The Weakest Tamer Trash Picking Journey Begins

(you can see I’m running out of variations for translating ‘sugoi’)

They dragged the captured comrades into the simple cells we built inside the base.
All of them are looking down, trying to hide their faces.
Some of them seemed to be shedding tears.

“It’s too late for regret.
Why didn’t you ever think about what would happen if you get caught?”

Leader spat out harsh words to them.
We can’t change the fact anymore.
They chose to walk this path by their own will.
They will have to pay for it for a long time to come.

“Sigh~”

I’m happy that our operation is a success and we are finally able to outmaneuver the organization.
Now no one’s targeting me anymore.
Then I can continue my journey.
However, somehow my heart is not at peace.
I suppose it must be because I saw grief of the captured people for the first time.

“You don’t have to worry about them, you know.”

As I turned towards the voice, I saw Cival-san and Rattlua-san.
I guess I looked quite dispirited, so they found out.

“I understand, but this is my first time seeing something like this.”

“I see.
We also thought a lot about this back then when we first saw it, right?”

“Yeah, we were so young then~ Rattlua was way more lovable back then.”

“Hey, what kind of bullshit are you saying?”

“”

“Hmm? Can I tell Ivy about you from back then? How brave of you.”

“No way! Don’t say a word!”

I wonder what happened between them.
Rattlua-san’s face was flushed red and he was flustered.
…what to do? I’m very curious.
I’ll ask secretly later…

“Ivy, you’re not thinking of asking about it later, are you? That can’t be, right?”

He read me like a book.
Moreover, he looks too menacing!
I immediately nodded several times without words.

“You can’t be thinking like that, right?”

Scary! Rattlua-san’s smile is too scary!
I’m very much curious, but let’s save it for later.
Rattlua-san suddenly returned to his usual smiley self and patted my head lightly.
I’m safe for now.
Thank goodness~
Ah, I no longer feel as depressed as before.
Did Cival-san recall Rattlua-san’s past to cheer me up?
They are really nice people.
…Nope, that resentment oozing out of Rattlua-san earlier was serious business.
Cival-san must have brought out that topic because he knew Rattlua-san hates it.
Cival-san is a schemer indeed.

Suddenly, I hear shouts coming from somewhere around the base.
I was really shocked.

“Calm down, no need to worry.”

Cival-san gently placed his hand on my shoulder.
I looked up and smiled at him.

“But what happened? Let’s take a look.”

When we moved from the garden to a spot where we can see beyond the door, the area around the base has become quite noisy.

“Rumor that people related to the organization has been captured has spread.”

Cival-san’s face turned grim.
He’s gazing towards the townspeople who were crowding into this place.
I can hear them yelling to announce who are captured, or to let them unleash their resentment.
The vigilantes are trying to control the crowd, but there are too many people.
Is this gonna turn into chaos?

“There are too many people in the crowd.”

Rattlua-san also looked grim.

What should we do?

“Do we need to do something about this?”

“Hm? Leader and Gilmas will take care of this, I’m sure.
See that?”

I looked towards where Rattlua-san pointed at.
Leader, Vice Leader and Gilmas-san are standing in front of the crowd.

“Be quiet!”

Leader’s command rang around the base.
The area fell silent at the sound of his voice.

“The rumor presently spreading is true.
The organization that has caused the most damage to this town.
We have caught those people who are related to that organization.”

The townspeople shouted with joy hearing Leader’s words.
But Vice Leader clapped his hands to stop them.
When they fell quiet down again, Leader started to speak.

“A lot of those traitors came from among the vigilantes.
As well as among the adventurers.
I deeply apologize for this matter.”

As Leader bowed down, Vice Leader and Gilmas-san also bowed their heads.
The townspeople watched them quietly.
When Leader raises his head back up, he begins to speak a little slowly.

“Regrettably, I cannot announce the names of people we captured at this time.
The reason for it being we haven’t got our hands on conclusive evidence of their individual crimes.
I don’t think we falsely arrested any person, but I want you all to wait for the announcement until we got the evidence.”

We arrested them based on Sora’s examination.
We still don’t actually know what kind of crimes they were involved in with the organization.
We are going to gather evidence and determine what their individual crimes are.
It’s going to be tough because there are so many people caught.

“I have a request to you all.
Please do not do anything to these people we arrested.”

The crowd immediately jeered.
Some of them booed while crying.
Leader quickly raised his hand.

“I think you all know that criminals are sentenced to be slaves, but few know how hard that punishment actually is.
But I know.
I know how cruel the place those criminals go to.”

The crowd once again went silent.
It goes without saying that criminals are punished to be slaves.
You call that slave labor, I guess.
But I have never heard about the place.
Seems like the townspeople have never about that as well.

“In that place, you don’t have any right to choose death.
You will be made to slave away every day for the sake of this world.
It’s a harsh life it cannot be described by mere words.
Just like hell.
And that hell will continue until the day you are pardoned.”

The townspeople began to calm down after the speech from Leader.
The victims want the criminals to suffer.
You can’t sugarcoat that fact, it’s the true intention.

“When their lives end, their suffering will also disappear.
Can you forgive them that way? Will you free them from suffering that easily? I can’t forgive them.
That’s why I’ll make sure they fall into enslavement.
For that, I want you all to promise that you won’t do anything to them.”

The townspeople have stopped hurling abuse at Leader.
Vice Leader and Gilmas-san slowly relaxed their stiff expression.

“How cool.”

Leader took all the burden on his shoulders.

“By the way, Ivy.
That one just now…”

Rattlua-san talked to me, sounding somewhat worried.
I tilted my head.
What does he want to say?

“Rattlua, I think Ivy has noticed.”

“Huh?”

What are you talking about?
Noticed what?

“Ivy, do you understand why Leader said that?”

“Umm, to prevent the townspeople from committing crimes, right? That’s why Leader took all the burden himself.
He’s a cool person.”

If Leader didn’t give that speech, the angered townspeople would have stormed the base.
And we can’t dismiss the possibility that they might try to kill the captured people.
If that really happens, the victims will also turn into criminals, even if they have their just reason.
That would be too miserable.
That’s why Leader deliberately gave that speech.
That he will make sure the criminals suffer.
Precisely, as long as they are alive.
So he told them not to meddle.
Leader directed his speech towards the people who were brimming with anger caused by their anguish and suffering.
To quell their anger, even just a little.

So their anger won’t be directed towards the criminals.

“I told you so.”

Cival-san looked at Rattlua-san a big smugly.
Rattlua-san ruffles my hair.

“Whoa! What gives?”

“Nothing, just thinking that you really understand Leader, don’t you?”

“Understand? How he’s such a cool person?”

But I have thought about that since before.
He’s a flexible person who is able to deal with various things immediately, while also a person with leadership.
Also a person with strong heart.
I think he is indeed a cool person.

“I want to be like Leader.”

“Huh?!”

For some reason, 2 people shrieked in shock after I said that.
Of course, those voices belong to Cival-san and Rattlua-san.
Is it really that shocking?

“Ivy, it’s too early for you to give up on your life, you know.”

“Huh?”

“That’s right, Ivy.
Are you sure you want to be like Leader? You still have a long way in your future.”

…But I thought we were talking about how Leader is a cool person…

“Ahem, you guys.”

I turned towards the source of that deep voice, Leader is there with his face twitching.
Apparently he had finished his speech.

“”

“You delivered a great speech.”

I greeted him with a smile; Leader looked surprised for a moment, but soon showed his calm expression.
I really prefer this face over that stiff one earlier.