Published: August 15, 2025
Evening
“Thank you for your hard work!”
I wonder how many hundreds of servings I had cooked?
I didn’t count, but I kept cooking and distributing as much as I could.
We repeated that until the ingredients ran out.
Along the way, there were a few small quarrels in the waiting lines, but with the cooperation of the macho squad and the people around, things quickly calmed down, and the food distribution ended safely. Cleanup was also done.
The remaining supplies were to be taken by the macho squad, who were going to escort Bell and the children to the church, so Mr. Eudam and I just had to go home. We were supposed to be escorted to the North Gate every day, but once we were out the gate, we could use spatial magic to get home quickly.
“Mr. Eudam, before going to the North Gate, can we make a little detour?”
“No problem.”
So, we decided to take a small detour before heading back.
Walking under the sinking sunlight, we saw one of the districts where new residences had been gathered through urban planning. Even though it was almost nightfall, children were running around outside, undeterred by the cold.
“Good evening!”
“Ah, it’s Ryoma!”
“The slime kid!”
“The secret boss has come!”
Hey, hey... The first two greetings were fine, but the third one. Secret boss? Is there a regular boss too? I wanted to ask, but the children cheerfully ran off shouting “Bye-bye!”
“This place is still lively.”
“This area has many people who live a nocturnal lifestyle.”
Among the beastman race, some have traits of nocturnal animals. Some are fully nocturnal, others can be active during the day as well, but it seems to vary by individual. This district has many such people.
“The most common are the mole race, right?”
“That’s right. About half of the residents here are mole race.”
As their species name suggests, they have features of moles. It’s not that they can’t go out under sunlight, but they are more comfortable in dark environments. Their true strength shows in underground activity.
Because they are small-bodied, they move easily in narrow spaces and many are strong, but their greatest advantage is a special “sense” that detects the instability and danger of underground tunnels. Those with a well-developed sense can detect risks of collapse, underground water, or toxic gases, and avoid danger.
“The abundance of mole race is a characteristic of towns near mines.”
“They are especially reliable for mining operations.”
By the way, these mole race people prefer living in basements, so houses with underground rooms were prepared. Most of them use the basement as their main living space, while the sunlight-exposed first and second floors are used as storage or rented out as empty rooms.
Leaving that district behind, we soon saw our destination.
It was the northeastern part of Gimul Town, a collection of residences for slum dwellers without homes, commonly called the “Refuge.”
Four square buildings made by sand magic and sand slimes stood spaced apart.
I imagined apartments or dormitories, but this place lacked cleanliness and had a rough atmosphere, like an “unmanaged student dorm.” It reminded me of the dormitory where a university acquaintance of mine lived.
“Good evening.”
“You’re here again, rich brat.”
“This isn’t a place for people like you, yet you really keep coming back.”
I greeted two people warming themselves by a fire in the open space, and got a surly response. The words sounded unwelcoming, but actually they weren’t.
They knew I was the one who had built this refuge and that I was acquainted with Mr. Rible, the slum overseer. Also, I always brought a little “souvenir” when I came here, so I was actually quite welcome.
“I brought the ‘usual’ today too, so please let me talk a bit.”
“Well, if it’s just talking.”
“Hey! The usual brat and booze are here!”
Hearing that, people carrying vessels came out of the building one after another. They wore layered clothes that were dirty and torn, and the sight of them gathering was like something from a zombie movie, even if unspoken.