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Beast Tamer Who Got Kicked Out From the Hero’s Party Chapter 192

CHAPTER 192: NINA’S ADVENTURE

…… It all happened when Nina and I were out shopping together.

「Nina, are you okay?　Isn’t it too heavy?」

Nina was walking right next to me, holding the shopping bags in both of her hands.

Since it was Nina herself who offered me her help, I decided to let her do just that, giving her the smallest of the shopping bags.

But even so, even the smallest shopping bags seemed to be a little big for Nina, who was naturally very small and petite, so I was afraid that the bags might block her vision and she wouldn’t know where she was going.

「…… Y-Yes, it’s fine. I can do it…… just fine.」

Nina smiled at me to show that it was no big deal for her.

「…… I see. But please remember that you can always tell me if carrying the bags is going to get too hard for you. I will take some of them off of you.」

「…… Thank you.」

We walked side by side and were on our way back home……

「Hey, come on! Please!」

「The Adventurers’ Guild is not some daycare center! Get out of here!」

When we happened to walk by the Adventurers’ Guild, there was some sort of commotion out there between a Guild’s employee and a small boy.

Witnessing that situation got me quite concerned, so I decided to call out to them to see what all the fuss was about.

「What’s going on here?」

「Oh! Well, if it isn’t Shroud-san!」

The employee was someone completely unfamiliar to me.

Well, that actually made sense. After all, it’s not like Natalie-san was the only one working at the Adventurers’ Guild. There were many other people working there as well, so it’s no wonder that I would stumble upon some unfamiliar faces from time to time.

However, that unfamiliar employee seemed to know who I was, and gave me a rather polite greeting.

「Hello. Are you on your way to do some shopping?」

「Oh, yes, that’s right. Or rather, rather than going shopping, we are going back from shopping. But more importantly, what’s all the fuss about?」

「This is not fair! The Guild won’t accept my request!」

The boy raised his voice seeing that he managed to attract some attention.

「The Guild won’t accept your request, you say……?」

「T-That’s not it! Stop making us look bad! The Guild would never do such a thing!」

When I looked at the employee suspiciously, he turned visually flustered and started to look for words of explanation:

「It’s just that came to us with something completely unreasonable. He said that he lost something and he wants us to look for it.」

「Well…… I understand that it might actually be a small and cheap request, but that’s hardly the reason to refuse to accept it right away, wouldn’t you agree? And isn’t the Adventurers’ Guild’s policy to accept all sorts of requests for the betterment of the lives of the people? As long as said request is not a criminal act? So there should be no problem with the Guild accepting the request, right?」

「Yes, normally that would be true, but…… I’m afraid that the request fee is just too small. For one copper coin, it’s not a price that can be……」

Hmm, I see. I think I get it.

I suppose that one copper coin is the best that a boy like that could possibly hope to amass…… But if the reward for the request is indeed one copper coin, there will hardly be anyone who would be willing to accept a request like that.

And since the Guild’s employee knew that fact all too well, it was a small wonder that he had no other choice but to turn the boy’s request down……

「I’m sorry, kid. But there is no way that the Adventurers’ Guild can help you with your problem. Now off you go.」

Now, even though the Adventurers’ Guild’s employee said those words and then he turned his back on the child and returned to the building, I could briefly see it on his face that he seemed to feel guilty about this entire situation.

The boy who was left behind disappointedly slumped his shoulders and clutched a single copper coin in his hand, looking visibly frustrated.

「…… Hey, Rein?」

Suddenly, Nina tugged at my clothes.

「I’m, umm…… This is…… I want to accept…… that boy’s request……」

That was surprising.

I never thought Nina would say something like that.

「Hmm, I see. Why?」

「B-Because…… That boy, he seems to be in trouble…… And myself…… I was in trouble once, too…… and Rein saved me, so…… I want to help…… Others who are in need…… as well……」

「Hmm, I see…… Alright. If that’s what you want to do, Nina, then I have nothing against it.」

「…… Thank you.」

Nina smiled happily.

Well, it’s true that it’s going to cause us some detours on our way back……. But this is fine.
　
More importantly, I’m glad that Nina has come up with something like this on her own.

「Do you…… have a moment?」

「…… What is it?」

「We would like…… to take your request.」

「Huh!? Really now!?」

When Nina called out to him, the boy looked at us as if he was about to start jumping up and down with joy.

「But…… It’s just like that guy said…… I can only pay you one copper coin for your troubles…… Is that really alright with you?」

「Yeah, so…… We will take care of it.」

「Alright! Thank you! Thank you so much! You’re saving my butt here, Nee-chan!」

「Nee-chan……」

For some reason, Nina seemed to be weirdly happy because of the fact that she was called a “Nee-chan” by that boy.

***

Apparently the thing that the boy lost was the ring he was going to give to his mother for her birthday.

The ring was not the kind you could find in any store, but a handmade one he made himself.

He went to a craftsman and asked him for help and instructions on how to do it every single step…… and this very morning he managed to complete it.

However, it seems that he has become so happy and proud of himself that he accidentally dropped the ring somewhere alongside the way…… and that’s what brought the current situation.

So, alongside the boy we have looked everywhere that the boy could possibly think of, but no matter how hard we looked, we just had no luck with finding the ring.

Maybe someone else had picked it up, or maybe it was lost in some really unexpected place……?

「Incidentally, what did that ring even look like?」

「It was a really simple one. It was about this big, and it was not really all that shiny or well-decorated. Oh, it just had that really beautiful stone inlaid in it.

When we asked him about the ring, the boy gestured elaborately while trying to explain it.

If it was a simple ring without any decorations, it would have been difficult to find…… But if it had beautiful stone used for decoration, it was somewhat easier to do.

I concentrated on finding as many animals around me that I could use, but……

「Rein.」

「Yes?」

I turned around when Nina called out to me and handed me the shopping bags.

「I will…… look for it.」

「…… Nina?　Okay, can you do it?」

「Yes…… I will try my best. I have to stop taking advantage of Rein’s kindness all the time.」

I can’t believe Nina would say something like this……
　
「Wait a minute……」

Nina told that to the boy, closing her eyes and concentrating.

Nina said she was going to look for the ring, but what on earth was she going to do in order to accomplish said goal?

Will she use one of her abilities?

But did Nina ever have the ability to be good at finding things like that?

「Nnn…… I see it.」

Nina murmured softly…

「There…… we…… go……」

The space in front of Nina shimmered and she put her hand in it.

It was the Dimensional Storage.

You can put some things away in this pocket dimension and take them out at will…… But why would she deploy it here and now?

As I wondered about that, Nina made a fumbling motion inside of the pocket dimension……

Eventually, she pulled out her hand with a scoop.

In her hand there was……

「Oh, wow! It’s the ring I made!」

「…… Yes, I found it.」

Nina handed the ring to the boy.

「Awesome! You’re amazing, Nee-chan! But how did you find it!?」

「Well…… This pocket dimension…… it’s connected to many places, so…… you can search for things through it…… and then transport it…… back to you……」

「What!?　I don’t really get it, but that’s actually amazing, Nee-chan!」

「…… Heh.」

Nina’s tail twitched happily as the boy praised her.

「Thanks, Nee-chan! You really saved me!」

「You worked so hard…… to make it…… make sure that…… you won’t lose it again……」

「Yeah. Thank you so much!」

The boy, with a big smile on his face, waved his hand over and over again at Nina and then walked away.

「Nnh.」

Nina then reached out her hands to me.

「Huh?」

…… Oh, she probably meant the shopping bags.

I returned the shopping bags I had received from Nina to her.

「Let’s go home?」

「Yes. But first……」

I patted Nina’s head.

「Fuwah…… Rein?」

「It was so cool to see you helping out that boy, Nina.」

「…… Did I look cool?」

「Yes, you were pretty cool back there.」

「Ehehe, it makes me so happy when Rain says that to me…… It makes my heart feel so warm inside.」

Nina smiled and her cheeks tinged with red ever so slightly.