Chapter 199 – Cleaning A River
“Are you sure? It is quite demanding physically.”
The receptionist seemed quite surprised by my words.
“I will be fine. I am rather good at manual labor.”
After all, I was running around mountains and knocking down bullies as a child. And so I was confident about my strength.
There was a lot of physical work at the Magic Artificers Guild as well. And I did everything that the men did.
“But, it does not pay much… Don’t tell anyone that I said this, but… Most people realize how it’s not worth the time. And they quit. This is also very disappointing for the client. And so I want to avoid it.”
She said almost pleadingly.
“Are you really certain?”
Apparently, it was going to be quite hard.
Still, I was willing to do anything in order to help Luke.
“Please let me accept it.”
“Very well. I know. You should do just one quarter today. And if you can manage it, you will be asked to do the rest.
She really thought that I was going to quit.
How rude! But then again, I remembered how many people quit back at the guild. And she must be speaking from experience.
Right now, they did not know anything about me.
And so I had to start from scratch and win their trust.
“Fine. We will do it like that.”
And so I accepted a copy of the request sheet and a map.
As I was unfamiliar with the land, it was rather difficult, just reaching the location.
I kept going in the wrong direction, and had to turn back. Still, I finally managed to reach the filthy river.
(This…really is dirty…)
The small river flowed beneath a stone bridge, and was near the back of a residential district.
As it was mainly out of sight, people had used it to discard things that had no use.
A rusty bicycle, broken crates, a discolored sofa…broken wagon parts, beer bottles, a chair without legs… Also, there was oil floating on the surface of the water, and I saw some dead fish that had turned black.
(In any case, I better get some gloves, boots, and clothes that can get dirty. Also, I need to borrow a wagon and some boxes.)
I then searched for a store and purchased what I needed.
After changing my clothes, I pulled the wagon back to the river. And then I saw a familiar face. The old man was standing on the bridge and looking down into the water.
I thought of calling out to him, but he walked away before I was close enough.
“Well, let’s get to work then.”
With my boots on, I entered the river.
It felt slimy. Perhaps the bottom was covered in moss.
But I was just glad that the smell was not so bad.
First, I would gather the trash.
While using Spell Boost, I swiftly gathered it together and placed them in the wooden boxes.
It’s strange, but no matter how tiresome something looks, you end up having fun once you start to do it.
I suppose it was because the work was simple, and you did not have to think about anything. Your troubles and worries seemed like they were far away.
Little by little, the garbage decreased, and I felt a sense of satisfaction.
I could see the progress I was making, and it gave me strength.
(Now the more large trash. Also, I can use wind blades to remove anything that sticks.)
There were a lot of things I wanted to do.
And so it ended up being more fun than I expected.
How much time had passed?
It somehow felt both long and short.
(Using Spell Boost sure messes with your perception of time.)
I looked down at my watch.
It was a cheap one that I had just bought today. And according to it, I had been working for around five hours.
While it took time, I had been able to finish all of the work that I had meant to do.
So it was with a sense of accomplishment that I wiped the sweat from my forehead.
“Yo-you…. Did you do this!”
I heard a voice from above. It was the old man.
He was looking down at me in surprise.
“Yes…”
“I cannot believe it… It is completely different from a moment ago…”
With a stunned expression, he turned to the wagon that was filled with trash.
“How did you….”
“I just cleaned it normally.”
Still, his reaction made me happy.
It felt as if my effort had paid off.
I climbed back up to the road.
“I want to throw this stuff away. Do you know where I should go?”
“I will take you there. Besides, surely you can’t carry all of that alone…”
“Oh, this is nothing for me.”
As I slowly started to pull the wagon, the old man looked at me with horror.
I won! That is what I thought.
And like that, I pulled the wagon to the disposal area in the city.
While we walked, the old man told me all kinds of things.
How he had lived here as a young child.
How he and a young girl, who was his neighbor, would play by the river.
They had a secret base under the bridge, where they met up every day.
However, this girl had a certain secret.
“It was a gloomy summer day, with lots of rain. She and I were ten. And we had become wet from the rain. As we waited under the bridge, she suddenly said something to me. ‘Promise me. No matter what happens, what you see, that you will be on my side.’”
The old man looked down at the ground.
“I had no idea what she meant. Still, I answered without hesitation. ‘I will always be your ally, no matter what happens.’ She smiled and said, ‘Then I will show you my secret.’”
There was something about his story that really drew me in.
I suppose I had the impression that he was talking about the most important moment of his life.
“Even seventy years later, I still remember it clearly. Her wet hair and tanned skin. She then lifted her shirt to reveal burns all over her body. She was being beaten by her father.”
Said the old man.
“I then decided that I would protect her no matter what. It was no easy task. After all, what could I do at that age? Her father was a raging drunkard. I got my share of pain being inflicted on me. Not that that would dissuade me. I would have died for her. That’s how I felt. I was so young.”
He sounded heated. And he spoke in a smooth voice, as if he was suddenly possessed by someone else.
I suppose the memories made him younger for a moment.
“For the next seven years, I did what I could to protect her. However, in the end, I could not save her. It all came to an end one day. When she was chosen as a Saintess candidate.”
He exhaled weakly.
“They took her to the central administrative bureau of the holy city. And she never returned.”
“Was she the Saintess?”
“No, she was not chosen. I did everything I could to search for her, but could find nothing. In this country, all matters concerning the Saintess are top secret. She could be long dead. Perhaps she is living happily somewhere with a family of her own. I hope it is the latter. And then I could live out the rest of my life in peace.
It sounded like he was talking to himself.
“So even now, you are her loyal knight.”
“Perhaps. I have cried tears of joy over our reunion in the past, only to realize that I was dreaming. I really did want to protect her, no matter what. And somehow, those memories warm my heart, even now.”
Two children ran up ahead, as the sun began to set over the city.
“That place. It is more important to me than anything. So thank you for cleaning it.”
Thanks for the chapter