第４０７堀：公園でのお仕事 (Part2)
"That's right. First, we need to solidify our foundation here before moving on to..."
I was in the middle of speaking when I spotted several people carrying bags in the corner of the park.
"Oh, looks like they're cleaning this area today. See? They rotate through the park every day, focusing on specific sections for cleaning and pruning."
"Ah, you're right."
"...I see those clothes often."
"Is that the uniform for the cleaning crew?"
"In this heat? How dreadfully taxing."
Samantha was right. Under this blistering sun, weeding and picking up trash looked like some kind of cruel punishment.
Making a living—putting food on the table—is hard work. It’s a thought that has crossed my mind countless times since coming to this world.
There was no "fantasy" to be found here. Just because magic exists doesn't mean the common folk aren't struggling just as much to get by.
*I work and I work, yet my life grows no easier.*
Well, I am pulling strings behind the scenes to make things as easy as possible, though.
"...? That person. They look familiar."
As we watched the workers, Cleena spoke up.
Hmm? If Cleena knows them, there’s a high chance I do too. I carefully scanned their faces one by one. When people are in identical work clothes, you don't really register their faces unless you already know they're supposed to be there.
Then, among the uniforms, I spotted a girl with sun-kissed, wheat-colored skin. She had a complexion rare for these parts and a petite frame.
Which meant...
"Dressa?"
"Yes? What is it?"
I had only muttered it under my breath, but Dressa apparently heard me. She stood up immediately and looked back. For some reason, Dressa was dressed in a janitor's jumpsuit, right in the middle of a cleaning shift.
"Oh, it's just Yuki and the others."
The moment she recognized us, her speech turned blunt and casual. I didn't know she could talk like that. I’d pegged her as a prickly, high-and-mighty princess type who couldn't handle manual labor or informal speech.
"Hey, part-timer! What kind of way is that to speak to this man?! My apologies, Boss Yuki."
"...Foreman, you aren't much better, calling him 'Boss'."
"It's fine for me! The Boss and I are pals. We go way back at the ramen stall."
...Ah, right. He’s the Dwarf old-timer who’s always at the stall. Lately, I’ve been busy, so my wives—who are usually on standby at home—have been filling in for me. I haven't been running the ramen stall nearly as often myself.
"Ah, don't worry about it. I'm the one who brought her here, after all."
"What?! She's a guest of yours, Boss?"
"Yeah. But you don't need to give her any special treatment. Work her to the bone. She took this job because she wanted to help, right?"
"Exactly. So don't worry about it, Foreman."
"Right then. If that's the case, leave it to me. But what brings you to the park, Boss? It's a scorcher today—not exactly the best weather for a stroll."
"So it seems. The sun is getting a bit too intense, so I was just thinking about heading back."
"How pathetic. The sun by the sea is way more intense than this, you know?"
"I wasn't raised by the sea. So, Dressa, did you actually start working as a cleaner?"
"No, it's a temporary part-time gig. It's a request from the Adventurer Guild for our afternoon 'free study' period. The conditions were that you had to have a Weed residency permit and be able to help out. Aslin and the others are at the school teaching the younger kids."
"I see. But are we really that short-handed?"
"We are, honestly. It feels like we're spread pretty thin. After all, the Adventurer District has personal requests from individuals, not just official state requests."
"Right, the Adventurer District has a lot of private shops, and there are a lot of outsiders there."
"That's the rub. There are too many people who can't seem to find a toilet when they need to relieve themselves. It's a nightmare. The Adventurer Guild tried putting out cleaning quests at first, but nobody would take them, so the work ended up falling to us."
Ah, right. Milly would be furious about that. In the early days, I remember the Guild putting out emergency quests just to crack down on people making messes outside of designated restrooms.
"I understand. I'll try to talk to some people on my end. I can't promise we'll find more help, though."
"Much appreciated. And I'll be stopping by the ramen stall again!"
"Sure, I'll see you then."
Waiting for the conversation to wind down, Dressa spoke up.
"Oh, by the way. Yuki, are you busy after this?"
"Hmm? No, I was just going to head home and start getting dinner ready."
"Then come talk to me for a bit. My shift is almost over."
"A consultation?"
"Mhm, something like that. Meet me at the cafe Aslin and the others always go to. See ya."
With that, Dressa went straight back to work.
"What do you want to do?"
"We aren't particularly pressed for time, so why not?"
"...Mm. I'm in favor of a break at a cafe."
"It's rare for Dressa to ask for advice. Perhaps we should listen?"
"If we run out of time, we can simply head home. I see no issue with it."
"Then let's head to the cafe."
And so, we cut our park exploration short and made our way to the cafe. I really have to admire the toughness of people who go for walks in a park during summer. The people out here jogging are truly incredible. As for me, I'm much better suited to lounging at home, playing games or writing.
Well, before I knew it, we're already in the latter half of July. I wonder if schools on a two-semester system are already on break? Or maybe the others have started their summer vacations too?
Well, whatever the case. Summer vacation is finally here!!
Also, I'll be posting an activity report tomorrow, the 27th. It'll be the usual Q&A session, so look forward to it.