落とし穴外伝：冒険者区の実態 (Part1)
Pitfall Side Story: The Reality of the Adventurer District
The Reality of the Adventurer District
Side: Yayui
The reality of being an adventurer, as told by Prof.
No, I had heard it from Mauve and the others as well, but it didn't feel real until I saw this place with my own eyes.
Before me lay a corridor so narrow that two people could barely pass each other, flanked on both sides by a long, unbroken row of room doors.
This was an inn—one of the budget lodgings provided by Weed.
Why were we here, you ask?
"For the time being, let's each secure a room for ourselves."
It was at Prof’s suggestion that we decided to stay here.
Well, we aren’t actually planning to sleep here, but we are acting on Prof’s advice that it would be better to go through the motions of being an adventurer properly.
I truly believe now that if we didn't see this reality, if we didn't understand the grit and grime, it would have been difficult to carry ourselves like true adventurers.
"Then, let's meet in the inn lobby after we've locked our gear in our rooms."
With that, we each entered the rooms we had rented.
The construction itself wasn't shoddy; it was quite sturdy, but...
"...Huh? Wait."
I scanned the room and tilted my head in confusion.
I was puzzled because things that should have been there were missing.
There was a bed, a locker, a table, and a chair.
But that was it.
There was no toilet, no bath, no shower—nothing.
Moreover, those three things had been crammed into the room in a way that made the space feel suffocating.
I suppose it couldn't be helped, given the room was only about three tatami mats in size...
Regardless, what wasn't there wasn't there, so I busied myself with taking off my clothes—or rather, my armor.
My current equipment was that of a rogue: light armor, knives, and a bow, serving as a scout.
Wait, what role do I usually play in combat again?
I’ve become strong for the sake of protecting Yuki-sama, but I’d never really thought about it in those terms.
As my focus drifted from my hands, my knife slipped and clattered to the floor.
Since it was sealed and in its sheath, it didn't damage the floor, but the sound of the hilt hitting the ground echoed through the room.
I was just thinking about how careless I was when—
"That was a loud noise, are you okay~?"
Hovis’s voice drifted in from through the wall.
"Oh, yeah. I just dropped my knife. Wait, we can talk normally through the wall!?"
"Seems like it~. The walls are awfully thin, aren't they~?"
Is this some kind of shockingly lazy construction? No, it must be to keep the inn’s costs down.
Thinner walls mean fewer materials and less labor, keeping expenses low.
Above all, it allows them to provide more rooms.
Thinking this, I turned my gaze to the table and saw amenities and supplies, including a pair of earplugs.
I see, so when the neighbors are noisy, you’re supposed to use these.
"Hey, I'm done changing."
"I'll be a little longer, so you go on ahead~."
"Yeah, got it. I'll tell Prof and Orelia."
"Please do~."
With that, I left the room and headed for the inn’s lobby.
On the way, I passed people who looked like adventurers.
But some of them didn't have any equipment at all, making me wonder if they were farmers.
I arrived at the lobby wondering about that, only to find Prof and Orelia already waiting for us.
"You've arrived."
"Oh? What happened to Hovis?"
"It seems Hovis is having trouble taking off her armor."
"Ah, I see."
The two of them nodded in understanding at my explanation.
I decided to ask my question as well.
"By the way, I passed some guests earlier, but they didn't look like adventurers—they didn't have the right gear, and their physiques didn't seem like those of adventurers either. I was wondering..."
"Those are likely people who have come to become adventurers. And they’re the type who have no funds to speak of."
"Um, in that case, how do they handle registration and equipment?"
Orelia voiced the question in my stead.
"In Weed, there is no shortage of work to earn a few coins. We have budget inns, cheap eateries, and facilities like public baths, so they can manage to scrape by. Of course, you know there is a vocational training center for those aiming for regular employment. You can think of this as the adventurer version of that. That said, if they show absolutely no potential as an adventurer, they are told to give up at that point."
"What happens in that case?"
"They simply find regular employment. Since they aren't cut out to be adventurers, they’ll find work easily enough as long as they stay in Weed, provided they aren't completely incompetent. Well, there are budget facilities, so they can survive even just by doing odd jobs."
It’s true; I’ve heard that even if people don't become adventurers, many find stable jobs through the work they do as adventurers. I don't think they’d have any trouble unless they were truly hopeless.
"Oh, speaking of budget, the thin walls..."
"Yes. It is just as Yayui imagined. It’s to keep labor costs low and to keep the room rates down. It also allows for more rooms. The shared toilets are for the same reason. Most of the facilities in the Adventurer District, including the budget baths and eateries, are managed under the leadership of the Adventurer Guild and the representative of the Adventurer District. It’s also to prevent trouble."
I knew it.
The prices were shockingly low, and the quality was surprisingly decent for the cost; I see now that there was a background to it.
"Ah, so you noticed the walls were thin too, Yayui."
"Yeah. I was able to talk to Hovis through the wall."
"Hmm, perhaps they are a bit too thin. We should mention that to Milly-sama or Guild Master Rock later. That said, this is how inns on the Rogari Continent usually are. We must not forget that it is only because Weed is exceptional that we think otherwise."
Orelia and I nodded at that.
Having been brought here from outside of Weed, we know the standard of living for an average household on the Rogari Continent.
The private rooms in the inn we are provided with are of a level that wouldn't be out of place for a noble to live in.
I realized just how fortunate we were to serve Yuki-sama and be brought to Weed.
As we were talking, Hovis arrived, having finished removing her armor.
"Sorry~. I had a hard time taking off my armor~."
"No, it is unfamiliar equipment, after all. Usually, this ring is enough."
Prof said, brushing off Hovis’s apology.
It was the truth, after all, and I had dropped my knife as well.
The ring was a super-legendary piece of equipment given to us by Yuki-sama.
This alone provided more defensive power than any iron armor could compare to.