Year 133_Keireki Era_Summer/01
"Leave the archer to me."
The first to move was Lukarsi, focusing her spirit through her staff and releasing an arrow of flame.
Magic.
Magic that requires talent to master—a threshold too high for most bandits. Yet, precisely because it's so rare in their ranks, it's powerful.
Unlike my thrown stones or their arrows, her spell seemed to have some tracking ability after launch, ensuring it couldn't be dodged by an average bandit.
"Arghhhh!!"
Just like that, the bandit was engulfed in a pillar of fire.
Meanwhile, Yalba charged forward with his ax, with Wiminea following close behind, shielding his back.
A rustling in the upper branches caught my attention.
Another archer.
I quickly grabbed a stone and threw it, hitting the archer dead-on. He fell, dead upon impact.
Throwing stones can be surprisingly effective, don’t you think?
The downside is, without a good stone, I'm helpless.
But fortunately, there’s no shortage of suitable stones around here.
After that, I aimed to pick off the bandits trying to surround Yalba and Wiminea, throwing stones to control their attention and pick them off when possible.
"Lukarsi, any magic left?"
"I can't manage another like that, but I could do a few weaker spells."
"Then target anyone heading toward us together with me."
"Understood."
With the bandits aware that she couldn’t cast major spells continuously, they charged our way.
Thanks to our earlier coordination, Lukarsi and I effectively eliminated them one by one.
Meanwhile, Yalba and Wiminea were also thinning their ranks.
Yalba swung his ax in wide arcs, causing bandits to hesitate, which Wiminea took advantage of to strike with her mace.
It was quite the combo.
"Curse you adventurers! I’ll make you regret this!!"
With a furious roar at his subordinates’ incompetence, their leader finally joined the fray.
Large and intimidating, he carried a level of menace beyond mere appearances.
Despite his size, he wielded a spear, giving off an unexpectedly disciplined aura, more fitting for a warrior than a bandit leader.
The experience gap began to show, as our front-liners struggled to hold against his furious attacks.
Now, only the leader remained.
"Think you can still cast something, Lukarsi?"
"... Sorry, I’m all out."
Seems magic has its limits, too, like any other physical exertion.
"Got it. Be ready to escape at any moment."
"... Alright."
She agreed after a brief hesitation, signaling her trust in my judgment.
It’s wise to befriend a flexible-minded mage for the future—whether that future is short or long.
I unsheathed my dagger and ran to support the front line.
I could keep throwing stones, but by the time I found another good one, the fight might already be over.
"Die, you damned adventurers!"
Yalba was starting to get pushed back by the spear’s sharp thrusts.
Wiminea managed to block potential fatal blows with her shield, but they were both sustaining injuries.
Whenever they tried to retaliate, the leader kept them at bay with his spear’s reach, showing the practiced technique of someone who had likely trained long and hard.
If I dawdled, Wiminea’s defenses would finally falter.
The leader, ruthless as he was, didn’t let such an opening go to waste and thrust forward.
“Watch out!”
Without much thought, I moved reflexively.
Such a strike, when it lands, doesn’t just stab you—it feels like getting hit by a massive body blow.
I know because I’ve “died” a million times… in theory, at least.
The spear pierced through me, and I could feel my life slipping away.
With one last action, I gripped his spear tightly.
“Do it… Yalba…”
Yalba understood, and with a determined swing, he brought his ax down, splitting the leader's head in two.
The leader died instantly, unable to even scream.
"Our… first victory… right?"
I grinned as darkness claimed me.
Maybe if I had continued as an adventurer, we’d have had fun times together.
Regret lingered, but my life wasn’t even worth a dime.
Compared to theirs, the weight of my life… couldn’t even begin to compare.
"Wiminea, please… a prayer… for Gram…!"
"I'm sorry… Gram is… already gone."
"No… if only I had been stronger…"
Lukarsi slowly approached and sat by Gram's lifeless body.
"If only… I could’ve cast a few more spells… I’m sorry… Gram…"
"Gram, if I had handled my shield better… or if I had mastered more prayers…"
Wiminea joined Lukarsi, expressing her grief.
Yalba, having steeled himself, collected 'Proof of Defeat' from the slain bandits and then carefully lifted Gram’s body.
"We can't just leave him here. He saved us… a hero deserves a proper farewell."
The two girls nodded in agreement.
Such battles and their aftermaths aren’t uncommon.
Especially in the world of adventurers, these tales are practically a dime a dozen.
But for those involved, it becomes one of those rare, treasured memories—a reason to continue as adventurers.
What do you think about this chapter?
