第１５６４堀：募集は順調 (Part1)
**Chapter 1564: Recruitment is Going Well**
**Side: Yuki**
The search of the Adventurer’s Guild had yielded more than I’d expected—or perhaps that’s how I should put it.
The office of the Guild Master, which we had breached, was buried in guild paperwork, likely shoved there in a panic during the chaos of the evacuation. It was literally buried. When Kiyu managed to open the door without triggering the defensive mechanisms, we were met not by a room, but by a wall. Or rather, a wall of boxes filled with documents stood directly in our path. If the door hadn’t opened outward, we wouldn’t have been able to get in at all.
Wait, if it opened inward, wouldn’t it have been impossible to close? Well, never mind that. Regardless, we ended up having to pull everything out and sort through it. I’d initially considered just shoving it all into an Item Box, but since we clearly needed to extract information from the mess, we started by categorizing it.
"And that’s why we were barely in time for the soup kitchen."
"I see. You were later than usual, Master, so I was worried."
Rurua nodded, satisfied with my explanation. We had returned to assist with the soup kitchen, leaving the remaining investigation to John’s colonial troops. They’d all looked pretty miserable about the assignment, but that’s the life of a soldier, so they’d just have to deal with it.
"So, since you were digging through that until the last minute, did you find any information?"
"Unfortunately, we didn't have time to sort through every single box. Right?"
I looked to Deryu for confirmation regarding Lilishe’s question.
"Indeed. It was a disaster. Thinking back on it, it might have been a double-layered anti-theft measure."
"Ah, that sounds plausible and annoying."
It made sense. Even if someone broke the door down, they would either have to turn back immediately or get frustrated and set the place on fire. If that happened, the documents wouldn't be stolen, effectively protecting the important information and supplies. Under those circumstances, no one would have had the luxury of breaking through a trapped door and slowly hauling out boxes.
"So, nothing on the secret treasure then?"
"None. Or rather, we’re still in the middle of investigating. That’s why we came here to gather intel while helping with the soup kitchen. But what about the recruitment for the farm work? How is that going?"
I had reported that we’d found some documents, but I didn't know the status of the recruitment drive.
"Oh, the reception for that has already started. Look over there."
Following Enora’s pointing finger, I saw a massive sign posted, calling for volunteers to help with the farm development. Directly beneath it, a mountain of people had gathered, with sisters holding signs marking the end of the line.
"It seems more people have gathered than I expected."
"That’s right! Yuki-sensei, Mikos-chan went around and advertised it everywhere. Once she promised them meals at home, this is what happened."
So they used Mikos as the public relations officer. A perfect fit.
"Well, it’s good that they gathered, but are they actually useful?"
There’s no point if they can’t do the work. I wondered how they were vetting them.
"That’s what we’re about to find out. There’s no way to know if they’ll actually work hard until we let them try, and there’s always the issue of health. We just have to trust them for now."
Senaru chimed in. It was true; there was no way to tell if people you’d just met would be diligent. Still…
"Turning them away blindly might be dangerous, too."
"Exactly. They might end up holding a grudge against us. But I assume gathering them all in one place is part of the plan, right?"
"I suppose. Still, I want to make sure the sisters don't get hurt."
I looked toward the sisters, who were working hard. They hadn't fully recovered yet. While Rurua and the others arriving yesterday had allowed them to rest and eat, the accumulated fatigue hadn't vanished overnight. They had worked so hard until now. While I had my own objectives, I truly hoped they wouldn't suffer any harm.
"We’ll be keeping an eye on that, so don’t worry. More importantly, the people here aren't thinking about anything like that."
Hairen puffed out her chest as she answered. I asked her what the basis for that confidence was, as usual…
"I can tell. Those people are indeed cooperating with the Dark Guild, but first and foremost, they just want food and a place to sleep. They won’t hold any hostility toward us."
I see, another one of your "intuitions," is it? Well, I had no choice but to trust it.
"I’m counting on you. We’ll be fine, but the sisters have worked hard to get us this far."
"I know. And the people gathered over there know it even better than we do."
Hairen looked toward the long line of people. She was right. Even we could see how hard the sisters had been working. There was no way the people who had been watching them all this time could be blind to it. Even if they were involved with the Dark Guild, the fact that they had been helped by the sisters remained unchanged. That was likely why they wouldn't treat them cruelly.
She always managed to pierce through to the truth. Her conviction was incredibly persuasive. If there had been any real resentment, there would have been incidents before we even arrived. While it wasn't as if there were zero issues, the fact that the sisters weren't on high alert meant the public had no intention of harming them. In a way, you could say the people—even those participating in the Dark Guild—were protecting the sisters.
"…Thinking about it that way, are we the ones in danger?"
"Probably. If we treated the sisters poorly, it wouldn't be strange for the public to turn their hostility toward us. But, thanks to our actions since yesterday, those harsh gazes have already started to fade. Reinforcements from the Litea Church, farm development from Weed, soup kitchens, and supplies. In this situation, they wouldn't dream of harming us."
Yeah, you really are capable when you actually put your mind to it. I wish you’d lead with that kind of explanation instead of acting on your own, but if I tried to lecture Hairen, she’d just run away. …She really is a handful.
"What?"
"Nothing. I was just wondering about the base for the people we’re accepting, since there are so many of them."
Yes, how were they handling the infrastructure for all these people who wanted to work? I knew John’s colonial troops had been busy, but…
"Oh, for now, we’re using those containers—the ones with just beds for sleeping. We’ve lined them up. Private rooms and family units are for later, and the same goes for the dining facilities."
Enora answered my question.
"I see. So you’re using the makeshift sleeping quarters and dining containers prepared for the military."
That made sense. They were designed for emergencies, so they’d serve as a decent substitute.
"Hmm. Then, for now, there are no major problems?"
"Pretty much. The rest is just managing the soup kitchen and the reception line over there."
"As for the soup kitchen, Weed will provide finished meals for today and tomorrow, so that’s covered. Which means the real issue is the reception line."