By the time noon rolled around, the snow removal efforts that had been underway since early morning had finally reached a stopping point.
Yudum and I made our way to the church.
"Hello," I called out as we entered.
"Welcome, Takebayashi-san, Yudum-san. Thank you so much for coming today. You’ve been so generous, providing us with both a venue and so many ingredients..."
"Not at all. These kinds of activities are important. Besides, the ingredients were just surplus from my experimental fields. We simply grew more than we could use."
Belle, one of the sisters managing the Gimul Church, bowed her head deeply. Behind her, the orphans living at the church were busy. They were using carts of all sizes to move piles of cooking utensils and heavy bags of potatoes and beans, loading and unloading them with practiced coordination.
My work for the afternoon—and our lunch—was to assist with the church's soup kitchen.
From what I had heard beforehand, the soup kitchen used to be held in a small corner of the church grounds. However, the recent influx of laborers had caused a massive spike in the number of people seeking a hot meal. The old venue simply couldn't hold everyone anymore, and the overflow had started to become a nuisance to the neighbors.
When I heard they were struggling, I offered to provide a location. I also volunteered to help transport the food and equipment and assist with the actual cooking.
"Well then, I’d like to get started right away, but..."
"Is something the matter?" Belle asked.
"My original plan was to carry everything myself using Space Magic, but when I brought the schedule up at the Security Company, a few people volunteered to lend a hand."
"Tenchou-san, I think they’re here," Yudum noted.
"Ah, you’re right."
Following Yudum’s gaze, I saw them. Even from a distance, they were unmistakable. A group of men, each built one or two sizes larger than the average adult, came running toward us in a crisp, two-abreast formation.
"They certainly know how to make an entrance," Yudum remarked.
"They really do..."
"Um... are those the volunteers?" Belle asked, her voice tinged with a hint of trepidation as she took in the sight of thirty-eight sets of bulging muscles and raw power.
"They might look a bit intimidating because of their size, but I promise they’re good people," I reassured her.
"Even a man like me feels a bit of pressure standing near them," Yudum added. "It’s only natural for an ordinary lady to feel the same."
As we spoke, the group pulled up in front of the church.
"The Macho Squad, thirty-eight members in total, reporting for duty!" their leader barked.
"Good work," I said. "Belle-san, these are the volunteers I mentioned. Within the Security Company, they’re known as the Macho Squad. As you can see, they’re all quite proud of their strength. I’m sure they’ll be a huge help."
"I see... They certainly look very... capable."
"Thank you, ma'am! If there's heavy lifting to be done, leave it to us!" the man at the front shouted, looking delighted by the compliment. He flexed his biceps for emphasis. Behind him, the rest of the squad followed suit, each striking their own favorite bodybuilding pose.
"Well then, let's get to it. Could you start by moving these supplies to the venue? After that, please help with whatever hasn't been brought out from the back yet."
"Yes, sir! Leave it to us!"
"Alright! Split into two parties and get moving!" the leader commanded.
"Yes, sir!"
At their captain's signal, the Macho Squad sprang into action. The children, initially stunned by the arrival of these giants, realized from their uniforms and my presence that they were here to help. They quickly stepped up to act as guides for the big men.
"I'm sorry if they startled you," I apologized.
"No, I should be the one apologizing. It was rude of me to be so wary of people coming to help us. It seems several of the children already know some of them."
"Ah, they are quite famous in their own way."
"Do you not go out into the city often, Belle-san?" Yudum asked.
She nodded. "That's correct. I spend almost the entire day managing the church and its affairs. The older children handle the shopping and errands in shifts."
"That explains it," Yudum said. "These guys are usually in charge of city patrols. Isn't that right, Tenchou-san?"
"Yes. As Belle-san noticed, they have impressive physiques and look quite powerful. We primarily use them for patrols to act as a criminal deterrent."
While physical strength isn't the only factor in combat, it plays a major role. More importantly, the sheer presence of a muscular guard provides a sense of security that a smaller person simply can't match. For a security guard tasked with preventing crime, their muscles were their greatest asset.
Of course...
"It's not as if the unit was actually created for that purpose," I admitted.
"Oh? Is that so? From the way you speak of them, I assumed it was."
"Well... originally, it was just a gathering of people who wanted to put on muscle."
The Macho Squad was essentially a group of volunteers helping with the "Protein" research and efficacy testing I was conducting with Tinto-san, a resident physician at the hospital. While many belonged to the Security Company, they came from different parties; some weren't even guards at all, but workers from the Waste Processing Plant.
I had come up with a formal name—the Bodybuilding Research Society—but "Macho Squad" had caught on much faster. Now, even the members called themselves that.
The "thirty-eight members" the Macho Captain had mentioned referred only to those who could make it today. The actual roster was much larger. In fact, the number of applicants grew every day, to the point where I didn't have an exact count anymore.
There were three main reasons for this:
First, the nutritional supplements we were researching worked exceptionally well. Participants from naturally large species, like Greater Monkey-kin and Ox-kin, saw visible transformations in an incredibly short amount of time.
Second—and this was particularly true for the beast-kin—many participants found that their new, muscular bodies were considered highly attractive. Several members had already started dating people they met because of their improved physiques.
Third, thanks to proper nutrition and aftercare, participants reported a significant reduction in fatigue and muscle soreness after a hard day's work.
Essentially, people saw that helping with the research provided "practical benefits," and the offers to join kept pouring in. The Macho Squad had effectively become a sports gym that provided health, beauty, and even romantic opportunities. I had even heard rumors that some high-society madams were interested. I was starting to seriously consider spinning it off into an independent fitness business.
"The supplies have been moved, sir!"
It seemed the work was already done. I joined the Macho Captain, the children, and the last of the luggage as we headed toward the soup kitchen venue.
On the way there, Belle murmured something under her breath. "...This area has certainly been cleaned up."
"Have you been here before?" I asked.
"Not often, but occasionally for church business."
"I see."
The area we were walking through looked like a standard residential district, but it was actually the former slum. Belle was likely seeing the results of the land readjustment project I was running with the town office. New houses were standing, and the roads had been properly paved.
When I explained this to her, she looked a bit concerned. "If you don't mind me asking... what exactly is land readjustment? What happened to the people who lived here before?"
"Don't worry, we didn't just kick them out," I assured her. "Through a man named Ribul, who coordinates the community here, we spoke with the residents in advance. Their transitions generally fell into three categories."
First, for those who didn't own a home—people living on the streets or squatting in ruins—the town office arranged for them to move into new collective housing.
Second, for those who owned their homes but were willing to move to a different spot, we performed what my old world called "replotting." We moved them to newly developed lots within the district.
Finally, for those who absolutely refused to move, we simply rebuilt their houses right where they were.
There were some disagreements and conflicts along the way, of course, but Ribul’s mediation and the town office’s hard work smoothed things over. Even those who were initially reluctant usually had a specific reason, like having bad legs and needing to avoid slopes. By listening to those individual needs and adjusting the plan to place their new homes accordingly, we found a compromise. The town office even set up a dedicated department for these adjustments. Nowadays, many residents say their lives are more convenient than before.
"That's wonderful to hear. But does that mean a house will be built on the site of today’s soup kitchen soon?"
The venue was a piece of vacant land I was providing, cleared out during the readjustment.
"It might eventually, but there are no plans for it right now," I explained. "If we fill every single empty space with houses, the neighborhood becomes cramped and difficult to live in. Plus, construction has to follow a priority list. For the time being, we have several 'blank' zones with no set purpose. This is one of them, so the church is welcome to use it for as long as you need."
As part of the project, I had temporarily purchased the land rights to the area to unify ownership. That was why I had the authority to give her permission to use it.
By the time we finished talking, we had arrived at the venue. The Macho Squad members who had gone ahead were already setting up. The cooking area was ready, so we got straight to work.
"What should we start with, Belle-san?"
"We're making a massive batch of potato and bean soup today, so the tasks are fairly simple. We just need to wash the potatoes, peel and cut them, and then get them simmering with the beans. After that, we add thinly sliced salted meat, skim the scum as it boils, and season it."
"I'll handle the washing, then," Yudum volunteered. He shouldered several heavy bags of potatoes and headed for the water source. A young girl ran over to help him, but he gently turned her down, telling her the cold water would make her hands rough.
It was a chivalrous gesture, but I noticed the boy standing by the cart looking at them with a rather complicated expression. Both kids were a bit older than me—probably hitting puberty. I decided to stay out of it.
"By the way, I brought those things I mentioned. Would you like to see them?"
"The 'convenient tools' you spoke of?" Belle asked.
"Yes. These."
I pulled several items from my Item Box. To anyone from Earth, they would be immediately recognizable as the staples of late-night infomercials: kitchen slicers.
I had made them using Hardening Fluid Plates for the bodies and fitted them with metal blades. I picked up a piece of salted meat and demonstrated how to use one over a bowl.
"I see... so you just slide it like this?"
"It’s not just for thin slices. You can swap the blades to julienne vegetables as well. It makes short work of dried meat and veggies. You have to be careful not to nick your fingers, but it’s much safer for children than using a knife. And I have this, too."
I showed her a vertical press. "You put a peeled potato inside the tube and push this lever down. Thanks to the principle of the lever, even a child can push a whole potato through the blades at once, perfectly dicing it in a second."
I had gone full infomercial host, but Belle was too busy staring at the tools in serious contemplation to give me a "wow." However, the children nearby—most of them my age or younger—responded with plenty of excitement.
"Whoa! If we have those, can we help cook too?"
"Belle-sensei! I want to help with the cooking!"
Belle looked at the eager faces. "...I see. I thought it was too early to let you all handle knives, but this might work. You did say there's still a risk of cutting fingers, though?"
"I won't lie, there is," I said. "But any tool is dangerous if used incorrectly."
"You're right. Children, you must be very, very careful."
The moment they heard what sounded like permission, the children erupted in cheers. Watching them buzz with excitement, Belle turned to me.
"Thank you for thinking of the younger ones."
"I just happened to know a few things that might be useful."
According to the church rules, the orphans were required to participate in charitable work as much as possible. But for the little ones, there was a limit to what they could do. They couldn't be trusted with fire or sharp knives, so they were usually relegated to carrying small things or fetching water. Even then, they quickly ran out of tasks and ended up standing around with nothing to do despite their desire to help.
When I heard that during our planning session, I thought of slicers and made these prototypes. Seeing the children's smiles as they started prepping the ingredients made the effort worth it.
"Well, I should get to work too."
I walked over to join Yudum at the potato-washing station.
Life can be complicated and full of trouble, but that's exactly why I want to cherish these peaceful, everyday moments.