落とし穴外伝：冒険者区の実態 (Part2)
"Well then, since everyone is ready, shall we head outside?"
"Yes!"
With that, we stepped out of the inn. Being the middle of the day, the streets were sparsely populated.
"What shall we do now?"
"First, we gather information. We should act the part of adventurers who have just arrived in Weed for the first time. We are dressed the part, after all."
Prol gave a wry smile as she looked down at her own attire. I couldn't help but agree with her sentiment. After all, our worn-out clothes bore no resemblance to the current fashions of Weed. New clothing isn't something easily obtained in other regions, and we often have to resort to buying fabric and sewing it ourselves. We were wearing these dowdy garments specifically to play the role of travelers from afar.
"Um, does that mean we're going to go buy some clothes?"
I asked that, hoping to change out of these rags as soon as possible, but...
"Regrettably, no. We have no information on where to buy affordable, cute new outfits, and I doubt our purses could handle it regardless. Our priority is to head to an eatery or a tavern to gather intelligence."
"Eh? But surely, upon entering Weed, one is provided with a pamphlet and given some form of preliminary briefing?"
Orelia asked, looking puzzled by Prol's response. She was right. Unlike other nations, Weed has a unique culture and provides thorough explanations. They even distribute pamphlets to ensure visitors don't face any hardships. I assumed she would at least know the prices...
"Most adventurers don't take the information they're given at face value. Besides, it wasn't advice given directly by a gatekeeper, but a mass briefing delivered to a crowd—it likely went in one ear and out the other. Well, perhaps not for everyone, but we are currently acting as the type of people who don't listen to those instructions. If we didn't, we wouldn't be able to get ourselves deceived, would we?"
"Ah~, I see~. The pamphlets do warn about those kinds of scams, don't they~."
"Exactly. It’s the folks who don't bother to study or review the material who fall victim to fraud. We are simply following their lead."
I see. It makes sense. It’s the careless ones who suffer, so we have to mimic their behavior to blend in.
"Well then, with that settled, let’s walk around and look for an eatery."
Even though I couldn't help but think that checking the pamphlet would solve everything in an instant, after hearing that explanation, I couldn't very well complain. We began to walk.
That said, because Weed is so well-managed, there was no trash or filth to be found anywhere. The reason for this was the children, who walked the streets while cleaning. Even now, children carrying trash bags and brushes were busy with their chores.
"It’s kept remarkably clean."
"Indeed. Thanks to the children constantly cleaning, it’s not easy for anyone to litter or misbehave. And if anyone were to dare use abusive language or violence against them, the Adventurer Guild—not to mention the police—would move in immediately. You could say it’s the most effective public safety measure imaginable."
It’s true; the presence of the children encourages everyone to act like proper adults. Feeling proud that they work so hard to protect Weed, I couldn't help but smile. Though, my own work is mostly diplomatic relations and assisting Yuki-sama.
"Shall we ask the children, then?"
Since we didn't know the specific locations, I thought asking the children would be the simplest solution, but...
"No. Leaving me aside, it would be best for you and Orelia to avoid them. Even if you’ve changed your hair and clothes, if you get too close, the children will recognize you. If someone sees that, we’ll be under suspicion."
"Ah~. That’s true. I might have seen them at school~."
"Yeah. I’ve seen them too. I’ve played with them alongside Yuki-sama."
"I see. So, we have no choice but to find it ourselves."
And so, we continued to walk through the Adventurer District, carefully avoiding the children. It’s surprisingly difficult to find what you’re looking for when you can’t gather information. In any world, you have to focus your efforts where they count. And then, you reap the rewards. After all, everything in this world is finite.