Omake no Tensei-sha

100 Once again the gatekeeper of a deserted town

"Welcome to Joshanka. This is a town where 'the wind is cold, but the people are warm.' Take your time."

After rudely conveying the town's slogan and letting the peddler inside the gate, Sidelock, the guard, picked his nose.

I'm free.
What is the job of a gatekeeper in a rural town?

Yes, I'm free.
Again, I'm bored.
I'm out of time.

A month has already passed since that day.
The number of visitors to Joshanka began to decrease gradually, and now it is back to normal.
I'm back in the lonely town I used to be.
No, the members of the Chamber of Commerce, who assumed that the good economy would continue, were involved in the expansion of stores and the cultivation of new businesses.
Despite that, the people have disappeared, so I can't recover the funds I invested, and my face turns pale and I'm holding my head.
In that sense, is the situation worse than before?
Many Yoshanka merchants are breathing a sigh of relief on the verge of bankruptcy.
If there are no more merchants, there will be fewer people living in Yoshanka.
The city of Joshanka began to roll down the stairway to destruction with ever-faster speed.

(Well, it doesn't matter to me. Until I die... I'll probably have it somehow.)

Sidelock pulls out the index finger he had stuck in his nose.
...... I got the biggest one recently.

"That day" refers to the day when the cursed girl was banished from Joshanka.
It was also the day Sidelock's drinking buddy, Director Daccante, returned from a business trip, and it was also the day her receptionist Pirizza's numerous fraudulent acts came to light.
Oh, and is it also the day that cheeky and impressive silver-haired Kamasse left this town?

What happened when the cursed child was exiled from this town?
First of all, the delivery of saishu grass to the adventurer's guild has almost stopped.
This seems to have come to light during the interrogation of Pirizza, but the recently talked about "Saish Grass of Kaise Forest" was collected by that cursed child and delivered to the guild. And.
Come to think of it, in front of this gate, there was a time when I showed Kamasse the grass that looked like that, that cursed child. I just remembered.

Pirizza tricked her curse into exploiting Saiesh grass, and she pocketed the profits.
In order to hide the injustice from those around her, Pirizza kept her truth a secret.
And as a result, the cursed child was driven out of town without any reward.

Then what happened?
First, the merchants and pharmacists who had come to Yoshanka for medicinal herbs disappeared from the town.
And next, the adventurers started to disappear because the adventurers weren't able to gather so many syesh grass even if they searched for it, even though it was dangerous.
In the past, adventurers were able to make a living by collecting Togord eggs even if they couldn't gather medicinal herbs.
However, it disappeared from the northern cliffs where its mainstay, Togord, was supposed to be its habitat.
The town of Yoshanka has suddenly become a town where adventurers can't earn money and have no taste.
There is no reason to stay in such a town.
Of course the adventurers disappeared somewhere.
The bustle disappeared from Joshanka.

"Fuwa~ah! Lately, I've been busy~! It's nice to be able to take it easy."

Next to me, Yoza is yawning and saying carefree things.

"If so many people don't come, the town will be worried. This is also the curse of those black hair and black eyes...! I can't forgive you!"

This guy, the great people in the chamber of commerce and industry, who were actively working to get rid of the cursed child, would all say things like this.
The reason the town has become deserted again is because of that girl's curse.
However, if it was left in the town as it is, a greater disaster would surely have befallen the town.
Therefore, this situation is unavoidable.
I think I'm not at fault.

(Well, it's a transfer of responsibility.)

I mean, this guy. Yoza.
On that day when the cursed child was banished, it seems that this is the one who created the trigger for the members of the Chamber of Commerce who tried to kick that girl out without any legal basis.
Anyway, the cursed child didn't use the gate and ran up the outer wall to get over it.
I'm sure it's because there's a bad reason why they don't use the main gate.
Well, saying something like that seems to have set the group on fire.
Hey, hey, you're a guard, aren't you?
What are you doing?
There is no such law.

It's true that I said "I'll look into it" when Harinna pestered me.
I didn't mean to do something so brutal.
I found the cursed child was moving over the outer wall.
Unexpectedly, there was a person who could do such a thing.
In that case, the correct procedure is to report it to the magistrate, ask him what to do, and receive orders there to move.
Do it at your own discretion.
If this is considered problematic behavior, I will definitely be punished in some way.
It's because of the carelessness of the director.
Just kidding.
Luckily, I don't know if it's because the other party was a cursed child, but I didn't get any particular warning from above.

"......by the way"

"Hmm? Sidelock-san, what's wrong?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I meant to talk to myself...Yoza, you said you saw a cursed child running up the wall?"

"Ah, yes! That's how he escaped our gatekeeper's attention! I can't forgive him!"

"...How can I imitate running up the outer wall...?"

"Huh? Hmmm... that's what it is, isn't it? I'm sure he used the power of an evil curse to do something! I'm glad I was able to kick him out before he could use that power against the townspeople!"

"......I see"

This is it.
My thoughts have become true.
It's really not good for a guard's mindset that should maintain fairness.
If you leave me alone, I'll do the same thing again, this guy.

But.
Originally speaking, I should have reprimanded Yoza as a superior, but if I did that, I would have indirectly criticized the Chamber of Commerce and Industry that got on this guy.
In such a small town, being hated by the merchants would be miserable.
So I say nothing.
Yoza is no different.
Yeah, but it can't be helped.
It's not about me, so it's fine.
Just be prepared for it so you can avoid your responsibility.

(...Ah, even so, I'm free...)

Sidelock, who was rambling about like this, looked up at the sky and sighed.
The usual cloudy sky spreads out there.
It's not fun to watch.
The sea breeze is blowing and cold, and there is no talk of profit.
Will there ever be a day when Joshanka regains the bustle it had a month ago?

(probably not)

That was the last dream of Joshanka, the dying city.
It was a sweet dream.
Dreams will wake up someday.

(......If)

However, what would have happened if they had not driven out the cursed child and had accepted it in this town?
Something, a new story might have begun in this town.
For some reason, Sidelock thought so.

(... No, it's too late, it doesn't matter)

We cast out the cursed child.
The town of Joshanka began to desolate again.

At least it's not the guard's job to think about the causal relationship.
Thinking so, Sidelock stopped thinking about cursed children at this point.
And he turned forward, frowning at the still nasty sea breeze, and began to pick his nose, looking out over the deserted highway.

There was a daily life that was the same as before.
It was the story after Joshanka.
He drove out the person who was responsible for the town's rise, and the natural result was that the town fell into desolation again.
what goes around comes around.

and sidelock.
This old man, despite being a character with a name, didn't do anything until the end.