Published: August 2, 2025
Today, five chapters are updated simultaneously.
This story is the second chapter.
The next day.
Since the visit before hiring Mr. Kokin and the others, this is my first time coming here again.
In the slum district, when I knocked on the door of a relatively large house, I immediately felt mana and the door opened.
“Come in!”
“Excuse me.”
Following the voice, I stepped inside. As expected, the man inside was the same as before.
“Long time no see, Mr. Rible.”
Because I was curious about the rumors from yesterday, I asked Ms. Dolce to arrange an appointment with someone knowledgeable about the situation, and he was the one introduced. He serves as the representative when the slum residents negotiate with the advisor and the government office, so according to Ms. Dolce, there is no one more suitable than him.
“Thank you for taking the time despite your busy schedule.”
“If it’s just to talk, I don’t mind. Use that chair over there.”
I borrowed a chair placed in the corner of the room and sat across from him.
“I heard a little from Dolce that you’re hiring people again?”
“Only for a limited time, but we are currently preparing to accept them.”
“That’s enough. As you know, there have been more people feeling uneasy around here lately... I guess that’s what you want to hear about? What exactly do you want to know?”
“If possible, everything from the beginning.”
“I heard you’ve been investigating the rumors? I suppose you already know some things.”
I heard that Mr. Calm had been investigating the rumors. Yesterday, I also happened to meet the head of the government office and heard some information. However, I hardly know anything about the slum’s situation, only a little from their talks and deductions. I’m not even sure if those guesses are correct.
There might be false rumors or misunderstandings between the government and the residents.
Besides, they must have their own side of the story. That’s what I want to know.
If there’s anything I can do, I want to cooperate, but I don’t want to interfere unnecessarily and become a hindrance.
“If that’s the case... first, the cause of the rumors spreading and the fact that we don’t fully trust the government are not mistaken. We had accepted government inspections from the start, but as eviction requests started to come, our anxiety gradually increased.”
“The reason for mistrust is...?”
“Everyone knows the leader changed. But that doesn’t mean the previous treatment suddenly vanished. It’s still too soon for everyone here to forget what the old people did.”
“It hasn’t even been a year yet...”
“Yeah... I personally think it’s okay to trust the current head of the government.”
Oh? That might be a little surprising, though I don’t mean to be rude.
“Why do you think Mr. Bernheid is trustworthy?”
“Because he came here himself, like you. He talked properly about the situation over there, our environment here, and the reasons for the demands. Road occupation, blocking traffic, collapse dangers... I think his claims were reasonable. Before, inspections and guidance rarely came... The previous officials neglected their duties, so some exploited that. It’s understandable to be called out for that.”
But... after saying that frankly, he continued.
“There are also quite a few who lost their homes because the government hesitated to pay for cleaning the cesspools.”
“...”
I was at a loss for words.
As I silently listened, it seemed that some people who made a living by cleaning cesspools couldn’t pay rent after their wages were cut and were evicted. As a result, quite a few had no choice but to live on the streets or in ruins.
In other words, the previous government’s actions actually increased the number of homeless people.
For the victims, it’s like the ones who took their homes now tell them not to live on the streets but to live properly in a house...
“That’s basically the situation. That’s why the resentment is strong. The homeless try to sublet rooms from acquaintances as much as possible, but that’s something everyone started doing once they lost their homes. Even if the government told them to do so now, it wouldn’t easily reduce the number. Volunteers with construction skills have been recruited to do repairs and such, but it’s tough...”