novelraw Chapter 261
Chapter 261
Chapter 261
Removing the sand from the wall surface wasn't much of a task for Kait. The weight of the shovel and the mound of sand on it were easy enough to handle thanks to the body modification done by the Federation.
If he used psychic power, he could easily clear all the sand piled up on the wall surface within the day, but he didn't do that. He didn't want to steal the jobs of the local strongmen, and more importantly, he wasn't supposed to stand out right now (though he already felt like he was standing out more than enough).
Once the work was done, he headed to the placement office with Darbo to return the shovel he had borrowed.
"Kait, you're amazing."
"You think so?"
"Yeah. I've never heard of a Pautri being that strong. Everyone was shocked, right?"
"You think so? Back home, anyone could do about the same, you know?"
"Seriously?"
He wasn't lying. Any Federation citizen could probably do what Kait did. Even the Smallfolk like Adie Ze and his kind.
Darbo shook his head in disbelief.
"Even the Talvani were surprised. Someone might try talking to you soon."
"Really? I'd rather they didn't. I finally get to sleep in a bed again. If Asban starts getting suspicious, that'd be a problem. I should avoid them as much as I can."
"I don't think you need to worry that much."
"You think so? Well, best not to do anything that might raise suspicion. I'm already an outsider, after all."
What a blatant lie.
Kait had heard Darbo bluntly reject a man who seemed to be the Talvani leader during the work. He figured Darbo had been instructed by someone in the city to watch Kait. Judging by that, the city's resentment toward the Talvani wasn't limited to just the elderly, as Darbo had claimed.
He wasn't sure about Garmaph, but Asban definitely still suspected Kait. Sleeping in a bed was just an excuse—until he had gathered enough information, approaching the Talvani would be a foolish move.
"Oh, you're back."
"Thanks, Villere. I made good use of it."
"Hmph."
When Kait leaned the borrowed shovel against the wall, Villere, who was in the placement office, snorted clearly. When he looked at Darbo, Darbo nodded and began to speak.
"No, really, it was amazing, old man. I've never seen a Pautri handle that thing so easily."
"He actually managed it? A Pautri?"
"Yeah. Even I couldn't do it. And apparently, in his village, everyone can do that kind of thing. The world's a big place."
Villere gave a small shake of his head and walked over. He grabbed the propped-up shovel and gave Kait a sharp look.
"...You said your name was Kait? You coming tomorrow too?"
"That's the plan. I've got to earn my lodging for the time being."
"I see. I'll try to get you something a bit more appropriately sized next time. That one's clearly too big for a Pautri."
"Oh, that'd be a big help."
Kait nodded sincerely at Villere's words. It seemed there had indeed been some intent to mess with him. It wasn't because anyone had ordered him—he probably just didn't like the idea of a frail-looking Pautri doing manual labor.
After receiving his daily wage and parting ways with Darbo, Kait headed to the inn.
Two presences were following him. One was probably the Talvani leader. He seemed to be a clever type, so he likely wouldn't just start talking without reading the room.
Then again, maybe that's exactly why he might speak up. If he wanted to force Kait into joining them, it wouldn't be a bad move.
The other one was the issue. That person seemed to be keeping some distance from the Talvani, so maybe they were just watching to see how Kait would interact with them.
"...Give me a break."
Kait's objective was Dangaresion, and the large machinery was just a side matter. Even though Mardila had been branded a declining planet, intelligent life still lived there. A Federation citizen like Kait getting too involved in Mardila would likely be considered a violation of Federation law.
If he could figure out what the large machinery was, maybe the situation would shift a little.
***
In the end, neither of the two followers approached him before he entered Asban's inn. Maybe they had planned to approach him if he stopped somewhere, but hadn't expected him to head straight back.
Asban looked at him with a slightly surprised expression. The people of this city really seemed to dislike the ones called Talvani. And yet, they weren't trying to drive them out. There might be a reason for that, but even investigating it felt like stepping on a landmine.
"Oh, you're back."
"Yeah. Here's today's earnings. I'll hand it over."
"You sure?"
"Of course. You're providing meals, right?"
"Yeah, don't worry about that... This should cover about five nights. You really worked hard, huh?"
Judging by Asban's tone, it seemed the work at the site was paid by performance.
He figured a bit was probably skimmed off before payout, but even so, it was enough to surprise Asban. As Darbo had said, maybe he had overdone it a little.
Kait told him to call when the meal was ready and returned to his room. Asban's gaze followed him up the stairs with a strangely sharp intensity.
"I'm back."
He raised his voice after firmly closing the door.
Emotion's presence was above. Between the hanging light and the ceiling. She had apparently been hiding by letting the light pass through her, but now she slid into view.
'Welcome back, Captain.'
"Did Asban come by?"
'No, he didn't. I stayed hidden here just in case, but he didn't seem to search the room.'
"I see... I really thought he'd come snooping."
Maybe he wasn't as suspicious as Kait had thought. Or maybe he assumed Kait would be on guard the first day and chose not to come.
After thinking that far, Kait realized he was becoming too suspicious and gave a small shake of his head.
"No, no. I shouldn't jump to conclusions."
'Even you jump to conclusions sometimes, Captain?'
"Of course. Not long ago, I was still just one of the many immature intelligent lifeforms, you know?"
Just because he'd undergone body modification didn't mean his Earthling thought process had changed overnight. Kait, though leaning toward the Federation citizen side, was still clearly aware that his essence remained that of an immature Earthling. He didn't try to hide that, but that's also why he felt the strangely high praise he received was undeserved.
He believed that Federation citizens loved the immaturity of undeveloped intelligent lifeforms. That's why someone like Kait could be accepted. And when Earthlings finally reached the level of Federation citizens, they would likely rejoice at the growth while also feeling a tinge of sadness.
As he was talking about such things with Emotion, the window rattled.
"Oh, looks like someone's here."
'A visitor? Coming through the window, how novel.'
"Yeah. An uninvited one."
There was a sizable presence outside the window. Asban's presence was still downstairs. Did he know about this window visitor?
The shaking of the window grew stronger. Kait had considered ignoring it and blaming the wind, but that didn't seem feasible. At worst, the window might get broken. With a sigh, Kait opened it.
"Hey, good evening."
"Ah, uh... good evening."
They probably hadn't expected such a calm greeting. The person outside the window seemed flustered as they replied.
"Sorry for the sudden visit. I'm interested in—"
"Sorry, I'm about to eat. Let's talk another time."
Without confirming who the person was or responding to their words, Kait simply said that and shut the window a bit firmly.
The presence of the would-be intruder moved away downward.
There was a thud. The only thing worth praising was that they managed to swallow their voice.