I’m a Rookie, but I’m an Experienced Professional - Chapter 106

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

Chapter 106

After filling my belly to the brim, I was led by Tabin’s hand to explore the five-day market at the edge of the village.

“I need to sell some meat and leather, and buy some arrows too. I also need to replace my bowstring, so it’ll take quite a while. Eileen, would you like to look around other places while you wait?”

“Yes, take your time.”

After parting with Tabin, I wandered through every corner of the marketplace, pushing through the bustling crowds.

Then, drawn by a savory aroma, I stopped in front of a stall selling freshly baked bread. Rye bread that Tabin loved was piled up like a mountain.

“One bag of rye bread, please.”

The warm, savory heat rising softly from the bread bag in my arms touched my chest.

The cool guilt I had felt at the dining table earlier seemed to melt away a little in this warmth.

Thinking of how happy Tabin would be made me hum unconsciously. He should be at the blacksmith’s shop by now, so I was heading there when two sturdy men blocked my path.

“Are you Eileen from the City Planning Department?”

It was a low, threatening voice.

If they were in their right minds, they wouldn’t do something crazy like kidnapping in a place with so many people, but you never know.

I tensed up and hugged the bread bag tightly.

“Who are you people?”

“The Countess of Croisbrandt wishes to meet you.”

Croisbrandt.

The moment I heard that name, my brow furrowed automatically.

It was a name that the City Planning Department employees and I had enthusiastically badmouthed as a ‘legendary troublemaker.’

“I don’t know why the Countess of Croisbrandt wants to see me, but I decline.”

At my words, the men let out incredulous laughs.

“Do you think a mere commoner manager like you has the right to refuse?”

“Don’t I?”

“Of course not! When a noble lady summons you, you must go without question.”

“What if I don’t want to?”

I tilted my head sideways and asked back. During this pointless argument, the bread in my arms was getting cold.

“Are you going to drag me there by force?”

When I asked provocatively, the men clamped their mouths shut and looked around nervously.

As the surrounding merchants and passersby began looking our way one by one, they seemed even more at a loss.

“Do you think you can handle the consequences of refusing the Countess’s summons? It won’t be easy to stay safe.”

“Oh, are you threatening me right now?”

“It’s not a threat, just stating facts. If you had come along quietly, it would have ended nicely, but you’re the one making this into a big deal.”

“Ah, I see. It wasn’t a threat but advice – thank you so much.”

At the man’s bluster, I gave a soulless response and smiled brightly.

“Then please make sure to tell the Countess of Croisbrandt this: If she wants to see me that badly, she should come di-rect-ly to the City Planning Department office following proper procedures.”

Leaving the two men standing there with dumbfounded expressions, I turned around without hesitation.

* * *

I expected the Countess to come charging over immediately to cause trouble, but it was surprisingly quiet.

It was the calm before the storm, but thanks to that, I was able to spend a peaceful weekend with Tabin.

And so, Monday morning arrived.

“Good morning… though it doesn’t seem like it will be.”

Seeing the office atmosphere that looked twice as busy as usual, I asked Anton Brown before even putting down my bag.

“Team Leader, what’s going on? Why is the atmosphere like this?”

“Look at this.”

Anton Brown, looking much more haggard than usual, handed me a stack of papers.

They were complaint forms saying that a terrible stench was coming from the drainage ditches and demanding immediate action.

If this had also been sent by Baron and Baroness Kroshvand, I would have dismissed it as pointless nitpicking, but the people who sent these complaints were all different.

There were even some sent by commoners.

“A stench from the drainage ditches? What’s going on here?”

“What do you think happened? The commoners have been dumping household garbage and waste into the drainage ditches.”

Anton Brown explained the situation with a sigh-laden voice.

In a city that didn’t even have drainage ditches before, there was no way there would be proper garbage disposal facilities or sewage treatment systems.

Nobles and the wealthy could dispose of garbage and waste cleanly with expensive magic.

But commoners who couldn’t afford such luxury could only dig holes in their yards to bury waste or secretly dump it in remote mountains.

But once the drainage ditches were built, commoners started sneakily throwing household garbage and waste into them.

At first it wasn’t noticeable, but as more and more people started dumping, the problem grew out of control.

The waste mixed with stagnant water produced a terrible stench, and insects began swarming blackly around the area.

“It would have been somewhat better if the commoners had only dumped in the areas where they lived, but apparently they went all the way to District 2 and District 3 to secretly dump there. That’s why the nobles and wealthy people living there exploded in anger.”

“So they sent complaint forms demanding we immediately stop construction and solve the problem.”

“Exactly. I don’t know how we’re supposed to solve this…”

He pressed his deeply furrowed brow and looked down at the complaint forms.

I felt just as frustrated. Who would have thought that drainage ditches built to prevent flood damage during the rainy season would cause such problems?

‘Come to think of it, even in modern times, there were many people who threw cigarette butts and trash into storm drains.’

How much of a headache those inconsiderate people had caused. It was my mistake for not adequately preparing for that possibility despite having experienced it firsthand.

“Team Leader, let’s start by assessing the situation on site.”

We needed to see the actual conditions with our own eyes to come up with proper countermeasures, so I headed to the site with Anton Brown.

* * *

First, we headed to District 3, which had received the most complaints. As soon as we arrived at the site, my brow furrowed automatically at the stench that assaulted my nose.

“It’s worse than I thought.”

Anton Brown said, covering his nose with a handkerchief.

As he said, the drainage ditch that should have been carrying rainwater had already lost its function and was transformed into a thick porridge-like mixture of all kinds of household garbage and waste.

‘But why aren’t there any insects?’

With this amount of waste accumulated, insects should normally be swarming blackly, but they were nowhere to be seen.

“Team Leader, were there any complaints like this last Thursday or Friday?”

“No, it was quiet until then. This suddenly erupted over the weekend.”

To think they dumped this much in just two days.

‘That’s impossible.’

This was definitely dumped intentionally by someone.

Just then, the 3rd District Administrator came running over, panting.

“I was just about to come find you, but you’re conveniently here.”

“What’s the matter?”

“Well, you see. I think we need to halt the drainage ditch construction for now.”

Just a while ago they were clamoring for us to hurry up with construction, and now they want us to stop?

“What’s the reason? No, more than that, shouldn’t you be telling this to the Lord rather than us?”

“That’s why I’m asking you to speak well to the Lord for us.”

“Me? Why?”

“Well, because the Lord listens well to what you say.”

That man listens well to what I say?

Unlike me, who was bewildered, Anton Brown nodded.

“The Lord is rather gentle with Miss Eileen.”

Maybe the definition of ‘gentle’ that I know and the ‘gentle’ that these people know are different.

“But if we stop construction, what about the rainy season? Are you going to spend another enormous budget to block it with magic?”

“I brought that up too, but everyone says they’d rather do that than endure the stench and insects.”

When problems arise, they don’t think to fix things from the root and only rely on the temporary measure of magic – no wonder technology doesn’t advance, tsk tsk.

“I understand what you’re saying, but construction must continue. Relying on magic indefinitely is a waste of money and time.”

“But the protests won’t be insignificant… Do you actually have a solution?”

“I do.”

It was a problem that could be easily solved by introducing modern sewage treatment methods and septic tanks.

‘Using that method would also increase my influence.’

The problem was that it would be difficult to implement with the technology level of this place.

Even with the help of the System Shop and magic, manufacturing would take quite a bit of time.

There was no way the people would wait patiently until then.

‘Finding the culprit who dumped the filth should be the priority anyway.’

I stared at the filth piled up in the drainage ditch, then asked the Administrative Officer.

“By any chance, those complainants who protested so strongly this time—are most of them close to Baron and Baroness Kroshvand?”

“Huh? How did you know that? You’re right. The Baroness took the lead and even collected signatures.”

I had a hunch, and sure enough.

‘I suppose they thought I’d get scared and bow down submissively.’

They’ve got me completely wrong.

I twisted my lips as I thought about how I should knock the Baroness down a peg.

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