Chapter 76

After waiting for her to climb out of the trash can, the girl spoke up.

“Please, even just sharing information would help!”

Wait, she’s repeating the line!?

“Ugh, well, I didn’t want a cool line like that to end while I was still inside a trash can.”

“I get that, but…”

I didn’t know what to do; all I felt for her was pity.

“So, will you cooperate with us?”

“Well… it overlaps with my own objectives, so I don’t mind. But what’s your goal?”

“Yes! World peace!”

“Never mind, I’m out.”

“Why!? That’s a noble goal, isn’t it?”

“My brain isn’t optimistic enough to team up over a reason that fluffy.”

“That’s the ultimate goal! For now, the objective is to somehow stop the overhunting of spirits!”

The more I poked at her, the more info she spilled. Is she really an intelligence agent?

The partner in the back looked like they had finally started burying their face in their hands.

“Fine. Whatever. Just give me your intel. You were taught that sharing information is vital, right?”

“Eh? Th-that’s a bit…”

“Then I’m not talking either.”

“Ugh, it’s the regulations…”

I see, so she was at least following the rules.

“I thought the Intelligence Department was all about using silver-tongued rhetoric to get your way. Can’t you do that?”

“My specialty is using my thin presence for lookout duty and wiretapping, so my social skills are a bit…”

How disappointing.

“How did you even get a job in intelligence with that attitude?”

“I have plenty of luck and stealth skills, at least.”

“Looks like that luck has run out, though.”

When the girl got discouraged, it felt like her cowlick wilted along with her.

Regardless of the girl herself, hanging around the Intelligence Department shouldn’t be a bad choice.

If I use her as a contact, she might be useful enough to draw info out of the department.

“Um, what kind of person are you? You don’t look like an ordinary adventurer.”

“Hm? Oh, I’m just a Tamer.”

“What? A Tamer is sticking their nose into something this dangerous!? You should stop right now!”

“It’s fine. I’m reasonably strong.”

“Even if a Tamer gets strong, at most they can only beat weak monsters like Orcs or Goblins!”

…Is the image of a Tamer really that weak?

I get that people mostly associate us with raising horses or livestock, but I’m definitely stronger than this girl.

“Then why don’t you go ask some other adventurer for help? Though I doubt anyone would actually cooperate.”

“That’s…”

“Just tell me what you’re allowed to share. Go ask your partner.”

I didn’t shift my gaze, but the girl’s eyes darted around before she touched the earring on her right ear.

It was likely a Magic Tool with an effect similar to Telepathy.

She remained motionless with her hand pressed to her ear, likely in the middle of a conversation.

“…I’ve been given clearance. They said I can’t tell you everything, but I’m allowed to share a portion of our information.”

“Then let’s head somewhere else. Standing around talking like this is a bit much. Should we move?”

“In that case, an inn would be best. My superiors instructed me to stay together with you as much as possible.”

An inn, huh? And that “stay together” bit might turn into a headache.

If she’s with me when I pick up the elf from the slave trader tonight, there’s a high chance of trouble. The elves will probably find a human presence to be a nuisance, too.

“Fine. As long as we don’t interfere with each other’s private lives or work, I don’t mind.”

“Roger that. Let’s head to the inn, then.”

“You realize I haven’t actually booked a room yet?”

“My seniors instructed me to go to a specific inn. There shouldn’t be any issues if we stay there.”

An inn handpicked by the Intelligence Department… It felt like a disadvantage for me, but I decided to play along for now.

The girl took the lead as we headed toward the place.

She looked like she was just walking normally, but her steps were remarkably quiet, and her center of gravity didn’t sway at all. It seemed her claim about belonging to the Intelligence Department was actually true.

“Um, may I ask you something?”

“Hm? What is it?”

“Why is a Tamer like you involved in something this dangerous?”

“It’s just a request. I was asked to take this on after finishing another job, and since my next plans weren’t urgent, I just accepted. Besides, it’s not fair for you to keep questioning me. Tell me something about yourself.”

“Well, if it’s a personal matter, I can answer…”

“Then why are you doing this kind of work? Even if there’s less direct combat, it’s still dangerous.”

I couldn’t imagine a girl with a physique easily mistaken for a child choosing this dark line of work by choice.

“Well, it’s a bit embarrassing, but it started with my admiration for the Hero. Thinking about a girl even smaller than me working so hard for the sake of the world made me want to do a job that helps the world, even if just a little. That’s when I found this position. After that, I just sort of kept at it.”

The girl gave a strained, awkward laugh.

So she was one of the people influenced by Thea. In that case, I had to ask her about that.

“I hear the current Hero intends to exterminate all monsters. Do you agree with that opinion?”

I’d wanted to ask someone this for a long time.

I had been raised and trained by intelligent monsters, so I didn’t believe extermination was necessary. But from the perspective of an ordinary human, were they really beings that simply had to be wiped out?

The girl placed a hand on her chin, looking thoughtful. What would her answer be?

“I don’t really know. I can’t judge if every single monster is a ‘bad kid,’ so I think I’ll gather more information before I decide.”

She turned back to me with a carefree expression, making me lose my edge.

Well, whatever, I thought.

It was obvious that most people didn’t know much about monsters. I’d take my time to think about it before I finally met up with Thea.

Just as that thought crossed my mind, the girl—who had been walking backward—tripped on the hem of her cloak, fell flat on the back of her head, and started crying.