The sudden dissolution of the Empire’s strongest party. I’ve decided to travel freely through life with my cute companion
Returning to the inn, we had a meal and welcomed the next day.
Sleeping in a cheap bed may be possible, but it hardly provides rest.
When I woke up in the morning, my whole body felt stiff and sore. Stretching alone made my bones creak audibly.
I spent some time doing stretches to loosen up. Who knows what could happen today? I need to minimize the risk of injury.
Arnella and Noel were already awake and had finished tidying their beds before me. However, with no luggage, they seemed at a loss for what to do.
We decided to wait for Sepia and Mastema to wake up and then discuss our plans.
“Based on what the two of us found, it seems there’s no shortage of jobs for the day. So, we’ll focus on earning some money for now. Also, we need to update this.”
I held up the permit. Somehow, the numbers indicating the period of stay had changed.
Twenty-nine days remained. By then, we’d need to switch to a formal permit.
“We’ll need a change of clothes, especially if we’re staying in inns.”
“And proper meals are a must. Getting sick would be disastrous.”
Arnella and Noel were certainly reliable. Meanwhile, the other two didn’t seem to share the same sense of urgency.
It couldn’t be helped.
With a mage in our group, we had unlimited access to water. Using the bucket provided, I collected water and heated it with fire magic.
“We’ll need enough towels for everyone, too, or we won’t even be able to wipe ourselves off.”
The towels in my utility bag were limited. Basic necessities like these would need to be acquired soon.
After washing my face and hands, we left the inn. While it provided shelter from the elements, the sleep quality was far too poor. Prolonged stays would likely harm our health.
Problems kept piling up.
Still, as always, solving them one at a time would eventually clear the way.
“The job agency is this way. Follow me.”
“I’ll leave it to you.”
Guided by Arnella, we headed to the agency. After paying the inn fee, we barely had enough left for breakfast.
Poverty, indeed. From an outsider’s perspective, we were practically refugees.
The agency we arrived at was a sizable building bustling with people seeking work early in the morning.
“Anyone joining the open-pit mining team, over here! We’re leaving now!”
People gathered quickly around the man calling out, and the slots filled in no time. It seemed to be a desirable job.
Curious, I stopped a nearby young man to ask about it.
Apparently, it was a job involving digging around a mining site west of here to extract surface coal. The interior of the mine had been depleted, so they were now searching for coal near the surface.
The income depended on the amount of coal collected, but it was currently considered a lucrative job, which explained the quick gathering of workers.
I thanked the young man and let him go.
Coal was primarily used for winter heating and blacksmithing, or so I thought. However, its demand appeared to be much greater.
“Given the high level of their steel-making techniques, it makes sense. While magic can achieve high temperatures, most mages—except someone like me—would run out of mana quickly. To mass-produce quality steel, no amount of coal would be enough,” Sepia explained.
“That seems to be the case. Regardless, we won’t be able to muscle into such a popular job.”
Indeed, people had gathered within minutes of the announcement. There were likely individuals specifically waiting for this job. I had encountered similar scenarios during my adventurer days.
Jobs like this, no matter how lucrative, often led to disputes when unsuccessful applicants couldn’t join. They weren’t ideal for steady income.
Inside the agency, it resembled an adventurer’s guild more than I had expected. The key difference lay in the clientele—ordinary men and women of all ages queued at the counters, including some beastfolk.
“It seems we line up and accept work as assigned by the agency. Workers don’t appear to have much say in the matter…”
Laborers weren’t held in high regard. Skilled or outstanding individuals would likely be scouted elsewhere over time.
For now, we weren’t in a position to complain. We obediently lined up to wait our turn.
“Women in tow, huh?”
A man nearby clicked his tongue. When I glanced at him, he quickly averted his gaze. Such trivialities weren’t worth my attention.
When our turn came, I sat in the wobbly chair provided.
“Looking for work? What kind of job are you seeking?”
“These two are suitable for service or performance roles. As for me, I’m open to anything, but I’ll need a job that keeps me with this one here. Preferably something high-paying. This person is an advanced mage, so a job making use of those skills would be ideal.”
“I see. Just to remind you, false declarations will result in penalties.”
“No problem.”
In the end, Arnella and Noel were assigned as servers in a high-class restaurant, Sepia to river construction work, and Mastema and I to wall repairs.
We couldn’t secure a job that kept all five of us together. I had to keep an eye on Mastema, so we’d stick together. I could trust Arnella, but she’d be too busy serving to spare the time.
After receiving cards and papers with our job details, I noted the surprisingly high-quality paper used instead of parchment. They must produce it in large quantities.
“Let’s get to work.”
“Stay safe.”
“Understood. See you later.”
We first saw Arnella and Noel off. Their appearances likely influenced their assignments, but I was confident they’d manage just fine.
“I’ll be going, too.”
“Got it. Same goes for you—safety first.”
“Of course. Don’t worry.”
Sepia headed for her assignment, likely involving water manipulation or earth-moving magic. She was reliable, though prone to occasional blunders.
“Alright, let’s go too.”
“Gotcha.”
With Mastema in tow, I set off for the wall repair job.
