The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick up Trash - Volume 2 - Chapter 85

Chapter 85:

Sora’s Judgment

WE MARCHED OFF to the adventurers’ guild with Sora in tow. Our objectives were twofold. The first was to have Sora pass judgment on the GM. The second was—if the GM was trustworthy—to report that Sora could identify traitors. Bolorda and Seizerk promised to keep Sora as secret as possible. I didn’t know how we’d convince the GM that Sora was reliable, but Bolorda seemed to have something in mind. When I asked, he just said, “Look forward to it.”

It was exciting to enter an adventurers’ guild for the first time—I never thought I’d be able to come here, after all. There weren’t many people inside, though. Somehow I’d expected it to be bursting with adventurers.

“There aren’t many people around this time of day,” Rattloore explained as I slumped in disappointment. “Wait a little while, and it’ll be full of adventurers who’ve finished their requests.”

Oh! So everyone’s out working right now? Okay. Still kinda sad… As I followed Rattloore inside, a request board on the wall caught my eye. It had jobs of all kinds, from collecting medicinal grasses and cleaning up the town to mining ore in caves—even killing monsters!

“Ivy!”

I realized I’d stopped to stare at the board. Tearing myself away, I rushed to catch up to Rattloore and slipped into the room after him. Four men were already seated inside. I thought we were just meeting the GM? Who are these people? They’re all really buff…except one of them looks more refined. The refined one looked at me and frowned.

“Why in God’s name did you bring this little kid with you?” he barked.

“Didn’t I tell you? This is Ivy,” Bolorda answered.

“You brought him with you?!” exclaimed the scariest-looking one of the bunch. I twitched in fear.

“Keep it down, GM.” Bolorda covered his ears theatrically, and the GM grunted an apology. 

“The enemy’s acting unpredictably, so we thought it was best to keep him close.” Seizerk explained. “Ivy, allow me to introduce you. My noisy friend here is the GM.”

“Aw, shut it, Seizerk. Hi. I’m the guild master, Lowgriff. Call me GM.”

“It’s an honor to meet you,” I replied.

“Hi there, Ivy. I’m the captain of the guard. Name’s Barxby.”

“Vice-Captain Agrop, at your service. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Folmaro, the guild treasurer. Pardon my outburst earlier.”

“It’s nice to meet you all.”

The GM was tall and had a forbidding look on his face, but he spoke gently. The captain looked surprisingly mild-mannered, but the vice-captain had a jagged scar on his face and sharp eyes. Folmaro…really looked like a posh gentleman.

I nodded twice to Bolorda. That was the signal that everyone here was Sora-approved. Before coming here, I instructed Sora to assess everyone when they introduced themselves. Each time someone said their name, the slime bobbed twice inside its bag.

Sora had given them the all-clear, so I indicated as much to Bolorda. If someone in the group had been an enemy, the plan was to nod just once. Bolorda acknowledged my sign, then stared at the object in his hand. It was a big glass ball he had brought out from his tent. What was he doing?

“Looks like everyone here is clean,” he announced.

“Clean?” The GM and his three partners looked at him, befuddled. My heart jumped in my chest. He said he wouldn’t mention Sora, so…how was he planning to convince them?

“Yeah. My magical item here didn’t react, which means it’s judged you all as allies.”

Huh? Oh, I see! He’s using an item to keep Sora a secret?

“Oooh. A magical item, eh?” The GM leaned forward and eyed the ball with great interest.

“I’ve never heard of a magical item like that,” the captain said.

“Unfathomable magical items are being discovered all over the world every day,” said the vice-captain. “I guess this is another one.”

They were curious as well, but nowhere near as much as the GM.

Bolorda whisked the glass ball back into his bag. “It came into my possession recently. Thing is, it turns to stone two or three days after you activate it.”

“Goodness. Really?”

“Yeah. I had another, but I wasted it.”

He was perfectly convincing, but I felt guilty. Since I couldn’t tell people about Sora, he was lying for my sake.

I wilted a little, then I felt a warm hand on my back. I looked up. Seizerk smiled a little and shrugged, so I smiled back. I know. Sora and I will do our best to pay Bolorda back. All I can do here is carry Sora around, but…I’ll work hard to make even tastier meals, too.

“Two or three days, huh… Bolorda, there’s something I need you to do.” The captain stared earnestly at Bolorda. Everyone probably knew what he was going to ask.

“I know,” Bolorda replied. “You want me to find the moles among the guard, right? What about the adventurers?”

“I’ll call the people I want tested,” the GM said. “Can you come back in a few hours?”

Bolorda nodded his assent. Everyone stood up to head towards the door at once, leaving the GM alone in the room.

“Hey, are you sure about this?” I heard the vice-captain whisper to Bolorda and Seizerk as they walked out together. “Ivy here is just a kid, isn’t he?”

Despite their assurances, Agrop still seemed worried. He whipped around to look at me over and over. Why was he so concerned?

“The vice-captain has three kids around your age,” Rattloore told me. “I’m sure it hits close to home.” Hearing that, the vice-captain blushed a little. His sharp eyes made me think he was a cold person, but it seemed my first impression was wrong.

The six of us walked together until a big merchant mansion came into view, surrounded by a few people in guard uniforms. They looked surprised to see the captain and vice-captain.

“Keep up the good work, boys,” the captain greeted them. “We need to take a look inside. Oh, let me introduce you. This boy here is Ivy. Bolorda and the others here are keeping an eye on him right now due to some hairy business. Ivy, let me introduce you to the officers here.”

The captain introduced each guard, moving methodically from right to left. According to the plan, Bolorda would check the glass ball to see whether they were allies or traitors—though, of course, Sora was really the one doing the work. I had tagged along partially to stay under their protection but also because I was a stranger to the guards. The adventurers of this town already knew everyone, but with me here, they would have an excuse for introductions. At least, that was the official reason I had come.

“And finally, Margajura.”

Sora, who had been quivering the whole time, suddenly stilled. This person was the traitor. I tugged sharply on Rattloore’s shirt, which I’d been keeping a tight grip on.

“Margajura, long time no see!” Rattloore greeted him. “I thought I hadn’t seen you around lately. Been stuck here with this lot, eh?”

“Heh, managed to get myself injured,” Margajura answered. “Figured I could at least keep watch, so I asked the captain to transfer me here.”

So he was a friend of Rattloore’s. Did Bolorda and Seizerk get the message? Seeing Rattloore’s reaction, Bolorda whispered something in the captain’s ear. Barxby’s eyes turned sharp. Yikes! He normally looks so nice, but now, he looks as scary as the GM. I guess you gotta be tough to keep the town’s peace… I took deep breaths to calm my racing heart. Once I had myself under control, we made to enter the mansion.

“Er…is the kid going in, too?”

“The organization’s after him, so we’re keeping him close,” Seizerk answered. The guards went wide-eyed.

“Thrilling, isn’t it, Ivy? Think we’ll find anything?” Rattloore surveyed the inside, obviously excited. I hope we really do find something. Maybe even a hidden door!