Chapter 97

The beast person's name is Zinoid. A kangaroo beast person. It's a kangaroo, by the way. Incidentally, both males and females don't have pouches. Their thick tails, which support their weight, and ears that resemble bamboo leaves are their distinctive features. Zinoid is 24 years old, a tank, and has children.

I heard this this morning.

Apparently, I fell asleep during dinner. I have no memory of it, but if Koshin hadn't stopped me, I would have stuck my face in the pot. Despite managing to avoid any serious injury, it could have been a major disaster.

So, we decided to ride back to town on horseback, with Zinoid walking beside us, and hear the story again. To be honest, I don't want to return to the town of Burs. However, we can't ignore how they are doing and how Zinoid is being treated.

"During the time I was distracted, Fen was supposed to use some tool. It's usually like that. I'm the tank, you know."

"Being a tank isn't a reason. They didn't even dismount from their horses, did they?"

"They said it was to create a distraction."

"You believed that?"

"It's always been like that. I would stop, the two girls would create a distraction with magic, and Fen would charge in..."

I see. So that was their battle pattern. Since it always happened that way, I didn't doubt it this time and trusted them.

It's a rather elaborate scheme. It didn't look like they were at a disadvantage and decided to retreat. It seems they planned it from the beginning. When did they start? Before we formed the party? And what benefit did they get from doing this?

It turns out he joined the party about two months ago.

"Why did you join that party?"

When asked, Zinoid replied, "I was invited."

"It never lasted long. You see, I eat a lot, right?"

Indeed, Zinoid is currently munching on dried meat as he walks. I gave it to him because his stomach was growling so much.

"It's been like that since I was young. They say I cost too much in food, my stomach noises are too loud, and my skills are hard to use. They explain it, but I end up increasing the burden, so they kick me out."

He smiled with a lowered brow while chewing slowly.

"I'm not skilled enough to go solo, and the place that picked me up was there. Just holding a shield can sometimes result in a smaller share. But they gave me a fair share."

"Was it equal?"

"…I don't know. I can't read and my math isn't great."

"Maybe they just didn't say they were reducing it."

"That's true, hahaha."

It's not a laughing matter. This guy is hopeless. He's so used to being mistreated that it seems normal to him. He's an easy target. If we invited him, he'd probably follow along, and if we mentioned being his savior, he'd agree to anything.

"You have a wife and children, right? Is it okay for you to be like this?"

Koshin said, sounding exasperated.

"Yeah, well, I only wanted the child, not her. I haven't seen the child since it was born. I don't even know where they are now."

We involuntarily gasped and looked down at Zinoid. Well, in my case, our heights aren't that different. But this guy is saying something outrageous.

"How long has it been since you last saw them?"

"Two years, no, five years maybe."

He tilted his head. The range is too wide.

"Anyway, I don't think the information about having children is necessary."

"You're right."

Don't just agree.

"Hey, wait. You don't send money, right?"

"I send some to my hometown occasionally, but not to my wife or child. They said they don't need it."

"That's… good…"

No, it's not. The child's gender is even questionable. But maybe the wife really just wanted a child. I briefly thought, "What if she said, 'This is your child' and I ended up paying for a stranger's child?"

Honestly, in this world, being a single parent or having no parents is common. There's no concept of child support. People who can raise a child do so, regardless of blood ties. Only the privileged have custody rights. Many adventurers have children all over the place, but it's not common for money to be involved, as it can get complicated.

"Why did Zinoid become an adventurer?"

Actually, he's the oldest among us, but he doesn't seem to mind being called by his name.

"Because my skill is shield mastery. I had many siblings and wanted to stand on my own early. I heard adventurers could earn money. Unfortunately, I'm always broke."

"Is it because of food expenses?"

"Yeah," he nodded. That's why he's lightly armored except for the shield, right? Speaking of the shield, he apparently retrieved it after it got light in the morning. Koshin couldn't even lift it. I asked if he could ride a horse with such weight, and he said, "No," matter-of-factly. He carries his belongings on the horse and walks. This seems to be a common reason for being kicked out.

I still don't understand why he was set up. If it wasn't for money, what was their purpose? I asked if he had any suspicions, but he just tilted his head, having never doubted them. Even now, he doesn't seem to hold much ill will towards them. He seems to think he was left behind because he wasn't good enough.

As the sun began to set, the outer walls of the town of Burs came into view. It was a distance we could cover on foot without detours. How much time did we waste, I wonder.

We entrusted the horses and headed to the Adventurer's Guild. At this hour, it might be crowded with people returning, but we'll get the formalities over with quickly.

"Ah…"

As soon as we entered, I saw a familiar, flashy armor at the counter, talking to a female staff member. Behind her were the two female party members.

And one more person. The beautiful woman in men's clothing, Laurey. She was by the bulletin board, talking to someone. It seemed to be about the Gandra hunt. The person she was talking to was bowing repeatedly.

I gestured to Koshin to be quiet and approached quietly.

"...So, Zinoid unfortunately died."

Hey, Zinoid, you're already dead. Well, I guess it's not surprising. I involuntarily looked up at Zinoid, who had a blank expression.

Still, reporting this now? Even without flying, they should have arrived in town much earlier. I suddenly had a suspicion, but quickly realized the reason. There were kiss marks on the legs of the two women, with clear bite marks on the inside. This guy is a leg fetishist. No, they were fooling around until this time. They probably didn't even consider Zinoid's survival.

"By the agreement. I need to deliver the money to his family. Can I withdraw all the money he entrusted?"

What is he saying? With a member dead, he's smiling and asking for the money. Can't he at least pretend to be sad? He'll be suspected.

"Understood. Please wait a moment."

No, what is the staff member saying? Without any verification or paperwork, she's heading to the back. How can you withdraw money with just a conversation? Where is the compliance?

Koshin looked at me, asking if I wasn't going to stop it. If possible, I'd like to catch them in the act. It would be a crime once Fen receives the withdrawn money. Well, there's no law or anything. It's strange. The Adventurer's Guild is supposed to be a global organization, but are we just getting the worst of it?

"Here it is."

The tray the staff member brought had a considerable amount of gold coins. Wasn't he broke?