Chapter 180: Academy Heroine's Right Diagonal Back Seat
Chapter 180
"Hey, are you guys here to help too? If so, please come over and lend us a hand!"
While Jessie was enthusiastically talking about Yoon Si-woo with a sparkle in her eyes, a worker from a distance called out to us.
Realizing that she had been caught up in conversation when there was work to be done, Jessie calmed herself a bit and spoke.
"Oh, I just remembered. Everyone's busy working, and here I am chatting away. Scarlet, Marin, you can change into work clothes over there and then help out the others."
"Ah... okay, got it."
Still taken aback by the sudden change in Jessie's demeanor, I followed her instructions and headed to the area she pointed out, finding a row of those spacesuit-like work uniforms hanging there.
They looked stifling, and I wondered if I’d even be able to breathe properly in one of those things.
Though I had mostly overcome it, I’d had a bit of claustrophobia as a child, so the thought of wearing such attire made me grimace.
“...We really have to wear this, don’t we?”
“Of course. We’re handling beast corpses, so there’s a risk of miasma poisoning.”
I sighed inwardly.
If the suits were to protect against miasma poisoning, then I shouldn’t need to wear one at all.
Honestly, I doubted wearing it or not would make any difference for me...
I stared at the work suit for a moment before quietly giving up and squeezing myself into it.
It wasn’t worth arousing suspicion by refusing to wear it, so I had no choice but to endure a bit of discomfort.
Resigning myself to reality, I put on the helmet that completely covered my head, only to be surprised by how different it felt compared to what I’d expected.
“...What the heck? I thought it’d feel suffocating, but it’s not stuffy at all.”
Hearing my comment, Marin, who had already changed, spoke with a hint of amusement in her voice.
“Dolos is responsible for handling the beast corpses. Dolos is famous for taking employee welfare to an extreme, almost to the point of obsession. Even the equipment used by their lowest-ranking employees is state-of-the-art, enchanted, and incredibly expensive.”
I was stunned by her explanation.
Wait a second, that's what a proper workplace is like? Then where on earth did I work before...
Whenever I asked for replacements for our old equipment at my last job, the company always turned me down, saying there was no budget.
I guess it was naive to try to compare the standards of my old job, where we were still using gear from decades ago, with this world.
They could afford to splurge because they had money.
Just thinking about the compensation Dolos had given me before was enough to suggest that their family was extraordinarily wealthy.
Though I felt a bit deflated, it wasn’t a bad thing for me at all.
The important thing was that wearing this suit felt more comfortable than before I put it on.
Feeling grateful for Dolos’s impressive use of money, I headed out with Marin to help with the work.
“Ah, are you the newcomers? If you don’t mind, could you tell me what your abilities are?”
As we approached a group of busy workers, a man with shoulder epaulets who appeared to be a mid-level manager directing the others asked us about our abilities.
“Oh, I can manipulate water and ice.”
“My ability is with fire, mainly.”
Seemingly assigning us based on our abilities, the manager nodded after hearing our answers.
“If you can handle water, please head over there and clean up the beast remains near the roads and facilities. As for fire... we don’t need it at the moment, but could you help with transporting the beast corpses?”
“Of course.”
“The beasts are quite large, so it’s a physically demanding task. Are you sure you’ll be alright?”
Given my relatively small build, the manager seemed a bit concerned, but I just chuckled.
A job requiring strength, huh? Believe it or not, I’ve worked construction jobs as a laborer to help support my family.
And I was much stronger now than back then.
Noticing a group of workers struggling to lift a beast corpse nearby, I walked over, picked it up effortlessly with both hands, and tossed it into the truck’s cargo area before returning.
When I glanced back at the manager as if asking, "How’s that?" he let out a disbelieving laugh and muttered.
“Wow, you lifted that like it was nothing... I guess my worries were unfounded. Even if you’re a student, you’re superhuman. Alright, I’ll leave that to you.”
“Leave it to me!”
I replied confidently.
Though the task was hauling beast corpses instead of rebar or cement, I was still confident in my ability to lift and carry things.
It was time to showcase the skills I’d earned as the strongest worker on construction sites and the squad’s “human bulldozer.”
Even though I was wearing a spacesuit-like outfit, I rolled up my sleeves as a gesture and got to work.
What followed was mindless, repetitive labor.
There was no need for unnecessary thoughts when it came to carrying things.
The only thing needed was to lift, carry, and put down.
The only clear memories of the process were the impressed exclamations of other workers watching me.
After a while, when I took a break and slumped against a wall to catch my breath, an older man approached me with something in his hand.
It was a can of coffee.
“You’ve worked hard today, haven’t you? Here, take one.”
“Oh, thank you.”
“No need for thanks. You’ve earned it with your hard work.”
The man’s face broke into a smile as he handed me the can of coffee.
I suppose he appreciated my effort.
It reminded me of the old days when I worked, and the guys on the job would buy me food, saying I’d been working hard.
I still vividly remember the sweet taste of canned coffee from back then.
I didn’t usually like coffee, but for some reason, it tasted so good.
Chuckling to myself, I took off the helmet that had been covering my head.
No matter how high-end the equipment was, working inevitably made my body heat up.
Pressing the cold coffee can against my heated forehead, I let out a satisfied hum at the cool sensation and, before the pleasant feeling could fade, popped open the can and gulped down the coffee.
Ah, it seeps right into my soul…
This wasn’t exactly a labor camp, but I could imagine this must be how that gambling addict from the manga felt.
Lost in the brief pleasure of the canned coffee, I couldn’t help but smile, but then I noticed an odd gaze from beside me.
When I glanced to my side, the older man who had given me the coffee was looking at me with a strange expression.
“…? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“It’s just... it’s surprising to see someone so strong be a young lady. And seeing you act like you’ve been working at sites for years…”
“Ahaha...”
I couldn’t find the right words, so I just chuckled awkwardly.
A high school girl with a military background and a manual labor concept—it was honestly a ridiculous setup.
Who on earth thought there was a demand for a character like this, making me end up this way...
Though if there actually was a demand, that would be a troubling thought in its own right…
I felt that if I kept thinking along these lines, I’d just end up feeling depressed, so I forcibly changed the subject.
“Excuse me, I’ve been curious about something.”
“Huh? Oh, what is it?”
“While I was carrying corpses earlier, I saw some people using those big syringe-like devices to get rid of the corpses instantly. Wouldn’t it be easier if you used those more often instead of hauling the corpses around?”
It was a memorable sight—one of those large syringe-like tools, hooked up with hoses, piercing a beast’s corpse, slowly turning it into mist and sucking it up into the device.
I wondered why, with such a simple method available, everyone was working so hard to move the bodies.
When I asked, the worker sighed and explained.
“Sigh, that’s the equipment we normally use. If we had more of them, we wouldn’t have to go through this hassle. But what can we do? We’re short on equipment at the moment.”
“Huh? How can you be short on equipment that you usually use?”
“Recently, they couldn’t use the gateway, so most of the equipment and personnel were deployed to the front lines. Normally, there’s no need to deal with beast corpses inside the city.”
I immediately understood the situation.
Of course... beasts normally shouldn’t even be inside the city in the first place.
As I nodded with a bitter expression, the man let out a deep sigh, looking completely exhausted.
“Ah, how did things end up like this? Well, no matter what, beast corpses are too dangerous to just leave lying around. For the ones that are difficult to handle, we’re loading them onto trucks and transporting them to a storage facility near the purification site. It’s been hell, honestly.”
His face reminded me of my superior’s expression when a sudden storm turned our trenches and drainage systems into a complete mess.
Unforeseen disasters like these really had a way of wearing people down.
I patted him on the shoulder, offering some small comfort in my own way.
“You’re working hard…”
“We’re not the ones working hard. The real hard work is being done by students like you. Honestly, we couldn’t manage on our own, but with your help, we’re barely getting by. Seriously, I don’t know what we would have done without you and those other students. Anyway, I should get back to work, so take your time resting.”
With that, he stood up and left the break area.
After bidding him goodbye, I thought about the students he had mentioned.
It was obvious who he was talking about.
Aside from me, there were two others who were making a huge impact carrying the corpses. Even with their faces covered, I could roughly guess who they were.
As I was lost in thought, the very two people I was thinking about entered the rest area, likely taking a break themselves.
The smaller of the two spotted me and immediately dashed over, tossing her helmet aside and wrapping me in a tight hug.
“Scarlet! I heard you were hurt. Are you feeling better now? I was so worried!”
“…Yeah, I’m fine now. Thanks for worrying about me, Florene.”
Her high energy remained unchanged despite everything that had happened in the city.
I had recognized her earlier the moment I saw her.
I had never lost a carrying match before, but seeing her petite figure darting around, hauling beast corpses with one hand, I knew it could only be her.
Florene’s ever-consistent personality—her high points and low points both—were all wrapped up in her pink-haired self. I chuckled and hugged her back.
The other person who had followed Florene in removed his helmet, revealing his blond hair and a rather tired-looking face, so I waved and greeted him as well.
“Hey, Dwight. By the way, weren’t you recovering from mana exhaustion last time? You look pretty tired—are you okay?”
“…Don’t worry. It wasn’t that serious, and after some rest, I’m feeling much better.”
Earlier, I’d seen him using magic to help transport the bodies, but judging by his face, it seemed like he could really use more rest.
But Dwight, trying to brush it off, nodded lightly, then turned his attention to Florene, who was still clinging to me.
“Florene, let go of Scarlet. Aren’t you bothering her while she’s trying to rest?”
“Bleh, no way. I’m not bothering her. Right, Scarlet? It’s fine, right?”
Florene stuck her tongue out at Dwight and then looked at me with pleading eyes.
Given that I’d just finished working, it was only natural to feel a bit uncomfortable with someone hugging me.
But looking down at Florene, who was gazing up at me, any thoughts of discomfort quickly vanished from my mind.
She’s just too cute.
Regardless of her personality, Florene, being a sub-heroine in the novel, was incredibly adorable.
When someone that cute clings to you, a little bit of discomfort is easy to overlook.
I stroked Florene’s head and said,
“It’s fine. I don’t mind.”
“Yay! I love you, Scarlet! Go out with me!”
“Sorry, but that’s a bit...”
As usual, I naturally turned down her random, impulsive confession.
I mean, as much as cute is justice, Florene’s cuteness is more of the kind you feel toward a pet.
Just because you think a cat or dog is cute, doesn’t mean you see them romantically, right?
Plus, this small, adorable girl currently hugging me was strong enough to casually snap my waist if she felt like it.
Now that I think about it, this situation suddenly feels quite dangerous...
Though, of course, Florene would never actually do that.
Even if she seemed carefree, Florene was deeply caring towards those she considered friends.
Like that time in the original story when Marin went missing, she immediately ran off to search for her without hesitation.
Though in the end, both of them went missing, so the outcome wasn’t great.
As I was lost in those thoughts, someone else entered the break area.
Though unfamiliar, the epaulets on his shoulders identified him as the mid-level manager I’d spoken to earlier.
However, his face was a sickly pale—clearly, something was wrong.
As I observed him, I noticed that his gaze was fixed on us—or rather, on Florene, who was hugging me.
I wondered why he was looking at her like that, and just then, he spoke.
“…Miss Florene?”
At the mention of her name, Florene’s expression turned sour.
She glared at him, unmistakably annoyed, and shouted.
“Are you here to tell me to work somewhere else like before? I’m not going! I won’t leave!”
“Miss Florene, please…”
“I said no! You just want me to go alone! My friends are all here! I don’t want to be alone!”
As Florene vehemently refused, the manager shut his eyes tightly, looking even more pained.
From the way they were talking, it almost sounded like he was trying to make her do something bad, but he seemed to be the one suffering more.
Watching this scene, I couldn’t make sense of the situation, so I asked the manager.
“Excuse me, but may I ask where you’re trying to send Florene?”
He opened his eyes, glanced at Florene nervously, and then replied to me.
“…It’s the warehouse at the purification facility. I wanted her to help unload the beast corpses from the trucks there…”
Honestly, I didn’t quite understand.
If she hated it that much, there was no reason she specifically had to do that job.
So I asked the manager again.
“Can’t someone else handle that instead of Florene?”
But the manager suddenly shouted.
“No! It absolutely has to be Miss Florene!”
His voice was filled with urgency.
I finally realized there had to be a significant reason why he needed Florene to go.
But without knowing that reason, I tilted my head in confusion, and he muttered under his breath.
“…It’s just… her being here is… distracting. In many ways…”
I didn’t quite grasp what he meant at first.
However, after seeing the almost maddening look on his face as he stared at Florene, I glanced back at her.
“…Oh.”
And then, it clicked.
Florene’s surname was… Dolos.
Despite her carefree appearance, she was the youngest daughter of the Dolos conglomerate.
And the man in front of me was an employee of her father’s company.
It wasn’t until that moment that I fully understood why the manager looked so stressed.
I briefly imagined myself as a site manager, overseeing a construction site, only to find the chairman’s youngest daughter doing grunt work.
…I’d lose my mind.
Just imagining it made me feel sick, so I couldn’t fathom how distracting it must be for him.
I saw the desperate look in the manager’s eyes, practically pleading for Florene to just leave.
Not because he needed her to work, but simply because he needed her out of his sight.
I felt a deep sense of sympathy welling up from within.
I looked at him with a warm expression, then turned to Florene and asked,
“…Florene, it’s not that you don’t want to go, it’s just that you don’t want to go alone, right?”
“Yeah, of course it’s
boring if I go alone!”
“Then how about I go with you? Would you go then?”
“Really? Then I’ll go!”
Florene’s immediate response left the manager staring at me in shock.
Leave this to me.
I gave him a reassuring wink, and he looked at me as if he had just seen his savior.
Almost on the verge of tears, he gazed at me, and I spoke in a cool voice.
“Looks like it’s settled, so please make the arrangements.”
“Yes… Yes! Thank you! Truly, thank you so much!”
I might have saved the life of a company employee today.
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Scarlet is a True Hero! Sasuga Scarlet-sama! Long live Scarlet!
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