Chapter 186 – Long Time, No See, B-Class Party
It was the next morning. Timisoara went again with Vi-Vi to the pole.
Moffy and Shiggy went with them.
「Kind of lonely without Shiggy.」
「Wuff.」
Femm put its mouth on the top of my knee.
Femm probably wanted me to cheer up.
Cruz was away on business in her region.
Luka and Yureena had business in the city, while Vallimie had gone back to Lindobal forest.
Everyone had work, and I wished them the best.
「Well, I have nothing to do.」
『You have this work to do, Al.』
「I guess so.」
I sat there and looked over the fields.
The magic circles were in place, already drawn.
The magical stones would be refined, and the crops would be better next year.
「Rauf! Rauf!」「Kyawf!」
The little puppies were playing in the fields, digging holes, catching moles.
The other wolves were looking over them like caretakers.
「The little ones are learning how to hunt.」
『Right.』
「But, these little wolves aren’t growing big very quickly.」
『Because they’re magic wolves.』
「Is that how it is?」
『They have longer lives, so they grow slower. That’s normal.』
I guess that made sense.
Mice were faster than wolves, and wolves grew faster than humans.
「Wuff」
「Kyaff」「Wayff」
One wolf scooped up a pup by the scruff and carried it to the wolf-house.
Then the other wolves got the other ones to scurry away to the same place.
「Hm?」
『Visitors.』
Femm sat up from lying down.
I bet it was thinking like a guard dog again.
After a while, our visitors appeared. They began waving at us from far off.
「Alfreeeeeed!」
「…Nice to see you again!」
It was that B-rank party that came to Mulg a while ago.
The brother and two sisters that came to pick herbs, and almost got destroyed by a group of basilisks.
But we were there to help them.
And if Yureena and her healing magic wasn’t there, they’d all be dead.
There was the heavy warrior Anton, his light warrior Emmy, and the archer Liza.
When they arrived at the gate, Anton said with a smile,
「Nice seeing you again, Alfred.」
「Yeah, you look like you’re in good shape.」
「Thanks to you.」
They lived in the town where we went at first to sell Moofy’s meat.
The place where Tolf’s shop was…and it isn’t in Cruz’ realm.
「A quest from the guild today?」
「Exactly.」
「Last time you were picking herbs…this time?」
「More of an errand, really.」
Anton was obviously being vague about it.
Many of these quests came with confidentiality. It wasn’t rare.
And as a veteran, I wasn’t going to push him about it. You have to have manners.
「We needed supplies, so I thought we might stop by on the way and see you.」
「Well, you’re welcome any time.」
As I was talking to Anton, Emmy and Liza petted Femm.
「Wuff」
「You’re so soft, Femm.」
Femm just sat there happily with its ears pricked high.
I guess it was showing off the grandeur of being a wolf king.
「Is Moofy here too?」
「She’s out for a bit.」
「Too bad.」
Emmy looked quite disappointed.
Moofy was cute and I’m sure she was sad to miss that cow.
After talking a little more, we all entered the town.
Anton got the attention of the chief and talked to him too…probably about what he wanted to buy.
While we were watching, Femm said,
『Why have they come?』
「No idea.」
『Makes you wonder.』
Femm was curious and snorted a few times.
But there was no way I was going to press them about their mission.
So I explained why I wasn’t asking to Femm.
『Is that why…』
「Pretty much.」
While I was explaining adventurer’s code to Femm, Anton’s party was still conversing with the chief.
Then they went over to the cattle.
Then they came back to us.
I asked the chief.
「What is it?」
「No, well, Anton said he just wanted to see the fields.」
So the group now went over to the fields together.
Femm was now very curious. It’s tail was in the air, as were its ears.
『Strange.』
「I don’t think so.」
『You don’t?』
「Nope.」
I tried to imagine what Anton was doing this though.
After seeing the fields, they made their way back to the gate.
「I’m sad we couldn’t see Vi-Vi, Cruz, and the rest.」
「Tell Yureena we said hi, too.」
Anton and the girls were saved by Yureena.
That’s why they felt they had to say something.
「If you have time on your way home, come by.」
「Sure!」
They gave Femm a rub on the way out.
After they were gone, the chief said,
「Why did Anton’s party come by here?」
「Well…」
「Go on.」
「Well, I have something that I’d like to ask before I tell you my guess, so first, what did they say to you, chief?」
「Um, basically how much crops we grew, and what our tax was.」
「I knew it.」
Femm looked at me, confused.
『You knew what?』
「Whether the new assessor was fraudulent or not, going from village to village. Well, Mulg was a bit different because the assistant to Cruz was in charge.」
「Oh?」
「It’s because Cruz made a request to the adventurers guild.」
After changing the assessor, Luka said she would arrange it.
This B-class party was being funded by Cruz to check after the assessor.
I felt that Cruz was never going to let anyone get away with squeezing people for taxes ever again.