That Unique Monster Who Just Got the 'Consciousness' Passive Skill Chapter 20 Kindness

Working?

I worked. It lasted for the whole afternoon. No more than five hours. So much so that, right now, the sun even started to settle down. The woman who offered her protection and kindness, after she had helped , offered a job. And at the end of that job, I'd get to eat and drink. This was to be my inco for the day, she said. And thus I did work under her conduct.

She was kind. And actually, I even got to eat before starting the real job. She said I needed strength in order to work. After I ate well and replenished my strength, she said this wasn't enough yet, and she called the healers for . They called it "illness and lingering symptoms of malnutrition for a prolonged period of ti"—I called it a bunch of Negative Status Effects acting up together. Or the System did, rather. So I was cured, healed, and nourished. This made happy, and I started to jump around happily. The kind ma'am had as much reliability as she had kindness. Seeing jumping around like a fool around her, she stopped and urged to keep my strength to work, now. Because we would get started.

I obeyed. We had our stand to attend to, our custors to satisfy, and a livelihood to assure. So we sold things. Or more like, she sold things, and I helped her the best I could. Greens, vegetables, flour, wheat, nurous kinds of bread, and so other things I did not inquire about. There were all of these. All goods that we had to sell. Custors would co to us in order to buy, and we would serve them in exchange for money. The kind ma'am was behind the counter dealing with the clients, and I was in the background, handling things she needed to, or simply putting so orders and cleaning up as she ordered. We worked as a team. "You're capable enough, kiddo. Be proud of yourself." The kind ma'am cheered up a lot. Before long, our working ti was over. Now the sun was settling down.

It was getting dark outside.

The monsters' ho. What was the monsters' ho? And where was it? It was my ho, mine, and it most likely was outside of the Sville Village, in the forests, where monsters were lurking in the dark. Anyone's ho was where anyone should be. That's what the kind middle-aged lady taught .

I should be at my place… but I'm not. Right now, I'm not. Rather, I'm at an inn. A huge, hearty, pleasant inn. The Frontgate Inn. Rather than on the inside of it, I was out, resting my back on the outer wall of the place. The front porch was empty, all the custors were inside. Only I was here, my eyes glued to the big gates in front of .

"So… will you open yourself already… or what?" I mumbled, waiting patiently. It had been five minutes since I got here. And no, the big, thick wooden gates wouldn't dare open. But just as my ntor said about working patiently, 'Being patient is a quality, a virtue.'

​ So patiently, I waited so more. Those were the village's gates. They led to the outside. My eyes squinted as I examined them. They were connected to high ramparts that protected the people of the village from their enemies. In front of the gate were standing two guards. Each one of them by either side of it. They were on duty.

I now saw that waiting idly wouldn't get anywhere. If the guards were to open the gates, well, they'd have done it by now. So I jumped up and walked up to them. I looked at one of them, he looked at . I wondered what I should tell him so that he opened the door for . But rapidly, he crouched down and waved for to approach. With quick steps, I was in front of him. He took his helt off, placed it by himself on the ground, and stuffed his hand in his pockets… "Ta-dah~" he produced a candy for . "I only have this one. Promise." Standing back up, he shooed away.

"Open the big doors for ." I wasn't just so kid, please.

"Uh? Didn't you just want so candy?"

"What? Why?"

The guard's colleague spoke and said I'm not from the other usual group of kids. "Oh. Other brats always want candies so… All right then, what do you want, kid? Wanna play at fighting with ?"

I said I just wanted the doors to open. I wanted to go out—no, I needed to.

"Well then, I'm afraid not."

"Why? I need to."

"Why do you think we're on duty this late at night, eh?"

I shook my head. "Why?"

"What? Damn, that's one amusing fella we got there." "Yup, you said it." "Hey, little man, you don't play with the other kids? Not from town? I an, the other kids, don't they keep talking about it? Word is, a monster's lurking in town. Yes little man, as we speak the monster lurks. That's why the gates're closed for now. Only big shots get to go in and out as they please. Wanted to play outside? You can't. It'll soon be pitch-dark anyway. Just go ho. You'll try again tomorrow. Or well, maybe not… I guess we still got to catch the monster first. Well anyway, there you have it." And he shooed away. "Don't be too scared~ You're safe with us!"

If they didn't recognize , they were the ones who shouldn't be scared. Going away, I went back to that inn. The kind ma'am's inn. It rested right by the front gate of the village in order to welco newcors. I was a newcor too, so I went to the door and was welcod in.

What I didn't know was that I wouldn't leave this inn alive.

The door creaked so loudly the people inside were alerted by my presence. "Welco, welco! Co on in— Oh, so you ca back, after all, kiddo!" My eyes widened in surprise as the door opened to an unknown world. I had never seen this. Walking past that door, the change in atmosphere was so abrupt. Outside, at night, it was cold and quiet. Inside of here, however, man it was full of life. A crowded place.

Laughter and shouting rang out within the enclosure of these four walls. Afraid to disturb the quiet people on the outside, I hurried myself in and slamd the door closed. An inn, huh? Surely, this was the most animated and lively place I had ever seen. Then again, I only was a-day-old for now, so maybe it was normal.

The kind ma'am called to with a happy tone. She asked what brought here. Did I just happen to have a change of mind? She was going about serving the custors. I wondered whether she stopped working even one hour a day at least. What an avid worker, I thought. That's comndable. In both her hands, she held giant plates. Within these giant plates were scattered plenty of delightful dishes, full of different kinds of food. In the ruckus of that place, "Owner, owner!" so hands were raised here and there, while she scurried all over the place, making sure no one was forgotten. She was quite the skillful lady. And an avid worker with a lot of work to do. Still carrying around all her dishes, she managed to spare herself so ti and threw another glance at . Calling for her daughter, she handed her over all her gear.

"What can you be daydreaming about that'd make you this detached, eh, kiddo?" she said, pinching my nose. Startled, I ca back to reality.

"Yes, ma'am. This, uh, business-related stuff I had to take care of, that I talked to you about, well, I can't do it for now. That's why I ca back… as per your instructions, ma'am." I couldn't get out of this place for now. The monsters' ho had to wait.

So did I want to help her with her work again? "Is it really okay if I trouble you with my care, though, ma'am?" I needn't ntion it, she said. As she also said, just by looking around us I could see all of the work she had, in abundance, which ant I wouldn't just be taken care of if I decided to stay with her, but rather take care of myself. Honestly with the bad guys, at that. She said this place was even denser in work compared to the place at the marketplace. I could only agree with her. It couldn't even compare, to be honest.