"I’ve brought the luggage! Should I put it here!?"
"Yes, thank you. Could you bring the next batch over here?"
"Roger that! Leave it to me!"
The following day, Yugo found himself working at a suburban ranch in place of Hex. He was a natural at the manual labor, efficiently hauling crates and handling various chores. The ranch owner watched him work, clearly impressed.
"I have to say, I was surprised when I heard the lad who originally took the job got hurt, but I'm glad they sent such a hard worker in his stead! Put that down and come over here. Let's have some lunch and take a break!"
"Yes, sir! Thank you!"
Yugo set the wooden crate down with a heavy thud and bowed to his employer. There was something satisfying about honest manual labor, no matter which world he was in. He took the sandwich and tea he was offered and soaked in the view. The ranch and the surrounding plains were breathtaking.
"This is a nice spot," Yugo noted. "The air is crisp—it’s the perfect place for a picnic."
"Ahaha, thank you. We do get a lot of families out here on their days off."
They sat together under the brilliant sunshine of a perfectly clear day. Yugo savored the sandwich, marveling at the lush scenery. In his original world, such untouched nature was a rare sight. A cool breeze swept across the plains, whisking away the heat from his skin. It was a perfect moment of respite.
Classes haven't started yet, and Blaster is in the shop, Yugo thought. The pay will help cover the costs of the upgrades, but a change of pace is good for the soul too.
While he’d taken the job to help out Hex, it was a refreshing break from the usual tension. It was also a rare opportunity to live without relying on magic items. He could have finished the heavy lifting in seconds if he used Blaster, but using that kind of power for mundane chores went against his code as a hero. Superhuman strength was meant for when things truly went south; using it for daily life would only dull his senses.
There was once a certain "orange part-timer" who tried to use his hero powers for his delivery job, but Yugo considered that a special case. He believed in doing what he could with his own two hands. In that sense, he was glad he’d left Blaster with Anhel.
Anhel and Fee are probably working on it right now... I can’t wait to see the finished product!
Since this was a live-in job for a few days, he wouldn't be back at Luminous Academy for a while. That just meant more time for them to come up with something truly spectacular. He wondered what new functions they would add and how much stronger his gear would become. The thought brought a geeky grin to his face that he couldn't quite suppress.
"You're in a good mood, Yugo. Something catch your eye?"
"Oh, no, it's nothing like that... wait."
Yugo started to brush off the owner's comment, feeling a bit embarrassed by his own excitement, when his gaze snagged on something in the distance. His expression sharpened.
"Say, those people over there... they don't look like tourists, do they? They look a bit... intense."
"You're right. Those are members of the Security Force," the owner said, his voice trailing off in confusion. "But why are there so many of them? Did something happen?"
Among the families and sightseers, groups of men in uniform stood out like sore thumbs. Yugo watched the magic knights; they weren't just patrolling. They looked tense, as if they were waiting for something.
A bad premonition settled in Yugo's gut. He shoved the last of his sandwich into his mouth and washed it down with tea. At that exact moment, a scream pierced the air, followed by a low rumble that shook the earth.
"What was that!?"
Yugo stood up, searching for the source of the commotion. A massive cloud of dust was billowing toward them. As the families nearby began to panic and flee, Yugo squinted, trying to make out the figure racing across the grassland.
It was larger than a human and moving at a speed no mortal creature could achieve. A Magic Armor Beast? Yugo wondered. Then the dust cleared enough for him to see it clearly, and he lost his breath.
"What the...!?"
The thing hurtling toward them was a skeletal horse. Stripped of everything but its mane and tail, the creature's bleached bones gleamed as it thundered across the prairie. Every strike of its hooves left a trail of flickering flames, scorching the grass in its wake.
As Yugo stood there, stunned by the bizarre sight, the Security Force sprang into action. They had been waiting for this.