Chapter 40

The two guards protecting Chelina were strong.

One of the bandits tried to shoot an arrow, but it was easily knocked down with a spear, and in the meantime, the other guard closed in. The bandits, who had hastily formed a line, saw one of their own fall to the ground, writhing in pain after being struck by a spear in the shoulder.

I had been worried because there were six bandits, but it seemed as if they were no match at all. Every time the guards closed in, the bandits had no choice but to retreat.

"Wow, they're strong."

"...That's odd."

Chelina's comment was the complete opposite of my thoughts.

"What's odd about it?"

"Well, if they were residents of this city, they would know how foolish it is to make enemies with Veriello. Even if they were passing bandits, they wouldn't attack armed soldiers. If they were going to attack, they would choose a weaker merchant for sure."

"That's true, but... maybe they were just stupid..."

"There's also the possibility of impulsive crime..."

After thinking in silence for a while, Chelina suddenly stood up and jumped out of the carriage. Her movement was so natural that there was no time to stop her.

"Hey! Chelina!"

"Miss?!"

My companion, Melville, and I shouted at the same time.

"...Is someone there?! Come out! You scoundrel!"

Chelina ignored us and shouted with her chest puffed out.

I tumbled out of the carriage and tried to pull Chelina back, but an arrow "Thud!" pierced the ground between us.

"Whoa?!"

I lost my balance and fell over.

"There!"

Chelina, with a supple movement like an animal, swung a thin red chain wrapped around her body with both hands. She struck the bandit hiding behind a rock with a movement that could be mistaken for a rhythmic ribbon. The bandit, who let out a cry like a large dog being kicked, rolled out from behind the rock.

"Wha?!"

I couldn't help but let out a strange sound.

When Chelina flicked her wrist, the chain drew waves in the air and wrapped around the bandit's neck, resembling a large red snake.

"Whoosh!"

With a shout, she pulled the man, who was foaming at the mouth, in front of her.

It was hard to believe it happened so quickly. Chelina, with her large chest shaking, stomped on the man's face.

"Scoundrel!"

"Gah!"

The man, dressed in dirty clothes and holding a crossbow, was forced to kiss the ground. Chelina, as if to deliver a final blow, dug into the back of his head with the sole of her boot.

The event was so sudden that my mind went blank, but I hurriedly ran to Chelina.

"Are you okay?!"

"This is nothing."

I sighed in relief and looked down at the man foaming and unconscious under her feet.

"What are these guys...?"

"Probably newly arrived ruffians. It's common for such people to be hired to attack us."

"Common...?"

Suddenly...

It was just a slight shift in my gaze. I thought I saw the ground behind Chelina sharply reflect the twilight for a moment.

The action that followed was not conscious.

"Chelina!"

"What?"

I don't know why I took such an action without hesitation. When I realized it, I had already tackled her to the ground.

"Miss!"

Melville, who had gotten out of the carriage and approached us, shouted.

Then two voices overlapped.

"Master Akira?!"

"Damn it!"

One was Chelina's scream. I had pushed her to the ground, and her face was right in front of me. Drops of bright red blood dripped onto her cheek.

My cheek felt hot.

When I touched it with my fingers, pain shot through me, and my fingers were covered in blood.

The other voice came from the ground a short distance away. A man, hidden under a cloth stained with dry earth, sprang up, threw away his crossbow and net, and drew his sword from his waist.

Oh, this is bad.

I thought, but Akira and Chelina were lying on the ground in an embrace, and there was no way to escape. All I could do was hold Chelina tightly and protect her from the man's sword, which was coming at us with a fierce expression.

"Miss!!"

The sound of metal clashing rang loudly in my ears.

"Out of the way, old man!"

"I'm not that old!"

Two more strikes, then three, the sound of sword clashes continued.

"Ugh!" "Gah!" "Guh!"

The man let out a series of screams.

And finally, the sound of his death cry and his fall continued. The reason I only heard the sound was that I had my eyes closed and was holding Chelina tightly.

And then...

"Master Akira... it's... about time..."

Chelina whispered softly in my ear.

"Miss! Are you hurt?!"

Melville's voice came from above.

Only then did I realize we were safe.

As the strength left my body, Melville pulled us apart and checked to make sure Chelina was not injured.

"Phew... I was careless."

"Miss! You scared me to death! I told you not to take such risks!"

"I'm sorry, but as you can see, I'm fine. Thanks to Master Akira."

Melville, who was getting up, looked down at me with a complex expression.

When I looked to the side, I saw a corpse on the dry ground, its black blood soaking into the earth. I averted my gaze and stood up. Melville efficiently restrained the other survivor.

The remaining bandits, noticing this, fled in a panic. One of the guards caught the bandit who had fallen with a shoulder injury and brought him back. The other was on horseback, keeping watch. Neither seemed inclined to pursue.

"Sorry, Miss! Are you hurt?"

"Would you think I could be harmed by such a person?"

"N-no, I know of your skills, but it's dangerous, and I told you many times..."

"There's no problem."

"...Yes, I was at fault for not noticing the enemy's feint. I will accept any punishment."

"Your capture will offset it. Try harder."

"Thank you!"

The guard bowed, and the one on horseback returned.

"Miss, we can proceed now. The city walls are in sight, so let's hurry through the gate."

The two guards efficiently tied up the two bandits and put them on horses, leading them by the reins.

"Let's hurry."

"Understood."

When Chelina and I got back in the carriage, Melville set the horses in motion. The rough road made the carriage jolt and shake, but we reached the city quickly.

Finally, I let out a sigh of relief, and Chelina chuckled.

"That kind of thing is a daily occurrence, Master Akira."

"Really?"

"Really."

She answered with a very charming smile.

But...

The red chain wrapped around her chest like a cross entered my field of vision...

Scary. Women are truly scary creatures.

I was reminded of this once again.

Well, we safely reached the guild, and I entrusted Chelina to the people inside. I warned her a few times to be more careful.

I was surprised that Chelina could fight, but there was no need for her to take unnecessary risks. I tried to ask a young apprentice, who was running around busily inside the guild, to keep an eye on her and gave him some coins, but he indignantly said, "We will protect Miss without being asked!" and refused to take the coins. I was left standing there, taken aback. I realized that not everyone in this world is greedy for money; there are also people with a sense of duty and honor.

In fact, I might be the one who is corrupt for relying on money. I felt a bit depressed.

There are many strong employees in the guild, so nothing should happen to Chelina.

I decided to head back to the inn, regaining my composure.

The guild and the inn are in a relatively close area, so there's no need to go out onto the main street. You can reach the inn quickly by going through a narrow back alley. Usually, there are many people at this time, but today there was no one.

An empty alleyway reminds me of my childhood.

I was thinking about such trivial matters when...

Two men with bad looks blocked the way ahead.

Their eyes were abnormally sharp.

This... feels bad. The pressure from these men is much greater than from the bandits earlier. My internal alarm is ringing at full volume.

In such a situation, you can't just stand there. I immediately turned to run, but it was too late. Another pair of men had already blocked the way behind me.

At this point, I clearly understood that I was the target.

Even in a back alley, I had been using this route for a few days. It's impossible for no one to be around at this time. Why didn't I notice earlier? This is not a safe and secure Japan!

There's one more thing to consider: why I was targeted.

The most likely reason is my appearance. A white shirt, neatly dressed pants, and expensive glasses.

Just by looking at my attire, it's easy to assume I have money.

Another possibility is that I was seen coming out of the Veriello guild. It's not unreasonable to assume that someone negotiating with Veriello has money.

"Ah... do you need something?"

I tried to make a natural smile, but it failed. I could tell my smile was strained.

Their response was to draw sharp knives from their pockets. No room for negotiation.

"I get it! I'll give you the money! Just wait a moment!"

Money is less important than life!

Fortunately, even if I was stripped of everything and gave all my gold, the inn fees were already paid, and I could still receive money as Chelina's advisor. The topic of consulting fees had never been discussed, but I planned to have her buy some items from my shop as a favor. There was also the matter of the potatoes from the Pig King. Even if I ended up penniless, I could manage. So I decided to hand over the money without hesitation.

I reached into the jute bag hanging from my waist and grabbed about twenty gold coins, scattering them on the ground. It wasn't because I was stingy; that's all I could grab with one hand.

I scattered them to create an opportunity to escape while they picked them up.

However...

The man ignored the gold coins and ran at me in a low stance.

The dull, gleaming blade of the knife slowly approached my body.