Chapter 62

Even if I say it’s a low-pressure system, it probably won’t be understood in this world.

So, I think I’ll just say my mood was down because of the rain. I’ll decide that’s the case.

When I’m alone in my room, I tend to think about unnecessary things.

In situations like this, drinking alcohol... can either make you feel incredibly good or so bad that it’s not worth it, leading to a gamble. It’s better to drink when you’re in a good mood.

So, the best thing to do is to focus on something you can get absorbed in and distract yourself. If you’re busy, you won’t have time to feel down. I’ll try to force myself into work to cheer up.

I’m not exactly a workaholic, though.

“Ah, Mongrel. You’re just the person I needed.”

When I entered the guild, there were few people. Many guild members must have already taken missions and headed off to other places.

From Milene’s troubled expression, I could sense that she was struggling with a shortage of manpower.

“What’s up, Milene? Did an emergency mission come in?”

“Yes, actually, this morning, a terrible mudslide occurred on the Nectar Road near the South Gate…”

“Ah, it’s been raining for days. So, what? Are the carriages stuck?”

“No, some carriages did get stuck, but they were eventually freed. However, when they tried to move the stuck merchant’s carriage to the shoulder, they got caught in even worse mud… and now they’re stuck and in trouble. The merchant’s messenger has issued an emergency request.”

“Wow.”

Of course, there’s no such thing as a tow truck in this world.

Once you get stuck in a bad spot, it’s a real problem. Especially for carriages without a straightforward power source. If you fall into a place that’s like a swamp… well, I don’t even want to think about it.

“I just sent an Iron Class party, but I’m not sure if they have enough strength…”

“Just to be safe, you want me to go. No problem. I’m happy to help with local heavy lifting.”

“Thank you. I’ll handle the procedures, so can you just take this temporary certificate and head to the location? They say it’s a noticeable spot on the Nectar Road, so you should be able to find it easily.”

“Alright, leave it to me. I’ll head out right away.”

I feel bad for the stuck merchant, but it’s a good sign that I got such a job right after coming to the guild.

I’ll rescue the carriage and get some pocket money.

“Hey, Mongrel is going to help with that carriage, huh?”

“Yeah. Is the location far from here?”

“No, apparently not, according to someone who passed by. But I’m worried because the Iron Class members who went to help haven’t returned yet.”

When I left the South Gate, a familiar guard seemed a bit relieved to see me.

It seems he knew about the carriage stuck on the shoulder since morning and was anxious that it hadn’t been resolved. It’s nice of him to care about things outside the city of Regal. Maybe it’s not the right personality for a city guard, but it’s respectful.

“The people in passing carriages also tried to help, but it was clear that it was beyond their capabilities. Mongrel, use your brute strength to help them.”

“Hahaha… Oh, human, help…!”

“Haha, stop imitating suspicious people in front of me.”

“Scary. I’m off.”

“Yeah, be careful.”

I carefully jogged, stepping on the parts of the Nectar Road that weren’t puddles, heading to the accident site.

It was still daylight, so I passed a few carriages heading to Regal, but they didn’t seem to be wary of me. Normally, people would be cautious of someone like me who looks light and carries weapons.

They probably guessed my purpose since they saw the stuck carriage on the way.

“Wow, this is… quite a mess.”

Continuing to jog, I found a pitiful carriage that felt like “this must be it.”

Indeed, it was off the road and not causing a traffic jam, but its right wheels were deeply sunk into the soft fallow field, making it impossible to move on its own.

“Hey, I’m here to help from the Regal guild!”

“! Ah, thank you… Wait, isn’t that Mongrel?”

“Hey, I’m Mongrel, Bronze 3 guild member. And you’re… Frank from ‘Sunset’s End,’ right?”

“It’s been a while!”

It seems the ones who had been helping to rescue the carriage were the new party “Sunset’s End.”

They are a relatively well-organized group of young people, led by the unique leader Frank and his sister Chel.

There were about five of them, and they seemed to be working hard to unload the carriage’s cargo. By lightening the load, they could lift it, but that seemed to be the only solution.

“Ah, you’re from the guild in Regal. I’m grateful you accepted the request. We thought we had moved the carriage off the road to avoid causing a disturbance, but… this is the result.”

“You’re the one who made the request. I’m Mongrel, a Bronze 3 guild member. I’m stronger than these guys, so once we’re ready, I’ll lift it right away. Here’s the guild’s certificate. If you accept additional personnel, take this.”

“…Yes, indeed. No, they’ve been working hard, but the wheels are stuck so deeply. The horses got excited when they slipped down the slope, and they were dragged deeper. Some passing carriages tried to help, but they eventually gave up…”

The merchant looked exhausted, staring at the distant grass.

I wondered what was there, and on the shoulder, the horses that had been pulling the carriage were calmly munching on weeds. They were covered in mud and dirt but seemed to be enjoying their unexpected break and free grazing. Cute guys.

“We’ve managed to unload all the fragile and heavy items. What should we do now, Mongrel? Should we all try to lift it together…?”

“No, I’ll try it alone first.”

“Alone? Let’s do it together.”

“No, no, it’s fine. It would be nice if you could get me some water to step in, though.”

“Ah, well… I can prepare it.”

“Thanks.”

I took off my shoes and socks (which people in this world don’t usually wear) and stepped into the squishy mud.

Oh, my feet sank in. The cool, slimy mud felt both pleasant and unpleasant.

Still, it wasn’t a bottomless swamp, so I could get a good foothold.

“Alright…!”

“Oh!”

The carriage, though lighter after unloading, was still heavy.

But with my body enhancement, I could lift it from the bottom. It was no problem at all.

“Alright… I’ve got it level… Now, guys, grab the sides and back, and help me turn it. We’ll back it up perpendicular to the slope and get it back on the road.”

“Okay!”

“Amazing, you really lifted the wheels by yourself.”

“It would have been tough for you guys alone, I bet.”

With the help of the young members of “Sunset’s End,” we managed to get the carriage back onto the road.

The horses, which had been enjoying their mini-grazing, were re-hitched, looking like “What? We have to move again?” but, well, try your best. Regal is just nearby, so finish the job.

“My nails are full of mud. I’ll need to borrow a bath at the inn later.”

On the way back to Regal, the merchant kindly offered me a ride in the carriage.

I could wash off the dirt from my feet with water, and it was great that everything went well.

“…I’ve always been curious, but isn’t Mongrel’s strength above Bronze rank?”

Frank, walking behind the carriage, called out to me as I gracefully sat on the carriage’s platform.

As always, he’s straightforward. It’s fine, though.

“My strength is definitely above Silver, if we’re talking about raw power.”

“Yeah, I thought so. Maybe…”

“I haven’t raised my rank because I’m lazy. There’s no deep reason.”

“…I see. That’s good, then.”

“Bronze is great. There’s less trouble, and you don’t get many weird requests. You guys should work hard and aim for Bronze.”

“Of course! We’ll definitely spread the name of ‘Sunset’s End’ throughout Regal, no, all of Halperia!”

“Haha, big dreams. For now, aim for Bronze.”

After that, we successfully delivered the carriage to Regal, completing the mission.

After getting a bit of extra income in a short time, I cleaned the streets with a city cleaning mission and finished my work for the day.

Focusing on work really helps take your mind off things.

Maybe from now on, even on rainy days, I’ll just do some heavy-duty parchment work. It might be good for my mental health.