Helping with the Icehouse
In Regor, there was a tradition of gathering snow that accumulated to a certain extent before it melted. This was known as an 『icehouse』.
Unlike regions where perennial snow remained, Regor was not one of those places. So, the snow that piled up during winter was quickly gathered and packed as much as possible into an underground space.
By doing this, it was possible to store things without them melting even in the hot seasons, allowing for refrigerated preservation using snow and ice. This method had various applications. The concept was to compact the snow into ice by tamping it down or sprinkling water on it. If there were a big lake, extracting ice might have been easier, but it was a bit labor-intensive.
The problem was the collection of snow used for this icehouse. Gathering snow sounded easy, but the snow that accumulated in Regor wasn't much to speak of. If there were foot traffic, a path might form, but otherwise, it was the kind that would naturally disappear. Snow in the city was dirty, so when gathering snow, it was done in fallow fields or grazing lands. The top layer was carefully skimmed and gathered, but of course, it was an extremely tough task to do in the cold. And there were no machines to help.
However, there was no need to worry deeply. Regor had some convenient folks who could be mobilized at a low cost during such times. Most troublesome issues could be resolved by them.
Those were the criminal slaves: essentially, criminals who were serving their sentences.
「This year, we've got better tools available, so the work should be easier—hang in there!」
Criminal slaves lined up on fallow land diligently gathered fresh snow. They scooped and collected it, stepping back carefully to pile it in one place. Being cautious not to step on the fresh snow, they moved slowly, inch by inch. It was a laborious task, with more attention to detail than mere snow shoveling.
「Keep moving—if you slack off, you'll get colder!」
The site foreman for gathering the snow was the guardsman from Regor. The work itself was quite boring, but since criminal slaves were involved, they couldn't involve civilians carelessly, so it was inevitable.
Still, there was a constant shortage of hands.
This task wasn't limited to criminal slaves; guild members could also be hired for it.
「Ah, you're from the guild, huh... oh, you're taking all that at once?」
「Yeah, it's light work.」
I was currently working a little distance away from the criminal slaves, transporting the snow.
Gathering snow from afar was easier said than done; it was a grueling task that required making multiple trips with a cart. The loading and unloading, in particular, were incredibly demanding.
Well, given my brute strength, this level was a piece of cake for me.
「Man, compacting the snow is quite a challenge. I didn't think turning it into ice would be this hard.」
「Well, that's why the criminal slaves get this kind of job. But you took on this task voluntarily, didn't you? That's unusual.」
「I did this last year too. It's a rare experience, so I figured I'd do it just for a day.」
Working on building an icehouse wasn't something you could easily try, even if you wanted to. While it's still fresh, it's enjoyable work.
「Hmm... does taking it through the guild actually pay well? It doesn't, does it?」
「Nope, there's no profit in it. It's the kind of job that the Iron-rank struggling to make ends meet in winter would take on.」
「Is that so? But why you?」
「Like I said earlier, I just wanted to try out this rare work.」
「You're quite the odd one. But frankly, it's helpful that the work progresses. Standing around in the cold is tough for us too.」
Despite the snow being a bit muddy, tamping it down made it easier to transport.
We passed it to the guardsman waiting at the cart's loading area. For large chunks, we used tools similar to those used in sawmills to lift logs.
Thanks to my strength, I could load at a faster pace than the snow mounds were being collected. I even had enough leeway to help with snow gathering in the fallow fields.
「You're from the guild, huh?」
「Yeah, that's right.」
As I carefully skimmed the snow to avoid mixing in dirt, a male criminal slave next to me spoke up.
His neck was wrapped with a sturdy leather band indicating he was a criminal slave.
「You here to help someone escape? Didn't you come to this place with that goal in mind? This isn't the job for someone at Bronze 3.」
And now he was trying to attach some weird suspicion to me.
Sure, in terms of compensation, it was completely unmatched, but there was no hidden agenda...
「I'm just here because I wanted to experience building an icehouse.」
「Ahh, so you have to say that, huh?」
No, no, please stop improvising weird scenarios.
「It's just a misunderstanding. I did this last year, too. The guardsman at the cart knows about my past, so ask him.」
「So you're really just doing the job?」
「That's right.」
「Why?」
「Because I wanted to try icehouse building.」
「...」
The criminal slave left, probably thinking, "Is this guy crazy?" given the look on his face. My heart was deeply wounded.
「That's what happened, Varga.」
「Well, it's no wonder anyone would think that's the work of a weirdo.」
When I talked about the icehouse building at the guild tavern, Varga dismissed my story without any mercy.
「True, there are fewer jobs in winter, but doing the same work as criminal slaves is tough.」
「Hey, Alex, didn't you ever get involved in icehouse building, having been in the military?」
「Yeah, I've experienced that... but like the guards, as a supervisor. Actually doing the work is cold and hard, so I'm not very eager.」
Well, the supervisory role was mostly just watching... letting the criminal slaves do the actual labor and only overseeing them. It's definitely different.
「A while back, there was a stray monster outside the walls, right? What did you do then, Mongrel?」
「Oh, some hurried out of the guild, but the guards took care of it before the guild members could arrive. I figured that'd happen, so I didn't leave the guild!」
「You speak so proudly of doing nothing...」
「I don't have a ranged weapon anyway. Should I have just thrown stones from the top of the wall?」
The guards weren't so carefree or complacent as to open the gates just to deal with monsters beyond the outer wall.
「Speaking of which, weren't you practicing archery, Mongrel?」
「Really? It's the first I've heard of it.」
「No, my archery's terrible. I have a bow, but I can't hit anything.」
「Still, owning one means you can handle it to some extent, right? That's surprising... I never pegged you as the type for ranged weapons.」
「No, I can't even hit a tree 5 meters away.」
「Way more of an amateur than I imagined...!」
Amateur or not, in my case, I'm probably stronger just throwing the arrows like darts.
「It's a waste you stopped practicing. Archery can double the game you bring in. You've been talking with Artemis's kids a lot, why not learn from them?」
「That's true. You've been friendly with not just Raina, but Ulrika too, right? Take this chance and learn.」
「...」
「You look incredibly opposed...」
「Do you dislike archery that much, Mongrel?」
To be honest, it's a hassle. Especially having to slowly retrieve arrows after shooting. Can't I just throw rocks?
「When spring comes, you'll be busier. Now's the perfect time to train when you're free...」
「Hmm, when you put it that way... I am getting tired of lazing around in the tavern... these days, Dickbald's there often too, making the atmosphere strange...」
「Ah... our leader... well, he's a good guy, so don't get the wrong idea...」
「I get it.」
「I know, but... it just feels... odd...」
Varga seems to belong to the laid-back group, so he doesn't team up with the leader Dickbald that often.
Having someone you're not used to in the same party must feel strange. I think Varga still has respect for him, though.
Maybe for Raina and the others, teaching me archery at the training ground might be more pleasant than being in the tavern turned harassment space with Dickbald.
Though training in archery feels like a chore, I might consider it. I'm free, after all.