"Thanks for everything, Noor!　Thanks for the help.
No, thank you. I'm always grateful for your help, Aunt Stella.

　As usual, I completed the request for the "ditch cleaning" quest.
　I got a sign of accomplishment from the client lady, and ran to the next client.

　I remember well the first time I visited my aunt's house.
　It was my first job as an adventurer, a memorable one.
　This is a part of the city of King's Landing, but it is quite close to the outside.
　Unlike the central part of the city, where the government provides a thorough cleaning service, the residents clean the city themselves.

　But my client, Aunt Stella, has bad legs and eyesight, her husband and son are dead, and she lives alone. She lives alone. She has no relatives to rely on, so she is unable to do the cleaning.
　As a result, the gutters around her house, which had never been cleaned, began to emit a rotten smell.

　The woman was so troubled that she made a request to the Adventurer's Guild.
　She wanted someone to do something and help her.
　However, no one would accept her request.
　It seems that the reward she offered was not attractive to ordinary adventurers.

　The guild gave priority to requests for demon slaying and urgent gathering.
　I guess the guild felt that the cleaning of the city gutters could be done by anyone who was available.

　That is why they have been neglected for a long time.

　When he was at a loss for what to do, I happened to show up.
　When I finished the job, he was very grateful.
　Since then, he has been a client of mine.

　They are always very happy when I finish the cleaning.
　So, I tend to do more than what they ask me to do.
　In fact, as I become accustomed to cleaning, the area of the gutters that I am asked to clean will soon be finished, so each time, I expand the area a little bit and do a little extra.
　The people around me appreciate it, and I don't feel bad about it.

　This job certainly does not pay much.
　But I find it very rewarding.
　It's nice to see the smiles on people's faces.
　Above all, it feels good to see the city being cleaned up little by little by my hands.

　However, it seems that I worked too hard today.
　I've been working so hard that I've lost track of time, and I'm late leaving for the next site.

"Can you make it ......?

　I rushed through the streets of the city, turned two corners, and arrived at the construction site where I was greeted by the foreman.
　The second client of the day.

"Oh, you're right on time, Noor. You're right on time, Noll.

　I've been working as an earth mover at this construction site almost every day since the morning dumping.

　The capital has long been famous for its huge labyrinths and is called the "Holy Land of Adventurers".
　Recently, the roads in front of the labyrinth are being expanded, and a large number of workers are needed.



　でも、工事現場の仕事は普通の冒険者にとってはあまり魅力のある仕事ではないらしい.
　好んで受けるのは俺ぐらいだということだった.

　だが、俺にとっては願っても無い仕事だ.
　どんな人間でも、こなした仕事の量に応じて評価される.
　完全歩合制で土を運べば運ぶだけ収入になるのだ.

　俺は【戦士】の訓練時代に身につけた【筋力強化】で普通の人間が運ぶ五倍の量を軽々と運べた.
　それに、常に【僧侶】系低級未満のスキル、【ローヒール】でじわじわと回復しているため、そんなに疲労も感じない.

　冒険者として登録するのに必要な「有用スキル」とは見なされなかったこれらのスキルも、今の俺の生活ではとても役に立っている.
　【盗賊】の訓練で身につけた【しのびあし】は迷い猫の捜索と捕獲にはもってこいだし、【魔術師】の【プチファイア】も煮炊きするには便利だ. 【狩人】の【投石】は、あまり使うことはないが、遠くのものに石を投げて当てるのを子供達に見せると、すごいと言われる.

　唯一、あれだけ特訓した【パリイ】は何の活用法も見出せてはいないのだが.

　未だに鍛錬は続けている.
　訓練はここ１５年間ずっと続けてきたので、簡単には習慣は抜けないし、まだ、もしかしたら……という淡い期待も残っているので、やめるつもりもない.
　その可能性が、限りなく低くても、だ.

　俺が普通の冒険者になれる可能性はともかく、おかげで王都での生活費は十分に稼げている.

　だから、今までの自主訓練は全くの無駄ではなかったと思いたいが──これだけでは普通の『冒険者』の『初心者(ビギナー)』にはなれないのだ. こんなことで「英雄譚の主人公のようになりたい」などと、自分がどれだけ思い上がっていたのかがよくわかる.

　時折、もういっそこのままでもいいのではないか？
　という考えも浮かぶ.

　なぜなら「冒険者になって、人の役に立ちたい」──
　その夢はもう既に叶っているのだ.
　頼まれた依頼をこなし、お礼を言われ、それに応じた報酬を受け取る.

　そうして、日々生活をする──.
　それ以上を望むなど、ただの贅沢に過ぎないのかもしれない.

　それに俺には守る家族もいないし、そんなに金も必要ない.
　わざわざ危険な依頼を受け、一攫千金を狙って大金を稼ぐ必要もないのだ.

「死ぬまでこのままでも、いいのかもしれないな」

　そんなことを思いながら、王都の色々な場所で働き続けてもう３ヶ月になる.
　街の中に、ちゃんと住む場所がある.
　ギルドのおじさんから格安の宿屋を紹介してもらい、気に入ったのでずっとそこで寝泊まりしているのだ. 格安のために食事は出ないが、今までずっと自分の食事は自分で作ってきたし、苦にならない.
　宿に風呂はないが、この街には公衆浴場がたくさんある.
　少し歩けば、色々な浴場があり、その日の気分で行くところを変えられる.
　時々、旨いものを出す露店で食事をするのも楽しみだ.

　──そんな感じで、俺は快適にこの王都での日々の生活を送っていた.

「本当によく働くなあ……ノール.
　冒険者にしとくのは勿体ないぜ.
　本当にうちに就職する気はねえか？
　少なくとも普通の従業員の倍……いや、三倍は出すぜ？
　お前さんが望むなら、もっとだ.
　それぐらいの働きはしてくれそうだしな」

　The foreman of this construction site likes me, and he talks to me like this every day.
　But I'm not.

It's nice of you to say so, but ...... I'm fine the way I am.

　It has become customary for me to refuse such offers.

It's a shame, really. ......

　I feel sorry for the disappointed director.
　However, it seems that he can't give up his dream.
　It's like a habit.
　I still want to be an adventurer.
　I want to have adventures like heroic tales.
　Even if it seems almost reckless.

　And so, as I diligently carried the earth, it quickly became the end of the day.

The day's work is done.
　Thanks to you, we've got a lot of time to spare.
　I'll see you tomorrow, Noor. Good luck.

"Yeah, take care of it.

　I'll get the client's signature on the request form as usual.
　After I report to the guild and get paid, I'll take a bath and go back to the vacant lot for my usual training.
　That's when I was about to leave the site.

　At the back of the construction site where I was working, towards the entrance of the Labyrinth of No Return, I saw something glow for a moment.
　A strong, reddish-purple light.

"What is it?

　And at the same time.

"Somebody help me...

　At the same time, I thought I heard someone's fading scream from somewhere.