Chapter 6
Chapter 6
When Tabin heard that I would be working at the Urban Development Department, he was extremely happy and bought me new clothes and a new bag.
Even when I said I didn’t need them, he insisted on placing them in my hands, so I had no choice but to accept.
The villagers also gave me various gifts—shoes, a fountain pen, a notebook, and more.
On the day I went to work, they even came out to the entrance of the village and waved me off.
“This is driving me crazy.”
I was grateful that they were celebrating my job as if it were their own achievement, but the pressure weighed on me even more.
After all, I had no intention of working hard.
My goal was to show the lord that I was actually useless and get fired as quickly as possible.
The Main Quest only told me to accept the lord’s proposal.
It never said I had to work diligently in the Urban Development Department.
Nor did it say I had to keep working there.
So it should be fine even if I get fired.
Even if I wanted to quit, Tabin’s life was at stake, so that wasn’t an option.
Getting fired was the best outcome I could hope for.
Then I could leave this place as soon as possible.
But what about Tabin and the villagers?
Knowing that they would inevitably die meaningless deaths if they stayed here made it hard to simply leave them behind.
But I couldn’t take the entire village and run away either.
“I’ll think about that slowly.”
There was still time before Calix Krauvel would participate in the monster subjugation.
Those campaigns happened once every five years, and the next one was two years away.
Before that, I needed to figure out a way to escape Belheim—ideally taking the villagers with me.
“But first, I need to get fired.”
How could I prove that I was incompetent?
While thinking about it, I had already passed through the city gate.
Normally, anyone entering through the gate had to undergo strict inspection.
But since I had an identification badge, I passed through immediately.
“Let’s see. I was told to take the stagecoach with the blue stripe here and get off at the last stop.”
Right then, a stagecoach marked with a blue stripe arrived at the stop.
If I missed it, I would have to wait another hour.
Even so, I deliberately didn’t get on.
I wanted to be late on my first day and leave a bad impression.
While waiting for the next stagecoach, I leisurely looked around.
The last time I came to the lord’s castle, I had been riding in a carriage the entire time and had been too confused to look at the city.
“What a spectacle.”
Now that I could see Belheim properly, it was such a mess that it was painful to look at.
The roads, overturned by violent wind and rain and then hardened in place, were so uneven that it was a miracle carriage wheels could roll over them.
Buildings were crammed together so tightly that neither sunlight nor wind could pass between them.
“If a fire breaks out in one house, the entire street will burn.”
They probably didn’t even have proper firefighting facilities.
Why would anyone build a city like this?
“Ugh, the smell.”
Clicking my tongue, I suddenly smelled a foul stench and hurriedly covered my nose.
Wastewater had been left unattended in every alleyway, filling the air with a terrible odor.
Rats and insects were everywhere.
“That’s a perfect breeding ground for disease.”
Now that I thought about it, most medieval cities were vulnerable to epidemics.
The lord’s castle and the surrounding area were so well maintained that I had assumed the entire city would be like that.
But apparently not.
“Well, they did say the lord’s castle was maintained with magic.”
Then why not manage the whole city with magic?
Was it because the city was too large?
Or were there simply not enough skilled mages?
If that was the case, they should rebuild everything using other methods…
“Listen to me. What pointless thoughts.”
I needed to be incompetent and get fired.
Why was I thinking about fixing the city?
“This is why occupational habits are scary.”
Clicking my tongue again, I boarded the stagecoach with the blue stripe that had just arrived.
At first many people boarded.
But as the journey continued, more people got off than remained.
By the time it reached the final stop, I was the only passenger left.
The other officials must have already gone to work.
When I passed through the lord’s castle, the clock hands pointed to ten.
“Being an hour late on my first day… everyone must be furious.”
Just imagining it made me happy.
Humming quietly to myself, I headed toward the Urban Development Department.
The department was located on the third floor of the annex, at the end of the eastern corridor.
“They said a brown door with a blue sign… ah, here it is.”
A large blue sign clearly read Urban Development Department.
But how could I read and write the script of this world?
“Maybe it’s a perk of being a transmigrator.”
After staring at the unfamiliar yet strangely familiar letters, I smiled brightly and opened the door.
“Hello!”
A hopeless rookie who appeared smiling on the first day without even realizing she was late.
Just imagining such a subordinate joining under you would make your stomach boil.
“What? Why is no one here?”
I had actually hoped for that reaction from the staff.
But the office was completely empty.
“Did I come to the wrong place?”
I stepped outside and checked the sign again.
“It definitely says Urban Development Department.”
Then why was no one here?
Ah—maybe everyone had already gone out to field sites.
“That’s possible.”
Everyone must be busy repairing the city damaged by the monsoon.
“Then I’ll take a nap until they come back.”
I had woken up early for the first time in a while and was tired anyway.
Perfect timing.
I stretched out on the soft sofa and closed my eyes.
“You’ve all been working overtime without a single weekend, so tomorrow you can come in by 11 a.m.”
On Sunday, just before leaving work, Toma Harens said this to the employees.
On the surface it looked like he was being considerate toward his exhausted staff.
But that wasn’t the real reason.
The employees all knew it was meant to mess with the newcomer starting work tomorrow.
So they grinned and agreed.
Monday morning arrived.
The Urban Development Department staff, who came to work two hours later than usual, all had smiles on their faces.
“About that rookie. What do you think she did when she came in and saw an empty office?”
“She probably panicked and started crying. Maybe she even ran straight to the lord to complain.”
“Heh. Our lord hates people who cry more than anything.”
“Exactly. Hopefully she got fired right away.”
Their laughter echoed through the corridor.
They expected the newcomer either to be absent or to be flustered and lost in the office.
But instead—
“…What is that?”
Contrary to their expectations, the rookie was sprawled across the sofa, sleeping comfortably.
She was even snoring.
The employees stared at her in disbelief.
“Since when has she been sleeping here?”
“No idea. She was already asleep when I came ten minutes ago.”
“Hah. Anyone would think this was her own house.”
They had planned to bully her.
Instead, they felt like they were the ones being mocked.
“Let’s wake her up first.”
One employee shook the rookie’s shoulder.
“Mm… just five more minutes.”
In a situation where she should have been begging desperately for forgiveness, she wanted to sleep more?
They were so dumbfounded they couldn’t speak.
“What are you all doing gathered here?”
Right then, the team leader, Toma Harens, arrived at work.
The employees immediately pointed at the sofa where the rookie was lying.
“Team Leader! Look at this! The rookie has taken over the sofa and is sleeping!”
“We tried to wake her, but she won’t get up! Can you believe this?”
“She may be the lord’s appointee, but she’s completely out of line—!”
“Quiet. Quiet.”
Toma Harens waved his hand dismissively, silencing the chattering employees.
Then he walked up to the sofa.
He grabbed the bottom of it—
And flipped it over.
“—Aah!”
The rookie rolled off the sofa with a scream.
“Sleep well, rookie?”
“…Who?”
Still half asleep, the rookie looked up at Toma Harens.
“I am Toma Harens, the team leader of the Urban Development Department.”
“Oh! Team leader!”
The rookie stood up with a bright smile and extended her hand.
“My name is Aileen. I’ll be working at the Urban Development Department starting today. Please take care of me!”
Good heavens.
Even bowing deeply to the floor would have been insufficient.
And yet she offered a handshake first.
The employees were stunned by the rookie’s boldness.
Toma Harens scowled so hard his beard trembled and pointed at the door with a thick finger.
“We don’t need an employee like you. Get out immediately.”
Now she must understand the situation.
The employees expected the rookie to burst into tears and beg for forgiveness.
Instead—
“Does that mean you’re firing me?”
The rookie smiled as if she had just gained the entire world.