The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick up Trash - Volume 3 - Chapter 157

Chapter 157:

The Best Possible Answer

VERY FEW PEOPLE live their lives exactly the way they planned. Most people make a lot of sacrifices along the way—they give up some things and make the best possible choices they can from there. 

Druid stole his brothers’ stars. Even though he hadn’t done it on purpose, he was still angry with himself. He probably cursed his life. But holding on to that pain wouldn’t change anything. No matter how much pain, bitterness, and hatred he felt, the only thing he could do was keep putting one foot in front of the other.

In the past, I had cursed my parents. But it was different now. To be honest, I was grateful. Grateful they had me. And the reason I was able to see things this way was because of all the wonderful people I’d met who supported me. And yet, if you asked me if I ever wanted to see my parents again, the answer would be a firm no.

“Sometimes a little distance helps,” I explained. “Well, then again, for some people, it only makes things worse.”

The one who cursed Druid for his misfortune had to see Druid every day, and this was almost certainly keeping him from moving on.

“But my very existence…”

“Well, I think that’s for you to decide, too.”

Druid seemed quite torn. Well, he didn’t have to give an answer right away. I doubt he could leave Oll anyway until the gurbar problem was resolved.

Which reminds me… We still haven’t figured out what was going on with the blessed balm. What happened with that?

“Mr. Druid, think about it as long as you need to. You don’t have to give me an answer yet.”

“How much longer are you planning to stay in Oll, Ivy?”

“Wellll…until the blessed balm issue is resolved, I don’t think I can leave. There’re also the gurbars to deal with. I think I’ll be here for a while.”

The guild master would probably say he was okay with me leaving, but he might not actually feel that way—especially since trouble seemed to follow me wherever I went. If I resumed my travels now, he’d probably think I was running away.

It’s as I feared…I always seem to find myself in the middle of some sort of catastrophe. Those gurbars worry me, too. I can’t start traveling again if we haven’t taken care of them first. The forest would be too dangerous.

“Ohh, right, the blessed balm. I hear there’s a rumor going around that I planted it myself to murder my comrades and blame it on monsters. You’re in on it, too, apparently.”

“Ha…ha ha ha! Gosh, I don’t even know what to say anymore.” Why did I even bother.

“You said it, Ivy. Well, about your offer…I’d like a little more time.”

“Of course! I want you to give me your best possible answer, Mr. Druid.”

“Thanks for that. Oh!” Druid looked at me and clapped his hands. “So that’s why…” He stared hard at me.

“Um…that’s why what?”

“Well, whenever I talk with you, this strange feeling comes over me. Even though you’re a kid, I feel like I’m talking to someone my own age. Maybe that’s because of the memories from your past life?”

“Hmm…you’re probably right.” I guess my past life would heavily influence how I spoke. My knowledge is all mixed up, and sometimes it feels like I’m very much in tune with my feelings. From an outsider’s perspective, I might seem mysterious…or even creepy… Wow, I know I just thought of the word “creepy” myself, but that kind of hurts.

“Ivy?”

“Pu, pu, puuu,” Sora chirped, jumping onto Druid’s head.

What are you doing up there?! “I’m so sorry.” All I can do at this point is apologize.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Maybe it understands that our conversation is over?”

Something rang true in Druid’s words. Sora was awfully perceptive…except when it came to which roads to take.

“Pu, puuu.”

“Tei-ryuuu.”

Now Flame was awake, too. It sure did sleep a lot.

“Good morning, Flame.”

Purrr.

“Good morning to you, too, Ciel.”

Mrrrow, Ciel trilled, tilting its head to the side and looking at me with big eyes. My gaze wandered to its forehead. There was my taming symbol, and I could faintly sense my magic coming from it. It really was a mystery. When exactly did I tame Ciel? It should’ve been impossible for me, given my limited magic.

“Mr. Druid, have you ever heard of a tamer with very little magic taming a high-level monster?”

“I’ve never heard of such a thing happening, no. I don’t think it’s in any books, either. That’s why I was shocked when I saw that you tamed Ciel.”

“Ha ha ha ha! I was just as shocked as you, Mr. Druid.” 

At this point, all I could do was laugh about it. I looked at Ciel again. I still felt my magic coming from the symbol on its forehead. How did this all work, anyway?

“Ivy, did you not know you’d tamed Ciel?” Druid looked a little uncomfortable.

“I didn’t, sir.” My only choice was to tell the truth. After all, I really hadn’t noticed.

“I see… So that’s why you were acting so shocked earlier. I thought it was a little odd the way you talked about Ciel. You acted like that was the first time you realized you tamed Ciel.”

Well, it was the first time. “I thought taming a creature like Ciel was out of the question, because of my weak magic.”

“I see.”

“So I was really surprised when I felt some of my own magic coming from the mark on Ciel’s forehead.”

“Well, I’d be surprised, too.”

“Right.”

Druid and I looked at Ciel, who noticed our gazes and looked back at us. Oh, that’s it! Why don’t we just ask Ciel how it happened?

“Hey, Ciel, can I ask you a question?”

Mrrrow.

Oh, good. That means yes. “I can sense my own magic coming from the symbol on your forehead. Did you do that?” If it could mimic a symbol, then surely it could give that symbol magic, too.

Mew! Ciel yipped.

Huh? I was wrong? “Oh. It wasn’t you, Ciel?” Then does that mean I really did tame an adandara? Mmmrrrrggg…but how?

“Um, Ivy…what just happened?” Druid asked. He was glancing back and forth between me and Ciel with a look of total confusion.

“Ciel answered my question. The way it said ‘mew!’ just now means ‘no.’ Ciel says it didn’t fake the magic in the symbol to make it look like I’d tamed it.”

“Wow…it can answer yes or no questions? That sure makes things easier.”

“I know. Sometimes its answers are still hard to figure out, but that one was very clear.”

“I’m impressed.”

Was it really that impressive? I couldn’t say—I just thought mind-to-mind connections were very important. But still, did I really tame Ciel? The magic coming from the symbol definitely belonged to me. So if Ciel didn’t do it…then did that mean my magic imbued itself in the symbol naturally?

“Do you really think I tamed Ciel?”

“I think you did. Well, maybe the methods you used were unorthodox, but I do feel your magic coming from the symbol. Plus, this is you we’re talking about, Ivy.”

That wasn’t exactly the explanation I was hoping for—I didn’t want to think I was special somehow. Still, even though I didn’t know how I’d done it, I was very happy I’d tamed Ciel.

“Oh, Ciel! Do you hear that? I tamed you! Are you okay with that? Are you sure you’re fine with me being your tamer?”

Mrrrow.

Well, as long as Ciel said it was okay, I guess it was okay. “I look forward to a long partnership with you.”

Mrrrow! Ciel’s pitch was a bit higher that time. I guess it was really happy, and that made me happy, too. But…

“You should learn to control that tail of yours before somebody gets hurt.”

Ciel’s tail was as wild as ever. The breeze it stirred up from swishing back and forth sent a bunch of sticks and leaves dancing in the air.

“Looks like your jack-in-the-box collection is getting filled with more and more surprises, Ivy.”

Mr. Druid, are you sure you want to keep using that expression? If you join me on my travels, won’t you also be part of the jack-in-the-box? Come to think of it, he’s been talking about jack-in-the-boxes a lot today. Jack-in-the-box, eh… No, wait, I’m not trying to collect anything, I promise!

“I’m not a collector!”

“I know—it’s more like some unseen magnetism drew all these oddities to you, right?”

Unseen magnetism? Hmm… I started with Sora, the collapsed slime, then I added Ciel the adandara. Sora happened to be on the path I was walking on, but Ciel was found by Sora, not me, so I wasn’t the one who collected my companions. And Flame was birthed by Sora, too. Yep. It’s not quite the same thing. But if some force did draw them to me, I wonder what kind of creatures I’ll attract in the future?

“Something wrong?”

“No, I was just thinking…if interesting creatures are drawn to me, what kind of creature will show up next?”

“Probably the rarest of the rare.”

“Ha ha ha ha! I’d be fine with something average for once.”

“Ha ha! I think you’re the only person I’ve met who doesn’t like rare things. Okay, we’ve been chatting for ages. We’d better head back to town.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

We had been sitting here and talking an awfully long time.

“Mind if I come to the plaza with you for dinner again?”

Oh! That’s right, I promised him dinner tonight in exchange for his help. It totally slipped my mind.

“Of course. Thanks for everything today.”

Oops! Sora’s still on his head. I got so used to the sight I didn’t notice.

“Puuu?”

“Sora, get down. We can’t show up at the town gate with you riding on top of somebody’s head.”

If Druid showed up with a slime on his head, his reputation would be ruined… He’d start to be known as something like “that weird uncle.” Pfft!

“Ivy, what in the world were you imagining just now?”

“Oh, nothing.” Uh-oh. I let it show in my face. “Let’s head back!”

I stowed Sora and Flame in their bag and waved goodbye to Ciel. For some reason, it looked really pleased as it bounded off into the forest.

“Is it just me, or is Ciel in an unusually good mood?” Druid asked.

“Yes, sir. Oh! Maybe it’s looking forward to guarding the traps I set?” It sure did look energized.

“Yeah, Ciel was really excited about that.”

“I just hope it doesn’t exhaust itself.” I knew the adandara was strong, but I still worried.

“It’ll be all right. Ciel is smart as well as strong.”

What he said was true—Ciel was quite intelligent. It always seemed to understand exactly what I was saying. The more I thought about it, the more I marveled over how I managed to tame such an amazing creature.