Worthless Skill Escape (WN)

Chapter 243

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TL: ALT

Chapter 243 – Asylum Guide Part 1

I really wanted to show Shaina around the Asylum, but she looked too tired.

I decided to just show her the living quarters and let her rest.

After leaving her room,

“Honoka-chan, how was it?”

I asked Honoka-chan what she thought of Shaina.

Honoka-chan, who has the unique skill of Empathy, has a keen eye for people.

She had been tricked by illegal explorers before, but at that time, she hadn’t awakened her unique skill yet.

Unique skills are supposed to be something you already have when you gain status, but Honoka-chan had the rare experience of awakening her unique skill through mountain ascetic training.

In fact, it seems that during her training, she met the God of Tenugamine and had her dormant power awakened. (*1)

In any case, Honoka-chan can now sense the emotions of others as they are.

In Asylum, which is like the ultimate in multicultural coexistence, Honoka-chan is a valuable asset.

How does Shaina, also known as Princess Shainareze, seem to Honoka-chan?

“I don’t think she’s dishonest. She was willing to do anything for Yuto-san, who saved her from a desperate situation.”

“It’s a little strange that she’s so devoted.”

“Yuto-san doesn’t know what you did. Shaina-san certainly has a strong sense of responsibility as a member of the royal family, but…”

“It’s not a bad thing. It’s just that I don’t like it when people use that sense of responsibility to make others swear allegiance to them.”

“I understand that Yuto-san is such a person. After all, my mother pushed you so hard, but you always avoided her.”

Honoka-chan chuckled quietly.

“W-well, I’m glad that there doesn’t seem to be a problem. She’s skilled enough to sneak into Ekichika, and as a member of the royal family and a court magician, she has knowledge that doesn’t exist in this world. It would be great if she could work with Asylum.”

“I don’t think Shaina-san will refuse. She seems to be a very curious person.”

Since Honoka-chan’s check showed no problems, I decided to show Shaina around Asylum the next day.

“You’re going to show me around the base, right?”

After only one night’s sleep, Shaina seemed to have regained her energy.

Given her skills as an explorer, she must have a high level of physical strength and recovery abilities.

Shaina turned her amber eyes, sparkling with curiosity, toward me from between her neatly combed blue bangs.

By the way, Honoka-chan has other things to do, so I’ll be her guide today.

“First of all, I should mention that this shelter is basically run by volunteers. We provide food, shelter, and compensation for work, but we don’t force anyone to work. As you look around the facility, if there’s something Shaina-san wants to do, you’re welcome to do it, but there’s no obligation to do it.”

What we call ‘allowance’ is basically wages, so when I say ‘volunteer,’ it’s more in the spiritual sense.

“So it’s not ‘no work, no eat’?”

“Did someone teach you that saying? But forget that here. Everyone has their own circumstances, so there’s no need to work yourself to the bone. If Shaina-san has something else you want to do or need to do outside of your activities here, we’ll help you make it happen.”

For example, if she wants to help her fellow countrymen who were brought to this world as the Princess of Erythusia, I’ll help her with that.

However, I think it would be more efficient if Shaina participated in the Asylum’s activities rather than acting independently.

“I don’t think it means anything if it’s not voluntary. Some activities are dangerous. Being here is a risk in itself. If you want to leave here and find a new explorer to hire you, I won’t stop you.”

“You’re so kind, Kurashiki-sama.”

“I don’t think so. So, what do you want to do, Shaina-san? Of course, you can listen to the explanation first…”

“I’d like to help.”

“…Sure. That was quick.”

I was surprised by her quick response.

“I don’t know much about the activities here yet, but I trust you, Kurashiki-sama. You saved my life, so it’s my duty as a princess to repay you.”

“If you say that out of duty…”

“No, it’s partly out of duty, but it’s also out of my own will. I want to help you. And I want to see what you’re trying to do.”

“I see. That’s reassuring.”

It felt a little like pressure, but I was grateful that she said it.

I decided to take it in stride instead of getting overly embarrassed, as Serika would probably tell me to do and accepted it with a relaxed attitude.

“Could you please stop calling me ‘Kurashiki-sama’? It makes me feel uncomfortable.”

Well, I guess I can make that request.

“Um, then is Kurashiki-san okay? If I call you ‘Yuto-san,’ Honoka-san will get angry, right?”

“Huh? Why would Honoka-chan get angry?”

The name “Kurashiki” seems to be hard for people from other worlds to pronounce, so I don’t mind if she calls me by my first name.

“Eh, but Honoka-san is Yuto-san’s girlfriend, isn’t she…?”

“No, that’s not true.”

“Is that so?”

“I have a girlfriend.”

“Then… Honoka-san will never be rewarded for her feelings.”

“I feel bad, though.”

Knowing how Honoka-chan feels, it’s understandable that she’s deeply involved in the Asylum’s activities, but I still feel bad about it.

Still, is Honoka-chan’s attitude really that easy to read in just one day? Or is it my own inability to deal with the situation?

“Ah, no. I’m not blaming Yuto-san. I’m sorry for prying into your private life.”

“No, it’s okay. Yuto seems easier to say.”

“Yes, you’re right. Your name has an unusual sound, but it’s not hard to pronounce.”

“Then let’s just go with Yuto.”

“Then please call me Shaina. I’m younger than you, so there’s no need to add ‘san.'”

“In that case, I’ll call you Shaina.”

In their culture, it seems that people basically call each other by their first names, except in special cases where they use a title equivalent to “-sama.”

It’s similar to Western culture.

“Then let me show you around the Asylum.”

“Thank you.”

Shaina and I stand in front of the square at the entrance to the residential area.

The ceiling is high, and illusion magic makes it look like the sky.

Beneath this “sky” is a brick-paved square with a large fountain, surrounded by benches and beech trees.

Six streets branch off from the plaza, each curving gently and naturally into the depths of the residential area.

“First, we’re in the residential area. The residential district is divided by the countries and races from which the people of the other world come. Since Ramanna and Erythusia have been enemies for a long time, they’ve been assigned to different residential districts. Elves and beastmen have different preferences for living environments than humans, so they have their own separate districts.”

“I feel bad that we brought the rivalry from our world here.”

“It’s the same everywhere. It’s not Shaina’s fault. But personally, I’d rather you put aside your rivalries from the other world for now. I don’t want factions to form in the Asylum. Fortunately, there aren’t many people here yet, so relations seem to be good.”

“I understand.”

“However, we don’t discriminate between nobles and commoners in the Asylum. Everyone is treated equally, regardless of their original status. I think Shaina will be fine, but we won’t give you any special treatment just because you’re royalty. Do you understand why?”

“Because there are no social classes in this world, right?”

“Yes. There are countries in this world that have social classes, and even in countries that claim not to have them, there can be huge gaps between the rich and the poor.”

Shaina thought for a moment before speaking.

“…We were once in a position akin to slavery. We longed for liberation from that, but now to want to retain the privileges of our former world class seems illogical to me.”

“Yes, that’s exactly it. I’m fighting against the very system that allows people to oppress others. If the people I’ve helped start demanding their privileges, I’d lose sight of why I’m fighting. It may trample on the history and culture of this world, but for the sake of my own motivation, I’m going to be selfish here.”

“This is a noble cause. It may be presumptuous of me, as a member of the royal family, to say this…”

“Not at all. People don’t get to choose where they are born. It’s important to be able to empathize with the place you weren’t born.”

“How many people live in the residential area?”

“About two hundred.”

Explorers from other worlds come here by the thousands every month.

We’ve only been able to save a small fraction of them.

Of course, some guilds try to treat the otherworlders well, and not all employers are evil.

However, perhaps due to the influence of Tozaki’s “strategy,” the overall treatment of these people is harsh.

There are also problems with the sensitivity of the escape portals, so quite a few people from the other world must still be suffering and unable to be rescued.

“It is easy to expand to accommodate more people. But if they have to live underground for a long time, it will inevitably feel cramped.”

Whether the dungeon can be physically described as “underground,” it is undoubtedly an enclosed space.

It’s similar to the bunkers built during the Cold War in preparation for nuclear war.

We tried to design the interior and decor to minimize the sense of claustrophobia, but we don’t have any experts in architecture or design.

“It’s surprisingly comfortable for an underground space…”

“That’s good to hear. Let’s take a look at the other facilities.”

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