Chapter 6: Sidekick, Cross jump

Let’s not panic. I’m a former 19-year-old virgin man, now a mother of one child. They say if you stay calm, you can survive even in a tiger’s den.

First of all, I took out one of the weapons I had: my fingernails.

In fact, these fingernails are a characteristic of the Vastaya race, a fact I learned while investigating the house and this body after giving birth to Set a month ago.

There are various tribes in Vastaya, and they use them for different purposes, but I learned that they use the mana of nature.

I don’t know which tribe I belong to, but the moment I first came into contact with the mana of nature, very long fingernails grew from my hands.

Looking closely, I thought the strength was not weak and the ends were sharp, so I thought I could use them as weapons and had been hiding them.

Seeing me take out my fingernails in an instant, one of the bandits said to a man named Highway.

“Hey, boss. Even so, it’s suspicious for a woman alone to climb these mountain roads. Maybe we caught the wrong prey…”

As if my bluff had worked, one of them questioned my attitude and asked the boss. But the boss, as if he had seen through my bluff, said.

“You’re stupid. Even if you’re good, you’re just one person. No, you’re even carrying a child, so your ability to fight is practically reduced. Can you guys stand not looting in this situation? I can’t.”

Please bear with me at times like this, you insensitive bastard. No, he saw through my bluff, so is he perceptive?

I put the thoughts that started to wander back on track and look at this situation coldly.

First of all, the number of people who can fight. One here, about 10 bandits on the other side.

Next is armament. All I have are long fingernails made of natural mana, and they have various hidden weapons and the most common longsword.

Finally, combat proficiency. A rookie who has just started training here, and pros who fight for looting there.

…I’m screwed.

The bandits quietly took out the weapons they had in their arms. It seems like it’s impossible to pass by quietly.

I have no choice. If I fall here now, not only my life but also Set will be in danger.

I have to find a way to get out of this situation, even if it means putting myself at a disadvantage and buying time.

“Hey, hey. You’re not really going to fight us, are you? I know that Vastayas have a lot of strong people, but you’re just a woman with a child. You know what that means, right?”

…So, if I start resisting, I can’t guarantee the safety of my child. But no matter how I think about it, it seemed more dangerous to surrender as it is now.

But if you ask me if I can beat them, that’s not true either. If I were to do it, I would have to aim for their weak points, take the lead, and get out of here quickly after defeating the confused ones.

Then shall we gamble? I withdrew my mana, removed my fingernails, and stood still.

Highway, seeing that, thought about something and then spoke to me as if he had made a decision.

“Yeah, that’s a really wise choice. It’s better if we don’t see each other bleed, right? So just stand there. I strongly refuse to waste your energy by running around.”

He starts approaching me. It’s not time yet. A close enough distance for me to suddenly attack that guy. I have to be patient and wait until that time comes.

“Actually, I didn’t want to do this either? In the old days, I was a minstrel who dominated the entire Ionia. But what can I do? I have to make a living. Don’t you think?”

10m. The enemy is getting closer and closer to me. The distance is not enough yet. At this distance, these people could react enough.

“Actually, I don’t want to threaten a beautiful woman like you either. If I had become a healer instead of a minstrel in the old days, we might not have met like this.”

5m. I listen and ignore the man’s useless hypocrisy. That person is just a piece of trash who sold out other people for his own convenience.

“So what I want to say is—“

…2m. An exquisitely close distance. Now is the time!

I suddenly crouch down and disappear from the enemy’s sight. With this, the enemy will have momentarily missed my movement that suddenly disappeared from his sight.

At that moment when I was about to take out my fingernails and stick them into the enemy’s neck.

Clang!

A clear and pure sound, but one that should not be heard as much as it is now.

“—I’m telling you not to do anything stupid. Can’t you understand what I’m saying even after I said it like that?”

! My attack was blocked? But surely, at this distance, unless you knew in advance that I was going to attack, you wouldn’t be able to react… No way!

At the moment of my blocked counterattack, I recalled the possibility that I had been excluding until now. Blocking this attack, which a normal human could never imagine, means…

“You’re staring at me so much, anyone would think you like me?”

I forgot. There’s no way a guy who’s doing banditry here is normal. I shouldn’t have been referring to people from the original world as a standard.

“…So how are you going to compensate for this? Huh?”

“Keuk!”

He grabbed the wrist of my right hand that took out my fingernails and said. It’s all over now. I can’t believe my actions were predicted without being able to do anything. It seems like I underestimated these guys too much.

As I was thinking that, Set, who was sleeping on my back, suddenly burst into tears.

Was he surprised by the sudden loud noise? I’m sorry, Set. You’re in danger because of this incompetent mother.

I want to stroke your head and put you back to sleep, but I can’t because one of my hands is grabbed.

“Boss. What are you going to do with this woman?”

“What do you mean what are we going to do? First of all, we’ll take her to the base. We have to talk to the boss there and decide how to dispose of her.”

No, maybe I won’t be able to do it forever. But I have to do everything I can.

“Plea… Please… Let go of… the child…”

I endured the pain coming from my strongly grabbed wrist and said to the guy who was grabbing my arm.

Then the guy snorted as if he was dumbfounded by me saying this.

I know. I started a fight and then asked the enemy for something. There was no reason to listen to that nonsense.

As if to mock me, he grabbed Set’s neck, who was crying on my back, and took him out and put him in front of my face.

“Oh, really? You cared so much about this brat? So, is there any reason why I should let this guy live? Aah!!”

Teeeeeeeeeeeeng!!!

As the man’s voice grew louder, Set’s cry grew louder as well. I could only watch the scene, and my heart was torn.

“Ha! No answer. Good. Then shall we watch if you can keep doing that even if this brat gets stabbed to death with a knife!!!”

The man took out a dagger from his waist and plunged it towards Set’s neck.

Ah, no! Don’t do that! Rather me!

The perceived time gradually slows down and the dagger gradually approaches Set.

I can’t leave it like this I can’t let Set die that child is my treasure the only reason I have to live in this world I can’t lose such a Set in a place like this please someone someone help—

Thud, thud!

The slowed time returns to normal and the man who was about to kill Set in front of my eyes fell to the ground after being hit by something.

Who is it? What kind of person can blow away that bandit in an instant?

And I saw it. A third party who had broken into this place with long white hair and a long gray string tied to her head like a trainee.

A person who kicked up the enemies with quick footwork and instantly knocked down many bandits.

That person, after confirming that all the bandits had fallen, no, looking closely, it seems to be a woman. She began to approach me.

I flinched for a moment and stepped back slightly, but Set was held in her arms.

Ah! Set! Come to think of it, the reason why Set disappeared when that guy was flying away at first was because she had secretly taken him away.

She handed Set to me and opened her mouth.

“Are you okay? What brings you here with a child who doesn’t even seem to be a year old?”

Unlike what she asked if I was okay, her eyes looking at me contained a subtle look of wariness. Well, it’s strange for a person with a child to come to such a remote place.

It’s important to quickly tell the truth and clear up misunderstandings at times like this. I said as I took out the letter I had put in my arms.

“I… I came here for delivery… delivery. The recipient is a person named Jina, do you happen to know her?”

The person who had heard all my words withdrew her gaze from me and answered with a smile.

“Then you’ve come to the right place. I’m the person named Jina.”

Oh… Yes?