Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 335: A Problem Full of Mysteries
　Black-Gold Wings continued the Flaming Crab subjugation in Caxart for several days.
　During that entire period, no reinforcements arrived from any neighboring Adventurers’ Guild branch. Even Tauro’s group began to suspect that something was wrong.
“No matter how long we wait, nobody from the other branches appears,” Ankh complained to Armine inside the guild. “What’s going on?”
　Tauro would normally have restrained him, but he shared the same concern and remained silent.
“I know… I’ve been wondering the same thing. We truly are having trouble because nobody has come,” Armine said, bowing apologetically.
“You submitted the requests correctly, didn’t you?” Tauro asked.
“Of course. I followed the proper procedure through my superiors and requested assistance from each branch.”
　Armine answered firmly.
“Then perhaps Flaming Crab subjugation is unpopular, or Caxart has a poor reputation among adventurers,” Tauro considered aloud. “But the reward is reasonable, and apart from their numbers, the monsters aren’t extraordinarily difficult to defeat.”
　At present, nobody appeared to benefit from the outbreak.
　Count Graunewald’s tax revenue had fallen sharply because salt production had stopped. The mayor of Caxart should have been suffering from the same loss, and the Adventurers’ Guild couldn’t fulfill requests while the region remained overrun.
　Yet several facts didn’t fit.
　The infestation had been allowed to grow to an enormous scale.
　The mayor hadn’t deployed territorial soldiers while the salt works were being destroyed.
　The branch’s leading C-plus team had taken no action.
　Even the many E-rank teams registered in Caxart hadn’t been assigned supporting work.
　They couldn’t safely subjugate Flaming Crabs, which required D-minus rank or above, but they could still have monitored the lake, warned residents, or assisted evacuations. No such requests had been posted, and throughout the past several days Tauro hadn’t seen anyone performing those duties.
“Does the mayor have no intention of deploying soldiers?” Tauro asked Armine.
“It’s a reasonable question. Unfortunately, Caxart barely had enough territorial soldiers to maintain public order even before this crisis. The current mayor imposed austerity measures in the name of reducing waste, cut their budget, and left the force severely understaffed. Every remaining soldier is occupied with security inside the city.”
“Are Caxart’s finances truly that poor? I was told this is the largest city in Count Graunewald’s domain and that its salt industry is extremely profitable.”
“That’s true. Caxart exists because of the salt lake. Protecting that industry naturally requires money, but the present mayor insists that the city’s previous spending was wasteful.”
　Armine sounded doubtful herself.
　The more Tauro heard, the more contradictions accumulated.
“Did the mayor come from outside the city?” he asked.
“No. House Colon has administered Caxart for three generations. The current head, Baronet Colon, succeeded his predecessor after a sudden death several years ago. I believe he’s only about twenty-five.”
　That raised still more questions.
　An outsider appointed only recently might impose policies without understanding the city’s needs. A family that had governed Caxart for generations should have known exactly how important the salt lake was.
　Perhaps Baronet Colon faced some private financial problem and had responded with reckless budget cuts. Those cuts could have weakened the defenses around the lake, allowing the monsters to multiply and devastate salt production in a vicious cycle.
　Yet requests were normally issued to the Adventurers’ Guild by the mayor’s office, and the reward offered for the Flaming Crabs wasn’t low.
　The situation was so self-contradictory that even Tauro couldn’t determine what was happening.
“We’re adventurers,” Ragune said. “For now, the best contribution we can make is to continue defeating the Flaming Crabs.”
　She had left the complicated speculation to Tauro and returned the discussion to their immediate duty.
“You’re right. We’ll reduce their numbers again today.”
“I’m truly sorry,” Armine said. “I’ll ask my superiors about the reinforcements again. Please help us with another day of subjugation.”
　Later that afternoon, after Black-Gold Wings had defeated as many Flaming Crabs as it could, the team prepared to return to Caxart.
“We stayed rather late today,” Tauro said, checking the setting sun.
“Let’s report to the guild and find something quick to eat,” Ankh suggested, already looking eager for a drink.
“That sounds good. The food in this city is excellent, and lately it’s been the one thing I look forward to after fighting crabs all day,” Ragune said.
　She had already begun walking toward the city when Tauro stopped.
“Wait. Someone is watching us from behind those rocks. I don’t sense open hostility, but something about the presence feels wrong.”
“Are they targeting us?” Ankh’s expression sharpened immediately.
“I don’t think so. They’re conscious of us and seem guilty about something, but their real interest isn’t in attacking us. I can’t explain it clearly.”
“Then unless they make a move against us, we don’t need to chase them,” Ragune said.
“…Agreed. Let’s return for now.”
　The group went back to Caxart.
　The following day, after accepting the quest again, Tauro led the others to the place where he had sensed the watcher.
“Is this discarded food…? No. It may be bait.”
　Behind the rocks lay a torn sack that had been partly eaten away. A small quantity of rotting food remained inside.
“It reeks,” Ankh said as he looked over Tauro’s shoulder. “Nobody would casually dump rubbish here when the area is crawling with Flaming Crabs.”
“Someone has been feeding them,” Tauro concluded. “They’re deliberately making the Flaming Crabs multiply.”
　Black-Gold Wings had discovered the cause of the mass outbreak.