Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 62: To Think They Dare Dream of Eating Steamed Buns Every Day!
“Mm, very good. The factory must be built as quickly as possible. We can recruit more students to help construct it at the back of the mountain.”
Merlin slid his own crystal card against Stacie’s. A clear ding echoed, signaling that thirty thousand gold coins had been deposited. Yet the number, though vast, did not stir even the faintest ripple in his expression.
Most of the students at the Arcane Academy were now buying the food Merlin had introduced. Of course, only the wealthy noble-born students could afford to make such purchases regularly.
But even the allowances of nobles were not infinite. If they continued to eat like this, their purses would soon run dry. Merlin frowned, his mind shifting quickly through possibilities. If their money is drained too quickly, consumption will collapse. Gold must circulate. I need them to earn money, to spend it again. Only then will this machine of profit keep turning.
His gaze swept toward the rear mountains where common students bustled about, sleeves rolled up, working tirelessly at construction. Yes… I must find more tasks for them, let them earn more coin. Only then can I harvest more gold myself.
But then came the problem. The common students could set aside their pride to take on labor. The nobles, however? They would never willingly toil with their own hands. Not unless he offered them a reward so staggeringly high that pride would yield to greed.
Merlin rubbed his temples. Yet these noble students don’t hold such value right now. Hah, what a headache.
For now, he decided, there was no point overthinking. Better to keep milking the nobles’ wealth, expand my workshops, and then reconsider later.
His eyes lifted toward the sky above the Arcane Academy. Through the shifting layers of cloud, he glimpsed a magnificent sight—a floating island radiant with starlight.
That was the Arcane Academy’s Floating Institute, a place reserved only for the most elite students who had completed their fourth year and sought even greater advancement. Every student there was driven by one goal—to challenge the Seventh Tier and beyond.
And up there? There were no teachers, no guiding hands. Only those striving to ascend, aiming for the realm of gods themselves.
Merlin’s lips curled faintly. Yes, that floating citadel… that is where the true harvest lies. The fattest fields of gold await me there.
The Owl’s Home
Just then, Gallant came hurrying over, his robes stained with dust and his hair coated in gray powder.
“Boss Merlin! The owl dormitory you asked me to build—it’s finished!”
“So quickly?” Merlin raised a brow, genuinely surprised.
Gallant scratched the back of his head with a sheepish grin. “There are hundreds of students working on the rear mountain now. I had over two hundred helping me build. Naturally, it was fast!”
Merlin chuckled. “Come then, let’s see it together.”
They soon arrived before a newly built structure.
Before Merlin stood a solid, stone-built edifice with thick walls and a lofty roof. High above, vast open windows gaped wide—no glass, no barriers—designed solely for owls to enter and depart freely.
At the ground floor lay a spacious hall. Circular counters had been set up, where hired clerks would receive and organize delivery requests. The entire building was round, towering nearly five stories high, with its central space left hollow to allow owls to swoop in and out unhindered.
“Well done,” Merlin murmured with approval. Already, the owls he had obtained from Weber had taken residence inside. Over the past few days, they had been diligently delivering meals across the Academy, mostly to the teachers.
Yet the owl delivery system had clear limitations. Each owl required careful communication. They could only deliver to places they recognized—student dormitories, teacher apartments, or a handful of familiar academy landmarks.
For now, Merlin still relied on students shouting through dorm corridors, tallying orders by hand before passing them to the owls. It was inefficient.
He pulled from his pocket Weber’s crystal of communication. Yes… I must discuss with him how to improve this. Ideally, I could replicate all the functions of an Earth mobile phone. Only then will deliveries become seamless.
With that thought, Merlin reached into his spatial ring and handed Gallant a heavy pouch of coins. He clapped him on the shoulder.
“Well done. There are five hundred gold coins here. One hundred is a special reward just for you. Distribute the remaining four hundred among the students who helped, as a bonus.”
Gallant’s eyes widened. He clutched the bag tightly, almost disbelieving its weight. A hundred gold coins—all his! His vision blurred as tears welled.
With such wealth, he could finally buy potions to boost his magical power. Or a fine set of robes. Or perhaps even save toward that staff he had long coveted…
The possibilities made his chest ache with emotion. He burst into tears.
Merlin blinked, startled. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
“N-no! It’s just… I’m too excited. Coming to the Arcane Academy was the greatest decision of my life! I’ve only just started school, and already I’ve earned so much gold… I don’t even know what to say.”
Indeed, Gallant’s family was not wealthy. A hundred gold coins could support them for a full year. And yet in only a few days of work, building houses and factories for Merlin, he had earned more than five hundred coins.
He had never imagined money could come so easily. Truly, knowledge—and skill—had changed his destiny.
Merlin patted his shoulder again. “Work hard. The future belongs to you.”
Yes, work hard indeed, Merlin smirked inwardly. You cattle and horses—keep laboring! The harder you work, the more alchemical treasures I can buy for myself.
Gallant nodded vigorously. “One day, I’ll be just like those noble heirs—eating sweet, creamy buns every day, feasting on spicy lemon chicken claws and roasted lotus-leaf chicken! I’ll be so rich I’ll toss away what I can’t finish!”
Merlin stared at him blankly for a moment before smiling faintly. “Yes. I believe you can.”
Beside him, Stacie was moved almost to tears. Lord Merlin is truly great, she thought. To give poor students like us such high-paying jobs, to lift us from poverty… even to dare dream of eating buns every day…
She glanced at her own crystal card, cheeks flushing. I’ve… already managed to do it.
No, no, Stacie, don’t be wasteful. Spending too freely is bad…
But one gold coin could buy eleven sweet buns with condensed milk. The value was irresistible. She would have to buy them.
The Shadow in the Crowd
While Merlin and his companions laughed and spoke of the future, someone else had been watching.
Hidden behind a tree, cloaked in gloom, a ratman named Sigma narrowed his beady eyes at Merlin, his face twisted with resentment.
“Merlin…” he hissed under his breath.
“Hey, you there! Don’t dawdle—move those timbers!” a Beast-Taming Academy student barked at him.
Sigma flinched, hurriedly hefting the heavy wood and staggering off toward the open ground. But even as he worked, his heart seethed with venom.
Go on, Merlin. Bask in your little victories. Enjoy your fleeting glory. It won’t last.