Chapter 14: Troublesome Fools and Changing Scenery
After parting ways with the caravan, Rowena and I were alone again.
Rowena held the bag of baked sweets the merchants had given her as if it were something precious.
From time to time, she would take one out and eat it slowly, savoring each bite.
âRowena, do you like sweets?â
When I asked, she said nothing.
Instead, she took one of the baked treats and offered it to me with a small nod.
That simple gesture conveyed both that she liked sweets and that she wanted to share them with me.
I smiled, accepted it, and took a bite.
It was simple in flavor, but gently sweet.
âThanks. Itâs good. When we get to the city, maybe weâll try other sweet things. A big city should have all sorts of shops.â
At my suggestion, Rowena nodded eagerly, almost cutting me off.
Seeing her sparkling eyes made me think, just a little, that I was glad I had brought her along.
But a journey isnât made of sweet pastries alone.
That night,
as we were preparing camp a short distance from the highway, as usual,
I sensed multiple presences.
They were not the presence of beasts, but clearly human.
And they carried malice.
âŚBandits.
How troublesome.
I clicked my tongue inwardly.
Why did unnecessary things always happen?
Well, I had been somewhat wary ever since parting from the caravan.
I lit the campfire and wrapped Rowena in a blanket to let her sleep.
Fortunately, she must have been tired, because she fell asleep quickly.
She didnât seem to notice the approaching presences.
In the darkness, four shadows emerged from beside the trees.
Men.
Weapons in hand.
âWell, well. A little kid and just one man? Thatâs easy pickings.â
âCouldnât touch the caravan, but this makes up for it.â
They must have seen us split from the caravan at the fork and followed.
Idiots.
ââŚSorry. Iâm not in a good mood right now.â
I quietly placed my hand on the hilt of my sword.
The bandits grinned mockingly at my words.
They were underestimating me.
One of them lunged first.
He raised his sword and charged in a straightforward thrust.
Tch. Truly stupid.
I didnât move.
Just as the banditâs blade neared meâ
Sshk.
The sound of my sword leaving its sheath was like a breath.
A flash.
My blade pierced his heart precisely.
He couldnât even cry out before collapsing.
âWhat!?â
The remaining three froze.
The sneers vanished from their faces, replaced by fear.
âYou bastard!â
The one who seemed to be their leader charged at me, shouting.
But he was only slightly better than the first.
Slash.
I casually swung my blade and cut him down in one stroke.
The dull sensation of slicing flesh.
Compared to the drake, it felt terribly soft.
Two down in an instant.
The remaining two had completely lost their will to fight.
They screamed and fled into the forest, scrambling over one another.
âHey, wait!â
One shouted, but the other didnât even look back and vanished into the darkness.
âŚTroublesome. Letting them escape left a bad taste.
I picked up the sword one of the fallen bandits had dropped.
Then I hurled it toward the nearer of the two fleeing menâthe first to run.
Whun.
The sword cut through the night air and flew as if drawn into it.
From the distance came a strangled sound, like a crushed frog.
Then a dull thud of something hitting the ground.
Only the sound of the last bandit running through the trees remained.
Well, one man alone would never cross paths with me again in this vast world.
He didnât know my face.
Even if we met somewhere, he wouldnât recognize me.
That was enough trouble for one night.
Leaving the corpses would attract other monsters with the smell.
Troublesome, but unavoidable.
I grabbed the fallen bandits one by one and dragged their bodies away from the campsite, throwing them deeper into the forest.
Blood might remain on the ground, but in this darkness, it wouldnât be seen.
When I returned, Rowena was still sleeping soundly.
Fortunately, she hadnât noticed the sounds of battle.
I added more wood to the fire, and quiet returned to the night.
Morning came, and Rowena woke.
As I prepared breakfast by the fire, she looked toward the highway and began gesturing to me.
She must have noticed the scent of blood, or perhaps the faint stains on the ground.
Through gestures, she asked if something had happened last night.
I said nothing.
I simply stroked the pommel of my sword.
Then I gently patted her head and told her only,
âItâs alright.â
Rowena seemed to understand and asked nothing more.
After that, the journey continued.
The scenery gradually changed.
Beyond the hills, scattered houses became visible in the distance.
The signs of human life drew nearer.
We began to see farmers tilling fields and livestock grazing.
The number of people along the highway increased as well.
Everyone was likely heading toward Norest.
There was a growing sense of liveliness.
Aside from the incident with the bandits, we encountered no major troubles and made steady progress.
Rowenaâs eyes sparkled at each new sight, and she eagerly tried to share them with me.
And then, at lastâ
Far in the distance, we saw structures rising like towers.
That must be Norest.
As we approached, more buildings came into view, and the great walled city revealed itself.
A milestone in the journey.
I took Rowenaâs hand and began walking toward the gates of Norest.
Even from outside the walls, the cityâs bustle could be felt.