The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick up Trash - Volume 1 - Chapter 30

Chapter 30:

Sora and My Awful Injury

I WAS THOROUGHLY RELIEVED when I caught the news that the ogre den had been destroyed and the Ogre King slain. The forest was more dangerous during the ogre hunt, so they’d closed off the entrance. I hadn’t been able to take even a single step away from the village.

I’d only needed one day to recover from my long journey. As for the next three, I’d spent them reading and studying. To do any sort of work in the village, I’d have to go through the guild. That wasn’t an option, so I just spent the rest of my time looking around the village. Honestly, I was bored. Ten days was just too long.

The worst part of all was that I couldn’t let Sora out when I wanted. I occasionally let it out when I found a quiet place, but only for a little bit. I didn’t think it would be so hard to keep my friend a secret…

Either way, it was a good thing I’d scooped up all those potions on our first day here. Otherwise, we would’ve run out of food fast.

Finally, the entrance to the forest was opened, and the defeated Ogre King was hauled in. They probably wanted everyone to see for themselves that the threat was neutralized, but its size and peculiar aura alarmed me. I’d glimpsed ogres before, but I’d always run away to keep them from seeing me, so I’d never seen one up close. And this was an Ogre King, the pinnacle of ogredom. Even if it was dead, it unsettled me. Ogre meat didn’t taste good, so people typically took their magic stones and horns and abandoned the rest.

Paying little heed to the gathering villagers and adventurers, I left for the dump. It was time for Sora to eat and for me to prepare for our journey. I’d made most of my preparations while I was stuck in the town, so I just needed to replenish some supplies.

I stopped before I reached the dump, though, because I suddenly felt a lot of people’s auras there. They were kept out for ten days, so they probably all came at once to get rid of their trash. I should wait a little while.

I went back into the woods to secure some food to supplement my dried meat stock. I was still nervous, but the chief had said the ogres were wiped out, so I would probably be fine.

Heart pounding, I headed for the river. Usually, there were lots of fruit trees near rivers. I refilled my water at the bank and looked around until I found a tree with red fruit. I’d picked the same fruit from another riverside tree before and it was sweet and delicious, so I definitely wanted to get my hands on more.

But when I moved toward the tree, Sora hopped up and hit me in the leg.

Huh?! I froze in surprise.

Pshew! Something shot out of the tree. I dodged instinctively, but it still hit my arm. In an instant, vicious pain shot through me.

“Whoa—gahh!” I looked at the fruit tree…and saw it dragging itself toward me. Oh no, a tree monster! The monster yanked its roots from the ground one by one, slamming them against the earth like gnarled wooden feet.

I shoved Sora into a bag and clutched my injured arm. “Urkh…”

I felt something slick under my fingers, but I didn’t have the time to think about that. I clenched my teeth in pain and fled the riverbank. After running for a while, I looked back to see if the monster was following…nothing. Even searching for an aura didn’t get any results. I shouldn’t be that far. Shouldn’t I be able to sense it?

The pain made me nauseated. I held my gorge down and kept running, putting as much distance as possible between me and the monster. After a while, I looked back again.

Nothing moved.

Finally, I stumbled toward a tree and sank down. Blood dripped from my wounded arm despite all the pressure I’d put on it. I pulled my hand away. The wound…was deep. I’d lost more blood than I thought.

My thoughts were a haze. I wanted to get a potion from my bag, but I couldn’t move. I tried to shake my head to clear the fog, but I failed.

“I gotta…get Sora out…”

My body lurched. Pain shot through the fog—I’d fallen onto my arm. But still I couldn’t move. Sora’s bag was right in front of my eyes. I wanted to release my friend…tears blotted my vision and overflowed.

“So…ra…” Something moved at the edges of my clouded vision. I couldn’t see it, but it seemed like Sora had gotten out of the bag itself. Thank goodness.

I sensed Sora approaching me.

Sorry…

But my friend would be fine. Even if I died, Sora would be okay. Consciousness fading, I closed my eyes.

Something enveloped my arm. I could feel it through the pain and paralysis. It felt strange, but shortly after, the agony disappeared. Now that the pain was no longer resounding through my body, I was able to move a little. I opened my heavy eyelids and saw, through misty eyes…that my arm was in Sora’s mouth. It was feasting on my wounded limb.

Sora eats people, huh? I guess it doesn’t hurt to be eaten. That’s good, I suppose. Huh. That’s a heck of a last surprise.