Published: August 2, 2025
Today, episode 10 is posted simultaneously.
This story is the second episode.
I couldn’t find anything to write in my diary, so I was wandering in front of the store.
“Oh? Dolce, what are you doing in a place like this?”
“Deputy Manager… I can’t find anything to write in my diary.”
“I see. In that case, why don’t you try rereading the diary entries you’ve written so far? Just summarizing the contents again can be good practice.”
“...That’s true. I’ll do that. Thank you.”
I received advice from Deputy Manager Calm.
I immediately returned to my dorm room and opened my diary.
...
My name is Dolce. A few months ago, I was hired as a bodyguard by the laundry service Bamboo Forest. Before that, I was working day labor jobs in the slum where I was born while being active in a vigilante group.
The reason I got hired here was through an introduction from my Brother, who I grew up with. An adventurer friend of his opened a store that was being harassed by some shady characters. Since the employer pays properly, he asked me to help strengthen the security in his place. That Brother, who had been taking care of me since I was a kid who couldn’t properly work, was the one who said that.
For me, work is for survival. I didn’t have any work I especially hated or wanted to do, and I had no education. I did any kind of work I could from a young age and lived with help from my Brothers. So, if I could get paid for helping at Brother’s request, I had no reason to refuse.
After waiting a few days, the arrangements were made and I was called to the store. I was surprised when I saw the store manager who came out — he was just an eleven-year-old kid.
Since I heard that an adventurer friend recognized by Brother opened it, I thought he would be a tough guy, but he was the complete opposite. In fact, I understood why he was underestimated and teased. He looked weak and quiet—that was my first impression.
However, that surprise was just the beginning.
When it came to deciding whether to hire me, not only did they offer a higher salary with a hazard allowance, but also a room to live in for free with meals included. They didn’t just pay properly—they offered unbelievably good conditions. I suspected something was fishy, but I was told that this was the normal treatment at this store. Now, after being hired for several months, I know it’s true, but at that time, I was still cautious.
Still, I couldn’t bring myself to embarrass Brother who introduced me, and I didn’t sense any malice or even suspicion from the store manager. People from the slums aren’t criminals, but the image isn’t good. So normally, they’d be more careful when hiring someone from the slum. The Deputy Manager next to him gave me a somewhat wary look, but even that was better than most of my past experiences.
In the end, I was hired as is, and was introduced to a mother and daughter from a foreign country as my senior bodyguards.
“...”
My hand stopped writing as I recalled what came next.
Although my employment was decided, as a kind of test of skill, I had a match with the store manager, and I lost.
Because I was recognized by Brother, I was supposed to have fought seriously against the eleven-year-old manager. I can’t remember much, so I can only say that I must have fought. But I do remember thrusting my spear seriously at first, and the impressed expression the manager showed when seeing it.
The next thing I knew, I was being put to sleep in a vacant room in the dormitory. Later, when I asked Mr. Fay, who was the referee, he said that the manager punched me after dodging the spear.
I couldn’t believe it! When I heard that I was taken down with a single blow from a child’s fist, I confronted Mr. Fay in disbelief. Then he pointed to the corner of the room and showed me the spear, which was bent dramatically from the middle.
During the test of skill, I had quickly pulled back my spear and took the punch, but apparently, I couldn’t completely stop its momentum.