"The atmosphere has changed somehow..."
After a series of carriage transfers from the Fatma Territory, I finally arrived.
Gimul, seen for the first time in nearly a month, stirred a sense of unease within me rather than the warm nostalgia I had expected. While the streets were more crowded than before, the town felt... dilapidated, somehow.
"Stop right there!"
"!"
A shout suddenly rang out as I was heading toward my shop. I turned to see three members of the Guard Force in pursuit. They were chasing a man sprinting a short distance ahead; it looked like a purse-snatching in broad daylight.
"Got him!"
"Damn it! Let me go!"
One of the guards was exceptionally fast and caught up to the culprit immediately. However...
"! Look out!"
"Whoa!?"
"Heh! You idiot—!"
"Don't let him get away!"
"Dammit!!"
The guard’s hold had been sloppy. The culprit whipped out a concealed knife and swung it wildly. The blade caught the guard across the face, causing his grip to slacken. The thief tried to bolt again, but the other guards caught up and pinned him down for good.
"Are you alright!?"
"Ugh... gah..."
The wound wasn't fatal, but because it was on his face, the bleeding was profuse. I wondered if they would let me use healing magic.
"Excuse me."
"What is it?! Can't you see we're in the middle of something?!"
"I can use healing magic. If you would like, I can treat him."
"Healing—? Sorry! That would be a massive help!"
Once I had their permission, I checked the wound and cast an intermediate High Heal. Compared to the alarming amount of blood, the cut wasn't actually that deep, so a single spell was enough to close it.
"How does it feel? Anything seem off?"
"No, it's fine. The pain is gone."
"I'm glad."
Seeing the guard's face restored, the other man who had been standing by spoke up.
"Young man, you have my gratitude. And I apologize for my outburst earlier."
"Your colleague was hurt. It was a stressful situation."
"No. Injuries are part of the job; we must always be prepared. Using that as an excuse to snap at the very citizens we are sworn to protect is unacceptable. To behave that way toward someone offering medical aid is even worse. This isn't a valid excuse, but I've been on edge all day."
He seemed like a remarkably earnest person.
"I have already accepted your apology, so don't worry about it. But... actually, may I ask you something?"
I told him I had been away from town for a while and asked about the shift in the atmosphere.
"In that case, did you see the new town under construction to the south?"
"Yes. It is mostly just the outer walls so far, but construction seems to be moving fast."
"Indeed. The progress is good, but the problem is that the town is currently crawling with laborers who came looking for work... Look, over there. And down that way."
He gestured toward several narrow alleys. People were slumped against walls or sleeping on the ground. Others were being chased away after digging through a restaurant's trash for scraps.
"All this, just one street over from the main road?"
"The population was growing last month, but it wasn't this bad. It seems the influx of workers from elsewhere far exceeded our projections. Consequently, the number of brawls and public disturbances has skyrocketed. We've hurriedly bolstered our ranks, but even with rookies mobilized, we're working around the clock."
As a resident, I felt a deep sense of gratitude for the Guard Force’s hard work.
"I see. Thank you for taking the time to talk. Good luck with the job."
"Thank you. You stay safe as well. Make sure you are home before dark."
I bid the guard farewell and continued toward my shop.
■ ■ ■
When I finally arrived, I tried to head in through the employee entrance, but a man I didn't recognize stopped me.
"Who are you? No unauthorized people allowed."
Honestly, I wanted to ask him the same thing. Still, I explained that I was staff and asked to see Calm. The man seemed to realize something and peaceably let me inside.
"Welcome back, Boss!"
My identity as the manager was promptly confirmed.
"Sorry about that," the man said. "I had heard the boss was a kid, but I figured it was some kind of joke. Or even if he was a kid, I expected someone a bit bigger—near-adult age, maybe."
"Even if there's no age limit, that's a fair assumption to make."
After confirming each other's identities, we reconciled. It felt a bit odd to use that word since we hadn't actually been fighting, but the man—Yudum—spoke to me with a friendly, casual air. He was a Human male in his twenties with blonde hair. He called himself a martial artist, and his body certainly looked the part. Rather than being bulky, he had the lean, efficient build of a boxer who had stripped away every gram of useless fat.
Apparently, he was traveling the country to test his skills. He had happened to stop in Gimul and had come across Shelma being harassed by thugs while she was out grocery shopping. He had stepped in to save her.
He had then escorted her back to the shop, where she explained everything to Calm and the others. Concerned about the rising crime and wanting to shore up our security, Calm had decided to hire additional guards. After consulting with Ox and Fei, they had reached out to Yudum and brought him on as temporary security.
"Calm, thank you for looking after the shop while I was away. And Yudum, thank you for your help."
"It is what I am here for," Calm replied.
"My travel funds were about to hit rock bottom, so the timing was perfect," Yudum added. "The pay is good, the atmosphere is great, and best of all, I have plenty of people to spar with. It's the perfect environment for me."
"I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it."
"Speaking of which, I heard the Boss is pretty capable himself... Yeah, I can tell. Care for a match?"
Oh?
"Something wrong?"
"No, it's just that I am usually told I look weak. It was a rare—or rather, refreshing—invitation, so I was a little surprised."
"Well, at that age and size, you definitely don't look like a powerhouse at first glance. But I was watching you closely earlier when I was on guard duty. I've done my fair share of dojo storming as a martial artist, so I can tell from how a person moves if they've got real skill."
Wow, he sounded like a reliable addition to the team.
"I was feeling a bit uneasy because the town felt so different when I got back," I admitted. "Calm, how is everyone else doing?"
"Well... now that we have Yudum alongside Fei and the others, the shop's defense is solid. Everyone is working cheerfully. However, the employees still need to go out for supplies, and they are understandably anxious about the deteriorating safety in town. The crime rate has surged, and just the other day, there was an arson incident at the Morgan Company."
"What?! At Serge’s place?"
Calm nodded gravely. He and his sister, Carla—who was currently at the second store—were talented staff members who had come from the Morgan Company as a courtesy from Serge. Since it was his former workplace that had been targeted, he clearly wasn't taking it lightly.
"The Morgan Company had night security on duty, so the fire was put out immediately. But it was a daring crime; several people threw jars of oil and followed up with fire magic. The culprits used the chaos to escape and haven't been caught yet. Their security wasn't lax by any means, so I suspect it was a professional job, meticulously planned. The incident caused quite a stir in the city."
"I can imagine."
The Morgan Company was a world-renowned establishment. The name carried immense prestige, and the branch in Gimul served as its headquarters. An arson attack on such a prominent business would naturally cause panic. In my previous life, the media would have been all over it.
"And Serge?"
"He is unharmed. He gave orders to prioritize employee safety above all else, so no one was injured."
"I see. That is good to hear."
Still, it weighed on my mind. The town had changed too much. I wanted to talk to him.
"Calm, is there any work that needs my urgent attention?"
"There are documents for you to review, but you must be exhausted from your journey. Tomorrow is fine."
"In that case, I'll take you up on that. I brought back a few things from the Fatma Territory, so I'm going to go check on Serge."
"Understood. Please give him my regards."
"Oh, right. I have souvenirs for everyone, but I’ll get them organized and hand them out tomorrow. See you later!"
Having only just returned, I dashed out of the shop and headed toward the Morgan Company.