Ise used some rope lying nearby to tie them up.
Abel made sure to keep his blade pointed at them, showing no opening.
His hands were shaking, and the sword trembled constantly.
One of the tied-up bandits glared at Abel with an expression so sharp it seemed almost insane, with his eyes running over him like a snake.
“Looks like I, Lord Gold, have really lost my edge! To think I’d lose to a bratty little mage like this!”
Abel let out a deep sigh.
His whole body was soaked with sweat.
He was so dizzy he could barely stay standing.
Just when he thought the fight was over, something warm and wet trickled down his leg.
Abel had wet himself.
“Ah…”
For some reason, it felt strangely good.
Though at the same time, he also felt a strong sense of shame.
As the utterly exhausted Abel stood frozen in place, Ise quickly sprang into action.
She freed the merchants who had been tightly bound.
“Thank you! Thank you so much!”
The older man who seemed to be the master of the group shouted his thanks in sheer joy.
Tears were even streaming down his face.
As expected, he introduced himself as merchant Runoza.
Along with him, Runoza’s wife, daughter, one clerk, and two servants were freed.
All of them repeatedly showered Abel and Ise with praise.
Although Ise’s appearance clearly marked her as a non-human, which was a race discriminated against in the Empire, their attitude shifted the moment she became their savior.
With the fight over, Abel tried to sheath his sword, only to realize with surprise that his fingers wouldn’t move the way he wanted.
His hands were still tightly gripping the hilt, unable to let go.
“Wh-What the…? Dammit.”
It didn’t feel like his own hands.
No matter how hard he willed them to move, his body wouldn’t obey, overwhelmed by the abnormal tension and mental strain from just having killed.
Ise came over and gently placed her hand over Abel’s fingers, carefully peeling them off the hilt one by one.
As she did, Abel couldn’t help but notice how long and beautiful her fingers were. It felt oddly out of place.
“Not being able to let go of your weapon is common among new recruits. Even experienced squire sometimes vomit after a battle.”
“Sorry… Lady… Ise….”
“Heh. Looks like the shine wore off pretty fast.”
Abel thought he saw Ise smile just a little.
But almost immediately, she returned to her usual cool, detached demeanor.
The bandit whose head Abel had struck was dead with his brains spilling out in a thick mess.
Another bandit who had lost an arm had bled out and was near death. Since no one treated him, by the time Abel noticed, he had already died.
Though it was still before dawn, one of the merchant family’s servants ran off to contact the town’s resident knights.
There were five corpses in the house. Even just carrying them outside was a serious task.
And then came the cleanup. Both the yard and the interior of the house were covered in blood. It was a total mess.
To make matters worse, Abel had accidentally blasted holes in the stone floor with his magic, adding to the chaos.
He hurried to patch the holes using magic, but the result was uneven and far from restored. The floor ended up lopsided.
Still, the merchant master Runoza laughed it off and thought nothing of it…
Ise, having seemingly finished her share of the work, did nothing beyond keeping watch over the tied-up bandits.
Abel’s undergarments were still soaking wet with urine.
It felt incredibly unpleasant.
He asked the merchant’s wife for permission to use their well and a bucket.
In the yard, he stripped his lower half bare.
Using magic, he created warm water and washed himself.
He gave his undergarments a quick rinse, then dried them using a hot air spell.
This hot air spell was originally meant to blast enemies with scalding winds strong enough to cause burns, but with reduced power, it made for a surprisingly convenient dryer.
As Abel was busy with all this, someone approached.
It was the merchant’s daughter.
She was holding a cloth.
“U-Um. Let me wipe you…”
A woman around twenty, with long, beautiful blonde hair, stood illuminated by the glow of magic light.
She had a narrow, elegant face. Quite the beauty.
“Ah, no, it’s fine. I can do it myself.”
“No, please, don’t say that.”
“Uh, but I’m naked!”
“You’re just a kid…what are you embarrassed about?!”
She didn’t back down at all.
If anything, she stepped in even closer.
“Then just give me the cloth; that’s enough.”
Abel snatched the cloth from her. But his body was already almost dry.
The woman was still standing there.
For some reason, she was staring directly at Abel’s lower half.
Abel’s face turned bright red with embarrassment.
“What… what is it? Do you need something?”
“You really are just a kid. You don’t even have any hair down there yet!”
“Just leave me alone!”
The woman, who was on the verge of tears, suddenly pulled Abel into a hug.
“You’re still just a child… It must’ve been so hard for you! Killing people… for our sake.”
—So that’s what this is about…
Abel understood.
“Don’t worry about it. We do this because we choose to. If we didn’t like it, we could just quit.”
“But… you were so scared, you wet yourself, didn’t you?”
“Yeah. I mean, I was prepared for it, but… still.”
“I really am grateful. Those guys were talking about sparing me… and making me a slave instead. If that had happened, I…”
While they were talking, a voice rang out.
“What are you doing?”
It was Ise.
She was looking at Abel.
Abel who was still half-naked was wrapped in the woman’s embrace.
“Ah. Lady Ise. This is…”
“Is something wrong with my squire?”
“A-Ah nothing. Lady Knight. I’m sorry.”
The woman finally let go.
For some reason, Ise’s gaze felt piercingly cold…
A local knight came rushing over in a panic.
His name was Il Haydon, a man around thirty.
He had two squires with him.
Knight Haydon and Ise had a discussion and decided that the bodies and captured bandits would be transported to Porto.
Il Haydon owned a carriage, so they would use that.
Abel was allowed to lie down in the guest room of the merchant’s house until dawn.
He felt exhausted, yet not at all sleepy.
He closed his eyes but couldn’t sleep a wink.
Abel reflected on the battle from earlier that day.
—That werewolf… He was ridiculously fast.
If it had been one-on-one in close combat… I probably would’ve lost.
Even fireballs…he might’ve been able to dodge them.
And it was a small, enclosed space.
With a hostage there, Abel couldn’t use explosive fire magic.
If Ise hadn’t been there, he definitely would’ve lost.
I have to get stronger, or I’ll end up dead.
Eventually, dawn arrived.
In the early morning, the noise outside turned out to be townspeople coming to see the bandits.
There were screams like “Whoa!” and “Eek!” echoing through the streets.
Those who had come out of mere curiosity were all horrified at the sight of the bandits’ corpses.
It was only natural.
Among the bodies was one nearly cleaved in half at the torso by Is’s attack.
Another, the one Abel had struck in the head, had its skull split halfway open….its insides spilled out like a pomegranate.
The merchant’s daughter from the Runoza Merchant Guild was named Charlotte.
She brought breakfast to Abel and Ise.
It was a fine meal that only the wealthy could usually afford. It was premium white bread, thick-cut ham, a rolled omelet, and a meat soup with a milky flavor.
Ise ate everything silently, but Abel could only take a single bite before his stomach rejected the rest.
“Um, Sir Abel… Did it not suit your taste?”
Charlotte asked, looking apologetic.
“It’s not your fault. I just don’t have an appetite. You went to all this trouble…”
With a pained expression, she quietly cleared the food away.
Before they departed, the head of the Runoza Merchant Guild handed over a token of thanks.
A jade necklace and twenty silver coins.
The necklace featured a single large piece of jade, about the size of a thumb.
It was framed in gold.
Abel had no eye for appraising gems, but the deep, pure green was beautiful.
Ise looked at the accessory, somewhat troubled.
“I’m not in the habit of wearing things like this.”
“Please, I insist. If not for you, both my daughter and I might be dead. Or worse, she might have been taken and sold into slavery somewhere far away. It’s the least we can do. If it’s a burden, you’re welcome to sell it. It should fetch at least a hundred silver coins.”
Ise said nothing more and accepted it.
“Abel. This is your share.”
Ise handed over all twenty silver coins.
“Huh? All of it? Half would be fine.”
“Just take it.”
Ise seemed indifferent about most things, and perhaps money was no exception.
“Sir Abel, please come visit again.”
At their parting, Charlotte suddenly gave Abel a kiss on the cheek.
It was just a kiss on the cheek, but oddly passionate…why was that?
Her eyes, moist and sweet, seemed sincere.
It didn’t feel like an act at all…
Though she asked him to visit again, it was unlikely he ever would.
Abel said nothing as they parted.
The carriage carrying the criminals headed off toward Porto.
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