Otherworld, possession, adventure.
Such a combination of words typically conjured conventional scenes.
“Hero, Saintess, Mage, Porter—let’s go!”
Where the protagonist and their companions would grandly depart from a village, or something to that effect.
Though I wasn’t expecting such a romanticized scene, as I stepped into the job placement office, anticipating a lively otherworld atmosphere, I was met with:
“Why aren’t the carriages coming today?”
“It’s because those Lizardmen and Orc bastards are taking all the jobs. They work for peanuts, so a day laborer’s wages have gone to shit.”
“Guess people really need to learn a skill…”
I found myself facing a surprisingly familiar, almost comforting scene, as if I had returned home.
The sound of clearing throats and spitting phlegm.
Cigarette smoke dissipating into the air.
Even the sight of people holding disposable cups, sipping drinks, and chatting idly.
‘This is completely a day laborer’s market (TL Note: ‘Nogada’ is Korean slang for physically demanding, often low-wage, manual labor, similar to a construction site day labor.).’
Aside from the gender ratio being roughly half and half, and tea being consumed instead of coffee, the atmosphere was strikingly similar.
‘If only a van would pull up, it would be perfect.’
Just then,
-Rumble.
“World Tree Guild! Only two spots! Humans and Elves only! Fire users and lockpickers preferred!”
A carriage, not a van, arrived, and a familiar call-out was made.
-Rush.
The day laborers murmured amongst themselves, and soon two individuals rushed out, boarded the carriage, and vanished.
“…Perfect.”
It was a detail that made it very clear where the developers had sourced their development costs.
As I observed these individuals, who I imagined would be my future self,
-Tap, tap.
“Will, come over to the manager’s side.”
The Lizardman employee in charge of reception called me over.
“Name’s Will, no particular qualifications. First time?”
The manager of the employment agency looked at me with a bored expression.
He didn’t even glance at the application I had painstakingly filled out all night.
‘The fidelity is impressive.’
An attitude as detailed as the job market struggles the developers must have faced.
“Well, as you probably know these days… a day laborer’s wage is practically dirt cheap. You see, those Orcs who used to live in settlements below the dungeon had their homes taken by some group of explorers and they’ve come up here.”
Foreign labor is always a hot-button issue, no matter where you go.
“Anyway, since there’s no issue with your identity, I’ll stamp it, but don’t get your hopes up.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Don’t just take any job just because you’re desperate.”
“Of course not!”
“Alright, then go wait over there. By the time the first cock crows, it’ll be the end of the line, so just go home.”
“Understood. Thank you!”
“You’re surprisingly polite for a youngster these days. Go on in.”
Yet, even this was enjoyable for me.
‘To be able to walk around and work with my own two feet—that’s everything.’
Three years.
It had been three years since I was half-paralyzed, unable to move, confined to my home.
‘Compared to that, this is a blessing.’
Even if you’re rolling in a dog-shit field, it’s better to be alive and on your feet in this world.
Teacher Achilles’ words perfectly encapsulated my current feelings.
Well, no matter how few jobs there were, surely one odd job would turn up.
What couldn’t a young man with all his limbs intact do?
With that thought, I settled among the gray-faced laborers, waiting for work.
However,
Thirty minutes.
“…”
An hour.
“…”
Two hours.
“……”
I was once again struck by the harsh reality that finding employment was difficult even in this otherworld.
Magic, naturally, was out of the question.
Since I lacked skills, I couldn’t be a vanguard, a pathfinder, or a rogue.
As a day laborer, I was surrounded by burly Orcs and Lizardmen.
The manager’s words about how hard it was to find work these days were no exaggeration.
‘Is today a bust?’
As I sighed, looking around at the gradually brightening surroundings,
“Hey, you there.”
A rather brazen-looking man spoke to me.
“What is it?”
“Day laborer?”
His familiarity, immediately dropping formalities, was unusual.
“I am, but why are you speaking informally to me on our first meeting?”
“Ah, our hometown dialect doesn’t have honorifics.”
“I see.”
Aha, American style.
“Even if it did, there’s no way I’d use it for a day laborer like you.”
“Oh my.”
It seemed what he lacked wasn’t honorifics, but manners.
“Wanna do a job? Three days’ work for one gold.”
The man who had abruptly spoken to me informally, the so-called Impudent Man (TL Note: ‘Banmal-man’ refers to someone who speaks informally or impolitely without regard for social hierarchy or etiquette.), offered me a job.
One hundred silver makes one gold, and a trainee’s daily wage for a quest is ten silver, so it was a pretty lucrative sum.
“What kind of work is it?”
“Just collecting some herbs in the Black Forest, and providing a bit of security. The guys who were doing it ran off, so we’re looking to fill the spots urgently.”
“Hmm.”
“You little bastard, don’t pretend to think about it. It’s obvious you’re still here because you can’t do anything. You’ll just waste your time waiting around.”
The Impudent Man snickered, taunting me.
‘His head looks perfectly shaped for a rifle butt.’
It was a lost cause anyway.
As I pondered whether to hit him with a rifle butt and run off—
“Haa! Haa! Huff!”
Over the horizon, a familiar pointed hat came rushing towards us.
“Huff, huff… Ah! I found you! Mr. Will!”
It was Fay, who had said she would come but had been completely out of touch.
“Ah, Fay. You’re here.”
She had agreed to meet here but hadn’t shown up until now.
Judging by her hurried pace, she must have overslept.
“I’m so sorry! I was sure I set my alarm?! But it malfunctioned… You didn’t miss out on a job because you were waiting for me, did you?!”
“No, there wasn’t any work, so I was just waiting anyway.”
“Haa, that’s a relief! I, haa, was worried Mr. Will might leave without me…”
“Oh, come on, no way. We’ve been through a lot together, after all.”
Truthfully, if a job had come up, I would have done exactly that, but since it hadn’t, I decided to say something nice.
“But there’s no work today? That’s strange…”
Fay tilted her head in confusion.
“Was there usually a lot?”
“Yes, they usually just take me right away when I arrive.”
‘Now that I think about it, she said she was from a magic tower.’
I didn’t know her exact status as she wasn’t from this world, but given how she always sang about being an elite, she was probably the equivalent of a prestigious university graduate in this world.
Moreover, magic is a practical skill, isn’t it? So it would be like an engineering major.
‘Considering it in terms of South Korea—’
‘She’d probably be like Kim Fay, top of her class in Computer Science at Pohang University of Science and Technology (TL Note: A highly prestigious engineering and science university in South Korea, often compared to MIT or Caltech.).’
Unlike me, a high school graduate, she’d likely have a free pass to employment.
“Is it because it’s late? No, that can’t be right? I’ve arrived even later than this before and still gotten work…”
Would this child truly understand the struggle of unemployment?
“Hmm, that’s probably because, Fay…”
Just as I was about to explain to Fay, hoping to prevent a future where her clueless boasting would incur others’ wrath,
“Hup.”
The Impudent Man, who had been looking at me with insolent eyes just moments before, suddenly changed his expression and stumbled backward.
“That… hat, hair… Could it be… Lady LeBlanc…?”
His honorifics were impeccably polite.
Was he truly a fellow who understood the beauty of polite speech so well?
“Oh, yes? Do you know me?”
“Yes, well, just a… please wait a moment!”
-Scamper.
The Impudent Man—no, the now Polite Man (TL Note: ‘Jondaetmal-man’ refers to someone who speaks formally or politely, using honorifics appropriate for social hierarchy.)—hastily ran off somewhere.
“Was something going on?”
“Ah, well…”
Just as I opened my mouth to explain briefly,
“Huff! Lady LeBlanc?! No! If you were coming, you should have told us!”
The office manager, who had just stepped out for a cigarette, rushed over as soon as he saw Fay.
“Ah, hello, Manager! But is there really no work today?”
“No! There is! So much of it! From A-rank quests from major guilds to lucrative special requests! You can choose whatever you like!”
The manager bowed deeply, adopting a noticeably subservient posture.
It was a stark contrast to how he hadn’t even glanced at my application.
“Oh, thank you! Then, perhaps… could this person join me as well?”
“Huh?”
Suddenly, Fay grabbed my hand, practically throwing me onto a bus.
Would that even be allowed?
“Uh… that’s… a bit difficult…”
It was not allowed.
“Lately, there have been many incidents caused by people getting in through connections… so the association is a bit…”
So, getting in through connections is difficult, is it?
If even a local employment agency was this cautious, it seemed the rules were quite strict.
“Hmm… it’s fine even if the rank is low?! I’ll take whatever quest allows me to go with this person!”
“Whaaat?! Are you sure about that? Lower-ranked quests usually mean more work. For a high-caliber individual like Lady LeBlanc to bother with…”
“I’m fine with it.”
The manager looked back and forth between Fay and me, his face a picture of confusion.
‘Beyond that, I could almost hear the thought: ‘Who the hell is this guy?’ ‘
I, too, wasn’t sure why Fay was acting this way.
Could my indirect refusal of her party invitation have been so shocking?
“Hmm… the thing is, all the quests suitable for this person have already been taken…”
As the manager scratched the back of his head with a troubled expression,
“Then, how about joining a quest from our guild?”
A man walked up behind us and spoke.
He was a tall, handsome man.
His blond hair was neatly combed back, and he wore an expensive-looking tunic.
He had a gentle, amiable demeanor.
Though his narrowed eyes gave him a slightly sinister, mastermind-like air, I didn’t believe in physiognomy, so I didn’t harbor any prejudice based on his appearance.
“…Who are you?”
Perhaps it was because the man who suddenly intervened had narrowed eyes. Unlike me, who was open-minded in that regard, Fay seemed quite wary.
“My apologies for the late introduction. My name is Lark Roelmann. I am the leader of a small guild called Golden Duck.”
“But what brings you here?”
“I heard that one of our guild members may have been disrespectful to Lady LeBlanc’s companion. I came personally to offer my apologies, however inadequate.”
-Flick.
Then, Mr. Lark glanced to the side and flicked his finger, whereupon a pale-faced man walked out in front of us.
It was the man who had evolved from Impudent Man to Polite Man.
“I… I’m so sorry! It seems I was possessed by something! I am truly sorry!”
-Thud.
The man prostrated himself flat before me.
In the time I hadn’t seen him, he had evolved beyond Polite Man to become Dogeza Man (TL Note: ‘Dogeza’ is a Japanese term referring to kneeling directly on the ground and bowing until one’s head touches the floor, a gesture of deep apology or reverence.).
“Eh, Mr. Will? Was something going on?”
“Well, that is…”
“I heard that this fellow insulted Lady LeBlanc’s acquaintance. It seems there was a misunderstanding, but the fault of my subordinate is my fault. It is only right that I apologize personally.”
“Ooh.”
I was impressed by his genuine leadership.
In a peaceful world, a peaceful heart naturally resides.
It was truly the mindset befitting a guild leader in a ‘healing game’ (TL Note: A genre of video game focused on relaxation, comfort, and positive emotional experiences, often with low stress and gentle gameplay.).
“No, people can make mistakes sometimes.”
“I am merely grateful that you accept.”
What a heartwarming scene!
“Ah, and… I happened to overhear a bit of your conversation. Are the two of you perhaps looking for a quest to do together?”
“Ah, yes. Why?”
“If it’s alright, how about the two of you take on a quest from our guild? It’s to assist with gathering in the Black Forest. Three days for one gold. And as an apology, I’ll add fifty silver.”
In Korean Won (TL Note: The currency of South Korea.), that would be like earning 1.5 million won for three days of work.
Wasn’t that a completely profitable deal?
“That sounds good! What do you think, Fay?”
“Hmm… if Mr. Will is okay with it…”
She nodded, yet her expression seemed somehow unconvinced.
“…Is something wrong?”
“Um… his… impression… is a little…”
“Gasp.”
No way.
“Fay, I don’t think it’s right to judge someone so harshly just because they have narrowed eyes.”
Good heavens.
Could Fay truly be a believer in unscientific physiognomy?
“Eh. Oh, no! Not that kind of impression! It’s just… from somewhere…”
“Hahaha… I do hear that sometimes. But what can I do? I suppose I’ll just have to work harder to dispel any bad impressions.”
Despite Fay’s rudeness, Mr. Lark simply laughed it off as if it were nothing.
What a magnanimous demeanor!
“Then, if it’s alright, may I briefly explain the quest?”
I nodded at Mr. Lark’s words.
“…Alright, I understand. Ha, I really feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before…”
Fay seemed to have more to say, but unable to provide any evidence beyond a vague unease (TL Note: ‘Sseham’ is a Korean slang term referring to a feeling of unease, suspiciousness, or bad vibes.), she eventually agreed to listen to the explanation.
“Excellent. Then, how about we have a quick meal while I explain? You must be hungry from waiting since dawn.”
“Oh, why, we’d be most grateful.”
Even in that situation, he showed such consideration, offering a meal out of concern for my long wait.
As a first quest giver, wasn’t he truly excellent?
‘As expected, it’s a healing game.’
High rewards, and even a gentle guild leader.
A game focused more on comfortable sightseeing than difficulty, it couldn’t be anything but a convenient progression.
Of course, I had no complaints.
While difficult games might trigger dopamine, in reality, convenience is paramount.
‘I’m looking forward to it.’
The high morning sun shone brightly on our future.
