The beast tamer exiled from the hero’s party and the cat eared girl from the strongest race meet

Chapter 417: New Confusion

(TL:By Rafael,valhallatls.blogspot.com)

I somehow managed to secure an opportunity to explain myself.

This is all thanks to Finia.

I am deeply grateful.

Once everything settles down, I want to properly thank her.

To make that possible...

First, I need to explain everything properly and convince Elfin that we mean no harm.

"The cause of this incident, to begin with..."

Looking at Lin and Monica, who were captured by Sakura, I declare that they are the root cause of everything.

Hearing this, Lin, flustered, smiles and calls out to me.

"Come on, Rain. That’s so cruel. Aren’t we comrades? We’ve shared so much together, yet you’d sell me out to save yourself?"

"Lin is not a comrade."

"...!"

She’s trying to manipulate me with sweet words to gain my sympathy.

Or perhaps she’s trying to make Elfin misunderstand and think we’re allies, to avoid taking all the blame herself.

She wants to drag me down with her.

How despicable.

To Elfin, who doesn’t know Lin, her words might seem truthful.

Even if I desperately deny it, it might appear as though I’m selling out my comrade to save my own skin.

"...Hmm."

Elfin looks at Lin first.

She stares at her for about thirty seconds, then turns her gaze to me.

After observing me for another thirty seconds, she softly opens her mouth to speak.

"The human you’ve captured over there... has the eyes of someone I know well. Eyes clouded with selfishness and malice, thinking only of themselves. What you say is likely true."

"Then..."

"However, since Finia, the next leader, was temporarily abducted and such disgraceful actions were taken toward our relations with the Fang Wolf tribe, I can’t make this decision alone. I need to consult my people."

"That’s understandable... Yes."

"I will testify that you are not an enemy."

"Ah..."

"Don’t misunderstand me. I haven’t placed my complete trust in you. Humans remain our enemies. But... the power that changed Finia, and the resolve to sacrifice so much of yourself... While I cannot trust you entirely, I can believe in you a little."

"Thank you."

Though it’s only a small amount, I’ve managed to gain her trust.

I need to maintain this state...

Nurture it, and one day grow it into a deep trust.

To do that, I must first dispel the misunderstandings not only with Elfin but with the entire Phoenix tribe.

I’ll hand over the true culprits, Lin and Monica.

It feels like a sacrifice...

But, well, it’s their own fault.

It’s unlikely to end well for them, but they’ll have to accept that.

Considering everything they’ve done, there’s no room for sympathy.

"Hey, don’t mess around!? You’re going to hand me over and save yourself!? We’re comrades, aren’t we? This is a terrible betrayal! I’ll never forgive you! Hey, stop ignoring me and say something, you jerk!"

Lin, obstinate to the end, was yelling and making a scene.

After everything she’s done for her own gain...

Did she seriously believe she wouldn’t have to face any consequences?

If so, my anger gives way to sheer astonishment.

Just how selfish can Lin be?

"..."

Still... Monica is awfully quiet.

Her expression hasn’t changed, and she remains calm.

Has she given up?

Or is she keeping her composure while scheming something behind the scenes?

"...No, wait. This is...?"

Am I overlooking something critical?

An undefined sense of anxiety and doubt wells up within me.

To resolve it, I approach Monica...

"Chief! We have an emergency!"

The door to the room swung open noisily, and a Phoenix tribe member appeared.

Sweat was beading on their forehead, and they seemed terribly flustered.

"What’s the matter? Why all the commotion?"
"I-I’m sorry. But this is an emergency..."
"...Has something happened?"
"A monster has suddenly appeared in the residential area..."
"What did you say!?"

Elfin glared at me as if to say, Is this your doing?

I quickly shook my head.

"Did a monster from the fourth layer come to the surface?"
"N-No. That’s not the case. The area was temporarily opened for the race, but it’s now securely sealed as usual. Moreover, according to eyewitnesses, the monsters seemed to appear out of nowhere..."
"That’s..."

This phenomenon was exactly like what we encountered during the race.

The likely culprit behind that incident was Lin.

However, Lin is now here, captured by us.

If that’s the case, the culprit must be someone else...

"Wait, could it be...!?"

I hurriedly turned to look at Lin.

Her face was twisted into a smug grin, as if saying, Gotcha.

"You! What did you do!?"
"Now, what could you mean? I could play dumb, but since I’m feeling generous, I’ll tell you. I set up a timed monster summoning device."
"When did you manage to do that...?"
"It was surprisingly easy. Hardly anyone was being cautious, and I could slip in and out as I pleased. You people retreated to the depths because you hate humans, but you left your vigilance behind too. Or maybe you thought, We’re the strongest species, so no one could possibly be a threat. Oh, the arrogance!"
"...May I burn this human alive?"
"I understand how you feel, but please wait a moment," I replied, almost wanting to agree with Elfin.

But no, that wouldn’t work.

Or rather, it’s too soon for that.

If Lin caused this situation, there must be a way to resolve it.

She wouldn’t have admitted to it otherwise.

"How can we stop this summoning device of yours?"
"Who knows? It’s hard to think clearly while being restrained. First, why don’t you let me go?"
"Insurance for getting caught, huh..."

It’s hard to imagine someone as impulsive as Lin carefully planning this far ahead.

If that’s the case... someone must have advised her.

Monica seems suspicious, but now isn’t the time to pursue that.

"What’s the current situation with enemy forces?"
"Huh? Why is a human we captured asking—"
"I’ll explain later. Go on, tell him."
"Y-Yes!"

Though the Phoenix tribe member seemed suspicious of me, Elfin’s words moved the conversation forward.

I was grateful for that.

"Currently, monsters ranked around C to B are appearing one after another... Their numbers are overwhelming, and we can’t contain them. Also, the location is a problem. Since it’s the residential area, we’re having to protect children and the elderly while fighting, so we can’t go all out..."
"So you’re struggling. I see. Thank you for the explanation."

Elfin wore a bitter expression.

She then approached Lin, conjured a flame in her hand, and thrust it toward her.

"You said this was your doing, didn’t you? Put a stop to it right now. Or I will burn you."
"If you kill me, you’ll never be able to stop it. Right now, the opening is small, but once it activates, it will keep expanding over time. More monsters will come, and eventually, even stronger ones might appear."
"..."
"If you let me go, I might consider helping."
"...Tch."

Elfin’s face was murderous, clearly wanting to incinerate Lin, but she couldn’t act recklessly.

If what Lin said was true, taking rash action could make things worse.

If the device was designed to summon an endless stream of monsters and only Lin could stop it... that would be disastrous.

In this situation... what should I do?

TL Note- What should he do?

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