The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick up Trash - Volume 2 - Chapter 72

Chapter 72:

Mira of Verdant Wind

I OPENED MY EYES SLOWLY. There was gentle light hitting the side of the tent, so it was probably morning. I searched around for any disquieting auras, but there were none to be found. With a sigh of relief, I stretched my arms.

“Phew…”

When I sat up and looked beside me, Sora was sleeping soundly. Suppressing my urge to snuggle back down myself, I reached for a clean change of clothes.

My main reason for going to the dump yesterday was to collect potions, but I’d wanted to confirm whether people really were after me, too. The discomfort I’d felt in the expedition camp was absent during our two days of travel. Part of me wondered if I was just imagining things because I wasn’t used to being with adventurers on a hunt. As much as I trusted Sora, it would have been great if it was all a misunderstanding. 

But the unease I’d felt yesterday was accompanied by a second feeling—it was like a gross, sticky gaze. Honestly, I hadn’t expected to encounter it so soon. But now that I knew it was real, I had to think. If people were after me, what could I do? And what about Mira? She and Rattloore seemed to be close friends. Would he believe me? I was worried, but honesty was probably the right choice…even if he hated me or abandoned me after I told him.

“All right!”

I calmed myself down by watching Sora sleeping peacefully on the blanket and then opened the tent. Once outside, I stretched again.

I looked around…and discovered Rickbert and Bolorda sleeping face-down on the table. They must’ve gotten dead drunk and passed out. Umm, maybe I should make some light, easy-to-digest soup for breakfast. I should still have some medicinal plants left, and I want them totally awake before I discuss any of this with them.

I kindled a fire, filled a pot with water and thinly-sliced dried meat, added some veggies the team had said I could use for cooking, and brought it all to a simmer. Once the vegetables were tender, I added the medicinal plants, and the soup was ready.

“That smells nice.” Roused by the scent, Bolorda sat up slowly.

Rickbert woke up shortly after and looked around, confused. “Bwuh? Why am I here?”

“You argued with me all night and forgot about it, huh? Dang, you’re a pain in the neck.” Bolorda heaved a great sigh and scratched his head. 

“Ahh…”

The two whispered hoarsely, making it a little hard for me to hear them. Were their throats sore?

“Ivy, good morning! Sorry, I overslept.” Rattloore called out jauntily at his usual volume. Bolorda and Rickbert both clutched their heads in pain.

“Gah… Too loud,” they groaned in unison.

“Are you okay?” I asked them.

Seizerk emerged from his tent and handed Rattloore a paper bag. “Morning, Ivy,” he greeted me. “Don’t worry about those two, they’re just hungover.”

“Yep. And we warned ’em, too.” Rattloore chuckled.

“Shhhh! Your voices are echoing in my head…” Rickbert’s agony was clear on his face. He was in a rough state.

“Anyway, sorry. I also overslept,” Seizerk apologized, but I shook my head.

I dished up the soup, and Bolorda set the bowls out on the table. Rattloore fished some black bread from the paper bag and cut a slice for everyone.

“Thanks for cooking.”

The two hungover men paused for a moment and then reached for their soup.

“Ooh, that’s just what the doctor ordered,” Bolorda sighed.

“You can say that again,” Rickbert agreed.

It seemed the flavor agreed with them. What a relief!

After we finished our meal, we had a cup of tea together.

What do I do? Should I just…spit it out? Or should I wait till things calm down a bit?

Seizerk spoke up. “Ivy, we need to talk. Do you mind?”

“I don’t mind.” I needed to talk as well, so this was perfect.

Huh? Umm… Seizerk looks really troubled. Rattloore looks unhappy, too. Bolorda has a complicated expression on, and Rickbert is looking at his feet, so I can’t see his face at all. What’s about to happen here…?

“Uhh, well…” Seizerk began, apparently having trouble getting it out.

“Yes?”

“First off, if this is a no-go for you, you have every right to refuse. Now…we were hoping you could help us catch those kidnappers. That means…we’re asking you to act as bait.”

After a moment’s pause, I answered, “I’ll do it.”

I couldn’t keep running, so I’d been racking my brain for what to do. With things as they were, the word bait had already come to mind. To be honest, I was terrified—but if I wanted to get through this, it seemed like the best choice.

“Ivy, no! Don’t agree that easily!” Rattloore grabbed my shoulders. He had tears in his eyes, and I felt the guilty feelings well up. But if there were another option, then Seizerk wouldn’t have proposed this one. I doubted there was a better way.

“Actually, I was going to ask you the same thing,” I replied. “At this rate, I’ll never be free to travel on my own…so I wanted you to help me with it.”

“Huh?!” Everyone looked shocked.

“Also…” My heart pounded uncomfortably. If I say this, they might not help me…but I have to get it out. “I think Verdant Wind might be with them.”

I tried to maintain eye contact with Rattloore, but in the end, I hung my head. They might not trust me; they might think I was a liar. I was afraid, but I couldn’t hide this from them.

“We know you’re suspicious of them, Ivy. And…yesterday, we learned something. Mira’s a traitor.”

“Huh?” I glanced up at Rattloore in surprise. He looked miserable.

“You were trying really hard to hide it back at camp, right? I couldn’t tell at first, but after watching, I realized. You’re terrified of Mira.”

Back at camp? Have they known all this time? But then…what happened yesterday?

“When Rattloore asked us to eat dinner with his group,” Bolorda added, “I asked him why. And I didn’t believe it. Mira was our friend, after all. But after seeing them yesterday, we know who the traitor is.”

My mind was buzzing with questions. Dinner? When? And does that mean they’re certain they’re traitors?

“Back then, I was really caught off guard. As soon as I got back to camp, there Rattloore was begging me to sit down to dinner with you all,” Bolorda added cheerfully, trying to lighten the mood. Seizerk and Rattloore chuckled, too.

Dinner during the hunt… Oh! Does he mean the day Rattloore stayed behind? That was the day Mira offered to have dinner with me. I was in a tizzy over it, but Rattloore intervened and said we already had plans with the leader. But he didn’t really have plans, did he? He noticed I was uncomfortable and asked the leader after to give me an out.

“Thank you, Mr. Rattloore.”

“Well, I didn’t totally believe it at the time. But after I got to know you, I could tell you weren’t the kind of kid to trick people.”

I bowed deeply. Honestly, I hadn’t expected him to trust me, especially because he’d been through so much with Mira. Yet even though he hadn’t totally believed it, he’d still protected me.

Tears streamed down my cheeks. A gentle hand came to rest on my head.

“Sorry,” he apologized. “I should’ve said something sooner. I just…wanted to trust Mira.”

I shook my head. Of course he wanted to, they were friends. But thinking about it only made me cry harder. I took deep breaths and managed to pull myself together. When I looked back up at the group, Bolorda reached over and dried my cheeks with a towel.