19. A Sudden Encounter

I’d managed to get my hands on the Pandora Gifts without any trouble. Judging by the time, I should still make it back to the Wildcat Inn before dinner service ended. All I had to do now was head straight home without any more detours. Or so I thought.

Then, by complete chance, I saw them.

A specific group of adventurers.

There was Baldog, the Dwarf shield-user; Laberia, the female archer; Arock, a slender man who favored daggers; and their leader, the mage Ludovis.

They were the ones who had bought me as an illegal slave, only to use me as a decoy in the dungeon.

They were a foul lot, so I shouldn't have been surprised to find them in a place like this, but I never expected to actually run into them.

Fortunately, they didn't seem to have noticed me. In fact, they probably didn't even remember who I was.

Still, seeing them again brought back an old question.

What had they really intended to do by taking a child like me into a dungeon? I’d always assumed I was just a decoy, but was that actually true? A child slave wasn't even a particularly efficient porter. Wouldn't I have been more of a hindrance than a help long before they ever reached a spot to use me as a decoy?

Now that I’d leveled up a bit myself, the reality was clear. The gap in physical ability between a seasoned adventurer and a mere child was massive. Even if the goal was to use someone as bait, the disadvantages of dragging a kid through a dungeon far outweighed the benefits.

Naturally, a child couldn't keep pace with adult adventurers, which slowed the entire party down. Stealth was out of the question, making it far easier for monsters to spot the group. Depending on the floor, there was even the risk of a child accidentally triggering a wide-area trap.

Looking back, it didn't make much sense. Maybe they just had a twisted, despicable streak and enjoyed watching a helpless slave die.

There was one more thing that bothered me.

I wondered what they were doing here. My memories of that time were a blur of confusion—the result of my past life returning all at once combined with the shock of being sold—but I had a feeling the place where they bought me was just like this. A crowded, bustling area in the dead of night.

To be honest, I hated them.

But if you asked me if I wanted revenge, I’d have to say "not really." I was enjoying my life far too much now to waste energy on that. My primary instinct was just to stay as far away from them as possible.

And yet, I couldn't shake my concern. Were they planning to buy another illegal slave, just like they had with me? Would they take them into the dungeon and...

Before I knew it, I was tailing them. I knew that even if I witnessed an illegal slave trade in progress, there wasn't anything I could actually do about it.

As I suspected, their goal was indeed another illegal slave. The man who appeared to be the trader brought out a girl who looked to be about my age. She had a pair of white wings on her back, making her look like a literal angel. A Wingfolk... I’d heard stories that such a race existed, but this was the first time I’d ever seen one in person.

Was I really just going to stand here and watch her be sold? Well, of course I was. If I jumped out now, I’d be restrained in seconds—either killed on the spot or hauled back into slavery. I knew that. And yet—

Just as my body was about to move on its own, a commotion broke out some distance away.

The stir didn't die down; it rippled through the crowd instantly. Angry shouts began to erupt, and I saw people start to bolt in a panic.

"It’s a guard inspection. They’re cracking down on illegal goods."

A voice spoke suddenly from behind me. I spun around to find Dolga-san standing there.

"Dolga-san?! What are you doing here?"

"Well, I’m helping with the raid. It’s easier to infiltrate a place like this if you’re posing as an adventurer, right?"

That made sense. An adventurer wouldn't look out of place at a black market venue. I wasn't sure what kind of connections he had, but it seemed the guards had requested his help. That explained how he knew the exact time and place of the market.

"Oops, no time for chatting. They’re making a run for it."

That’s right!

In the sudden chaos, I’d completely forgotten about Ludovis and his group!

I looked back and saw that, just as Dolga-san said, they had realized what was happening and were preparing to flee. Ludovis was barking orders at the Wingfolk girl.

On pure impulse, I pulled a stone from my Storage Ring and hurled it at Ludovis with everything I had. The stone flew true, clipping him right on the temple. The impact sent him staggering.

"Not bad, kid. I guess I should put in a little work too."

With that, Dolga-san blurred forward at incredible speed. He was on top of Ludovis in the blink of an eye. His right arm flashed as he struck with a dagger held in a reverse grip.

However, the blow was caught by Baldog’s shield. Arock, the other dagger-user, was hovering nearby, waiting for an opening. I couldn't see Laberia, but since she was an archer, she was likely lying in wait somewhere, looking for the perfect shot.

He was outnumbered. As strong as Dolga-san was, even he was at a disadvantage against four opponents at once.

But the tides turned almost immediately. A squad of guards came rushing into the clearing. Suddenly, Ludovis’s party was the one facing a numerical disadvantage.

Realizing the game was up, Ludovis and the others beat a hasty retreat. They were forced to leave the Wingfolk girl behind.

"Tort?"

I was just starting to feel relieved that things had worked out when a familiar voice called my name. I turned to find Rei standing there. Mil and Sally were with her. It seemed the entirety of Glory's Steps had staged an impromptu reunion right in the middle of the black market.