The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick up Trash - Volume 4 - Chapter 179

Chapter 179:

Ciel, the Lifesaver

“Good morning.”

I stepped outside my tent to find a rather perplexed-looking Druid. Something didn’t seem right.

“Good morning, sir. Did something happen?”

“Sorry to bother you so early in the morning, but can you come with me for a bit?”

Something really did happen. “Okay. Could you wait just a minute? I’ll be ready in just a minute.”

“Take your time. Sorry about that.”

So it’s not particularly urgent, then? I went back into my tent and told Flame and Sora that Druid had asked me to go somewhere with him. “Would you like to come along?”

Both slimes jiggled at their preferred speeds in reply. That meant “Yes!” I’d learned that when they didn’t want to do something, their response would be to sit completely still and avoid my gaze. The first time they did that was a real shock. I hadn’t known yet what they were trying to say, so I got pretty flustered.

“Okay, I’m ready to go.”

“Sorry to bother you so early.”

“It’s all right, Mr. Druid. I’d just finished my breakfast and was about to go look for you.”

“Oh, really? So, um, you heard the news?”

“Only that three of the adventurers returned heavily wounded… Is that true?”

“Yeah, but they’re fine now. They got all healed up.”

I was glad to hear they were okay, but it was scary to learn that there really were only three of them that had returned.

“Is this a good place?”

“Huh?”

I’d just been following Druid and hadn’t been paying attention to where we were going. I looked around and saw we were in a deserted area a bit off the main road.

“The guild master still hasn’t announced the finer details, so everyone in town has their ears to the ground. Since we don’t have a magic item, somebody could easily listen in on us. Sorry, Ivy, but do you sense any human auras around here? I don’t have that ability.”

So he has something to tell me that he wants kept secret. Are there any auras…?

“No, I don’t sense any auras, so we must be the only people around here.”

“Thanks. So, about the three adventurers who made it back. According to the guild master, it was Ciel who saved their lives.”

“What?!”

So that’s why Druid had looked for a quiet place to talk—he wanted to tell me about Ciel. Wait, Ivy. Ciel saved them?

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. They were heavily wounded but quite conscious during the ordeal. This is just what I heard from the guild master, but these adventurers were sent deep into the forest to find out why the gurbars have been going berserk. However, they were attacked by a gurbar herd and almost killed. Three of them almost managed to make it back to town, but before they realized it, they were surrounded by gurbars and chijikas.”

“Chijikas?”

“Monsters with big tusks. They’re usually gentle, but they’ve gone berserk, too.”

“Oh dear.”

“Just when the adventurers thought they were done for, a monster that looked like an adandara showed up and killed all the chijikas and gurbars.”

Killed all of them? If it really was Ciel, it must have had a pretty hard time of it.

“The adventurers thought they would be next after the ­chijikas and gurbars…but then the monster hoisted an adventurer with a wounded leg onto its back and carried him all the way back to town.”

If that was Ciel, it did a very good thing. I’ll have to give it some love later.

“The guild master, my old mentor, and a few adventurers just went into the forest to check out the gurbar and chijika corpses.”

“Um, can we go into the forest, too? I want to see if it really was Ciel.”

“Yes, the guild master said it was okay. Do you know where Ciel might be? The creature might have gone over to the same place as the guild master’s party.”

“I’m not sure where Ciel is; that adandara is hard to keep track of when it’s in the forest. Do you think it might be hurt, too?”

“Ack. I’m sorry, but I didn’t hear the story directly from the adventurers, so I don’t know how Ciel is doing.”

“Oh dear…”

If Ciel really did take on two herds of monsters, I wonder if it made it out okay? Maybe it needs some medicine… No, wait, we have Sora on our team. Ciel will be fine.

“Would you like to go into the forest right now?”

“Yes, sir.”

The main road was filled with townsfolk, but a grim sorrow hung in the air. It was hard to believe they’d been so confident and lively the day before.

“Looks like the rumors have already spread through town.”

“They sure have. There was a pretty big ruckus in the plaza as soon as the sun came up.”

“Well, I don’t blame them. Losing veteran adventurers is quite a hard blow. It won’t be long before people get riled up and demand that someone keep the town protected.”

“Do you think the guild master will be okay?”

“Yeah. My old mentor has good instincts.”

“Instincts, sir?”

Why was he bringing up his old mentor?

“He’s a pretty famous veteran adventurer. He’s probably already sent word to his old comrades.”

Oh, so his mentor must have been quite the adventurer. By “comrades,” I suppose Druid means his former party members?

“He probably has his old party on standby, to come out and put down any town uprising when it happens. And they’ll use all the clout they’ve got. That way, the guild master will be able to do his job much easier.”

Wow, so that’s why Druid’s old mentor came to town. He was preparing for the worst-case scenario.

Druid sighed. “It seems like I’ll never be out of that man’s debt.”

“Yes. He’s a wonderful mentor, sir.”

“He’d be even more wonderful if he’d just stop teasing people all the time…”

Really? I actually feel like teasing people is part of what makes him who he is.

Druid approached the gatekeeper. “Good morning, sir.”

“Are you sure you want to go into the forest, Druid? Especially if you’re bringing Ivy with you?”

“Yeah, there’s something we have to check on. Please?”

The gatekeeper looked a bit perplexed. He was probably baffled by the fact that Druid was taking a child into the forest just after a massacre. But please let us through, Mr. Gatekeeper. We need to go.

The gatekeeper sighed. “Okay… But promise me you’ll be careful. Promise?”

“Yes, don’t worry. If something happens, I’ll make sure Ivy is safe.”

“Okay… Be careful out there.” With a resigned sigh, the gatekeeper opened the gate. Gee, that poor guy was having to deal with us just about every day now.

“Thank you very much, sir. We’ll be back soon,” I promised the gatekeeper as I walked with Druid out of the gate toward the forest.

“Where to first?”

“Let’s go to the dump.”

We set off in that direction. Once we were halfway there and the coast was clear, I took Sora out of its bag.

“Don’t wander off alone today, Sora. Gurbars and chijikas have been on the rampage.”

“Pu! Pu, pu, pu, puuu.”

And Flame is…yeah, still asleep. “Flame, shouldn’t you start spending more of your time awake? I think you’ve given yourself plenty of rest.”

“Teryu-ryuuu…ryuuu…”

Why did it whine in its sleep when I asked it to wake up? Mrrrgh… Okay, that’s it. Once this berserk monster mystery is solved, I’m going to have a firm talk with that slime. Yeah, I’m gonna ask it to try to stay awake longer.

“Okay, the slimes are ready to…go.”

Before I knew it, Sora was in its designated spot. That slime really did love being on top of Druid’s head.

“What’s wrong?” Druid asked, completely unconcerned about the slime sitting on his head. Maybe he really didn’t mind.

“Nothing, sir. Let’s go. Oh! I see Ciel coming toward us.”

I caught a whiff of Ciel’s aura on the wind, so I stopped in my tracks and waited. Then Ciel gracefully jumped down from a tree. I quickly gave the creature a looking over, and there was no sign of injury or blood on it.

“Ciel, did you protect the party of adventurers from the village?”

Mrrrow, Ciel replied smugly.

Yup. It was definitely Ciel, all right.

“So it was you, Ciel! Thanks,” Druid said, gently patting the adandara’s head.

“You did such a good thing, Ciel! You’re so brave. But I was worried about you. Are you okay? You didn’t get hurt anywhere?” Even though I had given Ciel a good looking-over, I was still ­worried it might have internal injuries.

Mrrrow.

I guess that means it’s okay? Phew, what a relief. But still… “Wasn’t that hard for you? Imagine clearing out a gurbar herd and a chijika herd at once—I’m impressed!”

Mrrrow.

Aha. Ciel’s obviously in a very good mood. I don’t want to tell it to stop, but…yeah, I’ve gotta.

“Ciel, um…could you tone your tail down a little?”

Ciel’s tail froze midair. Then its ears drooped a little. Awww. That’s why I didn’t want to say anything. I knew it would be upset.

“Don’t worry, Ciel, I’m not mad at you. It’s just…you’re causing a little sandstorm…” Ivy, what the heck are you even saying? Now you’re just making Ciel even more depressed.

“Thanks for saving our friends from town, Ciel,” Druid said. “They said they owed their lives to you.”

Thanks for the assist, Druid. Now Ciel’s tail was gently rocking back and forth. Oh, good. It’s dialed the wagging back quite a bit now.

“You’re really magnificent, Ciel.”

Ciel’s tail swished violently a couple of times at the praise, but it quickly calmed down. Ciel was cute already…but its tail was every bit as cute.