Isekai Nonbiri Nouka

Village Five has developed so much that calling it a “village” is almost ridiculous.

Anyone who looks at it would call it a city.

But no!

It’s a village!

A village is a village!

No questioning that!

Well, sure, there were people who used to call it “City Five” in the past. But over time, that number dwindled.

Because Village Five is fine as it is.

Yes, we take pride in being a village!

…….

Alright, that was a lie.

People just stopped caring about the name.

The ones who insisted on calling it “City Five” were usually those who found it more convenient when informing their relatives.

Saying 「I moved to a city」 sounds more reassuring than 「I moved to a village」 after all.

But now, Village Five is so well-known that there’s no need to advertise it as a city.

So, it’s a village. End of story.

And the one making this declaration is me, an ordinary demon.

No need to remember my name—just call me the guide.

I work at the job placement office here in Village Five.

And no, it’s not some shady, unofficial operation.

It’s a legitimate job placement office, fully recognized by the village.

My job is to help new residents find work.

That’s what I do.

-0-

Now then.

Village Five is visibly growing.

You could even say it’s still in the middle of its development.

That means there are plenty of job opportunities.

The most in-demand job? Carpenters.

There’s always a shortage of them.

If you have the skills to work as a carpenter, you should definitely become one.

You could set up your own workshop or join an existing one.

Either way, I can introduce you to the right people.

Even if you don’t have carpentry skills, just being able to carry heavy loads can earn you a decent wage.

Especially if you belong to a physically larger race.

A strong body is always useful when building houses.

If you’re interested, let me know.

-0-

Next on the list—waitresses and waiters.

It’s a job where you serve customers and act as the bridge between them and the restaurant, earning tips in the process.

How much you make depends entirely on your ability.

That said, the more popular establishments won’t hire just anyone.

They need to ‘trust’ that you’ll do the job properly and won’t cause trouble.

Some places even require a guarantor before they’ll take you on.

It’s only natural.

Also, some restaurants don’t allow tipping and instead offer fixed wages.

Like the ramen shops.

Yeah, the ones on Ramen Street.

Delicious, right?

Those places are easier to get hired at, but they have high expectations.

Since they pay wages, they won’t tolerate sloppy work.

Anyone who slacks off gets fired fast.

Kuro and Yuki?

I can introduce you to that place too, but you’ll need to pass a test.

It’s a popular cafe, and a lot of people want to work there.

That’s why they only hold hiring exams once or twice a year.

If you’re interested, I can let you know when the next one is coming up.

Oh, right. Bronze Café doesn’t require a test.

Just an interview with the assistant manager.

But that place has a unique atmosphere.

If it doesn’t suit you, you won’t last long.

-0-

Another popular job… would be a transportation type.

That’s right, carrying goods.

Village Five may be small, but it was built in the mountains.

The terrain is full of slopes, making it a hassle to move things around.

This job is all about helping with that.

All you have to do is transport cargo.

Sounds appealing, doesn’t it?

If you’re fast on your feet or strong enough to carry heavy loads, companies will value you highly.

In fact, you could even land a job with a company.

That’s a promising career, isn’t it?

Of course, nothing is ever that easy.

To work in transportation, you need to be somewhat familiar with Village Five.

If someone tells you to deliver a package somewhere, but you don’t know where that is, you won’t be able to do the job.

If you’re working with others, you might manage somehow, but if you can’t move independently, it’ll be a problem.

That’s why, while transportation jobs are in high demand, they aren’t easy to recommend to newcomers.

-0-

If you’re looking to make money, how about garbage collection or disposal work?

Not many people want to do it, but it’s a necessary job, so the pay is good.

Since the village itself manages the work, payments are made on time.

If you’re small-bodied, there’s also sewer tunnel cleaning.

Yes, you actually go inside the tunnels and clean them.

The pay is shockingly high.

Hmm?

Oh, normally, slimes handle that job.

They do a great job.

But the acting village chief once raised a concern—what happens if the slimes stop working?

So now they’re trying to establish a cleaning system that doesn’t rely on slimes.

The problem is, there aren’t many volunteers.

I’ll say it again—the pay is shockingly high.

-0-

Let’s go over some unusual job opportunities.

First, modeling.

Have you heard that the underground shopping district of Village Five is called Fashion Street?

No?

It’s fairly well known, though.

Well, never mind.

New clothing designs are made there, and your job would be to wear them while going about your daily life in the village.

That’s right, just wear the clothes and live as usual.

Of course, staying holed up indoors won’t cut it.

The whole point is to show off the new designs.

So, you’ll need to be aware that people are always watching.

Acting rudely is out of the question.

The pay isn’t great, but it’s an easy job, don’t you think?

Some people even take new clothes as their reward instead of money.

-0-

Next, swan trainer.

You’ve heard of the swan race, right?

This job involves training the swans that compete in those races.

You can’t just train them however you like.

You need to assess each swan’s abilities and provide the necessary training.

It’s not something you can master right away, so this isn’t a job where you start making money immediately.

Since swan racing involves gambling, integrity is essential.

And if you can’t care for the swans properly, this isn’t the job for you.

For some reason, a lot of people are overly confident, saying 「I can do it」 and applying to be trainers.

Of course, I turn them down.

The swan race is tied to the village and the shrine, so if I introduce the wrong person, I’ll be the one getting scolded.

-0-

Another unusual job would be working as….an extra or a backup dancer.

Extras appear in movies.

That’s right, you could be in one of those films.

Pretty amazing, right?

Oh, but not as the lead.

Lead roles require strict training and auditions.

Extras are there to make the main actors stand out.

There are hardly any lines.

You don’t need much acting skill either.

As long as you don’t stand around stiffly or overact, you’ll be fine.

Just enough acting ability to avoid distracting from the leads is all that’s required.

The pay is… low, but at least it makes for a good memory.

Yeah, it’s low.

Some people are even willing to pay to be in the movie, so the wages don’t go up.

Unfortunate, but that’s how it is.

As for backup dancers, that job involves performing behind Five-kun.

This one has strict training and auditions, on par with landing a lead movie role.

But it pays well.

If you become popular, you could even go independent and make a career out of dancing.

-0-

Oh, right.

Speaking of unusual jobs, there’s the Large Portion Ramen License Certifier!

Did you know that some ramen shops require a license for ordering extra-large portions?

This job is about issuing the certification for that license.

Originally, each shop handled it themselves, but since the certification process became too much trouble, they started outsourcing it.

All you have to do is confirm that a challenger has successfully finished the designated large portion ramen and then hand them their certification.

Simple, right?

You also get to build connections with ramen shop owners, which might let you try new menu items before anyone else.

The pay isn’t great, though.

Surprisingly, there are still plenty of people who want the job.

-0-

Huh?

You wanna know what I think is the best job?

Well, that’s a tough one.

I actually enjoy working here at the job placement office, so I don’t really think about it much…

But if I had to recommend something to my own family, it’d be farming.

Yeah, farming.

Working in the fields.

It’s hard work, sure, but it’s stable. You can settle down, get married, and secure your future.

No no no, I’m not lying.

Oh, I get it.

You’re thinking, “No matter how hard I work, the nobles will just take everything in taxes, right?”

Don’t worry.

Most of the farmland around Village Five belongs to the village chief.

That means you’re working under a commission system, not as a private landowner.

So, there’s no need to stress over taxes.

Even if there’s a bad harvest, you’ll still get support.

The pay structure is simple: you get a base salary, plus bonuses based on the harvest.

Sounds reliable, right?

Plus, since it’s directly tied to the village chief, it really feels like you’re contributing to Village Five.

Is it popular?

Well, people with farming experience before they moved here tend to apply.

But younger folks… not so much.

Village Five is full of distractions, after all.

Honestly, I worry that in a few decades, we’ll have a real successor crisis in farming.

That’s why if I had to pick a job for my family, I’d recommend farming.

-0-

AN: I have been ill due to the cold temperatures.

Sorry.