305 Doug Watchbook (9) - Return

"You were a taller person than I thought, weren't you, Zashma?"

When I called it that way while the luggage truck rocked me, Zashma said, "What are you talking about?" He looked back.

"You must have thought the Digolas were obnoxious from the start, didn't you? So, didn't you set me up to see how they reacted?

"People don't listen well to me. No matter how sloppy they are, they can't call sinners without proof, can they? So I just restrained myself from making things rough until I was certain in myself."

"Then you should have been the first to reveal those moods, wouldn't you? Not at all, people are bad."

With that said, I try to mouth the thoughts that have come to my mind all the time.

"Speaking of which, it wasn't Camua-Josh who faked the Chamber of Commerce to trap the Sung family, it was Melfried or your plot, was it? If you think about it, was it obvious from the beginning that you were a highly calculated person?"

"Oh, my God, you pulled the old story off again a long time ago.... have you made me feel so bad?

Zashma looks worried as she strokes her bearded floating cheeks.

In return, I smiled bitterly, "No."

"I was relieved that you weren't the kind of person who belittled my parents' ranch. Though I don't think it's honest."

"I didn't mean to strangle the sinners. It's profanity, profanity."

He shrugs his thick shoulders, then Zashma shifts his gaze outside the luggage car.

This was still in Doug's territory, on the way to a tree-lined road connecting the town to the ranch.

The sun is getting a lot higher, so there's a leak in the earth ground. After this we plan to stop at Marotta's ranch again before following our return journey to Genos.

"... what will happen to those people named Meyros in Digola?

"Well. It depends on the anger of the lord of Doug, but he won't just be snapped in the neck. All you have to do is give up on living on a gold account and chase it around with Caron's ass."

From now on, about the evils of the Digolas, they will be exposed all over the ranch. It was a story that if the angry ranchers rebuffed Digola, the noise would eventually spread to the ears of Count Doug, and he would not have to wait for a messenger from Genos, but would be judged.

"It's such an idyllic town, but there are people out there trying to plot it."

"Well, yes. Where humans come together, can they stay free from evil?"

Within that interchange of words, I could see Marotta's ranch.

Just out of the stables with a huge barrel of wood, Mizza greets us with a "oh well" smile.

"Welcome home? Have you had a nice caron in town?

"Yes, let's do that. I've eaten too much."

I jumped out of my luggage and gave Misa a smile back.

Instead, Zashma also stands side by side.

"Are the Almas still grazing? I just wanted to say hello."

"I don't know if you're coming back because it's Pumpkin Jomtien. More than that, it's a little you!

And, leaving my son alone, Miza still talks to me.

"That giva meat is a lot of fine meat! I tried punching it in the pot at dinner, but it tasted unbeatable on our carons too!

"Oh, you just ate. It would be nice if it suited your mouth."

"The flavor was just a little tight, but I thought that flavor was important while I was eating it. If you can get so much delicious meat, the people of Genos won't be buying you carons soon."

"No, Gibba has Gibba's, and Caron has caron delicacies, so I don't think that's going to turn out that way, do you? Besides, it's impossible to prepare enough Giva meat to cover the entire population of Genos."

"Well, that's a relief."

Miza is grinning, holding a barrel that looks heavy.

Then, at some point, Mim, who was lining up next to us, said, "Um".

"That's caron's milk, isn't it? Would you sell it to me, too, if you like? You can have ten bottles in the earthen bottle."

"Hey, are you buying me some caron milk? But we only have these barrels, don't we? They usually sell it to dairy shops."

"Oh, I bought earthen bottles in town! If you like."

"Excuse me, we'd like you to sell us about twenty bottles in the earthen bottle."

And Raina-Lou also speaks from behind.

Miza smiles "I don't appreciate it".

"Caron's milk is fragile, so I don't really get to buy it. Five red copper coins for ten earthen bottles and ten for twenty."

"Oh, that's a lot cheaper, huh? When I try to buy it in Genos, it doubles."

"That would be the haulier's wage. It's gonna take a whole day to get to and from Doug and Genos."

If that's the case, I've decided to buy about ten bottles.

We were supposed to use that time to learn how to make cheese from Michelle because work in Inn Town is closed tomorrow.

"Then let's divide this guy into earthen bottles. I'm going to squeeze it again after I've had my meal for the dairy."

"Thank you. It helps."

That's how the grazing people eventually returned where they were carrying earthen bottles into the stables.

Alma, who was walking at the head of it, laughs "Hey."

"Welcome back to Genos, guests to Zashma?

"Oh, I just need to talk to you a little bit before I do."

Zashma begins to whisper about the Digolas' whereabouts.

As I heard the words, Alma's face had a shuddering look on it.

"What the hell. So it was Digola's father's big lie that Caron's value had dropped because of the nobles in Genos?

"Probably. I'm guessing he was glued with a man named Mayros, the foreign secretary, and he was trying to get you guys some copper coins to pay for."

"Ha ha... that guy imitates a lot of sloppiness. I'm sure it's our fault that I left the gold account to you."

"Totally. I'm guessing you're not my father anymore and you're on your way to the Chamber of Commerce, are you? Whoever's going to take over after Digola in the future, I think we should all keep our eyes open so we don't lose any money, huh?

"Got it. What about the rest of the ranch guys?

"I'm going to. I was hoping to ask you guys for a communicator. We have to get to Genos."

"Okay, okay. We'll all hang Digola up at night."

With only a cheerful face, Alma called off a nearby pastoralist.

"Oh, tell him there's going to be an investigation team coming from Castel Genos soon to make sure it's true, too, right? Otherwise, you might argue that Genos just bought you off."

"What? Is something like that coming?

"I don't know. But Digola needs to believe that."

"Ha. That's a lot of bad wisdom now working, Zashma."

Alma slaps Zashma on the shoulder with the back of his hand.

With the same look, Zashma also slapped Alma on the shoulder.

"Bye. Next time, show me your face without two years free, okay?

"I wonder. I can't promise, but let's just remember."

That's how Alma walked away with the rancher.

I guess even Totos will drive and spin the flush all over the ranch.

Zashma, who was dropping it off, slightly frowns when she sees the last person back from the grazing land.

Much smaller, yet in a sloppy shape, it was Marotta.

I only saw him succumb yesterday, so I didn't know, but he's shorter than I thought. Would it be more than 160 cm at most?

Marotta stayed on top of the Buddha, trying to get past us without even trying to look at us.

On its back, Zashma calls out, "Wait."

Marotta looked back at the urchin, and Zashma stuck a large cloth bag that she pulled out of the carrier to you.

"It's the Leaf of Nennon. For yesterday's meal, save it."

"... that meal is a tribute to the meat you gave me, Giva."

"Then it's a thank you to Alma and my mother for showing us around the ranch. We don't have any business like this, so take it."

Marotta looks grumpy at her son, who is over half the size of his head.

In contrast to that, Zashma inherited the words "then."

"It may be an extra slip, but I have one thing to say. Genos, who is also a pastoralist, is in the process of reviewing the purchase of ingredients. So, perhaps Digola's father will be dragged down by the Chairman of Commerce even this evening. Why don't you take this opportunity to review your father's business?

"... to review the business?

"Oh. Now both Karon, raised on this ranch, and Karon, raised like a ranch in Digola, are sold together, aren't they? Shouldn't we be hanging up with the Genos so that they can put a good price on a good caron and a bad price on a bad caron?

"... I don't remember you getting slapped in the way."

"I guess so. So let Alma take over the ranch. If it were Alma, we would be able to account for as much damage as that.... I'm not going to grow a heir to old age in the right place, okay?

That said, Zashma laughed a lot.

"Dad, as always, you just have to grow a superior caron. Reliable succession will take care of the rest. It's better than me."

"... humming his nose," Marotta snapped a cloth bag out of Zashma's hand.

And then he turns his back silently and walks over to the house.

Towards that small but successful back, Zashma called out loudly.

"Bye. Don't fuck with me till I see you again, Dad?

"You worry more about yourself than you worry about people, you stupid son of a..."

Marotta's figure disappears into the shadows of the building.

After waiting for that, Dan-Rutim, who was standing behind us, said, "Uhm!" He gave a pleasant voice.

"That's fine! Father and son deserve this much!

"Oh, my God, don't say something I don't understand out loud, Dan-Rutim"

"There's nothing I don't understand! Your feelings for caring for your father, while using crude language, have been conveyed with a shine, Zashma!

"If you don't," Zashma laughs bitterly.

I laughed "haha," too, but at that moment I was pulled from the side with a strong force.

Eye-Fa's face, frowned upon, looms much closer.

"Yeah? What's going on, Ai-Fa?

"That's this dialogue. Why are you crying like that, Asta?

Ai-fa whispers in a whispered voice, lest others should hear.

"I didn't have tears in my eyes," I replied, soaking up my eyes.

"I just thought the interaction between father and son sounded like a heartbeat. It's a sight I don't see much of by the woods."

…………

"It's not such a serious story, look at me like that"

In the blindfold, I played Eye-Fa's high nose perfectly.

I'm really eye-fa turning bright red and pressing my head around my cheek.

"I was there. Sorry, joke, excuse me."

"What are you doing, you guys? Sounds like Rayna-Lew and the others are back, huh?

As Dan-Rutim put it, the women with earthen bottles came out of the stables.

The sun is already in the middle of the sky.

Dan Rutim said aloud as he looked down at me and Ai-Fa.

"Come on, let's go home to the woods then! I'm sure the ladies will be waiting for us for a delicious supper!

"Right. Let's go home."

I replied with a smile.

Ai-Fa has been kicking my leg lightly with his face red.

That's how our two-day trip to Doug finally came to an end.