Becoming an Accidental God in a New World

When I had first gotten the berry plants, I had not expected them to grow so fast. But my worries were clearly unnecessary because the plant in front of me had grown quite big.

They were not yet at a stage where they would fruit, but at their current growth rate, they might start fruiting in a day or two.

However, not all plants had grown at equal speed.

The plants that received direct artificial light were much bigger and more mature compared to the other plants.

"Master, are these plants mana-infused berry trees? Where did you find them… no, but they don't have any fruit. I am afraid the young ones won't be able to hold themselves back."

The leader of the fairies told me, and I did understand her problem here.

I could already see the younger fairies reaching for the leaves of the plant, but I already had a solution prepared.

"Here, these are some mana-infused berries. They should last you a day or two… if not, you will have to ration them. Times might be tough for now, but these plants will surely grow to give you more soon. And if not, I will have to clear up more space and plant more for you later."

I looked at the tree-covered garden in the back.

There was no way for me to know how far this garden extended… or whether it was even a garden or not.

Truthfully, the back section looked more like a wild forest than a garden. But that was not a thought I wanted to entertain because it would just scare me more.

"Hmm, don't worry, Master. We will try and clear out some more space and plant the seeds we get from these fruits as much as we can."

The leader told me, and I felt she was a useful and resourceful creature.

If she was here, then I could leave this place in her care.

"In that case, I'll bring you some fertilizer. Make sure to give it to the plants every few days and ask me for more once I return."

The fairies quickly adapted to their new home, and I felt that it was safe for me to return inside.

Fenrir remained on high alert this whole time, almost as if he was guarding me. But he relaxed once the fairies showed no hostility.

"Alright, that is one thing done. Fenrir's carrier is packed and loaded as well. I guess all that's left is to clean up and get moving."

It was quite early, but I knew my current speed.

As expected, it took me some time to clean up the things, and it was time for me to head out and meet Duchess Isabella. I made sure to exit in a way that wouldn't attract attention.

But all my plans were foiled by the appearance of one person.

"Your cute and charming neighbourhood lady here. Ah—are you going somewhere, shopkeeper? Won't you share the news with me?"

Ann Shirely was waiting for me outside my shop, and she immediately noticed me before walking over.

I could not even pretend I hadn't seen her when she was so vocal and loud about her interest.

"Ah—! It's nice to meet you as well, Miss Shirely. Can I ask why you were waiting for me out here?"

I asked her, and the woman just smiled.

"Who said I was waiting for you out here, shopkeeper? It's all just a coincidence that we met. You can also call it fate if you want to. Sounds romantic, right?"

The woman asked me as she winked. But her charm failed to work on me because I saw this situation in a completely different light.

'Fate? Romantic? Talk about horror. Nothing about being stalked is anything but negative.'

Stories often portrayed such behaviour as glorified, but it was not something to be proud of… and I was not a fan of being stalked either.

"Right… so, what can I do for you?"

I asked, wanting to get rid of her but not showing it on my face.

The woman blinked as she looked at me before shifting in place.

"Hmm, you look busy right now, shopkeeper, so I will return later for the favour. I can wait a few days."

She told me before she left. I had a feeling she came here just to keep an eye on me and make small talk.

Once she was gone, I left for the station as well. I needed to gather up my faith points since I would not be back for some time.

I approached the machine and quickly scanned it to get my faith points from it.

[Faith Points acquired. Current Balance: 350]

I got a lot of faith points, despite not much time having passed. I also had a feeling I knew the reason behind it.

'All these faith points must be from the people who came here during that rat infestation and epidemic danger. I profited quite a bit from it.'

It was a bittersweet feeling to know that I was profiting from someone else's misfortune. But since there was nothing I could do, I decided to look the other way.

The balance of 350 coins hung heavy in my inventory, but I knew myself well—it would only feel heavy until I had to use them.

I quickly made my way out of the station and toward the outskirts of the city where the duchess had asked me to meet her.

My coat covered most of my face, and not many people paid attention to a stranger like me. For them, I was just an ordinary person out to get somewhere fast.

The city ended where the town's fence met the forest. From here on, there was no protection, and everyone was on their own.

And unlike modern times, if you were to lose your way in there, you would likely never be found.

So people avoided travelling out of town unless necessary.

I was not as worried because I had the duchess with me. She was more terrifying than any creature I could meet out there… or that was how I felt. But that could just as easily change.

Her guard was waiting for me outside her carriage, and he gave me a glare for daring to be late.

I just gave the guard a smile in return, and I could tell that his blood was boiling.

But because of his loyalty and the fact that I was the duchess's guest, he could do nothing but curse me under his breath.

"Please come inside. The duchess is waiting for you."

The guard forced those words out of his mouth and opened the door for me. The fact that he wasn't even looking at me made it obvious that he thought nothing of me.

But if he was doing this to enrage me or get a reaction, then he was barking up the wrong tree. I was shaped by a world that was not kind to anyone.