Year 141_Keireki Era_Spring/09
Yo.
It's me, the guy who knows he's unlucky.
Yeah, I fully admit my luck's terrible, but still—I gotta say it.
Man, my luck is awful.
Suou and I finally arrived at our destination, the so-called North Tuiknok.
It’s a place bigger than a village, with some semblance of trade going on.
But calling it a 'town' feels like a bit of a stretch due to its modest size.
Maybe that’s why it’s such an attractive target for bandits.
Even so, I’ve never heard of this place being wiped off the map because of raids.
That’s probably because, as small as it is, a town like this is bound to have some form of defense.
This place supposedly split off from the main city of Tuiknok.
Considering the size of the main city, you’d expect even this smaller offshoot to have a decent self-defense force... or so I thought.
“Whaaat the hell... is this...?”
Suou muttered as she stared at the scene, utterly dumbfounded.
“Is this a trend or something?”
I couldn’t help but voice my thoughts.
The town was under attack by a horde of bandits.
At a glance, there were about thirty of them.
That’s quite the force, but yeah, you’d need at least that many to overrun a village.
… Didn’t I say something similar not too long ago?
The real issue, though, is the self-defense squad.
They’re *pitifully* weak.
One after another, they were getting slaughtered by the bandits.
Their equipment didn’t seem too bad, but their stances were shaky, their attacks lacked strength, and their morale crumbled at the first angry shout from their enemies.
“They’re so weak, it’s hard to believe they’re a defense force...”
“They’re weak as hell...”
Maybe this area’s been so peaceful they never really needed a proper defense force.
But seriously, not a single person in the group looks even remotely competent.
No one seemed capable of using magic or specialized techniques, either.
Eventually, their defensive line was breached, and the bandits began pouring into the town.
Cries for help rang out from the townsfolk.
"… Damn it."
Suou's face twisted into a mix of frustration and anguish.
“What’s wrong?”
“Ahhh, screw it! I can’t just stand here watching! This is straight-up bullying the weak!”
She suddenly stood up and drew her sword.
This wasn’t like when we helped that carriage the other day.
These were confident bandits, bold enough to attack an entire town.
Their numbers and skill were leagues above the small fry we’d been dealing with on the road.
“Zerog, this is where we part ways! Let’s both do our best to survive, yeah? Later!!”
She didn’t even ask me to join her fight this time.
No, she *couldn’t* ask me.
She knew this was going to be a life-or-death battle.
Despite her words about surviving, she charged headfirst into the fray, slashing down one bandit after another.
Her swordsmanship was flawless—cutting through enemies like a storm.
Seriously, why the hell was someone like her even doing bandit work?
… No, wait, she said she wasn’t really a bandit, just a freeloading thug. Could she have actually been a legitimate bodyguard? Maybe she was even charging reasonable rates for her services?
Anyway, Suou was tearing through the bandits, fighting like a whirlwind.
Her skill was undeniably impressive, but... it was still within the realm of human limits.
As the bandits noticed her rampage, they began to focus on her, and little by little, she was pushed into a corner.
"Stop dithering around. You don’t have any of Feli’s potions left, so pull yourself together. ──If this is going to be the end of it all, I might as well make it count."
Muttering to myself, I picked up a nearby rock.
Ah, truly... there are just too many of them.
Why am I always so reckless?
I’m stubborn, vain, and utterly hopeless.
Even when I hide my true self behind my tone and demeanor, my foolishness always shines through.
Why couldn’t I ask Mr. Zerogram...
Why couldn’t I just say, “Please fight with me,” even once?
That man is kind—kind to the point of indulgence.
If I’d asked, he would undoubtedly have helped.
But perhaps it’s precisely because he’s so kind that I was too afraid to depend on him.
His kindness, his indulgence, feels like something that would drive him to throw away his own life without hesitation.
And it’s almost as if he’s looking for an excuse to do so... like his own shadow betrays him.
──No, perhaps I’m no different.
As for the town… It seems the non-combatants have managed to escape safely.
If I’ve bought enough time for that, then it’s enough.
I can’t deny that losing to them stings.
But I don’t regret acting on what I wanted to do.
Now it’s just a matter of how many I can take down with me.
Come, then.
Allow me to show you what it means for a swordswoman to become death incarnate.
Just as I braced myself with that thought—
"O-hoy!"
A bizarre voice echoed out.
"O-hoy!!"
With each shout, the bandits around me were struck down—some with their heads caved in, others flung away like ragdolls.
“Suou! Handle anyone who gets too close! I’m terrible at close combat!”
I couldn’t help but smile.
Truly, truly, this man is...
“That damn Zerog!”
I thought he was just some weird crybaby thug. And yes, that’s exactly what he looked like.
But trusting my gut and talking to him... that was the best decision I’ve ever made!
What do you think about this chapter?
