Chapter 14: The Unforeseen Reunion

Taking my daughter to find herbs… that was, of course, out of the question. After all, this wasn’t a world of absolute peace. I simply couldn’t bring myself to take Nina herb-gathering; it felt far too risky.

I tossed and turned in bed almost the entire night, deliberating intensely. Ultimately, I decided to leave Nina in the village.

On the day of my departure, I secretly brewed the new medicine I’d made previously. I mixed it into Nina’s breakfast milk, ensuring she’d fall asleep, then carried her to Sara’s home and asked Sara to look after her in my stead for a while.

I fully expected Nina to throw a tantrum once she woke up. Her father had broken a promise, and worse, sent her to a woman she harbored a grudge against. I had no idea what punishment awaited me upon my return.

‘But Nina, my dear, you must understand your father’s intentions. It’s not that I don’t want to take you out to play; it’s simply too dangerous outside. There are monsters, beasts, and bandits everywhere. Your father doesn’t want you to encounter any danger. Please, forgive your father!’

“Alas…”

While I tried to rationalize it, hurting my daughter’s feelings was inevitable. Now, I felt as though I had defied fate, and a terrible divine punishment would descend upon me in the near future.

Why had I been so foolish, so thoughtless, as to agree to such a thing? Wouldn’t it have been better to stay home with my daughter, enjoying each other’s company? Though, that might sound a bit odd.

In any case, I had made the worst possible choice.

***

Today marked my second day of travel. I paused for a brief rest at the edge of a small copse, sitting beneath a tree and letting the despair of abandoning my daughter wash over me.

I had only borrowed a horse from the village chief, packed a small bag of luggage, and set off immediately. If I pushed myself, I could reach my destination in about five days, making the round trip roughly ten days.

According to the map, I’d pass through one or two villages, so food and water wouldn’t be a concern. Finding herbs at Blue Lake would take two days at most.

Given these calculations… I only hoped Nina would endure this half-month, primarily the emotional toll.

“Alright, then!”

Ready to continue my journey, I forced myself to rally my spirits, stood up, and then…

“Ahh!”

“Hmm?”

A scream suddenly echoed from the forest. It sounded like a woman’s voice.

What could one encounter in a forest to elicit such a scream? A wild beast? Or bandits?

I felt that going there would only invite trouble. Saving a life sounded noble, but becoming someone’s benefactor was rarely a pleasant affair.

Beyond accepting their gratitude, there was a high probability of unnecessary complications arising, which would then impede my journey.

I had learned this lesson thoroughly during my quest to defeat the Demon King. So, this time, I would…

“Let’s go.”

I tugged the reins, turning my horse, and followed a small path into the forest.

In the end, I still couldn’t shake off that bad habit of being a hero.

Or perhaps, it was a rule etched into my very soul at birth? Regardless, I couldn’t stand by and watch someone die, even if I wasn’t entirely sure anyone was truly in danger.

***

Deep within the forest, in a clearing, three disheveled men, brandishing large blades, surrounded a girl who lay unconscious on the ground. They seemed to be deliberating something.

“We caught her alright, but hey, what now?”

“What now? We take her back, of course! We’ve snagged a good one here. Take her back to the boss; maybe we’ll even get a reward, hehe!”

“What’s the point of taking her back? This girl has no money on her.”

“No, no, no, look at how she’s dressed. The fabric of her clothes is top-notch. She’s definitely a rich man’s daughter! Take her back as a hostage, and the ransom money will be more than you can imagine!”

“Hmm, you have a point. Let’s take her back then!”

“You idiot! Why rush to take her back? Look, such a tender young thing. If we take her back, the boss will just hog her. How about we…”

“Hey! She looks like just a kid, can you really bring yourself to do that?”

“What kid? Look at her figure; she’s just a little short, that’s all. And a rich man’s daughter must be pure as jade. She’s definitely a virgin. Doing her would be completely different from those hussies we’ve had before, right?”

One of them winked, and the other two, understanding his meaning, exchanged lewd grins, agreeing to the proposal. Their gazes converged on the girl’s body.

What they intended to do next was painfully obvious. One of the men had already reached out his hands toward the girl’s skirt.

***

Bandits, again? Such fools.

I tied my horse to a tree by the path, then pulled out my ‘Prism’ and activated its scan. Soon after, I detected the situation unfolding here.

Now, hidden behind a tree not far from the three men, I overheard their conversation and learned their intentions. My next course of action was crystal clear.

This world truly wasn’t peaceful. How had I stumbled upon such a situation again? It truly confirmed that leaving Nina in the village was the correct decision. And this time, the girl was extremely fortunate that someone happened to pass by.

Still, seeing how beautifully she was dressed, why would she come to a place like this?

However, none of that concerned me. It was time to act.

[156]

I entered the command into the ‘Prism,’ and a hand crossbow materialized in my grasp. Stepping out, I aimed at one of the bandits. Before his hand could touch the girl’s skirt, I fired an arrow.

“Ah!”

The unexpected arrow successfully pierced the bandit’s outstretched hand. I watched him clutch his wrist, falling to the ground and wailing, my heart completely unmoved.

“W-what’s going on!”

“You… who are you!”

The other two noticed me, drawing their long blades again. They took a few steps toward me, adopting a fighting stance.

“You brat! You dare provoke us? Are you tired of living?! Do you even know who we are!” one of them roared at me.

I didn’t know, nor did I pay them any mind. I casually tossed the hand crossbow behind me and entered another command.

[382]

Hmm… they were a good distance from the girl, so she shouldn’t get hurt. I then added another command.

[000]

The long red crystal bar on the left side of the ‘Prism’ reacted. Its lowest end emitted a red glow that gradually ascended, slowly filling the entire red bar with a faint light.

“Hey! You goddamn…”

“Watch out.”

I warned them, then casually flicked my wrist, throwing the ‘Prism’ straight up. The two bandits’ gazes followed the ‘Prism’ from my hand to the sky… then back down to my hand, where I safely caught it.

“Hmph,” I sighed, disappointed by their performance, and said with disdain,

“I told you to watch out. Why do you keep staring at this box? You’re supposed to be professional bandits, aren’t you? What if I shot another arrow at you in that moment? Pay attention to your enemy’s movements. At your skill level, ten heads wouldn’t be enough for you.”

“You brat! How dare you mock us!”

‘What do you mean ‘mock’? You’re just too stupid,’ I thought to myself.

“Why waste so much breath on him! Just charge!”

“Watch out!”

As they took a step forward, I still called out that warning. With a powerful flick, I threw the ‘Prism’ upward again, then adopted a combat stance.

“!!”

Seeing me face them empty-handed, the two bandits immediately hesitated, stopping in their tracks and warily observing my movements.

Now that’s more like it. Bandits should always remain vigilant. Seeing an opponent so confident, they shouldn’t act rashly.

Of course, I wasn’t praising them; I was thanking them for their cooperation—their cooperation in how I would defeat them.

“…I meant, watch your step,” I told them a few seconds later.

“You brat! Are you treating us like children?”

“…”

I didn’t answer him, looking instead at their feet.

“Uh…”

One of the bandits wavered, following my gaze to his feet. The other, seeing his companion do so, also looked down suspiciously.

Click!

The ‘Prism’ fell from above, landing precisely where their gazes were focused.

[FULL CHARGE]

The red bar on the left was now fully illuminated, and the ‘Prism’ emitted a sound, then…

BOOM!

The ‘Prism’ exploded at their feet, blasting a large crater and sending the two bandits flying.

“Oh~”

I watched them soar into the air, tracing perfect parabolas. I could faintly hear their screams before they landed in the distance.

Whether they lived or died, I didn’t care. Being able to personally punish this gang of scoundrels, and having a bit of fun while doing so, certainly improved my mood.

Naturally, I also needed sufficient time for the ‘Prism’ to recharge.

[382] was the explosion command, which wouldn’t destroy the ‘Prism’ but would cause a physical explosion. [000] was the charging command, which could enhance the explosion’s effect based on its progress.

So, what I did just now wasn’t entirely about trying to fool them.

However, it just goes to show that those two fools truly had no talent for banditry. I had told them to watch out, to watch their feet, yet they stood there dumbfounded. Besides, I was empty-handed; they could have just charged at me with their blades.

“Sigh, truly idiotic.”

I shook my head, walked over to pick up the ‘Prism,’ then looked at the girl.

Thankfully, she hadn’t been caught in the blast. My distance estimation was correct, a testament to the combat experience I’d accumulated during my journey.

“?!”

However, I then noticed that one bandit was missing. He had escaped at some point.

Well, no matter. It was fine that he ran. After all, my only goal was to save the girl; punishing them was merely a convenient outlet for my anger. I simply couldn’t stand the act of defiling women.

“Ahh!”

“Hey! You brat!”

But just as I was letting my guard down, the girl’s scream rang out again, along with the bandit’s threatening voice, right behind me.

Could it be that the bandit had captured the girl’s companion and returned to threaten me? If so, that would indeed be troublesome.

But this voice… why did it sound somewhat familiar?

I turned around to face the bandit who had appeared behind me, and the girl whose throat he clutched, a long blade pressed against her.

“Papa!”

“Uh… Nina?!”