Andy was uncomfortable.
Obviously, she wouldn't be the only one tasked with cleaning up the mess they were heading toward, but the number of workers exceeded her expectations.
Including herself, there were at least 80 workers spread across four buses, grouped according to their assigned teams.
¿What were they supposed to clean? Most of them weren't even human, many of those present were from the Ashen Lands or nearby countries. That wasn't really a problem, and aside from the annoying guy who wouldn't keep his tentacles off her shoulder, she had no issue working side by side with races that were on good terms with humanity.
But the unusual number of these companions, whose strength and endurance far surpassed that of humans, made her stomach churn with worry. It seemed this job would be far more exhausting than she had initially thought.
"I knew I should've tried harder to turn this down" a tear rolled down Andy's cheek, carrying with it all her hopes of a peaceful weekend.
It took at least five hours to finally reach their destination. The biting mountain cold greeted the aching Andy and her colleagues with a breeze that sent shivers down their spines. At least for those who had body hair.
Andy feared her worn-out coat wouldn't protect her from this extreme weather. Hypothermia would definitely kill her right now. And it wasn't just the condition itself—she dreaded the thought of her debt to her brother growing even larger after he paid her medical bills. "I'd rather die than face him again!" she thought, imagining the indignant/worried look Ripley would give her.
Medical bills were no joke.
— Attention! — a loud, raspy voice rang out. The workers formed several perfect lines, one behind the other, and placed their arms across their chests in a firm stance.
A tall man, dressed in a uniform covered with red scales over the fabric, stood in front of everyone, inspecting them as he walked.
Several guards in similar but bulkier uniforms, with protective helmets completely covering their heads, stood behind the man who had shouted.
"The Red Guard."
The main force of Förskott, the country where Andy lived. Armed to the teeth with the latest technology. Though she wasn't well versed in the number of gadgets they possessed, she was aware of the immense danger a single one of these soldiers posed.
As a child, she had seen one of them take down an Eldödla single-handedly. A massive, scaly creature capable of shooting small plasma bolts from various parts of its body, with armor so thick it could withstand multiple shots from conventional tanks.
Armed with nothing but his hands and a less sophisticated suit than the ones they wore now.
Andy swallowed hard at the sight of them. The pressure in her chest made her feel even worse than when she woke up that morning. Many of them patrolled the capital streets, so it wasn't uncommon to run into one as soon as you left your house. However, seeing a substantial number of them in a place as remote as this was excessively rare, especially if it was just to ensure the cleanup was carried out.
But before she could even start forming theories, her exhaustion hit her with renewed force.
Her lack of energy was starting to worry her, and she doubted it was solely due to the long journey or the lack of a nutritious breakfast.
"I should go to the doctor after all this, just to be safe." Her thoughts were interrupted when the tall man began to speak.
— First of all, I want to thank you all for coming from so far. It must have been an exhausting journey — he said in a calm voice that contrasted with the powerful shout he had introduced himself with. If it weren't for the numerous scars on his face and the armor he wore, he could pass for the kind old man who always greeted you as you crossed the street.
— You're all probably wondering ¿Why so many people for a simple cleanup job? Many tend to greatly underestimate how tough these kinds of tasks can be. That's exactly why we brought you. The best we could get for these situations.
The man praised the various humanoid creatures in the group, who quickly blushed and scratched their necks awkwardly.
As for the humans, he didn't seem to care about them at all. Andy could swear he even ignored them or considered them little more than a minor nuisance. Her stomach churned again.
"¿Could it be that my brother secretly hates me and that's why he sent me here?"
she thought, her heart losing some of its spark at the possibility tormenting her mind.
— As for the details of the cleanup — everyone paid full attention to the man's words — we believe an Eldödla attacked an abandoned village that recently became a nest for Garms.
Several worried murmurs could be heard, as people believed such beasts might still be lurking nearby.
The man calmed everyone with loud claps before continuing.
— Of course, we made sure no animals are still around. Unfortunately, all that's left now are charred remains…
"Unfortunately?" Andy wondered to herself.
— But this is where your work begins.
After those words, the Red Guard, led by the man, began to move, signaling for everyone to follow.
It was an overly simplistic and inaccurate explanation.
Eldödlas didn't usually move much at this time of year. They were too busy gathering stones to feed the hatchlings that would emerge from their eggs any day now.
Or so her brother had told her once.
But she chose not to dig into it. She hadn't even managed to get information from her brother Ripley, so trying with the Red Guard would be pointless.
Whatever had happened wasn't her concern. She just needed to focus on completing her workday. And she was fully determined to do so because the sooner she finished, the sooner she could go home.
A wave of determination surged through Andy as she practically felt her cozy mattress against her back.
Shortly after, they arrived at the destroyed village. It was covered in ash, with hundreds of charred Garm corpses and who knows how many other horrors hidden beneath the snow. The stench of burnt flesh permeated the air, so pungent it caused severe headaches for most of those present.
For humans, it was especially hard to stomach the nausea. Even Andy, who was used to all sorts of strong smells from her previous jobs, couldn't fully withstand it. Fortunately, the Red Guard acted quickly.
They distributed special masks to all the workers before getting closer. They were small, with a visor to protect the eyes and connected to a compact oxygen tank that each worker had to strap to their back. Despite their small size, the masks were effective, and the tank was barely noticeable, allowing users to breathe clean, fresh air an immediate relief from the unbearable stench that filled the place.
Curious, Andy noticed that the man they were following wore no mask or similar equipment. Surprisingly, the smell didn't seem to bother him at all. "Maybe he's so old his nose doesn't work anymore…" she thought, dismissing it.
A few meters from the cleanup zone, several people were dismantling white tents that had been used to shield the most vulnerable from the icy wind, loading them onto trucks along with many other items. The distance made it hard to identify exactly who they were, but Andy had to suppress her gossiping instincts when the elderly man stopped.
— The orders are simple. You must load and place the debris, corpses, and basically anything that isn't snow onto the trucks. Easy, isn't it?
— ¡Yes! — they shouted in unison, placing their arms across their chests again.
A pleased smile appeared on his face. — I know that with your strength, this will be an extremely simple task — His cheerful expression shifted completely when he looked at Andy's group, mostly composed of humans. — And for those less… favored, you'll be provided with the necessary tools to avoid any accidents. If you encounter any issues or find something unusual, inform me immediately. ¡Now, get to work!
At once, each group split up and rushed to their assigned areas. The synchronization with which they worked was impressive, especially considering it was their first time collaborating. Some winged creatures flew over Andy's group, carrying massive debris in pairs, while on the ground, others used their monstrous strength to move the remains. The dude with tentacles on his face, who had annoyed Andy on the bus, simply wiggled his fingers, and the foundations of destroyed houses began to levitate toward the trucks with no apparent effort.
— Ahh… I'm so jealous
someone in the group muttered, and the others could only nod in agreement as they shoveled excess snow and loaded the smaller Garm corpses onto wheelbarrows.
The hours felt as oppressive and slow as a dried up snail trying to slide through a sea of salt. The trucks filled up, and others, waiting to be loaded with debris and flesh, replaced them in seconds. The oxygen tank, which had been refilled several times and initially felt weightless, now seemed as uncomfortable as a rock tied to her back with barbed wire.
But Andy was the only one who seemed to feel this way.
The others had no major issues aside from feeling a bit thirsty. However, she didn't have time to complain, and she certainly had no intention of doing so and wasting her colleagues' time. Being a burden to others was something she'd never allow, no matter what.
The energy ointment she'd borrowed from Ripley had already worn off, and she wasn't sure where she'd left the rest. So she asked her teammates for some, and as soon as it took effect, she continued her work.
But within just a few minutes, the effect, which should have lasted a considerable amount of time, wore off again.
Her heart was racing, her legs and arms were failing her, and she was on the verge of giving up multiple times. Her gasps grew louder with each step, becoming impossible for the rest of the group to ignore.
—Hey, I think you should rest a bit — someone said, touching Andy's shoulder.
—¿ Hmm? Oh, don't worry. I can keep going
— That wasn't a question, lady. ¡You're going to pass out and slow us all down! — More than one agreed, and they began criticizing her as well. The commotion grew into an angry, tired mob of complaints and even some threats.
— W-well, I guess it won't hurt to rest a little…
She had no choice but to comply and walked away. The embarrassment was overwhelming. She'd ended up doing the one thing she swore she wouldn't. — Ugh… I hope they don't dock my pay — she grumbled as she distanced herself from the angry group.
However, when she thought about the time she'd lose resting, she knew the best thing was to avoid it.
"I just need to find my ointment and get back as soon as possible" Andy thought as she ran back to the bus. But suddenly, she tripped over something and fell face-first into the snow.
— Great, now I'm definitely going to get sick — She muttered, trying to stand. However, something was clinging tightly to her leg, preventing her from moving. She pulled harder and harder until she finally managed to lift her leg, dragging some snow with it. She was about to sigh in relief, but the pressure remained, gripping her ankle with the same tenacity. What she saw was a small, devilishly thin hand, looking more like a bundle of bones covered in soft, delicate fabric, tightly squeezing her ankle.
The scream of terror caught in her throat before she could let it out, as someone abruptly silenced her, gagging her with their arm.
— Well, well, I'm sorry you saw that.
From somewhere only the Goddess would know, a woman appeared out of nowhere, dressed in a long, soft white coat. Andy hadn't noticed her presence until the moment she felt the contact of her arm.
— Are you part of the cleanup team, ¿Right? — the woman asked as a whirlwind of emotions swirled inside Andy, who nodded slowly in response. — You've wandered too far from your post, little red. I'm going to remove my arm slowly, and it would be a huge inconvenience if you made a scene. Understand?
The woman kept her word and released the terrified Andy, whose heart was still racing. Then, the stranger leaned toward the pale hand protruding from the snow.
— It's such a shame, I was just about to find him…
— A-a-a corpse? I… I have to report it immediately!
— Sorry, but you can't.
— ¿Huh? — Andy stammered, confused.
A single tug was enough for the corpse to release Andy. Shaken, she tried to crawl away through the snow, but the woman, with almost supernatural agility, caught her and pulled her until their faces were dangerously close.
The woman's piercing gaze seemed to cut through her, analyzing her with an intensity that warped the passage of time. Though it lasted only a few seconds, the tension in the air made it feel like hours.
—¿ Oh? — the woman said, tilting her head with a puzzled expression. — ¿Have we met before?
The question was so out of place it felt unreal.
— I… I don't think so
Despite what Andy said, the woman's eyes widened in surprise, revealing a strange mix of joy and confusion. — Maybe you're right — she said, as small, sweet giggles escaped her lips, sending chills down Andy's spine.
The stranger's demeanor shifted radically, offering her hand to help Andy up. Despite her growing unease and distrust, Andy cautiously accepted the help.
— Listen, little red friend, the best thing you can do is walk away and pretend you didn't see anything. I'll take care of everything.
— But I have to—
— Nope, you don't — She interrupted, placing a finger on Andy's lips to silence her. — Think about this carefully. ¿Do you really want to get involved in a mess this big and potentially affect everyone here?
— N-no, but this is…
— You could also face issues with your payment if they find out you left your area without permission.
Without another word, Andy turned around and calmly returned to her group.
This attitude made the woman laugh. She put on her gloves, determined to take the last corpse of the squad member who had survived the calamity that wiped out the entire group, though the wounds and extreme weather had surely killed him before they arrived. However, upon hearing the heavy thud of something falling into the snow, she turned to find Andy collapsed on the ground.
—¿Huh?