.  

“The farmland’s expanded too.”  

It’s grown nearly threefold compared to before.  

This must be due to their use of polished stone tools and basic agricultural knowledge.  

About 60% of the Tinyfolk are engaged in farming.  

The rest either hunt or gather food.  

And here’s where I noticed something interesting.  

“Their archery skills are impressive.”  

It’s not just about hunting with bows.  

The bows they crafted, though rough, were of high quality.  

That’s why the hunters’ success rate was so high.  

Despite the small number of hunters, they secured ample food.  

“So, this is what their dexterity trait means.”  

The Tinyfolk’s characteristic dexterity was being fully utilized in this situation.  

And it wasn’t just limited to bows.  

“…What’s with the quality of their pottery?”  

Neolithic comb-pattern pottery was already a work of art in itself.  

But the pottery the Tinyfolk made…  

It was practically at the level of fine art.  

Tch, could I sell this pottery?  

“No, even if it’s nice, I can’t sell that.”  

Even with wheat, there’s a huge gap between modern and ancient strains.  

Would pottery be any different?  

Unless I market it as art, it has no practical value.  

To sell it as a mass-produced product, their civilization needs to advance further.  

“Still, growing this much in just 100 days is impressive.”  

If their civilization keeps growing at this pace, catching up to modern civilization might take just a few hundred years.  

“And if they surpass modern civilization…”  

Hmm…  

I briefly imagined Tinyfolk flying around in robots.  

With their level of dexterity, it doesn’t seem impossible.  

Though that’s a long way off.  

“System.”  

[Yes.]  

“Can you estimate the amount of crops the Tinyfolk will harvest this year?”  

[It is possible.]  

[Calculating the types and quantities of harvested crops.]  

“Very capable.”  

The system organized the data I wanted in an Excel-like format, complete with graphs.  

This made it easy to see which crops were harvested and in what quantities.  

With this level of efficiency, I want to give it more tasks.  

“Calculate the total annual food production, including what they’ve secured through hunting and gathering.”  

[Adding the data.]  

“Also, include the annual food consumption rate, factoring in their population growth trend.”  

[Confirmed. Estimating the data.]  

The system executed my requests without complaint, swiftly and precisely.  

It’s like Jarvis from a Hollywood movie.  

Having a capable assistant really cuts down on my workload.  

[Outputting the requested data.]  

I quickly scanned the compiled data.  

Looking at the line graphs, I could start predicting the trajectory of their civilization’s growth.  

“There’s some leeway now, but as the population grows, it’ll be hard to keep up.”  

Within five years, food production will fall short of the population’s needs.  

So, I need to impart methods to increase food production within that time.  

“Let’s do it now. System, impart pastoral technology to the Tinyfolk.”  

[Golden Age!]  

[Due to the Golden Age, the cost of imparting technology is discounted by 50%.]  

[Imparting ancient pastoral technology requires 100,000 won.]  

[Would you like to proceed?]  

“Impart it.”  

[Ancient pastoral technology is being imparted to the Tinyfolk.]  

[Some Tinyfolk have gained enlightenment!]  

Exclamation marks appeared above the heads of some Tinyfolk tending the fields and others in the village.  

They dropped everything and bowed toward the sky.  

…Seriously.  

“Why are they suddenly bowing?”  

[Checking records from the past 100 days.]  

[Confirmed: This behavior is an expression of gratitude toward the dimension’s master.]  

“Because I told them to be thankful?”  

[It is an effect of that instruction.]  

I told them everything they have comes from me, so they should always be grateful.  

I didn’t expect it to have this kind of impact.  

It’s heartwarming for now, but who knows what kind of butterfly effect this might cause.  

“Let’s leave it for now. It’s not a big issue.”  

After bowing, the Tinyfolk gathered to share their knowledge.  

Once that process is complete, some will take up pastoral work.  

Food production might dip temporarily, but this knowledge will make them prosperous in the long run.  

“Alright, then.”  

Time to do what I’ve been waiting for.  

“System, I’m going to issue instructions to the Tinyfolk.”  

This time, the instructions are about improving their farmland.  

The goal is to directly implant knowledge that would typically emerge in the Joseon era or later.  

“When making fields, plow them in waves. And plant seeds deep in the furrows.”  

It sounds trivial, but this alone will reduce the number of seeds eaten by birds, naturally increasing their harvest.  

“I’ll also teach them how to make fertilizer. Fertilizer is…”  

From simple ridge-and-furrow techniques to primitive fertilizer production, I filtered out knowledge from the library that the Tinyfolk could use and issued instructions.  

Hmm.  

How well these instructions will be applied is uncertain.  

Unlike imparting technology, this is direct knowledge transfer.  

It’s tricky, but if it works…  

Food production will increase dramatically.  

There’ll be no famine in our dimension.  

The Tinyfolk will never go hungry.  

[Delivering all instructions will cost a total of 500,000 won.]  

“…Deliver them.”  

Each instruction costs 10,000 won, so I must’ve said a lot.  

My throat’s sore from it.  

But if these instructions enable over-technology…  

I have to do it.  

I prayed for good results.  

Then the system displayed a message.  

[Eureka!]  

[By meeting certain conditions, ancient theological technology is imparted for free.]  

[A special role, Apostle, has been selected.]  

“Eureka? Apostle?”  

The sudden flood of messages was disorienting.  

But only for a moment.  

A pillar of light struck the Tinyfolk village I was observing.  

The Tinyfolk who received the light trembled and bowed toward the sky.  

“Oh.”  

That’s the Apostle.  

Like a priest in ancient times, right?  

They feel somehow closer than the other Tinyfolk.  

[The Apostle can communicate directly with the dimension’s master.]  

[From now on, instructions will be delivered through the Apostle.]  

“So, a communication channel.”  

[Additionally, with the master’s permission, the Apostle can use blessings and miracles.]  

In game terms, a special unit.  

That’s what the Apostle role is.  

This is an unexpected gain.  

It’s easier to deliver instructions through a channel than to everyone at once.  

-Arudyari@# Agyadu%%!!!-  

…But what’s it saying?  

From its attitude, it seems like a new employee’s mindset—grateful, thankful, and eager to work hard.  

But I can’t understand it.  

Huh?  

“System, don’t tell me all my instructions were delivered like that?”  

[That is correct.]  

“Argh!”  

So, they only got the general vibe, not the actual content?  

To think there was such a flaw in the instructions!  

This is driving me nuts, really.  

“No way, this can’t happen. If my grand plan falls apart, I’m screwed.”  

Time to change tactics.  

I’ll have to pull forward something I planned to do later.  

“System, issue an instruction to the Apostle.”  

[What instruction would you like to issue?]  

“From now on, designate the language I teach as the divine language. Ensure all Tinyfolk are educated to master it.”  

Originally, I planned to teach it after they’d developed more.  

But with the Apostle’s existence, things have changed.  

“The language is composed of consonants and vowels…”  

Even an idiot can learn to read and write Hangul in a week.  

Long live King Sejong.  

[Delivering this instruction will cost a total of 600,000 won.]  

“…Impart it.”  

The money I worked so hard to earn is vanishing like crazy.  

Earning money is hard, but spending it is too easy.  

“Sigh.”  

It brings tears to my eyes, but I know how valuable this knowledge will be.  

It’s money that had to be spent.  

…How much do I have left in savings?  

“I need to spend wisely and save where I can.”  

But the problem is, there are too many places to spend.  

Ugh.  

“End observation. Set the time ratio to one day here equaling three years there.”  

I wonder what changes tomorrow will bring.  

I’m excited.  

***  

Even when I’m not observing the dimension, there’s plenty to do.  

I need to register a new business and prepare a warehouse to store the tributes I’ll receive.  

And that’s not all.  

I also need to pre-select companies to assist with milling.  

I’ll teach the Tinyfolk milling technology later, but not now.  

After that, I kept busy monitoring the companies I’d researched.  

Who they do business with, what deals they’ve made.  

I prepared meticulously to move the moment an issue arises.  

Three days passed like that.  

“Did I buy too much?”  

I let out a hollow laugh, looking at the wheat seeds piled in the warehouse.  

While researching, I bought 50 kg of wheat seeds.  

The farmer who sold them said it’s enough to farm 1,000 pyeong of wheat.  

Naturally, the Tinyfolk’s farmland isn’t that large yet.  

The reason I bought so much is the loss during transfer.  

“System, I’m sending this to the other dimension. How much will be lost?”  

[Calculations estimate that approximately 500 g of wheat seeds will be transferred intact.]  

“99% gets lost?”  

[That is correct.]  

Only 500 g out of 50 kg survives.  

Just thinking about it makes my eyes water.  

But what can I do?  

“It’s cheaper and faster than modifying their seeds.”  

Turning ancient wheat strains into modern ones would take thousands of years.  

So, this is the way to go.  

I need to use a cheat code to send modern seeds to the ancient era.  

“Sigh… System.”  

[Would you like to transfer 50 kg of wheat seeds to the dimension?]  

“Yeah.”  

[Transferring will cost a total of 1,000,000 won.]  

“…This costs money too?”  

It’s an investment, an investment.  

I rubbed my eyes and said calmly,  

“Transfer it.”  

As soon as I spoke, the wheat seeds in front of me turned to dust and vanished.  

Moments later—  

Master! We have received the seeds.

A message came from the Apostle, who had perfectly mastered Hangul.  

The 500 g of wheat seeds safely crossed dimensions.  

With this, the groundwork is complete.  

Just as you instructed, we will plant the wheat seeds and focus on cultivation!  

“Just wait a little longer, you bastard Yoo Jinsang.”  

The first step toward revenge.  

It’s time to start the business.