落とし穴６掘：住人問題
### Pitfall Dig 6: Resident Issues
This time, it’s a somewhat heavy topic.
**Resident Issues**
**Side: Tori**
I am at the office, performing my usual police duties. However, due to the massive influx of immigrants from Litea, the number of issues has been steadily increasing.
"Representative. There’s a disturbance at the training grounds."
"What about Riel?"
"Representative Riel is currently resolving an issue in the residential district."
"And the guards stationed at the training grounds?"
"Well, they are insisting on seeing the Representative. They refuse to speak with us because we are 'slaves'."
"Hah, those idiots again. What about the Fairy personnel?"
"The Fairies are being told the same thing—that they aren't Human, so they shouldn't interfere."
"…What’s the situation?"
"They’ve barricaded themselves in Lecture Room B in a corner of the training grounds. There are about twelve or thirteen of them."
"Understood. I’m heading there. Give me the details on the way."
I stood up from my chair, opened the door, and headed toward the training grounds.
"So, which training building is it?"
"Building 4, ma'am."
Due to the large number of immigrants, we expanded from two training buildings to five. Since the base population is around 400, two buildings are technically enough, but the turnover for toilets and baths was too slow, so we opened up to Building 4.
"Since they’re 'Human,' I assume the perpetrators are Humans?"
"Yes. They claim they cannot be expected to coexist with us Beastmen or the Fairies."
"…They really should have just stayed home if they felt that way."
"I couldn't agree more."
"Regardless, I’ll attempt to persuade them, but I intend to suppress them and have them expelled."
"Understood."
Reports of this type of behavior—some extreme, some minor—come in every single day. I genuinely wonder if they aren't listening to our explanations, or if they just don't care. They’re only tightening the noose around their own necks by acting like this.
As I pondered this, I arrived at the scene.
"Don't come any closer!! Call the Representative!! You lot aren't worth talking to!!"
"That's right!! We only have business with the Representative!!"
"Yeah!! That's right!!"
Ugh, what a pain. They even dismantled the desks to build a barricade; the cleanup is going to be a nightmare.
"Yes, this is Representative Tori. All of you, dismantle that barricade and come here immediately. You are obstructing justice and damaging public property. Why did you do this?"
"Oh, you finally showed up!! We are those who wish for the improvement of Human rights!!"
"Excuse me?"
"The lord here is Seraria-sama!! So why are we being treated the same as other races?! We should be given preferential treatment!"
"That's right!! We Humans are superior!!"
"And what, specifically, are your demands?"
"..."
"..."
I narrowed my eyes, and they immediately fell silent.
"What do you define as 'improving rights'? Answer me. Or are you just unhappy that Elju-sama and Seraria-sama have policies of equality for everyone?"
"Th-that is..."
"Shall I guess? Free use of all facilities and preferential treatment at shops, perhaps?"
"Th-that's right!!"
"Don't be ridiculous. Be honest. You just want money, don't you?"
"…!?"
Everyone’s eyes went wide with shock.
"I have verified all of your identities. What do you think we created ID cards and family registers for? Every one of you has caused trouble at various facilities and shops. Most of it was borderline theft. I’ve also checked your financial records—it’s nothing but mindless squandering. How am I supposed to find a motive other than greed?"
When I said that on the spot, the other immigrants watching from the sidelines looked at them with icy gazes. And rightly so. It was nothing more than a child’s tantrum. I glanced at the documents the officer had handed me. Hmm? This is… I’ll have to discuss this later.
"Now, this is your final warning. Your demands are not worth accepting. If you surrender peacefully now, you will be sentenced to a few months of forced labor and we can settle this quietly. If you refuse, you will be expelled from this dungeon. Is that understood?"
"D-don't lie!! If you kick us out, we'll spread rumors about how terrible this place is!!"
"We have already informed the surrounding nations. You will be expelled wearing these special slave collars. Don't worry, it’s not 'slavery' in the traditional sense. It simply means you will be barred from entering this dungeon. However, the collar signifies that you were expelled from our dungeon for causing trouble. Good luck. I’m sure our allied nations will look at you with disdain."
"…!?"
They were visibly shaken. Honestly, the fact that they thought this would work shows just how hopeless they are.
"Now, I’m going to restrain you. You will all be arrested, fined, and expelled. Good luck with that."
"W-wait…!!"
***
"…And that’s what happened."
"For me, it was a fight between the Elves and the Cat Beastmen. It turned out to be a misunderstanding about cultural differences."
"My shops have had some issues with shoplifting. Well, due to the magic, if you don't pass items through the register, you get paralyzed, so it’s easy to catch them. Especially at Super Ratz, with so many items on display."
"The hot springs in the entertainment district are a headache, too. It’s gotten better recently, but there are many fools who try to steal the soap and shampoo. I actually got quite angry at them."
"…Narjia-san, please try to hold back. You scorched the front desk because of that."
Back at the inn that night, we shared our stories and realized everyone was dealing with similar troubles.
"Well, that’s how the world is. We just have to gradually raise the residents' morals. It’s not something they’ll understand overnight. It’s about building it up, one step at a time, until everyone understands. Things are improving, aren't they?"
"Yes. Overall, there are fewer troubles than when the migration from Litea first began. In fact, residents and immigrants are now cooperating to stop inappropriate behavior that doesn't fit this dungeon, and they report it more often."
I replied to Yuki-san, keeping the recent number of incidents in mind.
"That’s good to hear. Come to think of it, we had all sorts of things happen at the start, didn't we?"
"We sure did. There were idiots who complained that they didn't want to share a room with others. I was stunned."
"That happened. The worst one was someone who insisted, 'I only eat bread!'"
As we shared our tales of hardship, Seraria-sama arrived, radiating intense anger.
"…What happened?"
"I found a woman who had been assaulted during my patrol today."
"…!?"
"…Is the victim…?"
"…Her life isn't in danger, but she is mentally shattered. She isn't in a state to speak."
"…I—"
"I cut them down," Seraria-sama interrupted.
"……"
It’s not that the troubles Seraria-sama mentioned haven't existed until now. But this was the first time she had discovered one personally.
"Sexual assault. Child abuse. Rape. I’ve said it before: I will cut down anyone who commits such acts. Honestly, I’ve seen something truly filthy. Tori, you’ll receive the related documents tomorrow. Please process them."
"Yes."
"Labyris. Make sure the public announcement clearly states that we will show no mercy toward such heinous crimes."
"…I understand."
"Honestly, there is scum everywhere."
Seraria-sama said this and then dove into Yuki-san’s arms.
"I’m sorry."
"…It’s not your fault. I’m just still too naive. I know these things happen everywhere, but when I saw that scene, I couldn't control my emotions. …A woman, treated like that."
Yuki-san hugged her gently. Lately, Seraria-sama seems to be clinging to Yuki-san quite a bit.
"Anyway, putting that aside. You better not ever commit sexual assault, you hear?"
"I wouldn't."
"Pfft—!"
That single remark dissipated the dark atmosphere.
"The world is full of all sorts of things. It’s impossible for everything to go perfectly. I’m counting on you all to keep helping me."
When Yuki-san said that, everyone nodded. That’s right. This incident is tragic, but it doesn't mean everything is over. We have to properly connect this to the future.
Ah, it looks like tomorrow is going to be busy again. Nothing ever goes perfectly. Everyone lives their lives carrying problems, both large and small. But instead of ignoring them, I think it’s important to keep working hard every day to improve things.
Oh, and Yuki couldn't commit sexual assault even if he wanted to. I think he’s the type who would be on the receiving end, haha.