The officer handed me a slip of paper with scribbled notes. "Hmm... it's hard to get work that pays well with a temporary ID," he muttered, shuffling through documents. "But here's a list of jobs you can do."
I leaned over the counter to glance at the options. "Wall repairman. You'll work to repair sections of the town walls. It's labor-intensive, but I can vouch for you to the chief worker. Take this note to him."
He handed me the paper, and I squinted at the messy handwriting. "The pay is decent," he added, "enough to cover food and maybe save up for that adventurer registration."
I sighed and took the slip. "Well, it's not like I have a choice. Thanks, man."
"Yeah, yeah," he waved dismissively. "Just don't screw it up. The chief's not the type to deal with slackers."
With that, I stepped outside, note in hand, ready to find the chief worker. My stomach growled loudly, reminding me of my top priority: food. "Guess I'm about to get my hands dirty. Let's hope this pays off…"
I walked around, scanning the bustling streets for anyone who might point me in the right direction. After a few moments, I spotted a passerby leaning against a nearby wall. "Excuse me!" I called out, approaching him. "Do you know where I can find the wall repair site?"
He eyed me for a moment, then nodded and pointed down the street. "Keep going straight; it's past the fountain. You can't miss it."
"Thanks!" I replied, offering a nod before hurrying off in the direction he indicated.
After a few minutes of walking, I finally reached the site. It was a chaotic scene, with piles of stones and a few workers busy repairing the wall. A big, bulky man with a thick beard stood nearby, supervising the activity.
"What do you want?" he barked, crossing his arms.
I swallowed nervously but managed to respond, "Um... I came here about this?" I handed him the note the officer had given me.
"Huh!?" The chief worker barked at me, eyeing me from head to toe. "You came here to work? What the hell is Officer Zamrune thinking, sending me someone like you?"
I opened my mouth to reply, but he cut me off with a sigh. "Fine, fine. We're short-handed anyway."
He shoved a pair of rough-looking shorts into my hands. "Alright, lad! You can work here, but take off that shirt and those pants. We don't want you ruining your fancy city clothes."
I looked down at my already ragged attire. "Fancy? Seriously? This is all I—"
"Don't talk back!" he snapped. "Now go there, pick up those stones, and haul them to the repairman! Move it!"
"Alright, alright, jeez," I muttered, stripping down and pulling on the scratchy shorts. At least they fit.
"Better get used to it," I told myself as I trudged toward the piles of stones. The sun was already beating down on me, and the day was shaping up to be rough. But hey, food wasn't going to pay for itself.
"Oi!" the chief shouted, his voice shaking the ground. "Why the hell are you carrying those stones with your bare hands!? Use the damn wheelbarrow!"
"Alright, chill!" I shot back, grabbing an old wooden wheelbarrow. I loaded it with stones, feeling their rough edges digging into my palms. It wasn't exactly glamorous work.
Once it was full, I started pushing the wheelbarrow toward the repairmen. The wheels squeaked and wobbled like they were ready to fall apart. "Seriously, this thing's older than me," I muttered.
That became my routine: load the stones, push them to the repair crew, rinse, and repeat. Sweat trickled down my face, and my arms ached after just a few trips.
"Ugh! I forgot what it's like to work like this," I grumbled. "Back in my world, it was all air conditioning and office chairs—no heavy lifting, no sunburn."
Wiping my forehead with the back of my hand, I glared at the piles of stones. "Damn isekai! Why couldn't I get one of those cheat powers? Instead, I'm hauling rocks like a medieval delivery boy!"
Still, the thought of food kept me going. "Just keep pushing, Hazuki," I told myself. "At least you're not starving… yet."
I kept working like a mule. My arms ached, my back screamed, and my stomach growled louder than ever. "Ugh, this is torture," I muttered, wiping sweat off my face. I had no idea how much time had passed—it felt like hours.
Finally, the chief's loud voice rang out. "Alright, lads! Time to rest!"
Everyone dropped their tools and bolted toward a shaded area. Curious, I followed and saw a line forming near a makeshift serving station. Each worker grabbed a wooden plate and stood in line.
I joined the line, my stomach grumbling in anticipation. When I got closer, I saw they were serving bread and a hearty-looking stew.
"Next!" the server barked.
When it was my turn, he smirked. "Oh, it's the crazy guy. Haha… here ya go." He handed me a chunk of bread and a bowl of stew.
"Uh, thanks," I said, eyeing the food like it was the holy grail. "Umm… where's the water?"
The moment I asked, everyone burst out laughing, some slapping their knees like I'd told the funniest joke.
"Huh? What's so funny?" I asked, confused.
One of the repairmen grinned, pointing toward a nearby stream. "You can drink water from the stream, crazy guy! We don't serve drinks here!"
"Seriously?" I groaned, looking at the sparkling stream in the distance. "This is why I miss vending machines…"
I found a shady spot under a big tree, away from the rowdy laughter. Sitting down with my wooden plate, I tore off a piece of bread and dipped it into the stew.
"Well… not bad," I muttered, chewing thoughtfully. The bread was a bit hard, but the stew was flavorful and warm. The tough meat chunks felt gourmet compared to my growling stomach.
Leaning back against the tree, I enjoyed the slight breeze. For a moment, I forgot about the exhausting labor and the strange circumstances that led me here. "At least the food's decent," I said to myself, taking another bite.
As I ate, I glanced around. The other workers were eating in groups, cracking jokes, or napping wherever they could. It was odd—despite the harshness of this medieval world, they seemed content.
Maybe I could learn something from them. Or maybe I just needed more stew.
After finishing my meal, I followed everyone else to drop off the dirty dishes in a simple setup of wooden tubs. Once that was done, I found a quiet spot and flopped onto the ground, staring up through the tree branches.
This... is my first experience in an isekai? Really?
I sighed deeply, burdened by shattered expectations. I had expected to arrive here with some overpowered cheat skill or a magic sword, maybe summoned by a king or princess to fight a demon lord. You know, the classic setup: form a party, meet cool companions, maybe even a cute elf or beastgirl, and rise to fame and fortune.
And yet? Here I was.
"Duhhh… manual labor. Picking up rocks and sweating buckets for a single meal," I muttered, shaking my head. "Some cheat skill I got. Where's my ability to lift a thousand stones at once? Or magic to make this easier?"
I snorted, imagining myself casting a grand spell to repair a wall. "Behold! The great and powerful Hazuki can summon boulders with ease!"
The thought made me chuckle for a moment, but reality quickly returned. Honestly, jail wasn't looking too bad right now—free food, no hard labor, though the guards were annoying.
"Yeah, that's definitely not the best option," I smirked. "Maybe I should've stayed longer to annoy Shania. Free food and her beautiful face? Better than rocks."
I closed my eyes, letting the sounds of chatter and hammering fade into the background. This wasn't the grand adventure I envisioned, but it was my reality now. For better or worse.
"Oi! Get back to work!!"
I jolted upright, feeling like someone had dumped cold water on me.
"Eeep! Chill a bit, chief!" I waved my hands defensively.
The chief glared, arms crossed. "You lot have been lying around for an hour! Get back to work, or no salary today!"
"Eeeep!! Okay, okay, chill! I'm going!" I scrambled to my feet, brushing dirt off my clothes.
The other workers snickered as they returned to their tasks, clearly used to the chief's outbursts. I grabbed the wheelbarrow and resumed hauling stones, muttering under my breath.
"Damn, this guy's scarier than my old boss… and that's saying something!"
With every step, I cursed my luck and the chief's booming voice echoing in my head. Maybe one day I'd look back on this and laugh... but not today. Definitely not today.
As I hauled another load of stones, sweat dripped down my face, and I groaned, "Damn you, isekai story anime! You lied to me!"
I slammed the wheelbarrow down, the stones rattling. "I thought getting isekai'd would be the best experience! I was supposed to be surrounded by beautiful women, forming a party with a mage, a swordswoman, and a cute elf healer! I'd defeat the demon king, marry a princess, live happily, and roll in gold!"
Wiping my face with my shirt, I glared at the pile of stones. "But noooo! Here I am, doing manual labor, sweating like crazy, earning pennies, and drinking stream water like a caveman!"
A nearby worker chuckled as he walked past with his own load. "Oi, crazy guy! Keep daydreaming, and you'll lose your wage for sure!"
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up!" I shot back, pushing the wheelbarrow toward the repairmen. "But just you wait! My isekai protagonist moment is coming! You'll see!"
For now, though, I kept pushing that wheelbarrow, muttering, "This better be worth it... stupid isekai tropes..."
( End of Chapter )