Chapter 30
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
After talking with Frederica at the dismantling area’s reception.
It would be strange not to assess the loot after chatting for so long, so I decided to have the magic stones evaluated.
But…
”Too much.”
The bag of loot I pulled out from my backpack was almost as big as the backpack itself, and seeing it, Frederica made a very annoyed face.
”Even if you say that… don’t big companies bring in even more? What do you guys do in that case?”
”If there’s a certain amount or more, there’s a fee for sorting, so the other side usually separate them by size at each company before bringing them in. Most of the time, they have someone who’s part of the company but not an adventurer do it.”
”Can’t they trick you about the size?”
”We count the numbers here, and we check the sizes during that process. If someone is caught intentionally trying to trick us, there are appropriate penalties, so it’s basically rare for anything to get mixed up unless it’s just a mistake.”
”I see… so what should I do with this?”
”If you don’t mind the fee, we can handle it here, but… oh, I have a good idea!”
Clunk.
Frederica, who had been making a sour face at my bag of loot, suddenly stood up as if she thought of something and went into the back room.
”Huh?”
As we exchanged puzzled looks, she soon returned.
For some reason, she had changed clothes, looking like a refined young lady in what seemed to be a nice blouse and skirt instead of her reception uniform.
”Alright, let’s go.”
”Where to? And is it okay to leave the reception?”
”I said I’d be back after finishing her errands, so it’s fine. The destination is… a place where we can ask for sorting the magic stones.”
”If you said that clearly, then it’s okay… But sorting magic stones is something we need to trust the place with. It’s like dealing with money.”
”Don’t worry about that. It’s under our … or rather, my management. If anything happens, I’ll compensate for it.”
”Then, well…”
Hearing that, we agreed and followed her out of the dismantling area.
* * *
”Here it is.”
We were taken by the carriage prepared by Frederica to a building near the craftsman district in the northwest part of the city.
It could be called a house, but it’s too big for a single-family home and too small to be called a mansion.
She must trust it enough to say she would compensate in case of an emergency, and it seems to be like a company housing where a few people related to her family live.
While I was making such guesses, Iris asked Frederica about it.
”Um, what is this place?”
”It’s an orphanage run by an acquaintance. They take in children whose parents are unknown as much as they can.”
”Oh… So, does that mean the children will be doing the sorting of the magic stones as a job?”
”That’s right. We can’t let the really small kids near it because they might put things in their mouths, but other than that, there shouldn’t be any danger.”
”I see… um, is that okay?”
Iris asked me that in response.
”What do you mean? It seems like you’re considering safety…”
”No, I mean, if we’re asking them to do it as a job, they should be paid, right? If that’s the case, your income will obviously decrease, and if you don’t like that, I can sort them instead…”
Iris glanced at the orphanage while saying that.
She’s a kind woman, so she probably cares about the kids there.
However, the building’s appearance and the area around the gate are well-maintained, so it doesn’t look like their financial situation is that bad.
When I asked Frederica about it, she answered with a complicated expression.
”…It’s not good, to be honest. I’m just doing it out of my own pocket, so at least I can keep up appearances. That’s why they can only take in as many as they can handle.”
”Oh, you said they can only take in what they can manage. But why are you doing this out of your own money?”
”I run a facility at home too, but there, we prioritize boys for future profits. Girls who can’t get into places like this… tend to face various ‘dangers’, and I don’t like that.”
”I see… wait, so are there more girls here?”
”No. It’s not that there are more… just, you know.”
Frederica’s expression seemed to show that there was some complicated situation behind it.
I don’t have to consider that situation, but since I’ll be getting information about “Gem Snake” later, I shouldn’t make things worse with her.
Also… since this is a world, or city like this, I’ve heard that women have fewer job options, so it’s better if they at least stay healthy.
”Well, as long as they do their job properly, that’s fine. If I need some cash, I can go into a dungeon and earn some, so you don’t need to rush them too much.”
”I plan to make sure they do their job… is that okay?”
”That depends on the payment. If it’s too high, I’ll refuse.”
”Of course I won’t do something like that. Well then, we need to talk in detail, so let’s go inside. I’ll introduce you to the manager.”
Frederica reaches for the gate, looking cheerful as if the conversation is going well.
I stop her.
”Ah, wait a second.”
”Huh? What is it? You’re not changing your mind, are you?”
Her expression flips instantly, but…
”No, it’s not that. Are you sure it’s okay for me to stay like this? If it’s just girls, they might get scared.”
That’s right, I’m still in my “Mose” form, looking tough with a big shield.
So when I check with her… Frederica’s mood returns.
”Ah… but you can’t take off ‘that’ in a public place, right?”
”Yeah.”
The fact that the “Gem Snake” isn’t moving regarding Iris is just the information we have right now; it doesn’t mean she’s definitely safe.
As for Iris… she’s been smiling ever since I said I’d let the orphanage handle the magic stones.
So when I tell her I can’t take off my Magic Armor, Frederica crosses her arms and looks me up and down before nodding.
”Well, it should be fine. There are a lot of people like that in this city, and the kids here go out, so they should be used to it. The little ones might get scared, but… those kids are usually deeper inside the facility, so we probably won’t run into them right at the entrance.”
”Yeah, then it should be okay. I don’t have any reason to go deep inside anyway.”
When I say that… Frederica shows a relieved expression.
”Phew… I’m glad I caught you.”
”Huh? What do you mean by that?”
”Some people try to make the girls here do things just because they donate money. If the girl is old enough to make her own decisions, that’s fine, but…”
From the look on her face, like she just saw a ‘bug’ she didn’t want to see… it seems like those ‘kinds of people’ exist.
I don’t know if it’s one person or a group, but compared to those guys, I feel safer for her.
”I see. Well, I prefer it when they’re a bit more grown-up.”
”Ah, now that you mention it, that’s true. You were watching mine too.”
As she said that, Frederica moved her arms up and down, emphasizing her chest, which was a good size.
”Isn’t it a bit ‘improper’ for a young lady from a good family?”
”Since we’re all human, the basics don’t really change. In the end, it’s about how well you can hide it, right?”
”Well, I can understand that…”
I thought it depended on the person, so I replied casually, and then Iris leaned in from the side.
”Um, we’re good here. No need for that.”
Her earlier smile was gone, and now she was looking at Frederica with a cautious expression.
Maybe she knows that making things worse with her is not a good idea, so her attitude was more reserved.
Frederica, understanding this, relaxed her arms and returned her chest to a natural position.
”Okay, okay, I get it. This is a good deal for me too, so I don’t want to fight over something silly.”
Saying that, she walked through the gate of the facility, gesturing for us to follow her.
”Phew…”
”…Come on, let’s go.”
*Slap!*
”Yikes! W-What?!”
I lightly slapped Iris’s butt, feeling relieved that Frederica was leading the way, and then I entered the orphanage.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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