I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 314

Chapter 314: Chapter 4 (2)

I had a general idea of what the work would entail.

Manual labor.

Having left the Duchy, I was now a commoner.

My steady income was gone, and I couldn’t just order people around.

—Thwack! Thwack!

‘…This is much worse than Shatrain.’

The north was known for its harsh conditions, and for good reason.

How could the same earth, within the same Empire, be so unforgiving?

If my stats had been lower, I wouldn't have even been able to break ground, let alone work.

Experiencing this firsthand made me realize that my decision had been correct.

‘Right. It wasn’t just about surviving.’

While the status window simply displayed a timer, the episode was about actual survival.

After assessing the local prices and calculating my expenses, it was clear that my funds would quickly deplete, especially with the inflated lodging costs during this season.

I had underestimated,

The harshness of winter.

With no electricity and relying solely on firewood for heating, mana stones, a luxury reserved for nobles, were out of the question.

And the cost of clothing, food, and other necessities had skyrocketed.

If I had refused this job offer… I would have been in serious trouble.

So, earning money was essential for clearing this episode.

And that meant wielding a shovel, a pickaxe, whatever was necessary.

—Thwack! Thwack!

“Wow, this kid’s strong.”

“Right? The ground in the north is tough to dig.”

The other workers, watching me, were impressed.

“And his form is perfect.”

“Truly remarkable.”

“Hey, stop gawking and get back to work! You’re not going to let him do everything, are you?”

“Ahem. Of course not!”

“Alright, everyone, back to your positions!”

The workers, who had been subtly slacking off, dispersed and returned to their tasks.

It was time to work.

“You can take a break, kid.”

“What?”

“It’s alright to rest. Those guys always take advantage of the newcomers. They praise you to your face, then leave you to do all the work.”

The oldest-looking worker patted me on the shoulder.

“I’ll… adjust their wages accordingly, so don’t worry about it. Alright?”

So that’s what it was.

No wonder I was earning more than I should have been.

‘Still, I’m attracting too much attention.’

▶ Request in progress. ◀

▶ Progress will be updated based on work completed, and rewards will vary depending on the completion rate. ◀

[Completion Rate: 100%]

I had already reached 100% completion a while ago.

Which meant a bonus was guaranteed, as long as I didn't mess anything up.

But that was just the numerical value.

The status of the progress bar was different.

[Completion Rate: 100%]

[■■■■■■■■■■■■]

In this game, progress bars, completion rates, and other UI elements like that were usually divided into ten segments, each representing 10%.

Affinity, displayed above the characters’ heads, and even the penalty values for main episodes, followed this rule.

‘But there are more than ten segments here.’

I had counted them several times. There were twelve.

And if each segment represented 10%… that meant 120%. It was beyond the usual 100% limit.

Of course, this wasn't unprecedented.

Affinity often started in the negative range, with gray boxes that had to be filled.

So, what would happen if I filled all twelve segments?

—Thwack!

Would there be a bonus?

***

“Hey, Mac. What are you talking about? There’s still work to be done.”

The foreman’s question made the lazy worker, Mac, clear his throat.

“Look, Monen, we finished early today, didn’t we? So the remaining time is ours.”

“Well… that’s true…”

“There’s nothing wrong with working a little overtime. We can just finish tomorrow’s work today.”

“…”

That was strange. Mac wasn’t usually this eager to work. He usually complained about wanting to go home and rest.

Sensing something was amiss, Monen, the foreman, walked towards Mac.

Mac, realizing he had been caught, hurriedly followed him.

“W-wait!”

“What? Are you hiding something?”

“Hiding something?! Of course not… Hey! Wait!”

They reached an entrance.

Monen, seeing the entrance, facepalmed.

He couldn't believe Mac was actually trying to enter that place.

“Mac, have you lost your mind? Do you even know where this is?!”

“What’s the big deal?”

“This area is off-limits! There’s a no-entry order for this abandoned mine! Have you forgotten?!”

Mac scoffed.

“Since you’ve already found out, I might as well tell you. That order only applies to the entrance on the other side.”

“What…?”

“And how long are we supposed to keep digging up this worthless dirt? We need to find something valuable, something we can sell!”

“Are you crazy?! You’re risking your life for money?! Entering an uncharted area?!”

“It’s not just about the money!”

Just then, a third party intervened.

“What’s wrong with what Mac said? We’re miners! We’re supposed to mine!”

“We’re tired of digging up this worthless dirt, earning next to nothing! It’s not fair!”

“And whenever we do find something valuable, it goes straight to the lord or some other noble. We’ve been through this countless times!”

“You…”

Many of the workers shared the same sentiment.

“We don’t want to keep doing this tedious work.”

“Monsters? We’re already living like we’re one step away from death. We might as well take a risk!”

“If there’s no information about that mine, it could mean there are treasures inside!”

“And even if there are monsters, how many could there be?”

“We don’t care if we die. If you’re scared, you can go back, Monen.”

“Hey! Come back! That’s insane!”

But Monen’s pleas were ignored.

While it was strange for the workers to suddenly disagree…

‘This is perfect, from my perspective.’

▶ Completion rate has reached 200%. ◀

▶ Maximum bonus completion achieved. A new reward will be granted. ◀

[A bonus reward has been placed in the Illeor Abandoned Mine.]

▶ Acquiring this reward will decrease ???. ◀

▶ The reward will disappear if not acquired within the time limit. ◀

[Location: Illeor Abandoned Mine]

[Time Remaining: 9 minutes 58 seconds]

My assumptions had been correct.

And with the promise of a reward, it couldn't be a bad thing.

‘But, decrease…?’

Normally, it would say “increase.”

Or perhaps there was a target value I had to reach?

What if I had to lower this value to progress the episode?

Or what if, just like the Another Plan in Chapter 3, this was a prerequisite for clearing Chapter 4?

There were countless possibilities.

But the answer was simple.

‘…I can’t miss this.’

I didn’t know what it would decrease, but I had to get that reward.

“Hey, newbie. Don’t you need money?”

“Of course I do. That’s why I’m working here.”

“Then come with us. It’s better than breaking your back for a few pennies. We can find something valuable in that mine and sell it.”

“Don’t listen to that old fool!”

Monen’s lips twitched.

“They used to be such diligent workers… How could they…”

He sighed, then turned to me and asked,

“…Are you going as well?”

“To the abandoned mine?”

“Yes. Don’t go in there. It’s dangerous! There are monsters!”

If it was just about the money, I could have stayed here, but…

▶ Acquiring this reward will decrease ???. ◀

I couldn’t ignore that.

“I’ll bring them back safely.”

“…What?”

“Those old timers. I’ll drag them back by force, if I have to.”

“By force…? What are you…”

“I was a participant in the Golden Dragon Martial Arts Tournament.”

“Th-the Golden Dragon…?”

Monen’s eyes widened, and…

-Ding!

▶ Affinity with a specific character has increased! ◀

[Monen: 58%]

His affinity had increased.

“Th-then… could you… do me a favor?”

Monen, who had been trying to dissuade me just moments ago, made an unexpected request.

He asked me to go into the mine.

***

▶ You have entered the Illeor Abandoned Mine! ◀

After Monen left to call for the guards,

I grabbed my weapons and entered the mine.

And waited.

Monsters weren’t to be trifled with.

While the low-level monsters near the entrance could be handled by a large group, deeper within the mine, there were creatures these old-timers couldn't possibly defeat.

“Groaaaaar!”

“Aaah!”

-Slash! Thud.

“Wh-what…?”

“W-we’re alive…!”

“If you don’t want to die, I suggest you leave.”

“Y-yes! We’re leaving!”

“Thank you… for saving us…!”

They had almost lost their lives for their foolish greed.

They wouldn’t be so reckless again.

-Ding!

▶ Emergency Mission cleared. ◀

▶ You have saved Mac and the other workers. ◀

▶ Monen’s affinity increased. ◀

[Current Level: 80%]

▶ You will receive a reward from Monen upon returning to the village. ◀

“…I didn’t intend for that to happen.”

Well, a bonus was a bonus.

That aside,

I had to get going.

[Distance to Reward: 10m]

“10 meters… This must be it.”

I opened the door to a seemingly unremarkable room.

And my eyes widened.

“…What’s this?”

A single gem, resting on a pedestal in the otherwise empty room.

And as I picked it up, it transformed, shifting into something familiar.

-Ding!

▶ Reward converted to a Memorial. ◀

▶ Hidden Memorial: <A Single Family Photo> acquired. ◀

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