Year 5_Keireki Era_Summer/02
Yo.
I’m a bandit.
This time, it’s a mid-sized gang. Physique-wise, we’re so-so too.
I’ve got a dagger at my waist, dressed like trash, but I put some care into my boots.
Seems I’m some sort of scout.
Scouting, after all, is one of my skills.
And these “skills” refer to one’s talents or power, like being a warrior, a mage, or a martial artist… things that define us.
It's probably a way to distinguish nobodies like me, unless you’re someone with a high status.
If I went to a town, I might find out how these “skills” are defined, but for a bandit like me, towns are distant places.
Not just physically, either.
Anyway, I’ve got a grasp on the scale and our physical power.
So, as for the situation...
Oh. It’s noisy.
Shouting things like “I will kill you” or “die” are about as common as saying “hello” or “how’s it going” for bandits, so no need to worry about that.
But once actions start following words, it’s a different story.
Waking up to a bloodbath is nothing unusual.
“You bastard! You stole my woman!”
“I’m the one who kidnapped her! So she’s mine!”
“Shut up!”
Bandits are fools who quickly start killing each other.
This time, it’s a squabble over “loot.”
Looks like they successfully raided a caravan and scored a lot of stuff.
Water, booze, food.
A bit of equipment and some daily necessities.
The biggest treasure, of course, is the money.
Wondering why bandits collect money even without a town?
Apparently, bandits have their own trade system.
Though, only the boss or the accountant types deal with that stuff.
They need money to feed the underlings, so they keep on stealing desperately.
The second most prized treasure is women.
A young girl who was working as an apprentice survived.
She’s still pretty young, but her face could be considered quite attractive.
Her brown hair may be plain, but it’s shiny—a sign it’s well-cared for.
Her clothes… they were probably neat before. They’re dirty now, but still, they’re cute in design.
She may just be an apprentice, but you can tell the caravan people took great care of her.
She’s alone.
And there are more than ten bandits.
They’re all fighting to monopolize her, to be “the first.”
In situations like this, what usually happens is—
“There’s no way I’m handing her over to a wimp like you!”
“What did you say?! I’ll kill you!!”
“That’s my line, you bastard!”
Weapons are drawn.
It’s a bloodbath.
But these guys’ skills—or rather, the way they move their bodies—is utterly sloppy.
Maybe it’s because they’ve been drinking or using dangerous herbs,
Or lacking nutrition, or more importantly, they haven’t trained basic physical abilities.
When it suddenly comes to fighting, they stumble,
Wobble, trip over their own feet, and roll onto their comrades’ tables.
The drinks and snacks on the table spill onto the ground.
Once that happens, no one but rats and bugs will enjoy that booze or food.
And next comes—
“Hey! What the hell are you doing with my drink?!”
An inevitable angry shout.
A bearded man rises, kicking aside the now rubble-like table.
“You shouldn’t have been drinking there in the first place!”
An irrational retort.
And so, the brawl spreads.
How foolish.
These are the very bandits I so dearly… never mind, I lied.
I don’t love them. Not even a little.
It’s a total chaos.
Seizing the opportunity, I sneaked over to the captured girl and whispered,
“Shh~… stay quiet. Got it?”
The young apprentice girl nodded eagerly.
I lifted her up and quietly stole her away.
What do you call it when you re-kidnap someone who’s already been kidnapped?
Well, that doesn’t matter now.
The hideout has become a maelstrom of fighting, and no one can stop it.
Not even the boss.
This base is an eco-friendly facility, as we’ve repurposed an old goblins’ den.
Because of that, it’s not too complicated, so getting her up to the surface isn’t that hard.
When we reached the entrance, I set her down and pressed a small purse from my pocket into her hand.
“Missy, just head straight from here, and you’ll be outside. There are no guards around. Once outside, you’ll see a big tree, head for that. It’ll lead you to the main road.”
“W-why are you helping me…?”
“Why? Well, if you stayed in there, you’d definitely die.”
It’s not the most satisfying answer, but we don’t have time for a chat.
“Once you’re on the main road, a carriage or two should pass by; it’s a major route. Call out desperately and use everything in the purse to pay them; they’ll help you out, got it?”
She still looked like she wanted an answer, but we’re out of time.
“Please, be a good girl and listen to me,” I urged her.
Her eyes are full of worry.
She probably wanted me to go with her, but I can’t do that.
Footsteps.
Heavy, angry footsteps echoing closer.
“... Ah, someone’s coming this way. Go, quickly now.”
“T-thank you…!!”
And off she goes.
As for why I let her go, well, by now, the hall must be an all-out brawl.
It’s a matter of getting trampled to death or assaulted and killed.
And I don’t have the confidence or strength to survive that kind of free-for-all.
So, I let her escape.
Besides, even if I die and come back, there’s no convenient rule that lets me keep my gear.
So, giving her what I have now isn’t a big deal, is it?
The purse is light anyway; there’s probably only a token amount in it.
But hey, it’s not like—
“You, where’s the girl?!”
“Girl? Nah, haven’t seen her.”
I feign ignorance.
She just escaped, but if he didn’t see it, why not play dumb?
The more I stall, the more time I buy.
“You didn’t let her escape, did you?!”
“No way, I wouldn’t waste something that valuable. The guy making a fuss earlier probably dragged her into the bedroom, no?”
“Unbelievable, you…!”
A steel sword swung down toward me.
At the same moment, I drew my dagger and thrust it at him.
It’s a draw.
I die.
He dies too.
See? This is why you should let the victims escape.
Everyone here is a perpetrator.
And as for me, well, when I die...
What do you think about this chapter?
