“Thank you for the delicious meal in my bed.”
“Be sure to come again! I’ll try to serve extra helpings like today.”
“I’m sorry…”
Roel looked apologetic, but when it came to eating, she never stopped. In the end, they gave us a half-price refill on the bird hot pot.
“Alright then, let’s get going! If we work hard, we might make it past this by noon tomorrow.”
“Isn’t this the halfway point? I thought we still had a long way to go.”
“More or less, we’re closer to the Avangarde Royal Capital. But I guess the old man decided based on whether there were hot springs or not.”
“You figured it out.”
Bloom’s face was lined with wrinkles as he laughed. Kouzo from the Weapon Shop and this man didn’t seem like former adventurers at all.
“Well then, let’s set off! See you later, Bloom!”
Cynthia waved her hand energetically, and Bloom responded in kind, continuing to wave until we were out of sight at the inn’s entrance.
“The bird hot pot was delicious. Should we come back again?”
“I don’t think I have the energy to come all the way to this gorge just for that.”
Cynthia chuckled lightly, and I couldn’t help but agree in my heart.
Suddenly, the carriage came to a halt. Looking ahead, I saw a group of men walking towards us, blocking the way.
“Are you guys… thieves?”
Seigel spoke up with a sense of familiarity, and one of the men stepped forward.
“I’ll let you go this time; I’m only interested in that shabby inn.”
Despite his words, the men were already brandishing their weapons. They had spears, axes, and bows, but their clothing was not much different from what I wore before meeting Roel, and every one of them had a menacing look.
“These guys are trouble. They’re probably targeting that inn, but I suggest you back off. It won’t end well for you.”
“I told you, we have no business with you!”
A chubby man slammed a chipped axe down onto the ground. Seigel, who had muttered “Oh, scary,” was already pointing his great sword at the men.
“This is your last warning; back off.”
“If you get in our way—”
Suddenly, a projectile shot from the sky. No, it wasn’t a cannonball; it was an arrow. As it was released, it struck the ground with a thunderous impact, leaving a round crater that made it seem as if a well-behaved meteor had fallen.
“W-What just happened…?”
The men peered into the hole and looked around in confusion. I immediately recognized the archer. Turning around, I saw Bloom standing there, bow aimed skyward.
“I think this can wipe out most monsters with a rapid-fire shot. I named it Vulcan Rain, right, Seigel?”
“I don’t know about that…”
Even Seigel was taken aback by Bloom’s “firepower cannon.” The men finally seemed to grasp the situation and fled, screaming. How could an arrow be released into the sky and then strike the ground? I was astonished not just by the power but by the sheer ingenuity of the technique.
“Looks like we don’t have to worry about the inn.”
Seigel pointed to the old soldier holding the bow. Honestly, I was more worried about the inn being attacked. If that arrow hit a human, they wouldn’t stand a chance.
“With you around, those guys are nothing to worry about, so I won’t stress too much. Just be careful.”
“Yeah, and don’t let the thieves hurt you!”
With that ominous farewell, we finally left the inn behind.
“Bloom was that strong, huh?”
“I touched his bald head as a greeting, but I think I might end up with a hole in my stomach, so maybe I should refrain…”
“I think you should definitely refrain from that…”
The two of them were in shock, completely rewriting their impressions of Bloom. Speaking of which, Mai also used a bow. If I trained under her, I might become an incredible archer too.
///
“Still, it’s surprising to see thieves around here. If the kingdom got serious, they’d be wiped out in no time.”
“Did those guys not know Seigel? He’s famous…”
“That’s just ridiculous. That’s why they’re thieves.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
While Seigel and Roel reached a conclusion I didn’t quite understand, Cynthia was busy tending to her equipment. Most of the tools were completely foreign to me, so I didn’t have much interest, but Cynthia seemed to misunderstand and eagerly began her explanation.
“So, this is a liquid that dilutes one of the potion ingredients…”
I started to feel sleepy. Just as I began to drift off, Cynthia gave me a solid whack on the head.
“Ow! What was that for?!”
“Ah, so it really does hurt.”
“It hurts!”
“It’s strange, isn’t it? You seem unfazed by monster attacks, yet this hurts.”
“Cynthia, Rua’s sensitive to pain! Just the other day, she almost cried when I accidentally dropped a stone on her little finger!”
“If it wasn’t Rua, she would have probably died from shock…”
Monster attacks aren’t painless, but as long as they don’t lead to serious injuries, it’s fine. However, being attacked unexpectedly like that still hurts.
The path through the gorge became steeper, but the horse’s pace remained steady. At noon, we ate the lunch Bloom had prepared for us, and perhaps drawn by the aroma, a monster attacked. Before I could react, Seigel sprang into action. He seemed to have taken down the floor monster all by himself, proving just how strong he was. But somehow, it felt like he was showing off to me. Just a little, but I sensed it. The proof was that after he wiped out the monster, he glanced my way.
Seigel was A-Rank, upper tier, right? I wondered what being upper tier A-Rank meant. When we arrived at the campsite as the sun set, I decided to ask.
“Well, when you reach A-Rank, you’re ranked based on your achievements and strength. By the way, I’m ranked 16th out of 102.”
“That’s amazing.”
“You don’t really think so, do you?”
I did think so. After all, we were still C-Rank and hadn’t even reached B-Rank yet. How many achievements did one need to rise to B-Rank?
“What happens when your rank is high?”
“Well, you get noticed by the King of Avangarde.”
“Is that all?”
“That’s all.”
“Then it doesn’t really matter…”
“Not really. Rua, I’ve received quite a few generous rewards because of it. It’s also why I can continue my wandering journey so freely. And sometimes, I get entrusted with bigger tasks.”
“And that’s how you end up with girls, huh? Seriously, that’s the worst.”
“Why are you assuming that… I’m a gentleman when it comes to women, you know.”
Listening to him, I felt a sense of discomfort. It was strange for an adventurer to be favored by the king. It felt more like he was a servant to the king.
“Yawn… I’m tired today. I think I’ll sleep now. Goodnight!”
Cynthia returned to the carriage and quickly fell asleep. Roel, who had been dozing off next to me, had somehow leaned against me and fallen asleep.
“Make sure to carry her back to the carriage. She’s precious.”
After winking, Seigel closed his eyes while remaining seated at the front. He seemed to be in a state where he could wake up at any moment, unable to fall into a deep sleep.
“Alright, I’m going to sleep too.”
I picked up the sleeping Roel and settled down to sleep.
///
It was likely that Seigel and I woke up at the same time. A crowd of men surrounded the carriage. I couldn’t tell how many there were, but there were at least fifty. As some of them shot arrows at the carriage, I deflected them with the wind pressure of my sword. The force sliced through the trees, and the men rushed out in a panic.
“W-What the?!”
“Who said there would definitely be a night raid?!”
“That was me.”
“W-Who are you…?”
A slender man with long hair emerged from the crowd. He looked far too refined to be leading such brutish men. Speaking in a strangely calm tone, the man, referred to as the leader, continued.
“Haha, a man, a woman… and a child. According to my underlings, there should be two more women around, but I guess they’re napping in the carriage.”
“Are you… Davitz?”
Seigel asked the man suspiciously. Davitz brushed his bangs aside, striking a pose that seemed overly dramatic.
“Seigel, I never expected to run into you here.”
“I thought I wouldn’t see you again, and here you are, the leader of thieves. You’ve really fallen.”
“I’m invincible around here. Monsters and adventurers are no match for me. With women around, I can embrace as many as I want.”
Davitz struck a pose as if to hug something. I didn’t quite understand, but that gesture filled me with an overwhelming sense of disgust.
“Seriously…”
Seigel pointed his great sword at Davitz.
“Regardless of the reason, now that it has come to this, you understand, right?”
“Ugh, I really didn’t want to fight you.”
Saying that, Davitz drew a dagger from his waist. The men surrounding the carriage were already in a battle stance.
“By the way, Seigel, I heard you were nearly killed by a serious injury not long ago?”
“…How do you know that?”
“Se-cret.”
With a mocking smile, Davitz placed his finger to his lips.
I stood tall, and in an instant, my expression hardened, transforming into the cold visage of a thief.
“Do it.”
With a ferocity that seemed to radiate from their very beings, the men charged at us all at once. Watching this unfold, I let out a sigh. Too slow. Their movements were clumsy, and did they really think they could win like this? In the Abyss Cave, even a moment of wasted motion could be fatal. They were seasoned warriors who wouldn’t let such openings slip by. If they had been in that place, they would have been wiped out in mere seconds. Thieves. They were supposed to make a living by stealing, yet they were putting their lives at risk instead. But no matter how reckless they were, I couldn’t kill them, so I lightly dashed around, tapping their heads as I went. One by one, they collapsed to the ground. I had only meant to touch them, but it seemed I had put a bit more force into it than intended. Some of them hit the ground face-first, bleeding and motionless. For a moment, I worried I might have killed them, but they were twitching, so I figured they were still okay.
【Rua’s attack! All the thieves are unconscious!】
The thieves who had surrounded us suddenly fell, all at once. It seemed Davitz was taken aback, his mouth agape in disbelief.
“…What just happened?”
I could tell I hadn’t even registered in their minds. They had planned to overwhelm us with numbers, but this was a complete miscalculation.
“Is this some kind of magic?”
Even though it wasn’t Seigel who had done it, he wore a proud expression. Yet, he still held his great sword at the ready. Was he still planning to fight Davitz?
“Surrender now, and I’ll lighten your punishment within my power.”
“There’s no way out for me anyway…!”
Davitz, with his long hair flying, unleashed a series of thrusts with his slender rapier. But not a single one grazed Seigel.
“Davitz, why are you doing this?”
“Isn’t it ridiculous?! The more achievements we make, the more we become the king’s property! We adventurers should be proud and free!”
“A thief being proud!”
Davitz relentlessly aimed to pierce Seigel, launching rapid thrusts. Just when it seemed he would pull back, he sprang forward with a speed unlike anything before, as if propelled by a spring.
“Spring Thrust!”
The rapier collided with Seigel’s great sword and shattered. Seigel stood there, striking a rather ungraceful pose with his sword planted in the ground, as if to say it was an effortless defense. Davitz, now unarmed, took a fighting stance with his bare hands.
“Are you still going?”
“Even if my sword breaks, I’ll adapt and respond with whatever I have. That’s Davitz for you.”
“That’s right; I liked that stubbornness about you.”
I stepped between the two of them. Davitz seemed to recall my earlier actions and hesitated, keeping his distance.
“Just stop.”
“Get out of the way, girl.”
“If you don’t stop, I’ll make it so you can’t fight.”
“Shut up! Blaze Shot!”
The intermediate spell was unleashed suddenly, without a chant. It was far more powerful than anything Truppo could muster, even though he wasn’t a wizard skilled in magic. The heat of an A-Rank spell bore down on us. Yet, the flames didn’t burn me. The raging fire extinguished the moment it struck me.
【Davitz cast Blaze Shot! Rua takes no damage!】
“Are you perhaps A-Rank?”
“C. That’s all I’ll say. Don’t think someone who can’t beat me can defeat her.”
“The Dragon Hunter has fallen indeed. To be bested by a child… Sleep Hold!”
A spell to induce sleep, but if it didn’t work, the only sound would be the name of the spell echoing in the air. Status Ailments had no effect on me.
“Are you still going?”
“I have plenty of tricks left; let me show you my versatility.”
“Enough already.”
I smacked Davitz on the head. With a light sound, his body swayed, and he collapsed to the ground.
“What should we do with these people, Seigel?”
“It’s troublesome, but we have no choice but to hand them over to the kingdom. We can’t just leave them here.”
Seigel sighed heavily as he surveyed the unconscious men around us, clearly annoyed. Next, we would be crossing the Kizel Valley.