There’s more than one path to the trade city of Endes.

Abel and the men of the “Helga City Rampage Victims’ Association” chose the roughest shortcut, hoping to arrive as quickly as possible.

Though it would save only about a day and a half, they all agreed. None of them could bear the thought that Helga might leave or relocate before they got there.

Some might find it foolish—losing a mere job could hardly warrant such a grudge. But in this world, positions like city guard captain were rarely secured solely by merit or experience. They usually required connections, bribes, or a stroke of luck to even be considered.

Abel knew well that without the chaos his predecessor caused, he would have never been made captain. His position had been something of a miracle, a series of fortunate events aligning just right.

“And just days into the job, it was gone.”

He ground his teeth unconsciously, forcing himself to relax.

He’d already worn down his molars from clenching so often. And worn teeth made eating difficult, which only weakened the body—a serious issue for any adventurer who relied on physical strength.

“Not that I’ll be adventuring much longer, anyway,” Abel thought grimly.

When he met Helga, this would likely be the end.

For years, his heart had burned to meet her again, but as the moment approached, his feelings grew conflicted.

Perhaps he’d wanted someone to blame more than he’d wanted true revenge.

He sensed that the others might feel the same way.

The closer they drew to Endes, the quieter the group became.

Dusk was beginning to fall, and in the distance, they heard the howl of wolves. It was time to set up camp.

After searching the area, they found a spot beside a large rock that would help shield them from the wind.

Gathering wood, they prepared to light a fire. The forest path was slightly elevated, giving them a clear view of their surroundings. They would notice any approaching animals or bandits.

Just as they were about to strike the flint, one of the men who had gone off to relieve himself came rushing back with a panicked look.

“Abel, there’s a large group approaching on horseback. They don’t look like merchants, but there are a lot of them.”

“Hold off on the fire,” Abel instructed, gesturing for the others to stop.

In times like these, any large group was a potential threat, whether they were armed or not. People killed for fun, for a few coins, or sometimes just to capture someone to sell as a slave.

In rare cases, even the lord’s troops might abuse their power in the absence of witnesses.

Abel crouched low, watching the approaching riders in the distance.

They didn’t appear to be the lord’s soldiers or a merchant convoy. There were over a hundred of them, at least.

“It’s rare to see such a large group…”

As he watched, he caught sight of a massive figure at the head of the group, clad in armor on one arm alone.

“Oh, no,” Abel whispered, turning to the man beside him.

“Tell everyone to hide. That’s Hans the Mighty.”

“H-Hans?” The man’s face went pale.

Hans the Mighty was infamous, known for his brutal and violent gang of bandits.

Hans himself had once been part of a pursuit team chasing Helga, but after they were nearly wiped out, he had gathered the survivors to form a bandit crew.

Stories of Hans’s monstrous strength were well-known; it was said he had killed a wolf with his bare hands at just ten years old. The truth of the tale was uncertain, but his terrifying strength was a fact.

Abel and the men quickly hid their belongings behind the rock and lay flat on the ground, praying that the bandits would pass them by. But just their luck—the bandits chose to stop near the rock.

Though not too close, they were near enough for their voices to carry.

“This spot looks good,” one of them announced.

“Understood, boss. All right, everyone, we’re setting up camp here!”

“Of all the places…”

Abel’s heart pounded in his chest, so loud he feared it would give them away.

He remembered stories he’d once heard about the bandits’ cruelty: they’d released prisoners with promises of freedom, only to stone them as they tried to escape.

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One bandit wandered close to the rock, gathering sticks for their fire. Abel held his breath, pressing himself flat against the stone.

Luckily, the bandit didn’t notice them and returned to his group with his pile of sticks.

Though it was only a brief moment, the tension left Abel’s hands shaking.

The night was cold, and the men shivered as they huddled together.

The bandits started several fires and settled down, eating and drinking loudly.

Voices and laughter mixed with the clash of weapons as some of them broke into fights.

Abel’s teeth chattered from the cold. His aging body was no longer as resilient as it once was; he could stand guard through winter nights in his youth, but now the chill pierced straight to his bones.

Just as he was wondering if he’d freeze to death here, he caught snatches of the bandits’ conversation.

“Any idea what kind of dragon it is?”

“Who knows? If one person managed to take it down, it can’t be that big.”

“Heh! Who cares? Four dragons is four dragons, even if they’re tiny. That’s money no matter how you slice it.”

“How many merchants do you think showed up?”

“Enough to make those coins jingle. I bet each one came loaded with gold, especially with four dragons on the line. You know they’ll have plenty to spend.”

“True, true.”

“This time, don’t kill them all. We’ve got a deal with the slavers, remember? They need at least a hundred with all limbs intact.”

“Ha ha ha. Got it, got it.”

Dear gods…

Abel didn’t catch the rest of the conversation.

They’re planning to raid the village with the dragon skins.

There would be soldiers and merchant guards in that village, but Hans’s bandits weren’t an ordinary gang. Hans’s familiarity with military tactics, honed from his time as a pursuer, made him uniquely dangerous.

As night deepened, many of the bandits fell asleep. The stillness that settled in only heightened Abel and his companions’ anxiety, forcing them to remain frozen in place, barely daring to breathe.

Finally, as dawn approached, the bandits began to break camp and ride out.

“What do we do?” one of the men asked as the last bandit disappeared from view.

The group exchanged looks.

They couldn’t ignore what they’d overheard, but what were their options?

Nearly every adventurer in the surrounding towns knew about the dragons’ appearance, as well as where it had happened. The best course of action would be to warn the village, but the bandits were on horseback, and they’d never make it in time on foot.

Even notifying Endes would take too long.

Getting from here to the trade city would take until late at night. Even if the lord’s soldiers set out immediately, they wouldn’t arrive until the following evening—far too late to stop the raid.

“Both options are too slow,” someone said, “but if we have to choose, Endes would be our best chance.”

“I agree.”

The decision came quickly.

“Let’s go then. Hurry.”

They set off at once, knowing speed was critical, but refraining from sprinting. They kept to a steady pace, only taking short breaks and relying on water and dried meat to keep moving.

Haunted by the specter of screams, they pressed on toward Endes.

They arrived slightly earlier than expected, but by then, the city gates were shut for the night.

Abel and his men began pounding on the gate with their weapons, hoping to gain entrance.

----------------------------------------

If I were a true gentleman, I would’ve arranged separate rooms the moment I found out Tatiana was so young.

But I am not so refined.

I have certain… intentions, though nothing untoward. I just want to build a good relationship with her over time.

Besides, Tatiana hadn’t objected to sharing the room from the start.

To celebrate our new partnership, we shared a glass of wine with dinner.

As we headed back to our room, the innkeeper gave me a thumbs-up, clearly imagining some rosy scenario that wasn’t going to happen tonight.

Or anytime soon, really. It’d take months—maybe even a year—before things progressed that far, but hopefully no longer than that.

This was, after all, our first night sharing a room.

My heart was pounding like a drum, but it wasn’t as if anything was going to happen.

Still, we were together. Maybe something might…

Four hours later, I was lying quietly in bed.

Tatiana was sleeping peacefully on the other bed.

“….”

Nothing had happened.

Absolutely nothing.

I hadn’t expected much—maybe just the brush of her hand causing her to blush, or perhaps some embarrassment as she changed into sleepwear.

But Tatiana had acted as if everything was perfectly normal.

She hadn’t even bothered with a nightgown, choosing instead to sleep in her adventuring clothes. Even the dancer’s outfit was gone, exchanged for her current clothes at a secondhand store since she no longer needed it.

“I should’ve paid more attention back then…”

I could barely recall her in that outfit. At the time, I hadn’t been interested enough to notice.

Sigh.

Well, there’s time. I’ll work on it and slowly build our relationship.

Just as I was closing my eyes to sleep, I heard hurried footsteps in the hallway.

They stopped outside our door, and a knock followed.

“Excuse me, Rafa! It’s a guild member. I’m here with urgent news.”

I opened the door to find one of the guild staff who had accompanied me to the dragon’s location before. He was panting, as if he’d run all the way here.

“Sorry to bother you so late, Rafa.”

“What’s going on?”

Catching his breath, the guild worker explained, “A group of bandits is planning to raid the village for dragon skins. The lord’s troops are being assembled, and the guild is urgently gathering adventurers.”

“Understood.”

Without a second thought, I grabbed my weapon and pack.

Tatiana, who had woken up, came to my side.

“I’ll get ready too,” she said.

I shook my head. “No, I’ll be faster alone. I can use wind magic.”

She understood immediately, wasting no time as she rummaged through her things, pulling out two small pouches.

“These are herbs to help with fatigue. And this one will amplify your magic temporarily. They should be helpful.”

I wouldn’t need the latter; I was already struggling with too much power. But her shining eyes told me she wanted to help, so I took them.

“Thank you.”

She smiled brightly. “Take care.”

“Don’t worry. While I’m gone, make sure you keep the door locked at all times.”

“I know. I’ll be careful.”

I wasn’t particularly worried. Jenny might think Tatiana needed protection, but with her water magic and hypnotism, she’d be safe.

With my bag strapped to my back, I stepped out into the hallway.

“Let’s go. Explain on the way,” I said to the guild staff member.

“Of course. Thank you, Rafa. You’re one of the guild’s best fighters, so we were worried you might refuse.”

As we hurried down the corridor, he gave me a quick briefing about Hans the Mighty and his bandit crew, known for their fearsome reputation.

Apparently, the leader was something extraordinary.

“Rumor has it he killed a wolf alone at ten years old,” the guild member said grimly.

Ten years old, killing a wolf.

I couldn’t help but smile.

Sorry, but I took down a bear at nine.

The guild worker muttered anxiously, “Still… by the time the soldiers and adventurers get there, it may already be too late…”

I glanced at the adventurers gathering in front of the guild building and smiled.

“No need to worry. Alone, I can get there on time. I know the way.”

Using wind magic, I’d be faster than any horse. With Tatiana’s herbs, I could definitely arrive before the others.