IMPORTANT:
I missed Idle Chat 11 which is supposed to come after Idle Chat 10
All links will be moved forward by one.
The Reincarnated Boy’s Growth Log ~The Harder I Work The Stronger I Can Become!?~ Idle Talk 11
Current Situation
“……”
“……”
“Kyuu Kyuu!”
“Gauu!”
“……what are you doing, kid”
As I’m having a mysterious staring battle with the children that peek from the alleyway, Eclat flaps her wings, and Krondine smacks my leg, going, ‘quickly give it to me!’. The stand’s Occhan sees that and lets out a puzzled voice.
“Occhan. What’s with those children in the alleyway?”
When I give Eclat and Krondine the skewers, Eclat skilfully holds and eats the skewer with her front paws, and Krondine places and eats it on top of its left leg, making sure it doesn’t touch the ground. I try asking about the children in the meantime, and the Occhan makes a bitter look. I wonder if there are some kind of circumstances?
“They’re war orphans. They’re those whose parents ended up dying in the war this time. Those conscripted into the war this time, those rounded up for the defence when soldiers came to the territory previously, they didn’t come back”
“……”
That’s right. We were happy that we won the war, but there are also those who were victimised behind all that. There are five to six people just here alone. Their ages vary. There are probably more elsewhere.
“Occhan, skewers for those little ones as well”
“Are you sure? It’s not like you know them or anything, right?”
“It’s fine. Although what I’m doing is no more than hypocrisy, it’s better than not doing it. Besides, Occhan too, right?”
The moment Occhan saw the children, he knew what kind of children they were. I suppose he’s probably been giving them the leftovers or something. It’s been a few months since the war ended. And yet, although the children are slightly dirty, none is frail and skinny to the bones. They, may just not be here though.
Furthermore, when the Occhan heard what I say and called the children, the children ran over loudly without any caution. I suppose the children know that he’s giving it them as well.
“Oi, kids. This kid says he’s treating you to some skewers! Here, eat up!”
“Waaaaa!!”
The children receive the freshly-made skewers from the Occhan, and scrambles to stuff their cheeks. Un, un, children have got to eat to grow. I’m also a child in terms of age though. I’m almost in my 30s in terms of mental age huh. ……let’s stop thinking about it. I’m 13 now, almost 14.
Looking at the children that stuff their cheeks with the skewers in the corner of my eyes, I speak to the Occhan. It seems it’s also hearsay for Occhan, but the orphans of this territory, they’re apparently lesser compared to the other territories.
The reason is, the previous Feudal Lord ran away early on, and it didn’t turn into much of a fight. I can’t say whether that’s good or bad, but I suppose it’s decent enough when it comes to the fact that there are few orphans.
“Are merchants coming?”
“They pretty much don’t come. Regalia Empire was in a state of ceasefire with various countries, right? Merchants don’t really come from other countries because of that. They were mostly only merchants within Regalia Empire, but they, too, ran away into the current Empire. Most of the remaining merchants are also only small stores”
It seems they’re supplementing the current food and such, with the animals and monsters that Adventurers subjugated. He says that since several of those Adventurers also participated in the war and their numbers reduced, the amount that comes in has also reduced compared to before.
“Speaking of which, it’s my first time seeing you kid. Did you come here today?”
“Nn? Aah. Nanor Kingdom’s magistrate came today, right. I came with that”
“Aah. It became Nanor Kingdom’s domain, so the magistrate for that huh. According to the rumours, it’s the Princess-sama, right? It sure is more reliable than some Feudal Lord from nowhere”
‘Gahaha’, the Occhan laughs. Before I know it, the children had finished eating their skewers and were frolicking with Eclat and Krondine. ……Kronedine is obedient. Even though that fellow intimidates me. What a mystery.
The children, who played and had some fun, had returned to their own house. Even though I say house, it seems it’s just the children with no parents gathering in an empty house.
Occhan has been secretly handing over leftovers for the sake of the children that are staying behind in the house. This person sure is a genuine nice person.
After that, we leave the stand and stroll the town. An additional problem with orphans pop up, and I thought about what to do about it, but I need to discuss this with Alexia.
After that, the fact that merchants aren’t coming is also a problem. If the public order improves a little more, merchants will also come from other countries, but the food will end up running out by then.
It’ll take time even if we have them come from Nanor. In terms of distance, as expected, it’s faster to have Regalia’s merchants come. This also comes to a standstill unless we go to Regalia Empire, so it’ll be on hold.
As we’re walking and looking around the town while thinking about that, a building that’s larger compared to other stores came into sight. That crossing sword and shield signboard is the Adventurer’s Guild huh. Rabi-san should be inside.
Perhaps Eclat knew that as well, she points at the Adventurer’s Guild while chirruping「Kyururu〜」. Kronedine also responds「Gauu!」to that and starts running. Good grief, these guys.
I go after those two and enter the Adventurer’s Guild as well. The inside is deserted and has a lonely atmosphere. I only catch sight of Adventurers here and there, and the bar on the second floor is quiet as well.
There’s also only a handful of guild employees. The requests sure are few as well. Over there
“Lad, did you come to put in a request or something?”
a stern skinhead man speaks to me. I thought he’s an Adventurer for a second, but when I look at his outfit, he’s wearing the guild’s clothes, so I suppose he’s a guild employee. I wonder if he’s a former Adventurer or something.
“No. I followed along since those little ones entered”
I point at Krondine, who strides boldly inside the guild, and Eclat, who rides on its back.
“Is that……a Dragon? That’s quite something that you brought, lad”
The stern man makes a terribly astonished expression and looks over here. That face of his is also rather scary.
“They’re my companions. Leaving that aside, did a rabbit tribe woman called Rabi come here?”
“Rabi? ……aah, if I’m not wrong, she came. Along with a somewhat brawny man. If it’s those two, then they already returned. Do you have some business with them?”
“No. She’s someone I know. She was saying that she’s going to work here though”
“Aah, about that huh. My apologies, but I declined it. As you can see, both the requests and the number of Adventurers have reduced. There’s no money to hire her. It’s a state where I’m having the guild employees other than the ones currently here take a break. It’s a state where the Guild Master also ran away with the Feudal Lord, and I’m standing in”
It’s true that they can’t hire if that’s how it is huh. Uーn. Maybe I’ll have Rabi-san help out with the paperwork or something. She had been working as a receptionist, so she’s probably capable of it.
“I got it, excuse me. Eclat, Kronedine. We’re going!”
“Kyui!”
“Gau!”
We leave the Adventurer’s Guild behind us, and we returned to the mansion after looking around the town for a bit. It’s because I thought of looking around over several days since the town is quite spacious, and there’s no way we could see everything.
And then, five days after we arrived at the domain, a messenger from the Regalia Empire showed up.
