Hearing her question, Alain recalled what the old man had instructed him to say and chose to repeat the same fabricated story.
"...I ended up wandering in the Forest of Darkness."
"is that so..."
The girl after listening to the story looked at Alain with eyes full of sympathy.
"I see... That must have been difficult. I understand; it must have caused a lot of pain."
She nodded repeatedly, mumbling something. And Alain quietly watched the girl.
"In any case, it's fortunate. So, um... your name is?"
'Oops,'
'Come to think of it, I hadn't mentioned my name?'
Thinking so, Alain quickly stated his name.
"Alain. I don't have a surname."
"Alain? That's an interesting name... Oh, my name is Seria. Seria Bransburg."
"Bransburg? Anyway, thank you for your help. I survived thanks to you."
"No, it's okay. It was only natural as someone aspiring to be a knight."
Saying that Seria flashed a dazzling smile.
At that smile, Alain stepped back with a slightly overwhelmed look.
"But I'm glad," Seria said suddenly.
"...?"
"Didn't I say? You said you were wandering around because you lost a place to live."
"..."
"If that's the case, why not stay here? In the Kingdom's logging camp, you'll be provided with meals and lodging, and not only that, you'll also earn money. Later on, you might-"
It was then.
"Seria!"
Suddenly, a voice from behind startled Seria, causing her to swallow her words.
She cautiously looked behind her.
Alain also followed her gaze to look behind her.
A blonde woman was glaring at them.
Upon confirming that, Seria muttered in a small voice.
"Ugh, Lady Karen....."
"...?"
Seeing Alain's puzzled expression, the blonde woman, probably named Karen, strode toward them.
Her cold expression as she walked toward them was truly intimidating.
The workers, sensing the chill in the air, hesitated and quickly stepped back.
"What are you doing here, Seria?"
"Yes? No, well, um..."
"..."
Karen's gaze shifted to Alain.
As her icy blue eyes fell on him, Alain flinched and stepped back.
Karen alternated her gaze between the boy and Seria.
And Seria couldn't answer, scratching her head with a laugh.
Seeing this, Karen eventually let out a light sigh.
"...It's time for the regular assembly. Head to the plaza immediately."
"Yes, yes! Understood!"
At Karen's words, Seria quickly responded and was about to run to the plaza. Then,
"Oh."
As if suddenly remembering something, she looked at Alain.
"...?"
"Then work hard and save a lot of money! I'll come again later!"
"..."
Saying that Seria shrank back at Karen's gaze and quickly ran toward the plaza.
Watching her retreating figure, Karen seemed about to say something but let out a sigh, shaking her head.
Then she glanced at Alain standing beside her.
"..."
Alain glanced at Karen's gaze.
Her blue eyes were still icy.
However, the emotions in those eyes were not just that.
If the feeling she had when she was with Seria was 'strictness,' the gaze she had while looking at Alain was a chill in a different direction.
Yes, if you had to put it into words,
'Contempt'
Would be the right expression.
Or it could be expressed with words like 'pity' or 'pathetic.'
Because of that, Alain couldn't stand the gaze. He eventually turned away.
"...Hmm."
Karen lightly snorted and turned away as she watched Alain focus on his work with the planner.
She had no special feelings for Alain.
Still, the reason she had been watching him was just a small curiosity about how the creature she had thrown into a pit was adapting to the pit.
After confirming that he was diligently doing his job, even that small interest in Alain disappeared without a trace.
From then on, there would be no connection between her and the boy.
That was her impression.
Thinking so, Karen turned back the way she came and headed to the plaza.
*
The sound of a whistle signalled the end of today's work.
Listening to the grumbling of the men around him that it was later than usual, Alain cooled his reddened hands as he tidied up tools with them.
Then he began to line up with the other workers.
The things he had heard from other workers yesterday.
According to them, everyone who enters this work site is forced to incur debt.
And they can't leave the site until they pay off that debt.
Of course, there were those like Alain.
People who had no debt to begin with.
For such people, it becomes more of a target amount rather than debt.
Once a certain amount of money is achieved, they can leave the logging site.
'Why did he end up in such a place...' Alain sighed.
And he recalled what the girl named Seria had said earlier.
'Work hard?'
'What a joke.'
With a light sneer, Alain waited for his turn.
And when it was his turn, he approached the overseer.
"...Hmm."
The overseer snorted at the sight of Alain. Rubbing his neck as if it was sore from being grabbed during the day. And the overseer dropped coins into Alain's palm with a clinking sound.
"..."
Alain's eyes widened as he checked the coins in his hand.
He looked at the overseer with a puzzled expression. But the overseer,
"If you've received it, move along!"
He shouted, pushing Alain aside and calling the next person. And Alain was pushed out, stumbling back.
Meanwhile, the overseer was distributing coins to the next person in the same manner.
The coins dropping from his hand were exactly three copper coins.
The same amount that was now in Alain's hand.
The workers frowned in dissatisfaction at the amount but said nothing.
And trudged back to their lodgings.
"..."
Following them, Alain also began heading to the lodging. But at that moment, he couldn't suppress his anger and veered off the path, running somewhere.
It was none other than a corner of the work site.
A secluded spot where people rarely passed by.
Here, no one would find him.
No matter how much he shouted, there was no worry of being heard.
Thinking that, Alain, let out a bestial roar.
"Argh!"
He began to throw things around in a fit of rage.
'Damn it! Damn it!'
'What kind of nonsense is this?'
'Three copper coins?'
'What on earth is he supposed to do with this?!'
'Three copper coins couldn't buy anything.'
'Not even a rotten loaf of bread in the market.'
'But this was the result of harsh labour.'
It's not a joke, what kind of madness is this?! Then suddenly-
"...!"
The memory of the girl he met earlier, Seria, popped into Alain's mind.
And the words she said began to echo in his head.
'Why not stay here? In the Kingdom's logging camp, you'll be provided with meals and lodging, and not only that, you'll also earn money.'
'Work hard and save a lot of money! I'll come again later!'
"...Haha, is that it? Was she mocking me?"
A hollow laughter escaped from Alain's lips. And Alain slowly collapsed.