Episode 9
As I stared at the trembling Mrs. Bier and dropped my gaze, I saw papers scattered all over the floor.
That’s going to be a pain to clean up, huh?
Oh well. Back when I worked at Goodso Corp, I used to handle several times that amount of paperwork in a single day…
Now that I think about it, that bastard Manager Kim was the real villain.
Suddenly, the face of the guy who vanished with the CEO the moment wages got delayed flashed through my mind, and rage surged within me.
Manager Kim.
Always wore a friendly smile, pretending to be the kindest soul. But when it really mattered, he bailed and left the employees high and dry—a total traitor.
I still go crazy thinking about all the errands I used to run for him, trying to stay on his good side.
If I had known it would end like that, I would’ve skipped that damn hiking trip…
Maybe it was dredging up those unwanted memories, but my voice took on a much colder edge.
“Hm, the cup’s broken, and the desk is destroyed. So next up…”
I was going to ask, ‘What should I break next?’ but it seems Mrs. Bier interpreted that differently—like I was threatening to break her next.
Her complexion kept shifting from pale to green and back again. I considered giving her a moment, but when you’ve been squeezed dry your whole life, you learn one thing well: when there’s money to take, do it all at once.
“Madam. You know what I want, right?”
I stretched my palm out toward her, and Mrs. Bier frantically nodded.
“Y-Yes, miss. P-Please spare my life…”
“As long as you give me what I want, I won’t torment you.”
Maybe my gentle reply gave her some hope, because she shakily reached into her pocket and handed something over.
[SYSTEM] ‘Mrs. Bier’ has handed over 100 Dalings.
As the Bregenz Empire’s top villainess, this is an embarrassingly small amount.
Stress +10
Sucker Score +10
100 Dalings?
As if on cue, the system window popped up, adding insult to injury. I was thoroughly disappointed by Mrs. Bier’s pathetic offering.
Given how much she’s skimmed off the top all this time, there’s no way this is all she has.
“Hm? What’s this supposed to mean?”
Should I just split open this golden goose? I was in the mood to do it too.
As I raised an eyebrow and asked, Mrs. Bier flailed her arms.
“A-Ah! M-My mistake, miss!”
Maybe it was the murderous look in my eyes, or maybe it really was a mistake. Whatever the case, she reached into her pocket again and handed me more.
[SYSTEM] ‘Mrs. Bier’ has handed over an additional 900 Dalings.
As the Bregenz Empire’s top villainess, this is not a shameful amount.
Stress -10
Sucker Score -10
[SYSTEM] The employees watching are horrified as you extort money from the head maid! Infamy +10
Still, we’re basically back at square one.
I considered turning away with the 1,000 Dalings, but then a thought struck me.
The system has screwed me over countless times—but it’s never lied.
So maybe that line about “not shameful for the top villainess” was a clue?
1,000 Dalings isn’t shameful, but it’s not exactly satisfying either…
It was worth a shot. I’d come this far—I might as well wring out every last coin.
“This the best you’ve got?”
“W-Well, that is…”
There it is! She’s hiding something!
I could see it on her face. She had more to give. And now her face looked like a walking wallet to me.
“Ughhh…”
With a pained groan, the head maid finally handed over her entire purse.
[SYSTEM] ‘Mrs. Bier’ has handed over an additional 1,000 Dalings.
This is a satisfying amount for the Bregenz Empire’s top villainess.
‘Mrs. Bier’ has changed her mind due to your graceful persuasion.
Sucker Score -30, Persuasion +5, Infamy +30, Karma +5
“M-Miss, actually, this money is…”
As she hesitated, trying to explain, I leaned in and whispered in her ear.
“I know. It’s embezzled money, right?”
“Wh-What?! H-How did you…!”
I smiled sweetly, as if nothing had happened, and stepped back.
“I’ll be stopping by now and then, so keep saving up. Got it?”
[SYSTEM] Your statement about regular extortion shocks and terrifies the onlookers! Infamy +20
I couldn’t help but burst into laughter at the incredibly satisfying result.
“Fufufufu~!”
The system had always been a pain in my neck, but this… this felt amazing.
“Fufufufufufufu!”
As I laughed maniacally on my way back, I didn’t realize something important.
Even then, the system message at the bottom of my screen was still displaying:
Infamy +1… +1… +1…
Name: Adelheid Ulmer
Age: 19
Occupation: Adopted Daughter of Duke Ulmer
Titles: Elder Beater, Devil’s Smile (NEW!)
[Base Stats]
· Core Power: 8/100 (↑1)
· Intelligence: 3/100
· Grace: 10/100
· Charm: 0/100
· Stress: 10/100
[Special Stats]
· Infamy: 150/999 (↑105)
· Karma: 25/999 (↑15)
· Persuasion: 6/100 (↑5)
· Sucker Score: 65/100 (↓30)
The stats and title I earned from shaking down the head maid filled me with joy.
Especially Infamy—it had now crossed into the triple digits and was getting close to rounding up to 200.
[SYSTEM] You have shown the world what a devil’s smile truly is. You’ve earned the title: “Devil’s Smile.”
Special Reward: When you smile at a hostile opponent, they will feel a chilling sense of fear.
It was my first time seeing such rapid stat growth. But looking back, it made sense.
Most of the Infamy I’d earned before was from reacting to situations—basically incidental.
But extorting the head maid? That was the first thing I’d actually planned and acted on myself.
In other words, because I moved on my own, the rewards were on a completely different level.
And thanks to that, I didn’t get ripped off too badly with the mithril pickaxe either.
Sure, paying 11,000 Dalings for something that’s priced at 10,000 isn’t exactly fair—but dropping my Sucker Score by 30 helped a lot.
Back when I dealt with that shady shopkeeper, I got charged double. But this time? No such nonsense.
“Hehehe…”
Perfect.
I could feel Sophie’s eyes nervously watching me laugh to myself, but I didn’t care.
That’s when it happened.
“All right, you’re good to go in.”
The guard at the entrance of the Calamari Mine handed me a one-day entry pass.
I nodded and gave Sophie a command.
“Wait here.”
“B-But miss…!”
Even though she was scared of me, Sophie still clung to me like some overzealous fan.
But I couldn’t afford to pay another 100 Dalings to bring her along.
I’d squeezed the head maid dry, sure, but that didn’t mean I was rolling in cash.
With the overpriced mithril pickaxe and the mine’s entrance fee, I only had 1,600 Dalings left to my name.
And in Ark, being poor was a shortcut to a thorny life.
So… I couldn’t afford to waste any more money on bringing Sophie along.
Even though I’d just extorted a decent sum from the head maid, it wasn’t like I was swimming in wealth.
I had overpaid for the mithril pickaxe, paid the entrance fee to the mine, and now all I had left was 1,600 Dahlings.
In Ark, poverty was the express lane to ruin.
So…
“Stay here. If anything happens, don’t move and just wait for me.”
“Yes, ma’am…”
Sophie looked like she wanted to protest, but she quickly gave up and obediently lowered her head.
I handed the entrance mark to the gatekeeper and stepped inside the mine.
Clang— Clang—
Echoing through the damp tunnel were the sounds of pickaxes striking stone.
The further in I went, the dimmer the light became, and the walls began to sparkle faintly with mineral veins.
This was the Calamari Mine.
Known across the empire as a dangerous yet highly rewarding place, it was where brave adventurers and desperate commoners alike tried their luck at mining for rare ores.
Mithril veins occasionally appeared here, which made it a goldmine—literally—if you were lucky.
Of course, that also meant it was full of dangers.
From cave-ins to monster attacks, there were a thousand ways to die in this place.
I gripped the pickaxe tightly.
Now that I was here, there was no turning back.
“Alright. Let’s make this count.”
I found a relatively quiet spot and began mining.
Ting! Ting!
The mithril pickaxe struck the rock with a satisfying sound.
Every time I swung, tiny fragments broke away, but the system window remained silent.
After about ten swings, a message finally popped up.
[SYSTEM] You’ve mined a small chunk of iron ore.
“…Tch.”
This wasn’t what I was here for.
I kept digging.
My arms were already sore, and sweat trickled down my back, but I didn’t stop.
I wasn’t going to leave this place without something to show for it.
Not when I’d gone this far.
Ting!
Suddenly, the pickaxe struck something different.
Not rock, not dirt—something resonant, something shiny.
The system window flashed.
[SYSTEM] You’ve discovered a small mithril vein!
Congratulations! Your mining efficiency has increased slightly.
Core Power +1
Stress -5
Fortune +1
“Yes!”
I couldn’t hold back a grin.
Finally.
This was the moment I’d been waiting for.
I dug faster, more fervently, greedily chipping away at the vein as the shimmering mithril glinted under the dim lights of the mine.
It wasn’t much, but even a small vein of mithril was worth several hundred Dahlings.
Enough to make all this effort worthwhile.
No—more than worthwhile.
I could feel it.
This was the start of something big.
Something that could change everything.
“Ha… Ha… Ha…”
Out of breath and drenched in sweat, I sat down for a moment, staring at the glittering mithril in my hands.
I wasn’t the same person I had been before I fell into this world.
No more quiet submission.
No more being pushed around.
If this world wanted a villainess—
Then I would give them one.
And I’d make sure they never forgot it.
[SYSTEM] Due to your tireless efforts and villainous resolve, you’ve unlocked the title: ‘Greedy Villainess’
Special Effect: Increases mining yield and chance of discovering rare veins when greed is high.
Greed: 40/100
I let out a wild, satisfied laugh that echoed through the tunnels.
“Hahaha…! I love this game.”
Whether it was real or not, this was my world now.
And I was going to conquer it—one pickaxe swing at a time.
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