I Became a Regulatory Official for the Poaching of Monsters, but the Rescued Monsters are trying to Eat Me

After finishing another job, I decided to ask Karon, who came to Philippine, to find out about Caspar, the hauler who brought the carbuncle to this city, and his crew. He also told the antique dealer Damien that he wanted to know if there was a next deal.

Ten days later, things move.

A letter from Damien saying, "I want you to come to a tavern near the Philippine port." Taketo went to the designated place by himself.

It was an unpleasant end-of-place mass tavern where harbour workers gathered. The lighting in the cluttered store was neglected and dark, and the floor was kind of sticky when I walked. Because the days are still high, there are only a few people in the store.

Found a familiar back standing at the counter and the tacket approached you.

"Hello."

"Oh, you. I've been waiting."

Damian stroked his bald head and face.

"Shop owner, have a drink with him."

The big man who was behind the counter on Damien's order nodded, placing a wooden cup in front of the tacket. It was dark and I didn't really understand the colour of the contents, but when I tried it, it looked like wine.

"I want to talk briefly, too. I don't want anyone else to see us together."

"Yeah, I know."

While drinking wine, the taco nods.

It is easy to communicate with informants by e-mail or phone, but there is no such thing here. Therefore, there is only the means to meet and speak or to exchange words as much as a letter.

This time, it was Damian's wish to meet and talk.

"The Caspards are carrying a new carbuncle. They're in the harbor of Gee."

Taketo recalls a map of the neighborhood. This Philippine river is quite near the mouth of the Finn River. Meanwhile, Gee is a city more upstream.

"Departure in a few days. The destination is beyond the sea. Normally, after coming down the Finn River, we change ships and cross the sea in this Philippine country. There are a lot of friends coming to Philippine, so it's a pain in the ass. If you're going to do it, you better aim while you're at Gee."

I see. We'll come here with a small river boat, but we'll go to Philippine and switch to a large ocean boat. "

"That's right. They'd really like to leave right away, but it's been raining again for days. Otherwise, the water is increasing and the river is rough. Let's wait for the rain to come and the river to settle down before we leave."

I knew it. Taketo was delighted that his expectations had come true. A man named Damian. I am quite familiar with the business behind it. I thought it would be convenient if we went out for a long time.

"Thank you. That information would be very helpful."

"Really!? What about my commutation?

"Ah, ah. I told my superiors I'd talk to them. By the way, I'd like to make sure. How am I supposed to find the Caspar?

Well then...

That's what Damien taught me about them. They seem to have tattoos on their arms. They say the lizard mark is engraved.

"Miss Kyu. That's all I know, and I think I can handle it. Well, don't stay too long. Now, pay me my share. You keep the rest."

That said, the tacket puts a little more coin in front of Damien. Damien looked at me with his eyes rounded in surprise. You didn't think you'd get paid. First of all, it seems to fall as an office expense because it feels like it is a social expense, so it is not that it is not the ego of the tacket.

"I want to keep going with you. Nja."

That said, the tacket leaves the tavern.

When I left the city and returned to the woods, there was not only Chante and Brigitta, who had come here with me, but also Karon.

"Have you achieved anything?

"Oh, what about you?

Karon nods loudly at the words of Taketo.

"Firstly, a report from Clinston found that the carbuncle was likely captured near the Meal Forest in the Meal region. This is the area upstream of the river. And the poacher who caught it... probably ordinary civilians."

"Civilian?

"Yes, last month's heavy rains flooded not only downstream of the Finn River, but also upstream. Flooding is common in downstream areas, so flooding measures are in place like this one in the Philippines. The villages are built quite far from the river. But the upstream basin, which has not been flooded so far, is not."

"I mean, the villages upstream were flooded by this flood on the Finn River. So, the people who lost their fields and livestock poached and sold their carbuncles in trouble...?

Karon nods.

Yes, it seems so.

"Really....."

When that happens, the situation is complicated. Just finding and catching poached humans would temporarily be a shame and deterrent, but would that be enough?

"Do you have any support from the royal palace for such victims?

"In some places... the area affected by this disaster is so large that the whole area is out of reach."

"Really....."

I think so. Given the width of that river, the length of this river must be considerable. Even if the village flooded over there, we probably don't even know the damage.

"Besides, I'm a member of Caspar. It seems to be doing this even if it's quite a back-office business. This time we are smuggling carbunkles, but there are signs that we have been involved in various beast smuggling. That's why you should tap this opportunity thoroughly."

I see. But we need to catch the smuggling scene or something. "

"Yes, it is."

"Well, just fine. Let's go to the city of Gee. So the next smuggling begins."

"Oh, and..."

Karon just added to the tacket with his hands on the black hair as he tried to get on Ulu.

"I've heard this from people in villages along the river. He said never to go into the river at this time of increased water flow."

"Heh? Because it flows fast and drowns?

With his feet on the forefoot of Ulu lying on his back, he climbed up to Ulu's back and listened back.

"I'm sure that's true... but the village chief said..."

"In this river, this time of year. Kelpy's coming out."

Kelpy?

"It's a beast in the shape of a horse living in a river. Among the beasts, it is said that it is closer to the Spirit, and if you make it angry, it will cause a great flood."

And this is Brigitta on Ulu's back first. Rather than riding on Ulu's back, it is better to say that he is riding on Chante's lap on Ulu. If you keep your mouth shut, it really looks like a doll. Sometimes I wonder if I should keep my mouth shut.

"So, this flood of the Finn River, is it possible...?

In Chante's words, Brigitta said, "Well, I don't know," and then she added, "Just..."

"There is no doubt that Kelpy will be here at this time, so he will never enter the river."

"Are you attacking a human?

Brigitta smiles badly at the bait that she hears.

"Eat Kelpy. A human being. Kelpy's favorite is a human being."

Rattling... just thinking about it made me horrible.

Taketoes climb up the Finn River, wearing rainy ponchos and riding on Ulu's back. It stopped raining around the middle valley. Since then, barracks have solidified on the banks of the river, and places to build have come to be seen.

They were all poor huts with wood planks and stones properly assembled.

The villagers who were damaged by the flooding must be evacuating the settlement temporarily. In the settlement, people who were just sitting there in a daze, people who were burning waste materials to keep warm, children who were running around cheerfully, and so on.

Even though the snow in the mountains melts in the spring, there are still occasional days when the temperature drops. At that time, it would be tough to weather the cold in such a poor house.

(I wonder how much money you could put in selling a carbuncle)

Perhaps the courier bought it and it won't cost much.

(Still, some people poach for a living....)

This kind of opponent is the hardest to do. I can't help it, even if I catch one or two of them. No matter how harsh the punishment, no matter how strictly forbidden by law, another human being quickly dyes his hands because he cannot endure a painful life. They sacrifice animals to protect their families.

Even in the original world, poachers were often like this.

If we don't poach, we won't be able to feed our children satisfactorily. How can we live from tomorrow if we take this job? I don't work in civil unrest. The fields are full of mines. All the livestock were killed. How do we live? I recall the words that were said to people who used to feed their lives poaching in the original world.

When you're dealing with people like that, you even feel like they're the worst.

(Hah... I don't know what to do.)

While looking sideways at the affected area from Ulu's back, Taketo sighed secretly with such thoughts.