The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick up Trash - Volume 2 - Chapter 113

Chapter 113:

Rattloore’s Complaints

“MR. RATTLOORE, is anything wrong? What brings you all the way out here?”

“Huh?! Oh, no, sorry. Everything’s fine, so don’t worry. I just came to take a little break.”

A break? All the way out here? When I stared at him curiously, he looked a little guilty. Had something happened? He looked pretty drained.

“I see. Oh, right. Would you like something to eat?” I offered him one of the sweet-sour fruits I’d just picked. It was perfectly ripe, so it ought to be delicious. The only problem with this fruit was occasionally you’d get a really awful dud.

“Pru fruit, huh?”

“Yes. Sometimes they taste bad, but I think this one should be fine.”

“Ha ha ha! Pru duds are about as sour as they get, huh?”

“Yeah…have you ever had a dud?”

“Oh, plenty of ’em. It’s always a shock to the system when you’re expecting them to be sweet. Sure, I’ll take one.”

“Ah! Just so you know, I haven’t washed them.”

“Hm? That’s fine. I’ll just give it a wipe.” Rattloore cleaned it quickly and took a bite.

I watched, worried it might really be a dud. One glance at his face told me it was fine. Good. I’d feel terrible if it was bad!

“Delicious and sweet,” he mused. “Must’ve had plenty of time to ripen on the tree.”

“I have more. Take some.”

“Thanks.”

I took three more out of my bag. They all had that lovely, sweet-sour smell. Watching Rattloore eat made me want one, so I wiped one off and took a bite. Sweet juice erupted in my mouth. Mmm, delicious.

“This is a nice spot. It feels like time moves slower here.” Rattloore looked over at the snoozing Ciel and Sora with a gentle smile. Sora had plopped down right on the adandara’s belly and fallen asleep. I’d seen them sleeping like that several times during our travels. 

With a sigh, Rattloore finally explained the reason he came out here. “Some very aggravating people stopped by this morning. The captain and vice-captain dealt with them, but they’re so darn nitpicky, and it just ticks me off.” He seemed weary. A cloud loomed over the relaxed atmosphere from before.

“I can’t imagine this work is easy.”

“Yeah, it’s really tough. Things calmed down after Lord Foronda came, though. Ugh…”

The annoying person must’ve been a noble. I’d heard nobility looked down on adventurers, but were they so self-absorbed that they’d interrupt important work? I recalled how the captain had yelled in a drunken rage, “Their help isn’t worth anything! They just whine and complain if you don’t go through them first! But if you tell them sensitive info, they leak like a sieve! Why don’t they think before they act?!”

“What good would it do if we told them in advance?” Rattloore ranted, clearly frustrated. “They wouldn’t help, but they’d sure as hell get in our way!” What did someone have to do to make Rattloore of all people so mad? He was such a kind person. “Not gonna lie, it felt good to watch the blood drain from his face when we gave Lord Foronda the list of nobles who’d worked with the kidnappers, though. Serves him right.”

He sighed at the end of his tirade. Talking it out must’ve made him feel a little better. I didn’t understand any of the details, but I was happy he’d calmed down.

“Sorry I came and started ranting about stuff, Ivy.” Rattloore scratched his head apologetically.

“I’m just happy if I can help at all.”

His usual kind smile returned to his face. It warmed me to see it.

“By the way, Ivy, we’ll be making a big move against the organization tomorrow afternoon.”

A big move? Does it have to do with Count Faltoria?

“Did you find the evidence you needed?” I asked.

“Yeah. The names are all there in black and white. We’ve also got testimony from the nobles thanks to Lord Foronda, so that’s more evidence for the pile. Sifar’s got statements from the merchants he was interrogating, too.”

“I see.”

Count Faltoria was probably at the top of the organization. If he was arrested, then many others would go down with him.

“The town’s gonna be total chaos from tomorrow onward, so be careful,” Rattloore warned me.

“Will it be dangerous?”

“I don’t think so, but the count’s a popular guy, so you never know what could happen. The guard have been ordered to stand by just in case.”

If a noble popular with the common people of Otolwa was revealed to have betrayed the whole town, how would the townsfolk react? They’d already seemed uneasy when they saw more people being taken into custody today. Count Faltoria’s arrest would be a major turning point, but the shock of it would weigh heavily on this town.

“Will the townspeople be okay?” I asked him.

“It’ll be a blow, but it’s inevitable.”

“Right…” I hoped things would be peaceful again soon.

“Mm…now I’m sleepy, but Seizerk might get mad at me if I don’t go back soon.”

“Do your best. I’ll make a delicious meal for you all later.”

“Yes, please! Dinner is all I have to look forward to lately.”

“Understood. Leave it to me!” I would use Past Me’s knowledge to the fullest to make scrumptious meals. It was the least they all deserved for their hard work. 

“All right! I’m gonna get this job done so we can be back by dinner time!” Rattloore was reinvigorated. 

He was sure to be back in time for dinner. Maybe all of them would. What should I make today? He likes cheese. I could try putting some in toma stew? They think the stuff I make is weird no matter what, so there’s no point in hiding it now. Besides, it doesn’t really scare me anymore. I’m not hiding anything from them. If I’m totally open and normal, they probably won’t question it. Maybe. I hope.

“Tomorrow, huh? I’m a little worried.”

Purrrr. I startled at a sound from Ciel. I looked over, and the adandara was gazing at me. Was it worried?

“It’s okay. These are the people of the town Rattloore protects, after all.” The arrest of a popular noble would cause a panic. And panic and sadness might lead to violence, even if I wished it were otherwise. The guard was standing by just in case. “Oh, I hope things settle down!”

Mrrrow.

“Yeah! You agree, don’t you, Ciel?”

Purrrrr. How much did Ciel understand? What a strange creature.

“Ha ha ha, thank you.”

Lazing around here really did make me drowsy. How long had it been since I’d had a chance to take things slow? Since before I met Seizerk and the others, huh? Way before.

“I hope we find prey in the traps tomorrow.” I wanted to get back to my daily life from before the kidnapping ring, when my biggest worry was butchering and selling meat. “Mm, I’m really sleepy. But I can’t nod off here.” I was so relaxed with Ciel around that I was really letting my guard down. I had to be more careful.

“I should head back and start cooking something delicious for dinner soon.”

If I went back now, I would have time to make something elaborate. Yesterday, I’d just made a stew, so I was thinking of grilled meat today. For seasoning…come to think of it, Seizerk had brought some unusual medicinal plants. I’d tasted one, and it was kinda salty. It might go well with grilled meat.

“Actually, steaming is another method…” Maybe that plant would be good steamed with veggies? Sifar would definitely have something to say about it. Heh heh heh. That sounds fun.

“Sora, wake up! Thanks for today, Ciel. I can’t wait to see what we get from the traps tomorrow.”

Purrrrr.

“Pu, pu pu!”

Ciel’s purring was one thing, but Sora’s sleepy cries made me want to lie down and nap. I got ready to leave and started back, accompanied most of the way by Ciel. Even when I said it was fine, the adandara continued to follow.

“There’ll be lots of adventurers around here, so don’t worry about me. Careful you don’t get caught, okay?”

“Purrrrr.” Ciel rubbed its head against me, whipped around, and sprang off into the woods. What a reliable friend it was.

I felt for auras and sensed several people nearby. Based on the direction they were moving, they might be adventurers on their way back to town.

“Sora, there are people. Get in your bag, please,” I whispered.

Sora hopped into my arms. I gasped in surprise. When the 

slime had tried to jump into my arms before, I’d dropped it and made it sad. Sora was extremely cute when it was pouting, but I still didn’t want to make it sad, so I absolutely couldn’t drop it. When I caught it and hugged it tight, the relief made my whole body relax. I’d succeeded today.

“Sora, don’t jump out of nowhere, or I might drop you!”

The slime quivered in my arms. It seemed like it was having fun. Was it…laughing at me for panicking? Surely not…