Evening.
"Thank you for your hard work!"
I wondered exactly how many hundreds of people we had fed today. Since I hadn't been counting, I didn't know the exact number, but we had simply kept cooking and handing out the food the moment it was ready. We repeated the process until we finally ran out of ingredients. A few minor scuffles broke out in the waiting line along the way, but thanks to the Macho Squad and the people nearby, things quieted down quickly. In the end, the soup kitchen concluded without incident, and the cleanup was finished.
The Macho Squad volunteered to carry the remaining gear while they escorted Sister Belle and the children back to the church, so that left only Yudum and me to head home. Technically, I was supposed to be escorted all the way to the North Gate every day, but once I was outside the gate, I could be back at the mine in an instant with Space Magic.
"Before we head to the North Gate, Yudum-san, do you mind if I make a quick detour?"
"No problem at all."
So, we took a slight detour on our way back. As we walked through the fading golden light, one of the districts where new housing had been clustered during the urban redevelopment came into view. Even though the sun was nearly down, children were still running around outside, undeterred by the biting cold.
"Good evening!"
"Ah, it's Ryoma!"
"It's the Slime Child!"
"The hidden boss is here!"
Wait a minute... the first and second ones were fine, but that third one. I wanted to ask what he meant by "hidden boss" and if there was an "official boss" somewhere, but the children ran off energetically, shouting, "Bye-baaaaay!"
"It's still lively around here," Yudum noted.
"There are many people in this district who live nocturnal lifestyles."
Among the beast-kin, some inherited traits from nocturnal animals. Whether they were strictly nocturnal or could function during the day apparently varied by individual, but many such people lived in this district.
"The Mole-kin are particularly numerous here, aren't they?"
"That's right. About half of the residents in this district are Mole-kin."
As their race's name suggested, they possessed the characteristics of moles. It wasn't that they couldn't go out in the sunlight, but they found dark environments much more comfortable than bright ones. They truly demonstrated their value in underground activities. Being small in stature, they could move easily in narrow spaces, and many of them were surprisingly strong. However, their greatest asset was a special "sense" that allowed them to understand the stability and danger of underground tunnels. A person with an excellent sense could perceive not only the risk of a cave-in but also the presence of groundwater or toxic gases.
"Having many Mole-kin is a hallmark of a town close to a mine," Yudum said.
"They must be very reliable for operations at the mine."
Incidentally, since these Mole-kin found it "easier to live in basements," we had provided them with houses that featured finished basements. Because of that, most of them used the basement as their primary living space while using the sunlight-filled first or second floors as warehouses or renting them out as vacant rooms.
Once we passed through that district, our destination finally came into view. Located to the north-northeast of Gimul, it was a collective housing project for the slum residents who had no homes—commonly known as the Refuge. Four square buildings, constructed with Sand Magic and Sand Slimes, stood in a neat row. I had envisioned them as housing complexes, but the atmosphere here felt a bit unrefined and rough. It reminded me of an under-managed student dormitory. The dorm where an acquaintance lived back in my university days felt just like this.
"Good evening."
"Back again, rich kid?"
"I keep telling you this ain't a place for someone like you, yet you sure do come around often."
When I called out to a pair of men warming themselves by a fire in an open space, I received a blunt reply. Based on their tone, it sounded like I wasn't welcome, but in reality, that wasn't the case. They knew I was the one who built the Refuge and that I was on good terms with Ribul, the slum's overseer. Furthermore, since I brought a small souvenir whenever I visited, I was actually quite popular.
"I brought the usual today, so I was hoping we could talk for a bit."
"Well, if it's just talking."
"Hey! The usual kid is here with the booze!"
At that shout, people carrying bowls came trickling out of the buildings. The sight of them gathered together in layers of visibly dirty and torn clothing looked like something out of a zombie movie, though I kept that thought to myself. While indulging in such idle thoughts, I used Space Magic to produce three large barrels of the cheap wine I had bought by the load the other day, along with three large barrels of the drinkable Shirozake that our Goblins had mass-produced to satisfy their own cravings. I also took out boxes packed with Ramon Fruit and Jija Roots, a box of tools, and finally, my Metal Slimes.
The Shirozake was served as is. As for the wine, with the help of the Metal Slimes, I sliced a large amount of Jija all at once—the slimes used their own bodies as the slicers—and tossed them into the barrels.
"Heat."
While stirring with a prepared stick, I used Fire Magic to apply only heat, warming the liquid until it was just below boiling. The ingredients were sparse and the method was crude, but it produced quite delicious Warm Shirozake and Hot Wine.
"Please line up in order. We have Ramon slices for the Hot Wine, so take some if you want them!"
"Manager, I'll take charge of the wine side," Yudum offered.
"Alright, form two rows! Two rows!"
"Only one cup each!"
Once we were ready, the residents—who were already accustomed to the routine—held out their drinking vessels. I poured the alcohol using the prepared ladles.
"This always helps, kid."
"Hah... this really warms the bones."
"Hehehe... on a cold day like this, this stuff really hits the spot."
As I continued to pour, the person I was looking for arrived just as the barrels were nearing empty.
"Boss, I'll take a cup too."
The speaker was a man wrapped in a dingy cloth who called me Boss and spoke with the distinct air of a petty informant. His hair was messily cropped, and though his face was clear, he lacked any sense of hygiene.
"It hasn't been that long, but have you been doing well?"
"Yeah, thanks to you. Hehe, much appreciated."
"How have things been lately? Any trouble?"
When I asked, the man took his drink and moved behind me so he wouldn't block the line.
"Nothing much around here. It's peaceful. You gave us a roof to shield us from the wind and rain, Boss, and even the folks who usually wander are staying put in this cold. There's hardly any talk of dissatisfaction... well, when this many people huddle together, there are bound to be some scuffles, but Boss Ribul is working hard to keep the peace."
"I see. If there are no major problems, that's good to hear."
"Yeah, thanks to you."
The man took a sip of the warm Shirozake and let out a long breath. Then, after a pause just long enough for his white breath to vanish into the cold air, he leaned in.
"Ah, if we're talking about things outside this area, there's one thing that's changed."
"Oh? What is it?"
"You know that tavern I mentioned before, Boss? The one that’s always closed? Even though it’s never open for business, they used to put out a lot of garbage—wine bottles, food scraps, that sort of thing. Well, that’s increased even more in the last few days. What’s more, it used to be once every few days, but now it’s every single day. The folks scavenging for leftovers are thrilled. It looks like they’re restocking frequently, too... they might be opening for real soon."
"Is that so? If it opens, I'd like to visit it once."
"Right... well, as far as changes go, that's about it. Everywhere else, all anyone talks about is the snow."
"It's been heavy almost every day, so that's only natural. Ah, that reminds me."
Since the Shirozake had run out, I informed the crowd and began packing away the barrels. While doing so, I pulled out a parcel I had prepared in advance with Space Magic.
"I apologize that these are just leftovers from lunch, but please have them if you like. Be careful, though—they're quite hard."
"I'm grateful. For us Rat-kin, our teeth are our life; we love hard things. I like you, Boss—you're generous. Well then, until next time."
He accepted the parcel, finished the rest of his drink, and strolled away. By that time, the Hot Wine was also gone, and the drinking party at the Refuge disbanded. I headed toward the North Gate, finally intending to go home.
Along the way, Yudum spoke up. "It's a bit late to ask, but Manager, do you always distribute alcohol there?"
"It really is a bit late to ask." Since he had helped without a word, I assumed he already knew.
"Well, I'd heard rumors about it," he admitted.
"I've been doing it quite often since I started my investigation. There are several reasons. First, it's simply to consume the alcohol on hand."
The Goblins at my place were truly slaves to their desires. Ever since they learned the taste of alcohol, they had started brewing it voluntarily every day as long as they had materials. Furthermore, the Shirozake from the Fatma Territory didn't take long to finish, so we ended up with a massive surplus in a very short time. I was having the Drunk Slimes help with the disposal, but the stock of wine I had bought for slime feed was also quite large. I was running out of ways to get rid of it.
"I thought it would be a waste to throw it away when the Goblins worked so hard to make it, but it just kept piling up."
"Are you like a parent who can't bear to throw away their child's drawings?" Yudum teased.
"I don't know if that's the best comparison, but that’s one reason. As for the rest... do you remember the man I was talking to earlier?"
"I'm here as your bodyguard, after all. You looked like acquaintances, so I didn't step in, but he didn't seem like a typical civilian."
"You're right. That man is an Information Broker. I was introduced to him by Ribul when I was first getting established. Ribul told me that since I’d be getting busy, I should ask this man if I wanted to know anything about the town. The reward he asks for is usually just alcohol and a meal, plus extra depending on the value of the intel."
"So that's why you bring the booze. Is distributing it to everyone else a cover?"
"That's part of it, but it's also because the people in the slums help with information gathering indirectly. They do odd jobs like picking up trash around town, so the Information Broker listens to what they've seen or heard, sifts through it, and passes the relevant bits to me. In a way, whether they realize it or not, the residents there are acting as my eyes and ears, so the alcohol is a way of saying thanks."
Yudum nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Did you get any new information today?"
"Yes. Regarding our talk this morning about strengthening our vigilance... it looks like the enemy might have finally started moving."
"You've grasped their movements well enough to say that?"
"Not perfectly, but there were suspicious individuals from the start. Even if our policy is to wait and see, there's no reason to let them operate entirely unchecked."
"I think people usually call that 'letting them swim.' Honestly, Manager, I think you're better suited to being an investigator than I am."
"I'm decent at clerical work, but I think you're far better at communicating with people, Yudum-san. You get along with everyone immediately."
"You think so? I'm just talking normally. It's much easier than dealing with nobles... I mean, when it comes to manipulation or silver-tongued eloquence, the nobility are full of experts. It's practically a basic survival skill for them."
"Ugh..."
Living in an environment like that... just thinking about it made me shudder. I wondered if Elia was doing alright? Actually, the Ducal Couple was probably attending parties right about now... I hoped they were holding up. I found myself offering a silent prayer for them. If we continued this line of conversation, the mood was only going to get darker. I decided to pivot.
"Yudum-san, you come from a noble background, right? If you don't mind me asking, are you well-versed in noble scandals or history? I'm completely in the dark when it comes to that world."
"I'm practically an exile, so I can't tell you much about recent years. I could probably answer things up through my student days, though. It depends on what you want to know."
"What I want to know... well, everything is new to me, so I'm interested in anything. But actually... based on what you know, Yudum-san, can you think of any family that would have a reason to resent the Jamil family specifically regarding something related to fire?"
"..."
Yudum's response was delayed by a fraction of a second. "Why do you ask that?"
"It's a continuation of our talk from this morning. I've been wondering why the enemy chose arson as their primary method to destabilize Gimul. Maybe anything would have worked as long as it caused chaos, and I'm not saying it's definitely tied to the enemy's identity, but... is there anyone?"
"...I don't know if they truly resent them, but if you're looking for a house tied to the Jamils and fire, the Former Marquess Volkano House comes to mind."
It was a name I had never heard before.
"A Former Marquess House? Does that mean their status changed?"
"Yeah. They were demoted due to some complicated circumstances, so they're an Earldom now. Those circumstances happen to involve the Jamil Ducal House. It's a bit of a long story, but—"
I listened to Yudum’s tale of the Former Marquess Volkano House as we made our way to the North Gate. Perhaps because of the weight of the story, the night wind felt particularly biting on this day, and the world seemed a little lonelier.