Helping with Adventurer Party Management - Chapter 259

That day, while I watch Sara as she oversees the shoe manufacturing, my bodyguard Kiriku calls out to me, “Can I talk to you for a moment?”

Whenever Kiriku approaches me, it is usually concerning a safety matter.

I stop instructing the workers, nod, and turn to him.

I notice Kiriku is carrying a small child—the son of one of the craftsmen, who has been helping out a lot recently.

Kiriku gently pushes the child forward. “Now, just say exactly what you heard.”

“Um, I…” The boy tries to speak but struggles to find the words.

Well, it’s only natural to feel nervous when being brought along by a tough man like Kiriku.

As I wonder what to do, Sara crouches down, looks the boy in the eye, and says, “Don’t worry, no one will get angry, so just say exactly what you saw, okay?”

Now that I think about it, the adults are surrounding a small child. It must be scary and difficult to talk like this.

We pull nearby chairs together and sit down, making sure everyone is at eye level as much as possible.

“Come on, Toma, tell me what you want to say.”

Gently urged by Sara, the boy finally begins to speak.

“I go to all the craftsmen on the street to get food for them and to ask if they have materials for making shoes or medicine to clean leather. So, I’ve memorized the faces and names of most of the people on the street. If I didn’t, it would be difficult to deliver things.”

“Yeah, that’s impressive. So?” Sara chimes in.

Perhaps encouraged by that, the boy continues speaking.

“So, this morning when I head home after work, I almost bump into some old men I don’t know in front of Master Burns’s at the entrance to Leather Street. I am running and nearly collide with them. But you know, not only do I not recognize their faces, but I also think it’s strange that their hands are really clean. I mean, they are dressed like craftsmen and are quite old, yet their nails aren’t stained at all, and they don’t have any scars or anything.”

It is certainly suspicious, but that alone isn’t enough evidence.

“Could they be merchants? Or maybe someone from the church?” I ask.

The boy shakes his head. “M-merchants wear clean clothes. Otherwise, people think they don’t have money… And for the church, they take me there every week, so I know what they wear.”

“Hmm.”

That certainly makes sense.

“I-I think it’s strange, so I ask Mr. Burns if those guys come here often. He is surprised and says, ‘Aren’t they from the company?'”

To summarize what the boy says, this morning, at least two men pretending to be craftsmen from the company came to the store at the entrance to Leather Street.

They are more than just suspicious.

“Good job! You did well. But remember, if you see anyone suspicious, you must never approach them. You tell this scary uncle here, okay?” After praising him, I hand him a bag filled with some coins and dried fruit as a reward for his alertness.

Then, the boy jumps down from the chair and, while stumbling slightly, straightens his back and exclaims, “Ah, thank you!” His loud voice, although he has just shared some nerve-wracking information, brings a wave of small laughter around us.