“Get out of my face before I really get angry!”

Fearing for his life, the man who had been yelled at scurried away, but not without cursing under his breath. “Tsk… what’s so great about you anyways…” He mumbled.

Of course, the one who the insult was meant for had clearly heard it. Still, he did nothing to retaliate, and instead pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. A rough looking man, with two rows of rotten teeth, and a round belly sat on a rock, cursing his fate.

The man was Bagua, the bandit whom Verity had run into upon his arrival in this world, or at least what was left of that man.

‘If this was before, I would have cut that idiot’s head clean off!!’ Bagua thought as he stared at one of his foul-mouthed underlings walking away.

He had to control himself. His group was now much smaller than it had been. Every pair of hands was precious if he wanted to rebuild his empire. Still… he would not forget that insult.

Bagua sighed, running his fingers through his greasy hair. If everything had gone right, by now, he would have been drowning in alcohol and surrounded by women, but it hadn’t. Instead, he was hiding among the trees by the side of a rarely traveled road with about ten or so other members of his newly established bandit group.

The plan he had concocted with the Flame Sword was flawless and they even had the support of a prominent noble Lady. There was no reason for it to fail, and yet, it did. How could it have gone so wrong?

“Damnit!” Bagua shouted as his fist sunk into the cold stone beneath him.

He had spent no small amount of money to obtain that poison from the Alchemists of the Capital, but the return on his investment should have more than made up for it. If it just wasn’t for that monster, he would be rich!

Shivers ran down his spine just as he recalled that night, and his fingers traced the faint scar on his neck.

That night, Bagua had received a communication scroll informing his crew of a change of location. He had found it strange, but the scroll bore the Flame Sword’s seal, so he could not ignore it.

He had hurried, moving his entire group toward the new location, but before they could reach it, a person… or perhaps a beast with the voice of one, had stood in his path. That thing hadn’t even bothered with a discussion. It had only said a few words before exterminating them.

“...Repent in the afterlife.”

It wasn’t something that humans could face. It possessed speed beyond belief, unparalleled strength, and technique that could only be met with awe. Its entire appearance had been concealed by a cloak that absorbed the night itself. As if they had been attacked by a shadow, all Bagua had heard from his comrades as the fighting began were screams, and stifled pleas for help.

Bagua had only managed to escape due to his quick thinking. He’d understood quickly that he had run into a fearsome entity, and so, he had activated a single-use magical tool he’d spent a fortune on. Even so, he had not escaped without almost dying. After being teleported miles away, he could still remember the droplets of blood trickling from his neck. He remembered shuddering at the thought of what would have happened had he been a second slower.

Two months had passed since then. Two months of traveling the forests and plains of the Terras Kingdom. He had gathered lone bandits, or errant warriors with nowhere to go, until he’d amassed the handful of people surrounding him now. With them, he had settled a few days by carriage away from his former base, hoping to return one day, but not now, especially if that monster was still there.

There were some useful ones among those he’d gathered, but compared to what he had been used to, this entourage was… pathetic. No discipline, no loyalty, no fear.

“Boss!!” The sharp voice jolted Bagua out of his thoughts. “We’ve got something on the radar!!” It said.

Bagua clenched his fist and raised his gaze. “Go on then. What is it?”

The young bandit stumbled over his words as he stared at his device. “I-It’s moving toward us, fast! Faster than a carriage! Faster than a lone horse!”

Bagua narrowed his eyes. “...Magical tools then, which means they’ve got money.” He smirked, and stood up. “What are you all waiting for!? Go block their way!”

–

Dashing through the dirt road, Felica turned to Erilsa. “I’ve been running for a few hours now. Is it still not close??”

Erilsa hesitated, avoiding eye contact. “Err, keep going straight, and we should arrive by nightfall…I believe.”

Felicia raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you know wher-”

“Woah there!” A booming voice resounded in front of them, forcing Felicia to come to an abrupt halt, and kicking up a cloud of dust.

As it settled, what she saw before her was a well-fed man surrounded by haggard warriors with rusted swords and poor hygiene.

Faint whispers could be heard among the ruffians.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

“Damn…!!”

“She’s by herself…?”

“Is she a noble?”

“Maybe we should stick to this road in the future…”

Felicia furrowed her brows in confusion. “...Yes? Can I help you?”

Bagua observed the woman before him intently, but not for the same reasons his colleagues did, though he had to admit Felicia was quite… easy on the eyes.

‘I don’t see the artifact… It must be hidden somewhere.’ He thought.

He cleared his throat. ”Welcome to the Gr- the Sader Forest but… It’s a dangerous place, you know? Luckily we offer safe passage… for a price!”

Felicia waved her hand dismissively. “Ah, it’s okay, I don’t need safe passage. I can protect myself.” She said confidently.

But before she could resume her stride, Bagua spoke again. “No, I don’t think you understand.” He slowly unsheathed his blade. “If you do not pay the price… your passage won’t be safe.”

Felicia narrowed her eyes. “Oh… you’re criminals?” She looked around her. “Still, in broad daylight? Though… I guess there aren’t any cameras here, and we are in a forest.”

She had seen robbers at the bank before, but they tended to be more prepared, and more cautious about the way they did things.

A smile then found itself on her face, and she unsheathed her sword. She wouldn’t admit it as she still tried to not let this strange reality consume her, but as a Sword Genius, she had a constant insatiable desire to test her skills against that of others.

“This is good!” She exclaimed. “Who’s first?”

‘Huh?’

The bandits seemed rather… at a loss, but one of them made a move.

A man covered by a tattered cape, and bloodshot eyes stepped forward. “Young lady… Perhaps you don’t understand the situation you’re in?” He said as he drew a set of daggers attached to his waist. “Seeing that nice sword, and your confidence, you must be from a knight family. Well… this isn’t your fenced-in cottage, this is the-”

His voice was low and dangerous, but Felicia couldn’t even pay attention to what he was saying.

‘His stance is all wrong… Can he even cut through a marshmallow like that…?’ She then shook her head. ‘No, he might be deceiving me. Master has done it before. I must stay careful.’

Felicia lowered her stance. “Then, let’s start.”

In a blur she disappeared from where she stood, and in the next instant, she was upon the dagger wielding man. She expected him to react quickly, just as he Master did, so she weaved a faint into her initial attack. However, when her sword was only an inch from his neck, she hesitated, sending a wave of air crashing against his face.

Felicia then leapt, placing both of her hands on her sword. Her expression turned wary, and she lowered her stance. “Do you have some special defensive abilities? Was it a trap?” She asked.

To Felicia, it seemed as though the man hadn't even moved whether it was her pretend, or real attack. Yet, her sword was a mere moment from severing her head, so she could only conclude that he had some sort of trump card in store.

The moment finally catching up to the bandit, he gasped. “W-What!?” And fell on his behind, his trembling hands brushing the spot where Felicia’s blade would have severed his head.

The men around him all stiffened. It took a moment for them to pull themselves together and draw their weapons. Their expressions were grave and they stared at Felicia with apprehension. Some of them now thought that perhaps the young lady was not just from a knight family, but instead was a knight. Even Bagua, their leader, hesitated before drawing his own blade.

‘That speed… Is it an artifact again?’ He wondered.

Erisla chuckled, looking down onto the pitiful bandit sprawled on the dirt.. “Does he look like someone with a trump card?”

Felicia frowned. “...But I was about to kill him. Does he want to die, maybe?”

“No.” Erilsa sneered. “You’re simply too strong for him. He failed to react.”

“What-”

Bagua puffed his chest and his voice boomed over the tension. “What are you all doing!!?? She’s a knight! Surround her from all sides and bring her down!!”

More afraid of Bagua than they were of her, they swallowed their hesitation and ran toward Felica, weapons in hand.

The battle was over in less than ten minutes, and most of it Felicia had spent against their leader.

CRACK

His breathing erratic, and his hands trembling, Bagua fell to his knees. His blade, his Sword Aura, and his will, had been utterly shattered. He looked around him, and realized that he was once more all alone. The others had escaped and had left him behind.

Felicia approached him. “This was underwhelming.” She said as she lifted his head, her hand clutching his greasy hair. “Since you’re the only one left, I guess I’ll ask you a few questions.”

There was no magic tool to save him this time. Bagua clicked his tongue. “I know how you knights operate. You’ll kill me regardless of what I say, so let’s just get it over with….”

Felicia grimaced. “This place really is like those medieval movies…” She then let go of his hair and wiped her hands. “First of all, I’m not a knight. Second, I’m not going to kill you, I just have questions.”

“Yeah right-”

Felicia sheathed her sword, and crouched to Bagua’s level. “How do you compare to other humans? In terms of strength, I mean.”

Bagua blinked. “...What?”

“You heard me. How strong are you?

Bagua was so taken aback by the question, that he answered without thinking. “When it comes to bandits, you won’t often meet one as strong as me… I guess.”

Felicia stroked her chin. His answer was… disappointing. If this was the best other humans had to offer, perhaps staying in the forest was best?

Erisla jumped down from Felicia’s shoulder, and circled the burly man with a critical eye. “It is true that his level is quite high, higher than yours, Felicia. Even your Sword Aura falls short compared to his, granted you just awakened yours.” She paused, scrunching her nose. “But considering his age, his third-rate technique, and his lack of battle sense, and his horrible weapon… I’d put him just slightly above average.”

She then jumped back onto Felicia’s shoulder, who seemed to have regained her spunk.

“So there is stronger…!” She turned back to Bagua, a glint in her eyes. “If I keep going this way, when will I reach the Capital?” She asked.

“...The Capital?” Bagua sighed. “If that’s where you want to go, then you’re going the wrong way. If you continue down this road, the largest town you’ll run into is called Plamodel. There’s a Guild office there but nothing else…”

Felicia slowly turned her head, but Erilsa avoided her gaze. “As long as there’s a Guild… you can still get your identification card… I think” Erilsa mumbled.

Felica pinched her eyebrows. “...How many days to the Capital, and how many to Plamodel, from here?”

“At the speed you were going. You’d reach Plamodel quite fast, probably in another day or two. As for the Capital… A week? Perhaps more?” Bagua replied, still not fully understanding why he was answering all of her questions.

Letting out a long sigh, Felicia tidied her hair. “So, if I keep going straight, I’ll reach that Plamodel place?”

“No… Well, Yes. Once you leave the forest, you’ll find yourself in a vast expanse of plains. The town should be visible in the distance. Just head straight toward it.”

Without bidding him farewell, Felicia ran off, kicking up dust behind her. ‘Plamodel… That’s a weird name.’ She thought.

A dry laugh escaped Bagua’s mouth as the dust settled. “Beaten by a kid who just awakened Aura recently…Maybe it’s time to retire….”