Chapter intermission 2
◇Royal Capital - Downtown◇
"Good work today, how 'bout we get some drink after this?"
"Sorry, my family's waiting . "
"Yer' an unsociable old man . "
I waved my hand lightly to my co-worker who cursed me and left the place .
The pay from the construction site today is good, but I've to go to the middleman office first thing tomorrow .
This Royal Capital which we arrived at after fleeing from Lesseu Earldom for our life wasn't a paradise at all .
It's a life where I can't even drink a bottle of ale easily even if I work from morning till night .
"Boruto-san, it's been a while . "
"Akindo-san! Long time no see!"
The one who appeared in front of me as I walked sluggishly was a male merchant who saved us when we were attacked by monsters in Lesseu Earldom .
"You're not with the dogkin and catkin children this time?"
"Yes, that is so . "
This man is awfully humble even though he said he was a merchant exclusively contracted by a noble-sama .
He's speaking politely even with a mere village liker me .
"How is the life in Royal Capital?"
"Thanks to Akindo-san for getting a place for us to live, we're getting by alright although barely . "
I'm really indebted to this person .
"Is that so--if it's hard for you, since Viscount Pendragon-sama is looking for immigrants, how about applying for one?"
"By immigrants, you mean for pioneer village?"
"Yes, that's right . "
Looks like Akindo-san who's a merchant doesn't understand how difficult a pioneer village is .
Shaving off your hunger by eating weeds and tree skins, several people will die within three years .
And even when you can finally harvest some crops, the officials will take 'em all .
I don't mind if it's just me, but I don't want to let my child and wife to live such a life .
"I hope you can keep what I'm about to say a secret, about that pioneer land--"
"Is that true?"
"Yes, it is . "
Unbelievably, on top of having fields where crops can be planted right away, it's fully equipped with houses complete with the minimum furnitures, what's more there's even water wells that the village can use .
It's too good to be true even if you take it with a grain of salt . You'd normally think it's a fraud .
However, I can't imagine Akindo-san, who lent me several gold coins with no pressure in payment when we just got to the Royal Capital, tricking me .
Rather, if he wanted to trick and turn me into a slave, he'd have asked for unreasonable interest from the first loan .
In fact, the tax collector and village elder who fled from Lesseu Earldom earlier were turned into slaves by that kind of trick .
"T-then I can ask it from you?"
"Echigoya Firm will be acting as the contact . I'm rarely in the Royal Capital after all . "
Echigoya Firm huh . . . . If I'm not mistaken it's a firm managed by the servant of Hero Nanashi-sama .
My wife is also working as a contracted employee in Echigoya Firm's mill, she said that the pay was good even though the work was hard .
Think she was surprised that it was a firm that properly paid as much money as promised in the beginning .
"Thank you, Akindo-san . I'll talk about it with my wife . "
"Yes, that's a good idea . "
Akindo-san left after smiling .
◇
"Eh~ Pioneer village~ . I don't want to!"
"Dear, you forgot the story of our great grandfathers' pioneer village?"
I immediately talked about the pioneer village with my wife and daughter once I got back home, but they strongly rejected it as expected .
Our village only became easy to live in starting from 20 years ago, I and my wife lived our childhood in fear of starvation, so this reaction is normal .
I told the story I heard from Akindo-san in a hurry .
"You're being tricked dad . "
"That's right dear . There's no way such thing like having ready fields and houses with furnitures can be true . "
"No but, Akindo-san said--"
"That's cause Akindo-san is being deceived too isn't it?"
"That person is a softhearted person who was even worried about us after all . "
I still want to plea back, but no way I can win against two women's mouths .
However, even if we cling on Royal Capital forever-- .
"We'll hit the wall if we keep this up . We can live without starving cause the food price is stable, but the construction works from the monster disturbance from back then are going to disappear soon . Once the day laborer works decreased, I've to start to seek job in the crowded job market . If my wage decrease, we can't pay the rent here . "
"But but, there's also wages from me helping in the bar, and mom's work in Echigoya's mill . "
Looks like my daughter who hasn't become an adult doesn't know that being a waitress in a downtown bar is no different from being a cheap prostitute .
The crime number has decreased thanks to the scary guys from the downtown mutual aid society patrolling the area, but that doesn't mean there's no more prostitutes or perverted drunkards .
As a parent, I don't want to let an unmarried daughter to work there forever .
"Our live would become easier if I became a regular worker instead of contracted in Echigoya Firm . . . . "
My wife put her hand on her cheek and sighed .
I've heard that the people employed in Echigoya Firm in the Royal Capital are well-paid enough to buy their own house, but only educated people and trained in skill can become one .
"That's the Echigoya y'know . "
"What is?"
I didn't say it?
"The mediator for the pioneer thing is that Echigoya . "
"I-is that true?"
"Y-yea . "
I nodded to my wife who suddenly was in high spirits .
"Hey, dad . Where's the pioneer village at? Is it Lesseu Earldom?"
"No, seems to be a village under Viscount Pendragon-sama's administration in Muno Earldom . "
"Pendragon! By Pendragon, it's that Pendragon right! 『Pendragon the Woundless』--A Mithril explorer and the one whose female lizardkin spearsman retainer defeated a Shiga Eight Sword!"
My daughter put her feet on the desk and thrust her fist toward the ceiling .
I also know what my daughter is talking about . My daughter heard it from some drunkards, I heard it from someone who liked rumors on the construction site . The story sounds faked, but apparently it's the truth .
"Dad! That story earlier might be true after all!"
According to my daughter, it seems the treasures Viscount Pendragon got from defeating the [Floor Master] were sold for more than 30 . 000 gold coins .
A merchant's maid who was in the bar seemed to have heard it it by accident in the auction venue .
"Guess it's okay if Echigoya Firm is the mediator . Cause Echigoya is strict with lies after all . "
My wife murmured seriously .
Something probably happened at her workplace .
"Then, we're applying?"
The two nodded, and then I went to Echigoya's branch office in the downtown the next day .
It seems they only started the open recruitment in the noon today, the receptionist woman was surprised .
The recruitment was overflowed in a blink of an eyes it became a raffle but it seemed we were treated as referrals from Akindo-san, so we were accepted to be ones of the immigrants .
I haven't met him again after that time, I want to thank him properly at least once .
◇
"A-airship?"
"Dad, we're really immigrating right?"
"We're not being led to become slaves are we?"
My wife and daughter pulled my sleeves from the sides .
I can't comprehend the situation before me .
I heard that Muno Earldom we were going to was on the opposite side of Fujisan mountains, so I thought that we would go around the mountains on foot for sure .
Who'd have thought we'll be moving with an airship . . . .
"Dad, we're like nobles . "
My daughter who acted daringly pulled my hand to the airship .
The ceiling is low . When I sit down on the floor with mat, my back touches the neighbor's already .
"This must be why there's a restriction to the luggage . "
"Yes, that seems so . "
I thought it was strange that there was a restriction from carrying household items even though we were immigrants, but I can understand why now .
I grasped my luggage and tally tightly and waited for the departure .
--Hm, looks like I fell asleep before I knew it .
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