Chapter 140: The Fox-Eared Child
The next day, the fishermen successfully caught a giant fish, and the large ship that had achieved its goal returned to the harbor in high spirits. As for me, having stealthily gathered bait during the night watch, I was quite pleased. Now I had a substantial stock of fish of just the right size.
“Alright, everyone, it’s time to carve up our catch!”
With that, the loud and lively disassembly of the giant fish began. It seemed like a festival was about to kick off, just like the last time we had caught a giant fish.
“Your work here is done. Thank you as always.”
Goldof spotted us and hurried over, distributing Completion Certificates to each of us.
“Oh, no need for thanks! We’ll be enjoying some delicious food ourselves soon.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’d say I took this escort job mainly for this reason,” Christoph chimed in, his tone polite, while Alina looked ready to drool.
Kant and the other three adventurers were also grinning; it seemed everyone was really looking forward to this.
“Well then, enjoy yourselves afterward!”
Goldof called out to us once more before joining the crowd to help with the fish disassembly.
“Shall we break up here?”
“See you later!”
At Christoph’s words, the other adventurers who had been on escort duty echoed their farewells and began to disperse. It was getting close to evening, but some were already heading to the Guild to collect their rewards.
“Should we eat here and then head back to the inn?”
“Sounds good to me.”
“Woohoo!”
Various perishable parts of the fish were served up one after another. The townsfolk, having heard about the large ship’s return, began to gather at the harbor. Among them was Mognov, who spotted us and waved as he approached.
“Haha! So you’re already eating here, which means you were on the escort for that ship!”
Given the spontaneous disassembly festival, it was a reasonable assumption for an adventurer to make.
“Yes, that’s right. It seems catching a giant fish is quite a challenge.”
“Haha… that’s true. It really is tough…”
For some reason, Mognov’s expression turned distant at my comment, and his enthusiasm plummeted. I thought he should enjoy the festival while it lasted.
“Anyway, being able to enjoy such delicious food is thanks to the adventurers who protect the ship.”
“That’s also because there are fishermen who catch them, right?”
“Haha! No doubt about that. Well, it’s both!”
After a light exchange, Mognov seemed satisfied and bid us farewell before walking away.
“Still, there’s a presence lurking in the shadows again.”
As we finished eating the seafood that had been served, Rio suddenly turned her gaze toward an alley. It was the fox-eared child we had encountered before, the one I had pushed fish dishes onto after the disassembly show. I sensed that familiar presence, but today there was another one as well. Perhaps it was a parent.
“They should just come out and grab some food instead of hiding.”
“There might be some circumstances preventing them from doing so.”
“Ah, yeah. I hadn’t thought much about it since the other slaves came out normally, but that could be a possibility.”
I didn’t know what those circumstances might be, but if they had a reason, it made sense they wouldn’t show their faces. I divided the remaining food onto a plate and headed toward the alley. With a few participants leaving, we wouldn’t stand out too much.
“Hey, it’s been a while.”
“Are you peeking again?”
As I quietly called out, large fox ears popped out from the shadows.
“Ah, wait!”
Just then, another arm reached out and grabbed the fox-eared child who had darted out.
It seemed to be a guardian, and I understood what they were trying to say. You shouldn’t accept food from strangers. I wasn’t sure if that rule applied in this Otherworld, though.
“But!”
Perhaps realizing that arguing would defeat the purpose of hiding, the fox-eared child I had seen before emerged, followed by a muscular adult male with bear ears.
“You might be a human sent to take them back… Don’t let your guard down just because they gave you food.”
Looking closely, I noticed the man also wore a Collar of Subjugation around his neck. The appraisal results confirmed it. I was intrigued by his words, but for now, I needed to hand over the food I was holding before it got cold.
“W-Wait! Don’t come any closer!”
But the man raised his palm to signal me to stop. I instinctively halted, and in that moment, the fox-eared child dashed toward me.
“Ah!”
The man reached out instinctively, but it was too late.
“Hehe, here you go.”
The fox-eared child beamed as she accepted the plate that Rio offered.
Oh no, what is this child? She’s just too adorable!
“Thank you!”
I tried to offer my food as well, but unfortunately, it seemed she couldn’t hold any more. With no other option, I approached the still wary man.
“We’re just passing by, so you don’t need to worry about us.”
Were these two perhaps escaped slaves? I hadn’t asked much about slaves at the Guild.
“Tch… I can’t believe that.”
He clenched his fist and shouted in a subdued voice, but I had no way to prove my innocence.
“Well, it’s fine. You don’t need to return the plate. I came here to give food. Just make sure that child gets her fill.”
I thrust the plate toward him without hesitation, and after a moment of reluctance, he accepted it. It seemed he couldn’t resist the temptation either.