I Became the Keeper of a Suspicious Forest - Chapter 88

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 88

Ponia swallowed hard and lowered her eyes.

Familiar content was spread out beneath a familiar title.

【The World’s Easiest Forest Exploration Personnel Recruitment】

Job: Forest patrol and assisting Guards

Workplace: Mirban Forest

Duration: One week

Qualifications: Healthy person, diligent person, brave person, fast runner.

Preferred qualifications: Person with similar experience, woman in her 20s with red hair.

Compensation: Communion with flora and fauna, appreciation of beautiful forest scenery, personal time, free activities outside work hours, ….

Number of recruits: 5 people

Inquiries: Employment Office

The posting was similar to what Ponia knew, but also different.

Some content was the same as when she had read it, but the details had changed slightly.

First, the posting wasn’t looking for forest keepers but assistants to Guards, and the number had increased to 5 people.

‘After I left the Forest, they seemed to be looking for a new forest keeper for a while.’

Maybe they couldn’t find anyone?

Ponia looked at the warning at the bottom of the posting with a strange expression.

※Warning: The workplace in the above posting may be dangerous.

Due to the nature of the Forest, unexpected situations (ex. wild animal attacks, sudden weather changes, etc.) may occur.

Worker safety is our top priority, and we have prepared all possible protective measures, but complete safety cannot be guaranteed.

Please consider carefully before applying.

Previously, there had been clear intent to somehow hide the Forest’s dangers and lure people in, but this time they openly warned of the risks.

At first glance, it almost seemed to discourage applications.

And most importantly, the wages.

Wages: 1000 gold

With a work period of one week, wages like this would be less burdensome for applicants.

No matter how notorious the Forest was, they only had to endure exactly one week. For commoners, it was a dream-like amount.

And for Ponia now as well.

Ah, why was the money she desperately needed always right in front of her eyes?

Among the job postings currently up in the Town Square, there was nothing that could earn such big money in a short time.

Even knowing she should turn away from this posting, Ponia couldn’t take her eyes off it as if entranced.

Preferred qualifications: Person with similar experience, person familiar with Mirban Forest, woman in her 20s with red hair.

While there might be people who had done work similar to forest keeping, the only people who knew Mirban Forest well were those who had entered it.

And not a single person who had entered Mirban Forest had ever escaped. Except for Ponia.

Even with conditions that seemed almost mocking, Ponia could neither get angry nor laugh.

“Miss, you meet all the conditions.”

Kustin read the posting from behind her and spoke dryly.

That’s right.

Even a woman in her 20s with red hair.

This wasn’t a missing person flyer – where else would you find such conditions in a job posting!

All the conditions in the preferred qualifications pointing to her was just a simple coincidence.

The posting itself looking like a giant trap to catch one person was all just coincidence too, surely.

‘It has to be.’

“Do you know who posted this?”

Ponia looked at Chad again.

The Imperial Court had granted Mirban Forest to the Devonham Estate today. And the posting date was today.

This posting was put out by the Devonham Estate.

They wouldn’t have posted such a notice without the Duke’s permission, so it must be a posting that Sionel directly reviewed and approved.

It seemed like they had prepared and posted the notice in advance, even before receiving the Forest grant.

Chad raised the corners of his mouth.

“I brought it because the content was interesting, but it turned out to be exactly the posting Nia needed.”

“….”

“What do you think?”

“…About what?”

“You’ll apply, right?”

Ponia closed her mouth again. Chad added.

“Are you worried about the Duke? The Duke must be busy, so he’ll just send guards and won’t come to the forest himself.”

“….”

“You’ll go, right?”

Chad subtly pressed her. Ponia maintained silence for a while, then opened her mouth.

* * *

“I’m rich!”

Around noon, a man who appeared in the town square shouted.

The gazes of people in the town square focused on the man.

The man was a merchant who had been selling fruit in the town square.

He was a worker who had gone on an expedition to Mirban Forest a week ago. Today, after a week had passed, he had returned with all his limbs intact.

Of course, he wasn’t the first person to return from the forest.

Forest expeditions had already begun two months ago, and this time the 5th expedition team had been selected and returned. The man had also been among them.

People who knew him all sent envious looks and approached him.

“How on earth did you survive in that forest, huh?”

“Me too! Tell me too!”

“How was the interview? They say all the villagers are just going around taking interviews.”

“How’s the forest? They said it was dangerous, but was it okay?”

The man enjoyed the people’s attention and answered their questions one by one.

“The forest, you know. It’s nothing special. I was a bit nervous at first too, but it’s just a forest with a lot of wild animals.”

“You didn’t get hurt?”

“Come on, hurt? What hurt! Before wild animals can even approach, the guards take care of them first.”

“Wow.”

“They said it was a cursed forest, but it’s nothing special!”

The man shrugged his shoulders and recounted his experiences in the forest like heroic tales, and people responded with sparkling eyes.

The man’s voice was so loud that it reached Ponia, who was passing through the town square.

“That’s what they say, right?”

Chad stuck close to Ponia’s side and asked playfully. Ponia answered dryly.

“I suppose so.”

“Tsk, it’s unfair. When we were there, we didn’t have guards to protect us, let alone proper weapons or lodging. Right?”

“…”

“He’s talking like that after being there for a week, but if people heard we were there for over 3 months, they’d be amazed.”

Regardless, Ponia hurriedly walked carrying two thick books.

Copying books at the bookstore, selling those books, serving customers.

Even though work hours were over, there was no time to rest. She had to return to the manor and copy other books.

This was at least work that brought in money.

Whether by coincidence or not, after they started posting notices, Sionel’s people no longer watched the Harbel Estate.

“They posted the 6th notice this time. The application deadline is until tomorrow.”

Ponia stopped walking abruptly. Then, she looked at Chad.

“Why do you keep trying to persuade me?”

“….”

“I said I wouldn’t do it.”

“I’m not going.”

Ponia had clearly and firmly refused.

But continuously bringing up that matter could only be felt as teasing her.

Then, Chad placed his hand on her cheek.

“Right now, you’re overexerting yourself.”

“….”

“For two months, you’ve been working non-stop, unable to sleep, and on top of that, constantly on edge worrying about your family causing trouble.”

“….”

“Looking at Nia’s face now, it wouldn’t be strange if you collapsed right away.”

Chad gently brushed the area around Ponia’s eyes, which had dark circles. She had lost so much weight that it seemed like she might break with just a little pressure.

He rubbed her sleepless skin a little, then slowly pulled away.

‘Is it that bad?’

Ponia touched her own cheek, then let go.

“…Either way, I won’t go back to the forest.”

Of course, it was true that she desperately needed money right now.

But more important than that was Sionel.

As long as Ponia didn’t appear before him, Sionel wouldn’t fall into danger, and she wouldn’t miss the flow of the original story.

For that reason alone, she wouldn’t do anything that could entangle her with Sionel, not even slightly.

Absolutely!

Ponia and Chad arrived at the manor, and Kustin greeted them.

Ponia looked around curiously.

Somehow the manor looked empty. Kustin resolved Ponia’s confusion.

“The workers took the manor’s furniture.”

“What? But I’m paying back the interest.”

“Even with all the money you earned, Miss, it wasn’t enough to pay the interest. They said they would take the manor’s furniture.”

When Ponia was left speechless, Kustin added.

“Don’t worry. The items in my space and your space within the manor will be the very last to disappear.”

“You’re telling me to be reassured…?”

“Yes.”

“My house…”

Ponia collapsed right there.

Her house should always be safe. Even if it was just an old manor of no value to anyone else, touching this house was the same as touching her.

“How hard I’ve worked to protect it…”

If this place was ruined, she would…

In that moment of despair, what came to Ponia’s mind was the man she had seen in the town square.

‘I’m rich!’

That shout kept circling in her head.

‘I absolutely won’t get involved, absolutely. Didn’t I say I would never go there again?’

Time continued to pass.

Chad, who was worried about Ponia who hadn’t moved at all, was calling her when Ponia suddenly raised her head first.

“Chad, where did you get those glasses?”

Chad was so flustered that he dropped his hands.

* * *

“Now, now, everyone stop chattering and wait quietly!”

A man entered the cramped waiting room and shouted.

Clang.

“Max! What are you doing? Start right away!”

“There’s no time.”

The bell rang and the door opened. The two employees inside urged Max on.

Ponia looked at them with bored eyes.

The three crybabies of the Employment Office.

‘So, it’s these people again.’

It was a difficult situation from the start.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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