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~Caballero’s Perspective~
It was the first time I used soap, but it seemed to remove dirt, although the bubbles felt strange and stung my eyes badly.
The foam, which was pure white at first, turned a muddy brown as it went through my gray fur.
After rinsing off with water, I shook myself, letting the water fly, and then wiped myself with a large towel.
I was thankful for the large towel, as I was having trouble wringing out a hand towel with one arm.
Still, wiping my back required sitting in a chair and using my legs as well.
“But aren’t these shorts for larger races…” (Caballero)
The clothes that had been prepared for me seemed to have been things left behind at the guild training grounds, and there was probably nothing that fit the catkin’s body.
The belt allowed me to tighten the waist of the shorts, although there was no excess length, and the shirt was too long in both sleeves and length, because I had to cut it with a knife and stuffed parts in.
The clothes I was wearing when he got here are nowhere to be found, so they must have been disposed of.
At that point, it looked more like a dirty rag than clothing, so I had no regrets.
After getting changed, I headed over to Meelis’ place, but the counter was closed for lunch.
I had still left my card and money with them, so I couldn’t go home, and was wondering what to do when someone called out to me.
“Sorry, Mr. Jello. Everything else was really big.” (Meelis)
“Well, I guess there aren’t many catkin adventurers around, right? I guess it can’t be helped… it’s better than rags.” (Caballero)
“I’m sorry, but as you said, it’s rare for cat people to become adventurers.” (Meelis)
After this, Meelis took me to the guild’s business area.
This is a space where the guild staff and people who submit requests to the guild have meetings, but we are the only ones using it at this time of the day.
“Please, please help yourself.” (Meelis)
“Is it okay…?” (Caballero)
Meelis served us bread with filling and tea.
There are so many different nice smells.
The bread is savory around the edges and moist inside, and the flavor is delicious in the mouth.
The meat and vegetables in between were unlike anything I had ever tasted before.
“Yummeow… yummeow… yummeow…” (Caballero)
“Mr. Jello…”
Before I knew it, I was munching on bread with tears streaming down my face.
I wanted to feed all of them: my comrades who died in the failed raids, my comrades who died after eating the orc heart, and the old men and women who died of starvation in the pioneer village.
“How much… how much should I pay? One large silver coin?” (Caballero)
“No, the money is fine, it’s not that expensive. It’s just two copper coins.” (Meelis)
“Eh… are these just two copper coins?” (Caballero)
Growing up in a poor pioneer village, I have no recollection of ever shopping with money.
In the first place, there were no stores in the village, and the peddlers visited the village several times a year, only to be ridiculed for not being able to do business.
“With the money you have, Mr. Jello, you could buy over a hundred.” (Meelis)
“Isn’t it a grand treat?” (Caballero)
“It’s just a normal lunch.” (Meelis)
“In a pioneer village, this kind of thing…” (Caballero)
“I see, so Mr. Jello is from a pioneer village.” (Meelis)
Dagouture, who led the Anti Noble Faction, had told me that peasants were exploited in the Grobrus territory, especially in the pioneer villages.
He told me that Kaya Village, which is a grain-growing area, is a so-called merchant village, so the economy is better than in other areas.
“Even if Kaya Village is doing well, that’s only within the Grobrus territory, and it doesn’t compare to other villages and towns in the territory.” (Meelis)
Indeed, the town of Krager, where I had escaped and taken refuge, was bustling and full of life, far more so than Kaya Village.
The farmers in the Duke Letburnes’ territory, whom I had stolen from on his way to escape, looked richer than those in Count Grobrus’ territory.
“So, I have a question for you… Mr. Jello, would you consider moving your base to another territory?” (Meelis)
“Eh……?” (Caballero)
Meelis’ offer was unexpected.
She had helped me out of pity, and when she had learned during the registration process that I had high magical powers and could even subjugate goblins, I thought she saw me as a useful asset and that’s why they were trying to keep me.
“If I move my base elsewhere, won’t all my records up until now be in vain?” (Caballero)
“It won’t go to waste. The Adventurer’s Guild’s job is to support adventurers so that they can demonstrate their abilities. So…” (Meelis)
Usually, newly registered adventurers are introduced to cheap lodgings, but it seems that there are no lodgings in Kaya Village that would accept catkins.
“Are there any in other territories?” (Caballero)
“I wouldn’t count on the Duchy of Letburnes, but I think Marquis Escalante’s territory would be fine.” (Meelis)
“How about Lagart territory?” (Caballero)
“Yes, Viscount Lagart’s territory is good too.” (Meelis)
According to Meelis, the people in both the Marquisate of Escalante and the Viscountcy of Lagart have much better lives.
“So, they are just pretending not to see Count Grobrus’ misrule and just enjoying themselves, huh?” (Jello)
“Mr. Jello, I don’t know where you heard that story, but even if you are a noble who rules a territory, you have no right to criticize the private affairs of a noble who rules another territory. Each territory is like a small country, and although the kingdom’s laws apply, it is basically a land that the lord is responsible for governing.” (Meelis)
Meelis’ story was at odds with what Dagouture had been telling.
Count Grobrus’s misrule was almost the same as what I had heard, but the roles of the other lords were different.
The knights of the Lagart who conducted the interrogation and the hateful one-eyed catkin both told the same story, but I covered my ears, thinking it was an excuse to justify themselves.
“Could it be that the royal family or other feudal lords are secretly investigating this?” (Caballero)
“I’ve heard those rumors, but I don’t know if they’re true or not… but it’s quite possible.” (Meelis)
The Adventurers’ Guild is an organization for adventurers, so they don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes, but the rumors have a lot of credibility.
If so, had we been deceived by Dagouture?
If we had been deceived, what in the world would have compelled him to have us attack an unrelated noble?
Come to think of it, Dagouture never came to the scene of the attack, and we have not heard from him since then.
I wondered if he had just used us and discarded us, or if Dagouture himself had been captured or was out of contact for some other reason. [T/N: You’ve used and tossed aside, Caballero. That’s what most of these instigators do. Leaders lead and instigators use people.]
“Mr. Jello, what is it?” (Meelis)
“No, it’s nothing… I’ll go to the Marquis Escalante’s territory for now.” (Caballero)
If I don’t know whether the one-eyed black catkin is right or not, or whether what Dagouture says is right or not, I just have to see it for myself.
“I see. Well then, you’d better get ready to go.” (Meelis)
“Get ready…?” (Caballero)
“If you are going to travel, you should at least have a change of clothes, portable food, and rain gear.” (Meelis)
“I see… that’s true.” (Caballero)
I’m ashamed to say that I’ve never been on a proper trip, so I don’t know what I need.
Meelis introduced me to a few stores where I could get the equipment I needed for my trip.
She said that the guild knows that the stores are trustworthy and that if I tell them I came here with an introduction from the guild, I don’t have to worry about them charging me exorbitant prices.
After withdrawing the money needed for shopping and receiving a map to the Marquis Escalante’s territory, I left the guild.
“Thank you for all your help…” (Caballero)
“May your journey be a happy one, Mr. Jello… Thank you for using our service.” (Meelis)
Meelis bowed her head neatly and saw me off.
I will probably never see her again, but I will never forget her in my life, the first person who treated me as a person outside of the pioneer village.
No, that hateful one-eyed black catkin also saw me as a person and faced me squarely.
Until I came to the Adventurers’ Guild, I had never doubted Dagouture’s words, nor had I been inclined to believe the one-eyed black catkin.
But I don’t know much about anything.
I just believed Dagoutre’s words as I was told, but I didn’t have the knowledge to judge whether they were right or wrong.
“If I don’t have it, then I can just get it… I’ll go and see it for myself…” (Caballero)
The owner greeted me with a sullen look on his face when I went to the secondhand store to buy some tools for my trip, but his attitude changed drastically when I told him that I came here with an introduction from Meelis.
The reason, he said, is that people who come to him through guild referrals are customers who have money to spend.
Although they can’t overcharge like they can with a run-of-the-mill customer, many of the customers who come through referrals buy in bulk, and if they meet the guild’s expectations, they will likely be referred to more customers.
I paid for old clothes that would fit a catkin’s body, underwear, rain gear, small pots and pans, portable food, a bag to hold them all, and a bent iron rod lying in the corner of the store to use as a walking stick.
“Brother, why don’t you change into the clothes you bought, and I’ll get rid of those?” (Storekeeper)
“No, it’s fine… A shabby traveler probably doesn’t have much money so I won’t be a target.” (Caballero)
“Haha, that’s certainly true, but there’s no one who would attack a catkin for the purpose of stealing something.” (Storekeeper)
“That’s true…” (Caballero)
I got ready and left the secondhand shop.
Well, let’s go see this unknown world.
T/N: I kind of got very teary from this chapter. I hope Caballero finds happiness or at the very least peace. But it will only be true when he faces his past. This chapter just left me conflicted. I do hope the best for Caballero, but I still believe he should face justice. Viscount Lagart and Marquis Escalante are both reasonable, even if he did plan to commit suicide bombing. It’s still an attempt but it was an attempt to kill people. Argh! I hope Dagouture gets found soon.
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