Hard Work Will Never Betray Me - CH 79

Well, since we’re had talked enough , let’s start by taking a mission .”

General Eulenberg instructs us to follow him.

“You’re going to learn the basics of the Special Magic Division,” Eulenberg says.

We followed behind him.

“The security in the capital has not been good lately,” he said.

“Is that so?”

I don’t know where we’ re headed, but as we walk along, Brigadier General Eulenberg is talking to me, and I’m the one who has to keep the conversation flowing.

I’m not very good at keeping up a conversation with an older person whom I don’t know very well for the first time, but I guess the brigadier general is trying to establish a good relationship with me as a mentor. I understand that, so I don’t find it troublesome.

Yes. Especially the slum area outside the city walls on the west side. There is a bad smell there. The government can’t do anything about it because it’s not technically the imperial city.area A civil official from the central government told me that they were having a lot of trouble with it.

“Heh. ……”

There are connections that are passed down from one generation to the next, and having a senior instruct you in this regard is quite meaningful in terms of an educational opportunity.

“‘So the precincts of the imperial capital are inside the city walls.

“The precincts of the imperial capital are inside the city walls, aren’t they?”

“Yes, it is. Outside the walls are illegal settlement, so to speak. Naturally, they do not pay taxes. So the government basically leaves them be.”

“Well, I don’t want to get myself involved, even though I’m not a military officer.”

Slums are full of danger. If a rich elite civilian officer goes to such a place, they might be robbed and killed.

“That is not why the special forces division comes here……. Normally, there would be a patrol.”

“I see. That means something happened this time, right?”

“”You are very sensible, aren’t you? You are right. This is your first task to investigate a slum. Apparently, the number of suspicious people who seem to have come from other countries is increasing. Our higher-ups suspect that they may be spies disguised as refugees.”

This is getting a little fishy all of a sudden, isn’t it? Spies from other countries? It has not been confirmed yet, but if that is the case, a fight is inevitable. This is why the public officials can’t do anything even though they know it will worsen the situation.

“We also learn from the reports of the commercial guilds that the standard of living in the slums has been improving recently.”

At first glance, this seems like a good thing, but the fact that they are reporting this means that there is more to it than meets the eye.

“…… it is?”

‘It’s possible that someone is helping them or that there is some black market trading going on. Well, to put it simply, they are using money to incentivize the poor to embrace it for their own sake.”

……What a story, I’m sure I’ve heard it somewhere. If the slum residents turn into troublesome social activists as a result of this, it would be a real problem.

As long as we can’t eliminate the differences, it is very unfortunate that slums are generated, but that doesn’t mean we can just let illegal activities continue to occur. And this is another thing. I think the government should support these slum residents by providing job training and job assistance, but it is unacceptable to allow crime to spread freely in the slums.

Although there may be room for some sympathy, it is necessary for the governance of society to firmly judge evil l. As the next head of the Farenheit family, that’s what I think.

“Are you displeased with this kind of mission right from the start?

“No, not at all.”

“I find it rather worthwhile.”

You joined the conversation , which is a rare thing . You’ ve just been listening the whole time, what’s the matter ?”

‘In my hometown, the slums have become a breeding ground for violent crime. I remember there was a case once where an innocent child was killed in it, and it caused a lot of fuss.’

“What a tragic case that is. ……”

‘Some people want to work but can’t. But there are also a lot of bad people who want to work but can’t. The slums are full of those people. .”

Many of them are former criminals, strictly speaking. Even after they are released from jail after completing their prison sentences, they often end up committing crimes because they don’t want to get a decent job.

Incidentally, those who cannot work even if they want to due to chronic illness or injury often work as servants in the shrine temple. Although they are not priests, they are guaranteed a living by supporting the work of the temple. On the other hand, healthy people cannot get such jobs (if they wanted to, they would have to become priests), so there is a decent place for them to work.

Most of the people who are released from prison do reflect on their actions and work diligently,Most of them become adventurers,”

Adventurers, for better or worse, are valued only on the basis of their abilities. No matter how bad their reputation is or how untrustworthy they are, they can survive as long as they have the ability to catch prey. I think it is a fair and very good occupation.

“Now, while we were chatting, we arrived at the west gate, didn’t we?”

“Yes.”

West Gate. It is the gateway to the northwestern region, used by those who travel westward from the imperial capital, which is located almost in the center of the Hylant Empire. The number of visitors is very high, and the sight of numerous travelers and merchants lining up to be checked for entry into the city has become a kind of typical sight.

The West Gate, however, changed drastically when we moved one or two kilometers south along the city wall.

Dark shadows. Miscellaneous buildings. A strange smell in the air and mysterious wastes lying around. The slums are truly aptly described as  decadence.

The inhabitants of the slum number only a few hundred. Although the population of the slum is very small in comparison with the population of the imperial capital, which is close to one million, a group of several hundred criminals is still quite a threat to the citizens of the city. The imperial capital is still a relatively small place, and in the neighboring Principality of the Federation, the slum population is said to be in the tens of thousands.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“Thank you for your hard work, too.”

General Eulenberg is exchanging greetings with a guard at the gate. Brigadier General Eulenberg is exchanging greetings wit the guards He is a gentleman because he treats men politely (even though they belong to different rank),n. I wish I could be such a noble yet caring man.

“Now then, let’s get going. Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

” I’m a little nervous.”

I have plenty of experience in actual combat, so I don’t have any problems, but Iris, who is a total newbie when it comes to combat, seems to be a little uneasy.

“Then I will cover for Sergeant Steinfeldt. Shall I leave the handling of unexpected matters to Sergeant Hult?”

“I understand.”

“I’ll leave it to you.”

And so our first mission began.