Matere Trading Company, Kashiram Factory, Polishing Area
As I immersed myself in the overwhelming task at hand, memories of last night flooded back. Kurinka’s proposal to remind these people of the meaning of life lingered in my mind. Reflecting on my days in the Abyss Cave, I wondered if I had truly felt alive. I had faced death countless times, cried endlessly, yet I always stood back up.
All I wanted was to overcome my own helplessness and take revenge on the demon that destroyed my village. That singular desire drove me to sharpen my own blade. It wasn’t just about honing weapons like the ones I was working on now. I yearned to be sharper, stronger, to reach greater heights.
Though the days were harsh and painful, my determination was fueled by the purpose of revenge, which ultimately boiled down to the simple wish to live. Living for revenge now felt somewhat empty, especially since I had reunited with Kurinka. But I only felt that way because I had found happiness in the present; during my battles in the Abyss Cave, I would never have thought like this.
In other words, as long as one lives, perspectives and circumstances can change. I might have stumbled upon happiness, but others still lived in such dire environments. If the present doesn’t change, neither will the heart. Perhaps living means one can find happiness. At the very least, if one dies, that chance is lost forever, and that would be a tremendous waste.
No one knows what the future holds, but that doesn’t mean it’s acceptable to die now. Without the will to change, nothing can be gained.
“Don’t you dare rest your hands!”
From the early hours before dawn, after several hours of work, the first whip finally cracked. Most people pretended not to notice, but I caught a few glancing over.
“B-but I haven’t slept properly, and I worked through my day off yesterday… Isn’t this insane?”
“You must be the rookie who just joined yesterday, huh? I don’t know why you’re here, but it’s your own fault. Have you already forgotten what Shakuchi said yesterday?”
“What do you mean ‘your own fault’? Did anyone here, including myself, do anything wrong?”
“We’re just reusing the worthless trash with nowhere else to go! Where else would they end up? You should be grateful to Matere! You should be thanking him endlessly!”
“Please answer my question. Sure, some of these people may have done bad things and ended up here. But that doesn’t justify exploiting their weaknesses and working them to the bone. What right do you have?”
The whip struck Kurinka two or three times. Perhaps due to working since yesterday, her once beautiful long blonde hair was now dirty. She recoiled, collapsing under the blows of the whip.
Normally, I would have rushed to take down that Whip Man immediately, but I chose to remain silent, opting to watch Kurinka’s heart-wrenching performance.
“Hey, hey, hey! Should I beat you to the point where you can never talk back again?!”
The sound of the whip cracking was deafening. From Hart’s furtive glances, it seemed I had at least made a successful opening move.
“…W-what right do you have… to treat us like this? Whether Matere Trading Company is a Divine Being or not, just answer me properly…”
“Y-you can still move?”
The Whip Man, who had been swinging his whip with fervor, was already out of breath. If he tired out that easily, the people working here must be far more resilient. If all he did was torment the defenseless, perhaps this was all he was capable of.
“Ah, I’m so hungry… I can’t forget the taste of Kashiram’s specialty, Chicken Spice Rice. The spiciness tingles in my mouth, then rushes down my throat… Just one bite is enough to get addicted to its deliciousness…”
Many around me swallowed hard, their stomachs growling. I, too, had only eaten the terrible soup and bread yesterday, so Kurinka’s words made my hunger pangs even worse.
“I’d love to help with the farming in the Kingdom of Normitz on sunny days. I’m looking forward to next year’s Avangarde Festival… Maybe I’ll even try participating in the Combat Tournament. Helping Cynthia with her stall sounds nice too.”
“Shut up!”
I had to restrain myself from lunging at the Whip Man, who had just struck Kurinka in the face. Kurinka lay still for a moment, and before I knew it, the other Whip Men and the workers were holding their breath, watching intently.
Finally, as Kurinka struggled to rise, the Whip Man seemed to shrink back in fear, letting out a small scream.
“Y-you! Do you want to die?!”
“I just want to savor the flavor of the Spiced Chicken…”
“Damn it! Damn it, damn it! What the hell is wrong with this brat?!”
At this point, the Whip Man, who could only hurl insults and swing his whip, was being viewed differently by everyone. No matter how many times he struck, Kurinka stood back up weakly, and he grabbed her hair, pulling out a knife from his pocket. Gritting his teeth, his eyes bloodshot, he loomed over her.
Then, someone finally stood up to him.
“Can you stop that already?”
He tried to slash at Hart with the knife, but Hart dodged effortlessly, reassuring me that he was not outmatched. I felt a flicker of life return to Hart’s once-dull eyes. I hoped that this pity Hart felt for the Whip Man would resonate with the others.
“I believe everyone has something they want to do… But if you shrink back and never take a step forward, you’ll die with regrets. Isn’t that sad? There must be fathers waiting for their daughters to come home, unable to express their feelings. We all have things we want to say. Sure, it might lead to a fight. But if you die, you won’t even be able to argue.”
It was clear who Kurinka was addressing. I couldn’t miss the sight of Tatarka, who had his hand over his heart, looking downcast.
The other Whip Men were becoming overwhelmed by Kurinka, who kept rising no matter how many times she was struck. If just a few more people stood up, we could do something. I might sound arrogant, but I simply believed in what Kurinka wanted to do. Hart didn’t quit being an Adventurer just to spend his life in a place like this. The life Seigel saved back then was still alive here now.
And as for the Factory Manager, the biggest problem, I would take him down myself. I understood why everyone feared him. I had seen someone similar before. To an uninformed observer, he would seem out of place, and it was only natural for him to be feared.
“I won’t make any more of these terrible weapons.”
Tatarka stood up and threw the weapon he had been polishing onto the floor.
“Please, let me out of here! I have other things I want to do! I didn’t realize it until now, but I want to apologize to my father… just one word of thanks…”
Tatarka’s voice trembled with tears as she pleaded. The Whip Man, however, showed no sign of compassion and approached her to inflict punishment.
“What’s all this noise?”
Shakuchi, who had been absent until now, returned. His voice made everyone turn to him, indicating he was quite feared as well. After scanning the workers and the Whip Men with a furrowed brow, he approached the Whip Man who had just struck Kurinka.
“So, this girl is being rebellious…”
“What? You can’t even handle a single brat? Why don’t you just quit?”
“P-please, spare me…”
“Don’t hold back; Matere Trading Company doesn’t need incompetents!”
Instead of a whip, Shakuchi struck the Whip Man squarely in the nose with his fist. The blood sprayed as the man reeled back, clearly demonstrating considerable strength. The workers behind him, nearly crushed by the falling Whip Man, managed to dodge just in time, trembling as they glanced between the two.
The atmosphere had been uplifting, but Shakuchi’s presence threatened to revert it back. He rolled up his sleeves, flexing his biceps to further showcase his strength and brutality.
“Matere Trading Company is not a place where you can just waltz in like some B-rank Adventurer. There are plenty of former mercenaries like me who have traveled across various countries. If you keep thinking such foolish thoughts, you’ll end up like those who are rotting away here.”
“Shakuchi, I want to eat Spiced Chicken Rice.”
“…What? What did you say?”
Hart raised a hand while clutching his stomach. His thin frame contrasted starkly with Shakuchi’s muscular build, making the comparison almost tragic, yet Hart seemed completely unconcerned. Fear was nowhere in his mind; all he could think about was his hunger. That was all that occupied his thoughts.
“Every day, with that awful soup and bread, it’s no wonder I’m starving. So, I think it’s about time I quit.”
“Come to think of it, the first thing I ate when I arrived in this country was spicy chicken rice. The fluffy rice, perfectly coated in spices, and the bite-sized pieces of chicken with a nice char. The spicy aroma that wafted through my nose… I remember devouring it all in one go because it was just too delicious.”
“Right? I had something similar in the Kingdom of Avangarde, but it was dry and not very tasty! When I tried it here, I was truly amazed at how different the authentic version was!”
“Oh, you get it? The Hydra Fruit Juice also originated in this country.”
“I’m so hungry…”
“Me too…”
Inspired by Hart and Kurinka’s excitement, people began to rise all around us. The chorus of growling stomachs turned into a full-blown symphony, eventually engulfing the entire area.
“I’m starving! I can’t take this anymore!”
“Me too! I want to earn money honestly and eat delicious food!”
Perhaps it was Kurinka who had lightened the atmosphere that had been dominated by the sound of whips. It felt like her gluttony had spread to everyone, but it also showed how much we had been suppressed until now. Even if Shakuchi swung his whip to intimidate us, it was too late. The loud protests directed at the trembling Shakuchi echoed with anger. Just when I thought we had finally quieted down, the noise surged back. Without needing to say anything, Shakuchi’s frustration was evident in the veins bulging on his forehead and his clenched fists.
“Thank you for protecting me, Hart-san.”
“Yeah, well… seeing a kid like you so desperate makes me feel something… but more importantly, I’m hungry.”
Kurinka stuck her tongue out playfully, laughing mischievously. Right next to us was a ferocious creature that looked ready to pounce, yet here was Kurinka, exuding confidence. Even if that creature attacked now, it wouldn’t faze her. I didn’t know much about her past as a former mercenary, but she must be something special.
“Do you lot not understand that you’re about to get hurt again?! Should I kill you one by one?!”
Shakuchi pulled out what looked like the hilt of a small sword from his chest and swung it through the air, causing the blade to extend.
I was hungry too, and while my motivation might not match Kurinka’s, I had spent a long time living in the Abyss Cave, so I had a strong attachment to food. However, there were still some vegetables I couldn’t bring myself to eat.
“First, I’ll deal with you, the one who caused this ruckus!”
“Take that!”
Kurinka snapped Shakuchi’s long blade like it was nothing, as if swatting away an insect. I was curious about what kind of weapon it was, but it was broken now, so there was no point. It wasn’t every day a girl would break a weapon with her bare hands, and Shakuchi’s stunned expression was understandable.
“Rebellion! Relay this to every area, and summon the Factory Manager!”
There was no way I would let the Whip Man escape quickly. As I tackled a few of them to the ground, no one could comprehend what had just happened. Of course, they were already unconscious.
“Alright, let’s all fight together!”
No one responded to my call. Hart was the only one who cautiously approached the unconscious Whip Man to assess the situation.
“Once this is over, I’ll treat everyone to a meal! We’re A-Rank Adventurers, so we have plenty of money!”
“A-Rank, huh…”
I said it lightly, but there were dozens of people in this area alone. There were likely even more in other areas, and if we did that, our money would vanish in no time. It was too late to stop now; when the thunderous cheers echoed throughout the area, I realized there was no turning back.
“Chicken! Chicken! Spicy! Chicken!”
The oddly synchronized chant was a mystery, but at this point, it was simple. Shakuchi, who had taken off his jacket and was now bare-chested, still seemed eager to fight, but was he really that strong? That confident grin—could he actually keep up with my speed? If so, maybe being a former mercenary meant he was quite formidable.
“Little girl, you possess strange skills for your age. But they won’t work on me, Shakuchi. The techniques I’ve honed through countless battlefields are far beyond mere skills.”
Oh, this guy is bad news.