End of the nomination request
***---***
The entrance to the Irosun Great Forest was full of people who had been blocked.
The road closure was a serious problem for those based in Marburg who were about to return after finishing their quest, although those who received the quest and headed for Bakkenheim were fine.
Even if they asked the Guild staff when the road closure would be lifted and it would really be safe to pass through, they would not give them a clear answer.
At such a place, refugees from Slakka arrived, so people rushed in to get even a little bit of information.
"Stay back! Stay back, I say, I can't get through. More people are still coming, let me through!"
"What happened with the monsters. Can we pass safely now?"
"No, you can't. This procession was escorted by the 'Monster User', so we were able to pass safely."
"What about Slakka? What happened to Moitaba?"
"All the residents of Slakka have been evacuated. I don't know what happened to Moitaba."
"All the residents evacuated, you say, how long are you going to close the road!"
The garrison members kept the crowds of people in check, let the carriages through, and gave rest to the horses that have run through.
The adventurers began exchanging information when they found acquaintances.
After resting here, the group of evacuees would head for Kalash, the destination.
Before that, should I have a brief meeting with the guards.
"Daleman-san, thank you for your hard work."
"Oohh, Monster User, thank you. Thanks to you, we were able to pass through the Great Forest safely."
"Yes, I'm glad nothing happened. I will continue to escort you from the shadows to Kalash."
"Umu, please do. I don't think there will be any problems once we leave the Great Forest."
"That's right. Monster attacks should be fine, but ..."
"What's wrong, is there a problem?"
"I'm not sure yet, but ..."
When I took out the tablet from the shadow storage and played back Graciela's plot that Fred filmed, Daleman-san's face turned bright red and his eyebrows raised.
"What the hell. Such a ridiculous scheme ..."
"Please wait. There's no guarantee that they'll do it yet, so let's deal with it after they make an accusation in Kalash."
"However, I will not allow someone whom I'm indebted to so much fall into a trap."
"Maa, if they really make such an accusation, please punish them."
"Of course, I will also report to the Guild."
"Yes, I'm counting on you."
It seemed like Graciela and the members of the 'Blue Gale' were shopping around for things to stuff into their stomachs, which had finally recovered from their hangovers.
Should I buy something for lunch as well.
But, before that, I hid in the shadow space and doted on all my genus.
"Everyone, good work. Now, come on!"
"Goshujin-sama, pet me, pet me!"
"Nushi-dono, us too, please."
"Hey, wait ... Ooaaaaaaa ..."
As usual, the Kobold Corps and Zeta-tachi mobbed me together.
It was fluffy and felt good, but the pressure was ... Gaku!.
[ Buhahaha, Kent-sama, please have lunch and take a break as well. ]
"That's right, I'll buy something from the stall."
Near the entrance to the Irosun Great Forest, there were stalls for tourists.
When I bought a hot dog with grilled sausage and a potage soup made with milk and ate it with relish, I was approached by a group of adventurers.
There were about seven people, ranging in age from their late twenties to their forties.
"Yo, are you the Monster User?"
"Haa, I'm called that."
"I'll be blunt, please help me get through the Irosun Great Forest."
"Hmm ... That's a bit difficult."
"Is it impossible for you too? Didn't you bring the Slakka guys with you?"
"I brought everyone from Slakka with me, but I only escorted a procession of about five caravans. It's impossible for me and my genus to cover the entire road through the Great Forest. It's too broad."
"I see ... That's right, there's too much distance between us."
It took about a day and a half to ride through the Irosun Great Forest.
The distance was close to 100 kilometers, so even if I had Zeta-tachi claim their territory, it was questionable whether they would be able to control the entire area.
"I just heard from an adventurer acquaintance, is it true that the situation is worse than in the Devil's Forest?"
"Let's see ... The density of monsters in the Devil's Forest also changes, so I can't say for sure which one is more dangerous, but depending on the location, it's quite dangerous."
"Is it difficult if you have three times as many guards as usual?"
"I think it's tough because the density is particularly high near the highway."
The adventurers were puzzled when I told them that the corpses of the subdued monsters were left unattended, and that the area near the highway was recognized as a feeding ground.
"I see ... Come to think of it, a young guy in the caravan was practicing archery with Goblins as the target. Were those corpses used as bait to invite other monsters."
"At least the density of monsters around the highway has to be lowered. Even with a caravan, I think it would be difficult to pass through."
"I see, if all the residents of Slakka are evacuated, there is no prospect of reopening the inn as a stopover ... Hey, do you know anything about Moitaba?"
"Monsters had even entered the village of Moitaba, and everyone but the residents who had taken refuge underground have been wiped out."
"Seriously! I can't go back to Marburg for the time being ..."
The more questions I answered, the more distressed the adventurers who gathered became.
The group of refugees began preparations for departure, so when I told them that I would also prepare, the adventurers thanked me and left, but their steps seemed terribly heavy.
"Hmm ... At least for those based in Marburg, wouldn't it be better if they went back?"
[ Right now, that isn't completely true. ]
"Why? They should go back to their hometown."
[ Even if they go back, will they still have a job as an adventurer? ]
"I see, it was forbidden to trade ore with Volzard."
[ Most of the exports from Marburg to Volzard are ores. If that is stopped, the work of escorts should have decreased sharply. ]
"I see, if there's no work after returning, it might be better to work at Bakkenheim."
The only way to fundamentally solve the situation was to restore traffic through the Irosun Great Forest, but it may be necessary to take temporary measures.
Maa, rather than doing things on my own, it would be better to consult with Master Reese or Andel-san.
The road from the entrance of the Great Forest to the village of Kalash was peaceful with no monsters appearing.
Some of the carriages that returned from Slakka were heading for Marburg, but it seemed that they would receive their cargo at Kalash and return to Bakkenheim.
For the adventurers who were escorting them, the request would have been a failure, but due to the circumstances, the Guild's negative assessment could be avoided.
In Kalash, Guild officials were ready to receive them.
In the past, the Irosun Great Forest had never had a large number of monsters like the Devil's Forest, but it seemed that forest fires had caused damage to villages.
As a countermeasure in such cases, it seemed that a large-scale evacuation system like this one had been put in place.
Andel-san, whose stock had been lowered due to the measures against the Salamanders, was not bad at working as a Feudal Lord.
He seemed to have a rather stubborn personality, so maybe adding Klaus-san and dividing by two would be just right.
I returned the cargo from the carriages where the refugees were unloaded in the presence of the Guild staff, but there were people who cut in the line on the way.
It went without saying that they were the guys from 'Blue Gale'.
"I'm sorry, today if possible, we'll be back in Bakkenheim by tomorrow morning at the latest."
It was a plausible story, but in the original order, most of the carriages were returned to other carriages.
They must have interrupted so that they could make an accusation at the time when they would be the center of attention.
When I turned my gaze to the person in charge of the Guild, they nodded as if they understood.
When I loaded the wooden box into the carriage after matching it with the list when I checked the cargo, one of the 'Blue Gale' opened the lid and started making a fuss.
"Oi, oi, it's only half here, what the hell is this!"
"On top of everything, you embezzled the entrusted cargo!"
The two people who were standing on top of the carriage and shouting loudly as if to appeal to the people waiting for the delivery of the cargo were the two people who were reflected in the video shot by Fred.
The person in charge of the Guild had already confirmed the way those two made the plan and approached Graciela.
There, Graciela pushed her way through the crowd, unaware that her plan had been discovered.
"Finally, you showed your real self. The monsters having attacked Slakka as well, Kent! It was all for you to steal the goods!"
The appearance of Graciela, who was known as the A-rank adventurer 'Demon Eater', caused turmoil among the adventurers who were unaware of the circumstances.
"Everyone, please check your goods, didn't it get smaller?"
"I've worked hard to bring it here, but I can't stand it if it's stolen!"
"Say something, Kent! You bastard thief!"
Thanks to Fred having filmed it, I knew the full picture of the accusation, but even without that, I would have been amazed by the three ham actors.(TN:A ham actor is an unskilled actor who overacts.)
"What is this fuss!"
Yup, Daleman-san, who came to talk to me, was a better actor.
"Captain of the garrison, our cargo has been stolen. The culprit can only be Kent, who was in charge of the cargo. Investigate it carefully and punish him."
"I see, thievery in the Irosun Great Forest is punishable by death. If you want that, then there must be clear evidence, right? If you try to make false charges of thievery, you will be punished like a thief, are you aware of that?"
"Hey ... A, are you trying to say that we're lying!"
I heard that thieves and bandits were given the death penalty, but I didn't know that the same punishment would be given to those who tried to make false accusations.
Did that mean that these three would be sentenced to death.
Daleman-san reminded the three of them.
"Let me ask you again. Isn't it a misunderstanding on your part the the cargo has decreased? It was the Monster User and my subordinates who took care of the cargo. The same is true when returning it. So if you claim that the luggage is missing or stolen, then you are claiming that the garrison was involved in the wrongful act ... What do you think, am I wrong?"
Daleman-san glared at them, and the two who were shouting on the carriage looked at each other and couldn't hide their turmoil.
"Th, the garrison is irrelevant. It must be Kent's work there!"
After giving the two people on the carriage a bitter look, Graciela still didn't stop her accusations.
"Why can you assert that my subordinates were not involved? Why can you assert that it was the work of the Monster User? Of course, there must be evidence, right?"
"Th, that's ..."
Graciela was at a loss for an answer after being further reminded.
It seemed Daleman-san had something on his mind.
[ Kent-sama, he's going to dismiss the accusation itself, isn't he. ]
[ But, if that's the case, the punishment is ... Ahh, so he doesn't have to punish them? ]
[ There is a high possibility of that. Since the Irosun Great Forest is in such a situation, it will be a big loss in terms of fighting power if a high-rank adventurer is punished and unable to work. ]
[ I see ... I guess they'll work to make up for the lack of manpower. ]
It was when Graciela was at a loss for an answer and I wondered if she could keep going like this.
"I, I was watching until the monsters stowed away the cargo in the shadows. Only the Monster User was able to pull out the cargo!"
"R, right, I saw it too. Those Kobolds were carrying our cargo into the shadows."
It seemed to be their last resort, the reason why my genus brought their cargo into the shadows was because just before the procession left they were all hungover and groggy.
The other adventurers gathered around them were chatting wildly while watching what was going on.
When Daleman-san confirmed such an atmosphere, he let out a big sigh as if he had given up.
"Haa ... Then, no matter the case, the Monster User ..."
"As for me, I won't complain even if my cargo is reduced a little!"
Just as Daleman-san was about to start condemning Graciela and the others, a middle-aged adventurer raised his voice.
"What you're saying isn't enough is the ore that was loaded from Marburg, isn't it? In that case, take the missing amount from us. If the Monster User didn't come, let alone the cargo, I don't know what would have happened to our lives ... You guys also saw the number of those monsters. It was really something else."
When the old man with the beard raised his voice, a voice followed immediately.
"Orcs, Ogres, Minotaurs ... With it being like that, we would have been annihilated."
"Just being here alive is a big profit. As for the cargo ... If he wants it, I'll give it to him."
"Or rather, if he defeated that many monsters, does he need to embezzle the cargo?"
"These guys were accusing the Monster User yesterday too, weren't they?"
The air changed dramatically with the middle-aged man's words as a trigger.
Even Daleman-san, who should have been in charge of the event, was taken aback by the sudden turn of events.
"Wh, what are you talking about. It's a crime if you mess with the cargo!"
"In general, only the items and number of wooden boxes were checked. Can you guys prove that the wooden boxes were tightly packed?"
Even though it was winter, Graciela's forehead was dripping with sweat as she tried to continue her accusations.
"Certainly, the wooden box was full. Right?"
"Th, that's right ..."
In response to the further interrogation from the adventurers, the two people on the carriages who were asked to agree by Graciela, their eyes were already completely swimming.
"Even if it was full, aren't you responsible for not letting the garrison check it?"
"When you can't prove that it was full, now you're going to find fault with other people."
"Rather, aren't you putting on a play? That young guy over there, doesn't he look awfully unwell?"
"What, what, was it staged? Those who try to falsely claim that there are thieves would be sentenced to death in the worst case, and even the lightest punishment would be deprived of their rank and expelled, right?"
"That's enough! Calm down everyone!"
When the atmosphere became ferocious, Daleman-san raised his voice while clapping his hands.
"Now that we can no longer traverse the Irosun Great Forest, it's not the time for adventurers to quarrel with each other. Since we were handing over our cargo without time, there obviously were some flaws in checking it, but right now it's an emergency. Consider it fortunate that you were able to recover even a portion of the cargo. If you are still not satisfied, I will investigate further. Of course, I will thoroughly investigate not only the Monster User, but also my subordinates and you guys as well. Now, what shall we do?"
The two members of the 'Blue Gale' who were confronted with an ultimatum by Daleman-san turned their eyes to Graciela as if asking for help.
Not only the two of them, but also the adventurers and refugees who surrounded her looked at Graciela.
"Tch ... I'll pretend it didn't happen today. Hey, we're leaving when loading is finished. Hurry up!"
To Graciela, who was about to leave after saying something like she didn't do anything wrong, when I got angry and tried to chase after her, my shoulder was grabbed and I was stopped.
Looking back, I saw Daleman-san glaring at Graceila's back with a bitter expression.
"I'm sorry. I know it's irritating, but could you please leave it here. I'll directly warn Graciela later and report it to the Guild. However, even that is an A-rank adventurer, so I want to avoid expulsion in the current situation. I want to secure a fighting force that can be used, even if just a little."
"Understood. But, I will report it to Master Reese, and I will not be held responsible for whatever punishment is given as a result."
"Yeah, I have no intention of stopping it, and I'm going to write it in the garrison's internal report."
According to Daleman-san, even if I reported it to Master Reese, the punishment probably wouldn't change.
Actually, I was going to use the tablet to present irrefutable evidence and give them their just rewards, but that ending gave me a very gloomy feeling.
For now, let's hand over the rest of the cargo and finish the nomination request.
"Thank you, you saved my life."
"No matter how much I thank you, it's not enough, I thought it was really no good."
"Even though you're so young, you're a big deal."
"Bakkenheim will always welcome the Monster User."
"I'll beat up those who say bad things about you."
When I resumed returning the cargo that had been entrusted to me, the adventurers who came to pick it up asked for a handshake with a smile on their face and patted me on the shoulder, some of whom were in tears.
"As for me ... I just had a baby last month. My wife and daughter ... I thought we'd never see each other again ... thank you ... seriously, thank you so much!"
All the people who came to pick up the cargo thanked me, and even I was blown away.
When I finished returning the cargo and wanted to greet Daleman-san and go home, this time I was surrounded by the residents who had evacuated and thanked me.
At the request of the refugees, it was decided to introduce all my genus who participated in the defense of Slakka.
When not only the Kobold Corps, but also the Skeletons Reinhardt-tachi, the Lizardmen Zae-tachi, the Gigawolves Zeta-tachi, and even the Salamander Flamme appeared, as expected, everyone froze with startled looks on their faces.
"I'm Flamme. Nice to meet you."(TN:Reminder, Flamme calls himself 'Orecchi', which is a cutesy way for males to call themselves.)
Starting with Flamme's usual lighthearted greeting, the tension of everyone in the surroundings eased as all my genus spoke their greetings.
"This one is Mart, you can pet me."
"This one is Mirt, please pet everyone who worked hard."
"I'm Murt, be gentle with my stomach."
WIth the words of Mart and the others, the distance between us had become zero.
Everyone in the Kobold Corps were gently petted and their tails were flapping.
Reinhardt-tachi and Zae-tachi were being attacked by handshakes from stern looking adventurers.
Zeta and the others were bewildered when they were hugged by people who were captivated by the texture of their fur.
The sight of Flamme squinting happily with children on his back made my tear ducts burst.
What I was hoping for was the way of ordinary people living in the city and everyone in my genus interacting normally.
The scene suddenly appeared in front of me, and I couldn't stop crying.
At the same time, it made me realize that I was the one who built a wall between my genus and the townspeople, thinking about unnecessary things, such as whether the children would lose their vigilance against monsters, or whether they would be disliked by the townspeople.
[ This time, they were able to open up like this because they all felt that their lives were in danger, so Kent-sama's concerns are not wrong. ]
[ Reinhardt ... ]
[ Don't worry, we are Kent-sama's family. Those who know Kent-sama's activities will definitely accept it. ]
[ Yes ... Don't worry ... ]
[ Basten, Fred ... That's right, but my success is because everyone is here. ]
I had a very happy time together with my genus, being squashed by the refugees from Slakka.
End of the nomination request
***---***
The entrance to the Irosun Great Forest was full of people who had been blocked.
The road closure was a serious problem for those based in Marburg who were about to return after finishing their quest, although those who received the quest and headed for Bakkenheim were fine.
Even if they asked the Guild staff when the road closure would be lifted and it would really be safe to pass through, they would not give them a clear answer.
At such a place, refugees from Slakka arrived, so people rushed in to get even a little bit of information.
"Stay back! Stay back, I say, I can't get through. More people are still coming, let me through!"
"What happened with the monsters. Can we pass safely now?"
"No, you can't. This procession was escorted by the 'Monster User', so we were able to pass safely."
"What about Slakka? What happened to Moitaba?"
"All the residents of Slakka have been evacuated. I don't know what happened to Moitaba."
"All the residents evacuated, you say, how long are you going to close the road!"
The garrison members kept the crowds of people in check, let the carriages through, and gave rest to the horses that have run through.
The adventurers began exchanging information when they found acquaintances.
After resting here, the group of evacuees would head for Kalash, the destination.
Before that, should I have a brief meeting with the guards.
"Daleman-san, thank you for your hard work."
"Oohh, Monster User, thank you. Thanks to you, we were able to pass through the Great Forest safely."
"Yes, I'm glad nothing happened. I will continue to escort you from the shadows to Kalash."
"Umu, please do. I don't think there will be any problems once we leave the Great Forest."
"That's right. Monster attacks should be fine, but ..."
"What's wrong, is there a problem?"
"I'm not sure yet, but ..."
When I took out the tablet from the shadow storage and played back Graciela's plot that Fred filmed, Daleman-san's face turned bright red and his eyebrows raised.
"What the hell. Such a ridiculous scheme ..."
"Please wait. There's no guarantee that they'll do it yet, so let's deal with it after they make an accusation in Kalash."
"However, I will not allow someone whom I'm indebted to so much fall into a trap."
"Maa, if they really make such an accusation, please punish them."
"Of course, I will also report to the Guild."
"Yes, I'm counting on you."
It seemed like Graciela and the members of the 'Blue Gale' were shopping around for things to stuff into their stomachs, which had finally recovered from their hangovers.
Should I buy something for lunch as well.
But, before that, I hid in the shadow space and doted on all my genus.
"Everyone, good work. Now, come on!"
"Goshujin-sama, pet me, pet me!"
"Nushi-dono, us too, please."
"Hey, wait ... Ooaaaaaaa ..."
As usual, the Kobold Corps and Zeta-tachi mobbed me together.
It was fluffy and felt good, but the pressure was ... Gaku!.
[ Buhahaha, Kent-sama, please have lunch and take a break as well. ]
"That's right, I'll buy something from the stall."
Near the entrance to the Irosun Great Forest, there were stalls for tourists.
When I bought a hot dog with grilled sausage and a potage soup made with milk and ate it with relish, I was approached by a group of adventurers.
There were about seven people, ranging in age from their late twenties to their forties.
"Yo, are you the Monster User?"
"Haa, I'm called that."
"I'll be blunt, please help me get through the Irosun Great Forest."
"Hmm ... That's a bit difficult."
"Is it impossible for you too? Didn't you bring the Slakka guys with you?"
"I brought everyone from Slakka with me, but I only escorted a procession of about five caravans. It's impossible for me and my genus to cover the entire road through the Great Forest. It's too broad."
"I see ... That's right, there's too much distance between us."
It took about a day and a half to ride through the Irosun Great Forest.
The distance was close to 100 kilometers, so even if I had Zeta-tachi claim their territory, it was questionable whether they would be able to control the entire area.
"I just heard from an adventurer acquaintance, is it true that the situation is worse than in the Devil's Forest?"
"Let's see ... The density of monsters in the Devil's Forest also changes, so I can't say for sure which one is more dangerous, but depending on the location, it's quite dangerous."
"Is it difficult if you have three times as many guards as usual?"
"I think it's tough because the density is particularly high near the highway."
The adventurers were puzzled when I told them that the corpses of the subdued monsters were left unattended, and that the area near the highway was recognized as a feeding ground.
"I see ... Come to think of it, a young guy in the caravan was practicing archery with Goblins as the target. Were those corpses used as bait to invite other monsters."
"At least the density of monsters around the highway has to be lowered. Even with a caravan, I think it would be difficult to pass through."
"I see, if all the residents of Slakka are evacuated, there is no prospect of reopening the inn as a stopover ... Hey, do you know anything about Moitaba?"
"Monsters had even entered the village of Moitaba, and everyone but the residents who had taken refuge underground have been wiped out."
"Seriously! I can't go back to Marburg for the time being ..."
The more questions I answered, the more distressed the adventurers who gathered became.
The group of refugees began preparations for departure, so when I told them that I would also prepare, the adventurers thanked me and left, but their steps seemed terribly heavy.
"Hmm ... At least for those based in Marburg, wouldn't it be better if they went back?"
[ Right now, that isn't completely true. ]
"Why? They should go back to their hometown."
[ Even if they go back, will they still have a job as an adventurer? ]
"I see, it was forbidden to trade ore with Volzard."
[ Most of the exports from Marburg to Volzard are ores. If that is stopped, the work of escorts should have decreased sharply. ]
"I see, if there's no work after returning, it might be better to work at Bakkenheim."
The only way to fundamentally solve the situation was to restore traffic through the Irosun Great Forest, but it may be necessary to take temporary measures.
Maa, rather than doing things on my own, it would be better to consult with Master Reese or Andel-san.
The road from the entrance of the Great Forest to the village of Kalash was peaceful with no monsters appearing.
Some of the carriages that returned from Slakka were heading for Marburg, but it seemed that they would receive their cargo at Kalash and return to Bakkenheim.
For the adventurers who were escorting them, the request would have been a failure, but due to the circumstances, the Guild's negative assessment could be avoided.
In Kalash, Guild officials were ready to receive them.
In the past, the Irosun Great Forest had never had a large number of monsters like the Devil's Forest, but it seemed that forest fires had caused damage to villages.
As a countermeasure in such cases, it seemed that a large-scale evacuation system like this one had been put in place.
Andel-san, whose stock had been lowered due to the measures against the Salamanders, was not bad at working as a Feudal Lord.
He seemed to have a rather stubborn personality, so maybe adding Klaus-san and dividing by two would be just right.
I returned the cargo from the carriages where the refugees were unloaded in the presence of the Guild staff, but there were people who cut in the line on the way.
It went without saying that they were the guys from 'Blue Gale'.
"I'm sorry, today if possible, we'll be back in Bakkenheim by tomorrow morning at the latest."
It was a plausible story, but in the original order, most of the carriages were returned to other carriages.
They must have interrupted so that they could make an accusation at the time when they would be the center of attention.
When I turned my gaze to the person in charge of the Guild, they nodded as if they understood.
When I loaded the wooden box into the carriage after matching it with the list when I checked the cargo, one of the 'Blue Gale' opened the lid and started making a fuss.
"Oi, oi, it's only half here, what the hell is this!"
"On top of everything, you embezzled the entrusted cargo!"
The two people who were standing on top of the carriage and shouting loudly as if to appeal to the people waiting for the delivery of the cargo were the two people who were reflected in the video shot by Fred.
The person in charge of the Guild had already confirmed the way those two made the plan and approached Graciela.
There, Graciela pushed her way through the crowd, unaware that her plan had been discovered.
"Finally, you showed your real self. The monsters having attacked Slakka as well, Kent! It was all for you to steal the goods!"
The appearance of Graciela, who was known as the A-rank adventurer 'Demon Eater', caused turmoil among the adventurers who were unaware of the circumstances.
"Everyone, please check your goods, didn't it get smaller?"
"I've worked hard to bring it here, but I can't stand it if it's stolen!"
"Say something, Kent! You bastard thief!"
Thanks to Fred having filmed it, I knew the full picture of the accusation, but even without that, I would have been amazed by the three ham actors.(TN:A ham actor is an unskilled actor who overacts.)
"What is this fuss!"
Yup, Daleman-san, who came to talk to me, was a better actor.
"Captain of the garrison, our cargo has been stolen. The culprit can only be Kent, who was in charge of the cargo. Investigate it carefully and punish him."
"I see, thievery in the Irosun Great Forest is punishable by death. If you want that, then there must be clear evidence, right? If you try to make false charges of thievery, you will be punished like a thief, are you aware of that?"
"Hey ... A, are you trying to say that we're lying!"
I heard that thieves and bandits were given the death penalty, but I didn't know that the same punishment would be given to those who tried to make false accusations.
Did that mean that these three would be sentenced to death.
Daleman-san reminded the three of them.
"Let me ask you again. Isn't it a misunderstanding on your part the the cargo has decreased? It was the Monster User and my subordinates who took care of the cargo. The same is true when returning it. So if you claim that the luggage is missing or stolen, then you are claiming that the garrison was involved in the wrongful act ... What do you think, am I wrong?"
Daleman-san glared at them, and the two who were shouting on the carriage looked at each other and couldn't hide their turmoil.
"Th, the garrison is irrelevant. It must be Kent's work there!"
After giving the two people on the carriage a bitter look, Graciela still didn't stop her accusations.
"Why can you assert that my subordinates were not involved? Why can you assert that it was the work of the Monster User? Of course, there must be evidence, right?"
"Th, that's ..."
Graciela was at a loss for an answer after being further reminded.
It seemed Daleman-san had something on his mind.
[ Kent-sama, he's going to dismiss the accusation itself, isn't he. ]
[ But, if that's the case, the punishment is ... Ahh, so he doesn't have to punish them? ]
[ There is a high possibility of that. Since the Irosun Great Forest is in such a situation, it will be a big loss in terms of fighting power if a high-rank adventurer is punished and unable to work. ]
[ I see ... I guess they'll work to make up for the lack of manpower. ]
It was when Graciela was at a loss for an answer and I wondered if she could keep going like this.
"I, I was watching until the monsters stowed away the cargo in the shadows. Only the Monster User was able to pull out the cargo!"
"R, right, I saw it too. Those Kobolds were carrying our cargo into the shadows."
It seemed to be their last resort, the reason why my genus brought their cargo into the shadows was because just before the procession left they were all hungover and groggy.
The other adventurers gathered around them were chatting wildly while watching what was going on.
When Daleman-san confirmed such an atmosphere, he let out a big sigh as if he had given up.
"Haa ... Then, no matter the case, the Monster User ..."
"As for me, I won't complain even if my cargo is reduced a little!"
Just as Daleman-san was about to start condemning Graciela and the others, a middle-aged adventurer raised his voice.
"What you're saying isn't enough is the ore that was loaded from Marburg, isn't it? In that case, take the missing amount from us. If the Monster User didn't come, let alone the cargo, I don't know what would have happened to our lives ... You guys also saw the number of those monsters. It was really something else."
When the old man with the beard raised his voice, a voice followed immediately.
"Orcs, Ogres, Minotaurs ... With it being like that, we would have been annihilated."
"Just being here alive is a big profit. As for the cargo ... If he wants it, I'll give it to him."
"Or rather, if he defeated that many monsters, does he need to embezzle the cargo?"
"These guys were accusing the Monster User yesterday too, weren't they?"
The air changed dramatically with the middle-aged man's words as a trigger.
Even Daleman-san, who should have been in charge of the event, was taken aback by the sudden turn of events.
"Wh, what are you talking about. It's a crime if you mess with the cargo!"
"In general, only the items and number of wooden boxes were checked. Can you guys prove that the wooden boxes were tightly packed?"
Even though it was winter, Graciela's forehead was dripping with sweat as she tried to continue her accusations.
"Certainly, the wooden box was full. Right?"
"Th, that's right ..."
In response to the further interrogation from the adventurers, the two people on the carriages who were asked to agree by Graciela, their eyes were already completely swimming.
"Even if it was full, aren't you responsible for not letting the garrison check it?"
"When you can't prove that it was full, now you're going to find fault with other people."
"Rather, aren't you putting on a play? That young guy over there, doesn't he look awfully unwell?"
"What, what, was it staged? Those who try to falsely claim that there are thieves would be sentenced to death in the worst case, and even the lightest punishment would be deprived of their rank and expelled, right?"
"That's enough! Calm down everyone!"
When the atmosphere became ferocious, Daleman-san raised his voice while clapping his hands.
"Now that we can no longer traverse the Irosun Great Forest, it's not the time for adventurers to quarrel with each other. Since we were handing over our cargo without time, there obviously were some flaws in checking it, but right now it's an emergency. Consider it fortunate that you were able to recover even a portion of the cargo. If you are still not satisfied, I will investigate further. Of course, I will thoroughly investigate not only the Monster User, but also my subordinates and you guys as well. Now, what shall we do?"
The two members of the 'Blue Gale' who were confronted with an ultimatum by Daleman-san turned their eyes to Graciela as if asking for help.
Not only the two of them, but also the adventurers and refugees who surrounded her looked at Graciela.
"Tch ... I'll pretend it didn't happen today. Hey, we're leaving when loading is finished. Hurry up!"
To Graciela, who was about to leave after saying something like she didn't do anything wrong, when I got angry and tried to chase after her, my shoulder was grabbed and I was stopped.
Looking back, I saw Daleman-san glaring at Graceila's back with a bitter expression.
"I'm sorry. I know it's irritating, but could you please leave it here. I'll directly warn Graciela later and report it to the Guild. However, even that is an A-rank adventurer, so I want to avoid expulsion in the current situation. I want to secure a fighting force that can be used, even if just a little."
"Understood. But, I will report it to Master Reese, and I will not be held responsible for whatever punishment is given as a result."
"Yeah, I have no intention of stopping it, and I'm going to write it in the garrison's internal report."
According to Daleman-san, even if I reported it to Master Reese, the punishment probably wouldn't change.
Actually, I was going to use the tablet to present irrefutable evidence and give them their just rewards, but that ending gave me a very gloomy feeling.
For now, let's hand over the rest of the cargo and finish the nomination request.
"Thank you, you saved my life."
"No matter how much I thank you, it's not enough, I thought it was really no good."
"Even though you're so young, you're a big deal."
"Bakkenheim will always welcome the Monster User."
"I'll beat up those who say bad things about you."
When I resumed returning the cargo that had been entrusted to me, the adventurers who came to pick it up asked for a handshake with a smile on their face and patted me on the shoulder, some of whom were in tears.
"As for me ... I just had a baby last month. My wife and daughter ... I thought we'd never see each other again ... thank you ... seriously, thank you so much!"
All the people who came to pick up the cargo thanked me, and even I was blown away.
When I finished returning the cargo and wanted to greet Daleman-san and go home, this time I was surrounded by the residents who had evacuated and thanked me.
At the request of the refugees, it was decided to introduce all my genus who participated in the defense of Slakka.
When not only the Kobold Corps, but also the Skeletons Reinhardt-tachi, the Lizardmen Zae-tachi, the Gigawolves Zeta-tachi, and even the Salamander Flamme appeared, as expected, everyone froze with startled looks on their faces.
"I'm Flamme. Nice to meet you."(TN:Reminder, Flamme calls himself 'Orecchi', which is a cutesy way for males to call themselves.)
Starting with Flamme's usual lighthearted greeting, the tension of everyone in the surroundings eased as all my genus spoke their greetings.
"This one is Mart, you can pet me."
"This one is Mirt, please pet everyone who worked hard."
"I'm Murt, be gentle with my stomach."
WIth the words of Mart and the others, the distance between us had become zero.
Everyone in the Kobold Corps were gently petted and their tails were flapping.
Reinhardt-tachi and Zae-tachi were being attacked by handshakes from stern looking adventurers.
Zeta and the others were bewildered when they were hugged by people who were captivated by the texture of their fur.
The sight of Flamme squinting happily with children on his back made my tear ducts burst.
What I was hoping for was the way of ordinary people living in the city and everyone in my genus interacting normally.
The scene suddenly appeared in front of me, and I couldn't stop crying.
At the same time, it made me realize that I was the one who built a wall between my genus and the townspeople, thinking about unnecessary things, such as whether the children would lose their vigilance against monsters, or whether they would be disliked by the townspeople.
[ This time, they were able to open up like this because they all felt that their lives were in danger, so Kent-sama's concerns are not wrong. ]
[ Reinhardt ... ]
[ Don't worry, we are Kent-sama's family. Those who know Kent-sama's activities will definitely accept it. ]
[ Yes ... Don't worry ... ]
[ Basten, Fred ... That's right, but my success is because everyone is here. ]
I had a very happy time together with my genus, being squashed by the refugees from Slakka.
