Chapter 15 - Companions in Travel, Kindness in the World
Leaving the Camp, we set out for the southeastern city of Exembra. It’s supposed to be a big city.
From what I’ve heard, it must have a population comparable to a designated city. For now, it’s just a guess, but it’s definitely a large city.
Moreover, despite its size, the city is completely surrounded by walls to protect against monsters. The walls are apparently magical, and they must be incredibly long. Just seeing them will be a treat.
The military jeep has a much better suspension than a light truck, making the ride much smoother. It’s comfortable enough to sit in for a long time. However, it’s only slightly faster than a light truck, so it’s not particularly speedy.
We’re not in a hurry, so we take it slow and steady, taking breaks as needed. Sitting for too long can make your body stiff, so during breaks, we move around more than just resting.
When I start moving, Valeria and Angelina join in, and before you know it, everyone from the Camp is eagerly training. Siegrune and her team just watch, but when the village’s little girl, Sarah-chan, joins in, the villagers can’t help but join too. In the end, everyone is at it.
Exercise is good for you!
We’re on a deserted road, probably because it’s a remote area. I take turns driving, and it’s surprisingly fun.
With no major issues, we reach the end of the first day. It’s much warmer during the day now, but spring nights are still cold. We can’t sleep outside in the open, so we huddle together in the jeep, wrapped in blankets.
Thinking of it as a few days of hardship makes it kind of fun.
On the second day, we encounter a few forks in the road. Continuing on, we spot the wreckage of a truck-type magical artifact around noon. The overturned vehicle didn’t look old, suggesting it had crashed within the last few days.
We decided to check it out to see if anyone was around and if there were any valuables left.
“No one’s here. The cargo is empty,” said Angelina.
“It was probably attacked by bandits. The closer we get to the city, the more likely it is. We should be cautious from here on,” said Frederica.
We all kept an eye out while Frederica and I examined the wreckage.
“Are there bandits that claim this area as their territory? If they attack, we’ll take them down,” I said.
“Hehe, you all would be overkill against bandits,” Frederica replied.
After that, we encountered a few weak monsters and continued smoothly until evening.
We stopped at a riverside, a bit off the road, to set up camp for the night. I suddenly wanted fish, but we had no fishing gear, and the water was too cold to catch any by hand. I decided to wait until we reached the city.
While the cooking team prepared dinner, everyone else moved around. Mary-san, a young woman from the village, was particularly enthusiastic. She said she wanted to get strong like us to avoid the same fate. Sarah-chan nodded energetically beside her.
After dinner, we gathered around the campfire and enjoyed warm tea. It felt like a scene from a journey, and it was nice.
The tea wasn’t made from leaves but a strength-recovery potion with a tea flavor, which I made myself, complete with aluminum cups. It was a practice run, and I was impressed by the power of magic.
It was a precious, relaxing time.
Suddenly, a noise disturbed our peace. It was the sound of an approaching vehicle in the dark.
“Someone’s coming,” said Angelina.
“They’re heading towards the town. We’re on the same route. I wonder if they’re in a hurry,” said Frederica.
“Let’s use light magic to make sure they don’t accidentally drive into us,” I suggested.
We cast light spells to illuminate the area, making our presence known. If they came at us, we’d push them back without mercy.
“...Doesn’t this seem a bit off?” said Valeria.
“Maybe they’re being chased?” I said.
“I have a feeling they are,” Valeria replied.
Several vehicles were heading our way. They weren’t going very fast, but they were still moving at about thirty kilometers per hour. Their driving was erratic, and they seemed to be constantly looking behind them. They were being chased, it seemed.
“Are they being chased?”
“That means trouble,” said Frederica.
“Probably. We’re definitely getting dragged into this,” I said.
The headlights were getting closer, and it looked like the vehicle being chased was a truck-type magical artifact, while the pursuers were jeep-type artifacts.
“Do they seem to be heading this way?” said Angelina.
“I hope it’s just my imagination,” said Valeria.
“It’s not. They’re coming straight for us,” said Frederica.
Maybe lighting up the area was a mistake. It drew them to us.
Still, jeep-type magical artifacts. I had a feeling this was going to end badly.
I didn’t want to just stand by and watch the truck crash into us, so I created a large, invisible shield. Everyone moved behind me for protection.
The truck was on a collision course, but the driver must have come to their senses and tried to swerve. However, the maneuver went wrong, and the truck tipped over, skidding a bit before stopping. It was a close call, and the sight of the large truck barreling towards us was quite intimidating.
The jeeps quickly caught up and stopped a short distance away. The area was now bright enough to see everything clearly. The situation was exactly as we had guessed.
The truck driver didn’t emerge, but the jeeps were swarming with mass-produced bandits. It looked like a large bandit gang, with dozens of members.
There was no need to ask who the bad guys were or wait for them to come closer.
“Let’s take care of this quickly,” I said.
“Yukari?”
This was a chance to show the results of our training. First strike, win the day. I attacked immediately!
Before the bandits could say anything, I materialized the magic I had imagined. Iron spikes sprouted from the ground beneath their feet, creating a field of iron grass.
Some managed to avoid it by luck, but I think I took out about half of them with that one strike.
Seeing this, our ranged attackers immediately unleashed their spells. The Camp group, being well-trained, reacted quickly.
We wanted to avoid close combat because we had many non-combatants, and even when the bandits cast spells, our Active Armor provided perfect defense.
The bandits were soon silenced.
I hadn’t killed them outright, just incapacitated them. For now, that was enough. We needed to be cautious, even though the situation was under control.
“Angelina, take a few people and bring back the bandit leader,” I said.
“Got it. I’ll look for them,” she replied.
“Valeria, the truck driver isn’t coming out. Drag him over here,” I said.
“Yes, Onee-sama,” she replied.
I kept the shield up and watched the bandits, ready to skewer them if they made any moves. They seemed to have lost the will to fight, despite their injuries.
Angelina called out, asking who the leader was. One of the bandits, a grizzled, bearded man, stepped forward and surrendered.
The bandit leader was lifted and dragged over by Angelina, who ignored his protests.
The leader looked around, feigning surprise.
“Oh, a group of women!?”
“Got a problem with that?” I glared at him. He seemed to realize the gravity of the situation and changed his attitude.
“I-I’m sorry. We can’t fight anymore.”
“So, you’ve been letting people live when they beg for their lives?”
“Of course! We don’t kill anyone. We only steal goods.”
“I’m not so naive as to believe that, but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.”
“Really! And we don’t kidnap people. We only take stuff. I swear!”
That was interesting. I decided to play along a bit.
“Hm, treasures, you say. Where are they?”
“In the red truck. You can check for yourself.”
“Angelina, can you confirm that? Be careful.”
“Sure thing.”
While she was checking, Valeria returned with the truck driver, a man with a mustache. He was limping but conscious. He must have been lucky to avoid serious injury in the crash, though his face was covered in blood.
“Good job, Valeria.”
“Thank you. Onee-sama, this is the truck driver.”
I patted Valeria on the shoulder and then turned to the mustachioed man.
“First question. Do you know anything about the bandits who chased you?”
“Yes, I’ve heard a few rumors about bandits in this area.”
The man seemed intimidated by my expression and was willing to cooperate. That was helpful.
“Do these bandits really not kill people?”
“I don’t know if these are the ones, but I’ve heard of bandits who don’t kill.”
“That’s right! We don’t kill or kidnap. We only steal goods. It’s the truth!”
The bandit leader was eager to convince us.
I found it hard to believe that multiple bands of bandits didn’t kill, but it seemed they were telling the truth.
“I see. In that case, I’ll spare your lives.”
“Onee-sama, is that wise?”
“He doesn’t seem to be lying. We’re not here to play the heroes. If they pay us off, that’s the end of it.”
“I agree.”
“Everyone okay with that?”
The former Camp members were indifferent as long as they got some reward. The villagers, who had recently been attacked by bandits, might have mixed feelings, but they weren’t fighters, so I didn’t consult them.
Handing them over to the soldiers wasn’t an option, according to Josephine’s advice. The army was already stretched thin and couldn’t handle a large group of prisoners.
“Yukari, we found a chest full of treasures.”
Angelina and the others brought a large, heavy chest.
We opened it to find a collection of jewelry, weapons, and gold coins. It was quite a haul.
“Not bad... Take half of it. We’ll do the sorting. If there’s something you really don’t want to part with, we can negotiate. No complaints, okay?”
“Half? If that saves us, I have no complaints. But leave me the blue dagger.”
“Sure. Frederica, Josephine, can you handle the sorting? Everyone else, help out.”
“Of course. Let’s get started, Josephine-san.”
“Sure thing. Let’s get this done quickly.”
With Frederica’s appraisal magic and Josephine’s expertise, the sorting would be handled well. I try to keep my word, as much as possible.
I also saw an opportunity to do some business.
They’d make good test subjects, and I wouldn’t mind if I failed.
“By the way, I can sell you some low-grade healing potions. They’re rare these days, but I have enough for everyone. They’ll be expensive, but you can pay with the treasure.”
“All of us? I don’t think you’d lie now, but can we see the effect first?”
“Sure. Just wait a moment.”
I went back to our jeep and started making the potions in crystal vials. I quickly filled a box and brought it back, tossing a vial to the bandit leader.
“Here. Try it.”
“Another fancy container. Who are you, really?”
“Just use it. If you hesitate, this deal is off.”
“Alright, alright. I’ll drink it.”
He uncorked the vial and gulped it down. The wound on his leg healed almost instantly.
“Wow, this is amazing! Thank you. We’ll buy the potions. Deduct the cost from the treasure.”
“Frederica, Josephine, did you hear that? Make sure to collect the extra.”
“Got it. Leave it to us!”
I handed the box of potions to the bandit leader, who distributed them to his people. The potions wouldn’t heal broken bones, but they’d make the bandits mobile again.
They wouldn’t pose a threat to us anymore, and it was better to let them go than to eliminate them and risk worse bandits taking their place.
We had done our part, and it was time to move on.