“Excuse me, are you all here to help out? If so, could you come over here and lend a hand?”
While Jessie was passionately sharing her story about Yoon Si-woo, someone who looked like a worker yelled toward us from a distance.
Jessie seemed to realize that there were things to be done, and with a slightly calmed demeanor, she said,
“Oh, right! Everyone is busy working; I shouldn’t be chatting. So, Scarlett and Marin, please change into work uniforms over there and help those who are working.”
“Ah… okay.”
I answered, still slightly dazed by the sudden change in atmosphere, and made my way to the suggested spot, where a bunch of those space suit-like work uniforms were hanging.
They looked so stuffy that I worried about whether I could even breathe once I put one on.
I mean, it’s a lot better now, but I had a bit of claustrophobia when I was younger, so I grumbled to myself as I set my face into a serious expression, “…Do I really have to wear this?”
“I guess so. Since we’re dealing with beast corpses, there’s the risk of miasma infection.”
I sighed inwardly at those words.
If I had to wear this to avoid miasma infection, wouldn’t that mean I didn’t really need to wear it?
Honestly, I felt like it wouldn’t make a difference whether I wore it or not…
As I glared at the work uniform for a moment, I eventually surrendered and stuffed myself into the outfit.
It wouldn’t do me any good to create suspicion, so I’d just have to endure a little discomfort.
Once I made peace with reality and threw on a helmet that kind of covered my whole head, I was startled by how different it felt from what I had braced myself for.
“What’s this? I thought it would be stuffy, but it’s not stuffy at all?”
Hearing my words, Marin, who had also donned the work uniform, said with a slight smile in her voice.
“The beast corpse disposal is handled by Dolos, after all. Dolos’s employee benefits are famous. It’s to the point where it might be considered obsessive. The equipment even used by the lower-level staff is all state-of-the-art, magically engraved high-end gear.”
I couldn’t contain my shock upon hearing that.
Wait, is that what a workplace is like? Then what was the place I used to work at…?
When I asked to have some old supplies replaced, I was always turned down because of budget constraints.
Admittedly, it wouldn’t be right to judge the norms of this world with the logic I had from a place that still used water bottles that were decades old.
They must have a lot of money to be able to spend like that.
Just thinking about the compensation money they had given me before made me realize how wealthy the Dolos family really was.
It made me feel a bit deflated, but it didn’t change the fact that this was a good thing for me.
What’s important is that I actually felt more comfortable now than I did before putting on the work uniform.
With heartfelt gratitude toward Dolos for their generous spending, I set out with Marin to lend a hand with the work.
“Ah, are you newcomers? If it’s not too much trouble, could I ask what abilities you have?”
As we headed toward a bustling area where people seemed busy with various tasks, someone adorned with shoulder epaulettes who looked to be a mid-level manager asked us.
“Oh, I can handle water and chill.”
“I deal with flames, for now.”
He seemed to be checking our abilities to assign us to the right task, and I was slightly flustered by his inquiry.
I can’t use my powers in this body-concealing outfit, anyway.
However, it didn’t seem to matter much to him. He nodded at Marin and me and said,
“If you can handle water, you can go over there to clean up the beast debris near the roads or facilities. As for fire… there doesn’t seem to be an immediate need, but could you help with transporting the beast corpses?”
“Ah, of course.”
“It’s just that since they tend to be quite large, it might require some strength—are you alright with that…?”
Since I wasn’t particularly large, the manager seemed a bit worried as he asked. I chuckled inwardly.
It’s physical work, and although it might not look it, I had briefly worked at a construction site to help out my family.
What’s more, I had a body now that was far stronger than back then.
Just then, I noticed a few people struggling to carry a beast corpse right beside me, so I casually approached, lifted the corpse with both hands, and tossed it into the cargo truck.
I glanced back at the manager as if to ask how that looked, and he let out a nervous laugh and muttered,
“Ha, it takes a few men to just barely lift it, and you’re doing it so easily… Well, I guess it’s not surprising, even if you’re a student. I suppose my worries were a bit excessive. Alright then, I’ll leave that to you.”
“Yes, leave it to me!”
I declared confidently.
Sure, it may be a beast corpse I’m carrying instead of rebar or cement, but hey, I had some experience carrying things.
It felt like the time was right to show off the skills of someone once known as the construction site heavyweights and the living legend of the squad.
Even if I was dressed in a space-suit-like outfit, I rolled up the sleeves for effect and began working.
And what followed was pure brute work.
There was no room for unnecessary thoughts when carrying things.
All I needed to do was lift, carry, and drop repeatedly.
All I could remember in between those actions was the amazed exclamations from other workers watching me.
After carrying beast corpses for a while, I took a breather at the rest area, leaning against the wall and plopping down.
One of the resting workers approached me and handed me something in his hand.
When I looked down, it was a can of coffee.
“Hey, you’ve been working hard today, huh? Here, take one.”
“Ah, thank you.”
“Thanks for what? You worked hard; it’s on me.”
A smile adorned the face of the man who handed me the can of coffee.
It seemed he appreciated seeing me working hard.
I remembered the times back when I worked, and my fellow workers would buy food for me, saying I was putting in effort.
The sweet taste of a can of Let’s Be I drank during breaks was still vividly imprinted in my memory.
I wasn’t particularly fond of coffee; I didn’t know why it tasted so good.
With a chuckle, I tossed aside the protective gear covering my head.
No matter how high-quality the equipment was, I still couldn’t help but feel the heat build up while moving around.
As I brought the chilled coffee can to my sweaty forehead, the refreshing coldness made me involuntarily exhale.
Cooling off, I gulped the coffee down before that delightful feeling dissipated.
Ahhh, it seeps into my body…
Even though this wasn’t an underground hangout, it felt like I was experiencing the same high as the gambling addict in the comics.
As I reveled in the pleasure a can of coffee brought me, I couldn’t help but smile widely when I felt a curious gaze from beside me.
Glancing subtly to the side, I found the man who handed me the coffee looking at me with a strange expression.
“…? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“…I mean, it’s fascinating to see such a strong guy acting like this, but seeing someone like you carrying on as if you’ve been doing this for years…”
“Haha…”
I couldn’t find the words, so I just awkwardly chuckled.
Honestly, it would be a ridiculous story if I were a high school girl working hard in labor after serving in the military.
Who thought there was a demand for a character like me to be made this way…?
Though, if there is a demand, that sounds like a major dilemma…
I had a nagging feeling that pondering this would only bring me down, so I forced the topic to shift.
“Um, sorry to ask, but can I ask something I’m curious about?”
“Oh, sure. What is it?”
“I saw earlier that some people were using something that looked like a syringe to easily get rid of the corpses; if we used that more, wouldn’t we not even have to move the corpses?”
That scene had left quite an impression on me. I remembered vividly the sight of a large syringe with a hose connected to it being plunged into a corpse, and suddenly, the beast corpse slowly transformed into mist and got sucked into the syringe.
I wondered why everyone was straining themselves to transport the corpses if it could be disposed of so easily.
When I asked, the worker sighed heavily and responded.
“Ha, that’s our standard equipment. If we could use more of them, we wouldn’t have to endure this hardship. But what can we do? We’re short on usable equipment right now.”
“Huh? But isn’t it your usual equipment? How can it be running low?”
“They said the gate couldn’t be used for a while, so not too long ago, almost all the equipment and manpower available were sent to the frontline. Usually, there’s hardly any need to handle beast corpses inside the city.”
I immediately understood what had happened from his response.
Right… Initially, it would be normal for beasts not to come into the interior of the city.
As I nodded solemnly, the worker exhaled deeply as if truly exhausted.
“Ha, how did things come to this? But anyway, since beast corpses are dangerous, we can’t leave them lying around. So, the ones we can’t handle are loaded onto trucks and sent to the purification facility’s warehouse. It’s been hell.”
I could almost visualize the expression of my supervisor from when the sudden storm caused all our serious work to go in vain.
Such unforeseen disasters could surely bring a person down.
I patted the worker’s shoulder gently, offering some comfort in my own way.
“You’re really putting in the effort…”
“We’re the ones who are struggling? The real work is being done by students like you. Honestly, we couldn’t manage without you. Thanks to you, I think we can make it somehow. Well, I’ll go back to work now, so please take a good break.”
With that, the worker stood up and left the rest area.
After saying goodbye, I pondered briefly about those students he mentioned.
It was obvious who he meant.
There were two people besides me who were quite active in transporting the corpses, and even though their faces were hidden, I could roughly tell who they were.
While I was thinking about that, two people came into the rest area just as I was reminiscing.
Among them, the smaller one spotted me and rushed over, throwing off their helmet, hugging me, and shouting.
“Wow! It’s Scarlett! I heard you were hurt! Are you feeling better now? Floreane was really worried after hearing about it!”
“…Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks for worrying, Floreane.”
Even though there had been bad things happening in the city, her high spirits were unchanged.
I instantly recognized her; I had never felt intimidated while carrying things, but when I saw her running around, each in a hand, hauling beast corpses with that small frame, it was clear she was the only one capable of that.
With her consistent laid-back attitude, she was both an asset and a drawback—what a pink-haired girl! I laughed as I embraced her back.
When the person behind her took off their helmet, revealing blonde hair and a tremendously tired expression, I waved to him as well.
“Hey, Dwight! By the way, didn’t you say you were drained from using magic? You look worn out; are you alright?”
“…Don’t worry. It’s not that severe, so after resting a bit, I’m feeling okay.”
Honestly, after seeing him carrying corpses with magic earlier, I thought he looked like he needed more rest than he admitted.
Nonetheless, Dwight nodded in response as if he were indeed fine, then turned to Floreane, who was still hugging me.
“…By the way, Floreane, could you get away from Scarlett? Aren’t you bothering her while she’s trying to rest?”
“No way! I won’t! Being with Floreane isn’t a bother. Scarlett doesn’t mind, right?”
With a playful stick-out of her tongue at Dwight, Floreane looked at me with those pleading eyes.
Honestly, after just working, it was totally natural to feel a bit uncomfortable with someone clinging to me.
However, glancing up at Floreane, who was looking up at me from my embrace, I quickly brushed aside the discomfort.
But she’s so cute.
Regardless of her personality, Floreane was definitely a character who ranked high for being cute due to her appearance, especially as a subplot heroine in the story.
With a girl that cute sticking to me, I could endure a slight inconvenience.
Thinking that, I stroked Floreane’s head and said,
“I don’t mind, so it’s fine.”
“Wow! Scarlett really likes me! Be my girlfriend, Floreane!”
“Sorry, that’s a bit…”
Swiftly declining, I found myself unable to hold back a laugh at her typical confession.
Though cuteness is justice, Floreane’s cuteness felt more like the affection one has for a pet.
You wouldn’t date a cat or a dog, even if they were adorable, right?
Moreover, this small and cute girl could easily crumple my waist if she set her mind to it.
Thinking about that made me feel like this situation was dangerously precarious…
Though Floreane probably wouldn’t do that.
Even with her childlike demeanor, she was quite protective of her friends.
When Marin got lost in the original story, she rushed out to find her without a second thought.
Of course, it turned out both ended up missing, so the outcome wasn’t good.
As I pondered such thoughts, someone else entered the rest area.
Though I didn’t recognize their face, I spotted the shoulder epaulettes, recognizing them as the mid-level manager I had briefly talked to earlier.
Still, he looked harried; his face was all covered in dirt. Was there something up with him?
While I observed him for a moment, I noticed his gaze was directed toward me.
No, it wasn’t aimed at me but rather at Floreane clinging to me.
I couldn’t help but wonder why he was looking at her like that just when his mouth opened.
“…Um, Floreane?”
When the manager called Floreane, her expression slightly twisted.
Anyone could easily see how much she disliked the idea, and she shot back at him,
“…What? Do you want to tell Floreane to work somewhere else like before? No way! I’m not going!”
“…Please, miss.”
“No! You said you’d send me away alone! Everyone is here! I don’t want to be by myself!”
With her intense refusal, the manager squeezed his eyes shut.
Hearing their exchange, it sounded like he was trying to make Floreane do something unfortunate.
Yet, he appeared to be the one feeling worse.
Watching for a moment, I couldn’t help but ask the manager what sort of situation this was.
“Excuse me, can I ask what you’re trying to send Floreane to do?”
As my question prompted him to open his tightly shut eyes, the manager quickly glanced at Floreane before answering my query.
“…To the warehouse at the purification facility. I wanted her to help with unloading the beast corpses from the cargo truck…”
To be honest, I still didn’t quite grasp the reasoning.
If she was adamantly against it, there was no need to insist that Floreane do that job.
So, I questioned the manager again.
“Isn’t it okay if it doesn’t have to be Floreane?”
With fervor, the manager exclaimed,
“No! Miss Floreane must go!”
Such ardent desperation was evident in his voice.
At that moment, I grasped that there was likely something compelling behind why he wanted Floreane to leave.
However, I still didn’t understand why, and as I tilted my head in confusion, the manager mumbled quietly.
“…It’s just, with her here, I’m worried. In various ways…”
I initially struggled to understand what he meant by being worried.
The moment I laid eyes on him staring at Floreane desperately, I turned to view Floreane as well.
“…Ah.”
Suddenly, it clicked.
What Floreane’s last name was.
Floreane was Floreane Dolos.
As unassuming as she seemed, she was the youngest daughter of some wealthy family.
And the man before me was an employee of the company run by her father.
Once I realized all this, it made sense why the manager looked so troubled.
I took a moment to reflect.
If I were in a management position at a construction site and witnessed the youngest daughter of the chairman laboring like this…
I felt like I would lose my mind.
Just imagining that made me nauseous; how much more concerned would he be…?
Seeing the manager’s eyes pleading toward Floreane, it dawned on me.
He wasn’t trying to send her off to work; he just desperately wanted her to be out of sight.
Ingrained within me was a rising sense of compassion.
I cast a warm glance back at the manager and asked Floreane,
“…Floreane, it’s not that you mind going, but you don’t want to go alone, right?”
“Yeah, of course! It’d be boring all by myself!”
“Well, how about if I go with you? Would that be okay?”
“Really? Then I’ll go!”
Upon hearing my words, the manager looked at me with wide eyes of surprise.
Leave it to me.
With that thought, I winked at the manager, and he looked at me as if he’d found a savior.
He was almost on the verge of tears, and I spoke to him coolly.
“Since it’s settled, please get ready.”
“Yes… yes! Thank you! I really appreciate it!”
I felt like today, I might have saved the life of a company worker.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.