“...What in the world did you do?”
The Bandit Leader stared, unable to believe his eyes.
What this boy—who looked no older than his mid-teens—had just accomplished was utterly beyond the realm of common sense. Even for a man like the leader, who had spent years in the underworld and was well-versed in its secrets, the feat of running through the air was a first.
“Well, I wonder. Regardless, I have no intention of letting you walk away from here.”
Rei readied his Death Scythe, his Magic Shield hovering beside him like a loyal attendant as he fixed his gaze on the Bandit Leader and his two retainers.
“Leaving your subordinates behind to die while you tuck tail and run... Is that any way for a leader to behave?”
“S-Shut your mouth! A thief’s only duty is to survive! You two, get him! Together! If we can just take this brat down, we’re home free!”
The leader bellowed at his men, gripping his own Giant War Axe with white-knuckled intensity.
“Heh, so you still have some fight left in you. Well, it doesn't matter. Our objective is the total annihilation of this Bandit Gang. Whether you run, surrender, or fight to the death, the outcome remains the same.”
“Shut up! You think we’re scared just because you can fly? Come on!”
“Yeah!”
“Tch, let's just get this over with!”
The two retainers brandished their longsword and spear, charging Rei from both sides.
The man with the spear utilized his weapon’s superior reach, lunging for Rei’s torso while staying out of his allies' way. Simultaneously, the second man swung his sword in a low arc toward Rei’s legs from the right. Finally, the Bandit Leader brought his prized Giant War Axe down in a crushing blow intended to split Rei’s skull.
“Your teamwork is pathetic.”
Rei parried the spear thrust with his magic-infused Death Scythe, severing the spearhead in the process. In a fluid motion, he flicked the shaft of his weapon upward to bat away the incoming sword strike. As for the leader’s axe, it crashed harmlessly against the shimmering surface of his Magic Shield.
“What?!”
Someone let out a strangled cry of shock. Rei didn't stop to see who. He swung the Death Scythe in a brutal arc, decapitating the man with the sword before stepping forward. With a lightning-fast return stroke, he bisected the man with the spear from the crown of his head down, splitting the body in two.
The swordsman collapsed as blood geysered from his neck, while the spearman’s halves slumped to the ground, trailing gore and viscera across the stone floor.
“W-What did you do?!”
The Bandit Leader was less horrified by the death of his retainers than he was by the ease with which his own strike had been thwarted. He scrambled backward, desperately resetting his stance with the Giant War Axe.
His boots skidded through the blood and organs of his fallen men, but he was too frantic to notice. He searched wildly for any opening in Rei’s defense.
“I wonder,” Rei replied coolly.
He glanced at the Magic Shield as it dissipated into mist. He could have redeployed it, but he suspected the leader would realize it was some form of magic. Instead, he gave the Death Scythe a sharp flick to clear the blade of blood before leveling the tip at the leader’s throat.
“Guh... Damn it! Damn it all! Everything was going so well until you showed up! If you hadn’t come, this never would have happened!”
The leader screamed, swinging his axe in wide, desperate arcs. Trapped with no way out, he had finally succumbed to a blind, hysterical rage.
Rei watched the display with a look of pure exasperation.
“If you hated the idea of being hunted so much, you should have found honest work. Is it only okay when you’re the one doing the killing? Do you think you’re exempt from being the victim?”
“Shut up, you brat! How dare you lecture your elders! Just get out of my way!”
The war axe came down once more. It was a heavy blow, but it lacked speed, precision, and soul. It was nothing more than the thrashing of a cornered animal.
“...How pathetic. Reflect on your sins... and die.”
Rei caught the axe with the handle of his scythe and knocked it aside. In the same motion, he delivered a horizontal slash that sent the leader’s head spinning through the air.
The headless torso stood for several seconds before collapsing in a spray of crimson.
Confirmed the kill, Rei turned back toward the main hall. The chaotic melee had already reached its conclusion; every last thief had been reduced to a corpse.
“Well then. That takes care of that.”
Rei gave his Death Scythe one final flourish to clean the blade. Normally, he would begin the dismantling process at this point, but there were no materials to be harvested from humans. There was no need for such morbid work.
(Though I suppose I have no problem dismantling Orcs, which are demi-humans. I guess this is just a lingering human sentiment.)
“It’s over, then. I didn't expect to take on thirty of them at once... What’s the next move?”
Superbia approached Rei, his expression professional and calm.
“Right. Gather the bodies in the center of the hall.”
“Huh? Why do we have to do something so tedious?” Arrogan grumbled, sounding thoroughly annoyed.
The shock he had felt after taking his first human life seemed to have vanished, replaced by post-combat irritation.
(No, he’s just riding the adrenaline. Tonight will be the real test.)
Whether Arrogan could truly live with the weight of his actions remained to be seen. If he could, he would continue as an adventurer. If not, this might be his last quest.
“Think about it. What happens if we leave thirty corpses to rot in here?” Rei asked.
“Well, they’ll stink and decay, obviously.”
“...Exactly.”
“Hah? So what?”
Rei let out a long sigh of exasperation. Schola stepped in to explain in his stead.
“If we leave the bodies like this, there’s a chance they’ll rise as Undead—Zombies or Skeletons. Didn't you know that? Plus, rotting remains breed pestilence. We’re two days from Gilm, so the city might be safe, but we can't risk a plague spreading through the region.”
“Fine, fine! I get it! Pile the bodies. Then what?”
Rei stored his Death Scythe in his Misty Ring and began dragging the leader’s corpse toward the center.
“Simple. I’m going to burn them. I’ll incinerate them until not even a bone remains.”
“...! Got it.”
Whatever Arrogan saw in Rei’s eyes, it was enough to make him recoil. He hurriedly began dragging the retainers' bodies to the center. Schola, Superbia, and Filma followed suit, silently piling the thieves' remains in a heap.
Rei noticed Schola turning bright red from the physical exertion.
“Schola, that’s enough. Go find Culotte and Gran. Tell them the Bandit Subjugation is complete. Then, tell Culotte to begin checking the warehouse.”
“Ah, yeah. Got it.”
As a pure mage, Schola wasn't built for heavy lifting. More importantly, Rei knew the boy had just killed for the first time. The adrenaline might be masking the trauma for now, but once he slowed down, the weight of it would hit him.
“You’re quite kind, aren't you?” Filma whispered into Rei’s ear.
Rei shook his head with a wry smile.
“Not really. He’s a mage; he’s useless for manual labor anyway. Our efficiency won't change whether he stays or goes.”
“...I'm a rearguard too, you know.”
“You’re a Ranger. You have more stamina than Schola just from hauling that bow around, right?”
Filma laughed, but she didn't let him off the hook. As compensation for her 'wounded maidenly heart,' she made Rei promise to provide her with a batch of fresh cookies once they returned to the City of Gilm.
“The cave has gone quiet,” Culotte whispered.
She remained crouched in the shadow of the watchtower outside the hideout.
“Culotte-san, is your arm alright?” a young merchant in his twenties asked in a hushed, worried tone.
Culotte’s right arm bore a shallow gash from a blade, currently bound with a makeshift cloth bandage. She had brought a single Potion with her, but one of the captured merchants had been severely injured during the initial bandit raid. She had used her only medicine on him, leaving her own wound to be treated with simple first aid.
“I’m fine. If we can recover your cargo, there should be more potions in the crates.”
“I’m so sorry,” an older merchant in his forties added. He was the one Culotte had healed. His clothes were soaked in blood from his earlier wound, but the Potion had closed the injury completely. “You saved us from those bastards and even gave up your own medicine. We owe you a debt we can never fully repay.”
Having the merchants by her side gave Culotte a sense of purpose. Guarding them, as Rei had ordered, allowed her to suppress the guilt and lingering fear of having killed the guard inside the jail.
Suddenly, her ears caught the sound of approaching footsteps. Reflexively, she drew her dagger and tensed. The two merchants shrank back into the shadows to avoid being in her way.
“Oh, it's just you,” Culotte said, her shoulders slumping as she recognized the gait.
“Culotte-san?”
“Missy?”
Culotte smiled at the two men and nodded reassuringly. “It’s okay. It’s one of mine.”
A moment later, Schola poked his head out from the cave entrance, scanning the area.
“Culotte! I’m glad you’re safe... wait, you’re hurt! Hold on.”
Seeing the bloody bandage on her arm, Schola hurried over and readied his staff.
“If you would. I guess I was a bit more tense than I thought. I made a clumsy mistake.”
“That sounds like you. Here goes.”
They shared a small, weary smile. Both realized that the other had just crossed the line into killing another human being for the first time. The smile was a silent pact of mutual support.
Schola focused his mind, channeling his energy into Culotte’s arm as he began the incantation.
“O water, grant healing to this person with the magic power of benevolence. Aqua Healing!”
A soft blue light gathered at the tip of his staff before flowing into Culotte’s arm. The throbbing pain vanished instantly. She unwound the cloth to find perfectly smooth, unmarred skin.
“Whoa... the lad can use recovery magic? That’s impressive,” the middle-aged merchant remarked.
Schola turned a bright shade of red at the praise. Culotte chuckled, her smile becoming more genuine.
“So, why are you out here?”
“Right, almost forgot. Rei wants you to check the warehouse.”
“I see. So the bandits are dealt with?”
“Yeah. Everyone was incredible. Especially Rei—he must have some kind of magic item, because he was literally running through the air.”
“...He’s an outlier as always. Well, let's get moving. You come with me just in case. And you two, follow us. You want your cargo back, don’t you?”
The merchants stared at her in shock. Typically, recovered goods were held until a fee was paid to the guild or the adventurers.
Culotte waved off their concerns as she led the way back into the cave.
“Rei’s the Party Leader, and he isn't the type to be stingy about something like this. ...Well, Arrogan might complain, I suppose.”
“He probably will,” Schola agreed with a grin. “But Arrogan can't say no to Rei.”
“True enough. Come on, let's go.”
The two merchants followed tentatively, while Schola brought up the rearmost position, his eyes sharp as he scanned for any stragglers.
(I appreciate the sentiment, but that’s a slight demerit,) Gran thought to himself.
He had been watching the entire exchange while keeping his presence hidden.
(Even if she intends to return the goods, she should have cleared it with Rei first.)
Despite the technicality, Gran found himself personally impressed by her combat skills and the compassion she showed to the rescued merchants. In his mental ledger, her score remained high.