Around four hours had passed since I started on the road. The day was getting dimmer as evening approached. And the three moons of Thieca were beginning to become more and more visible as time went on.

(Master, I think it's better to make camp.)

(I guess so. Do you see any places where we could stop.)

We reached another fork on the beautifully paved road. The people passing by had become scarce and you could hardly see more than three people in one hour.

(If you take that deviated road, you will reach a large lake. I think it's better to camp there for the night)

(I cannot sense any sign of monsters.)

I agreed and turned towards the lake.

It was a big lake surrounded by mountains. The water was clear and you could see small animals playing near the shore filled with sand.

I selected an open space near the road. Though there were trees and thick bushes on either side of the road, there was an empty space that looked like it was made just for camping. Probably some adventurers cleared up the space to camp. I bought a two person tent and set it up overlooking the lake. I parked the bike beside it. I also bought a beach chair to sit and just admire the beauty of the lake.

I was also getting hungry so I opened the shop window again and while browsing through the food section, I saw instant cup noodles being sold. I immediately bought two and a can of beer.

Then I created hot water with magic and let the cup noodles rest for a bit so that they can become soft. Meanwhile, I opened and took a sip of the beer.

"Ahhh, this is it. Great view and a great drink." I lowered myself on the chair savouring the taste of the beer.

(Master, don't get too drunk.)

(Don't worry I have magic to detoxify. Wait! Why do I feel like the only spell floating in my head right now is the detoxification spell.)

(.........)

I ate the noodles after they were done and it felt great. Days of eating bread and stew really made me appreciate noodles like never before. I think a tear even trickled down my cheek.

After dinner, I got ready for bed. The three moons were shining brightly illuminating the whole lake. It gave an intoxicating view of the lake surrounded by mountains. And you could hear the sounds of small animals and insects moving busily through the night.

I made a barrier encompassing this area and applied perception blocking magic, then went inside the tent. It should be able to last until morning.

The air here was pure with the smell of nature lingering in the air. Not like the polluted air that I had to inhale everyday in the city. It cannot even be compared.

Soon I dozed off thinking of things to do tomorrow.

I was suddenly awakened by a loud sound like something exploding.

I rubbed my eyes and came out of the tent thinking that I was being attacked. I looked around but nothing seemed to be amiss.

The horizon was beginning to light up and the sun was about to rise.

(Airi, do you sense anything.)

(Wh-what)

(I dlosn't fiel ssannythin')

(What...)

(What?)

(Don't tell meee. Were you asleep?)

(No, Master. Airi doesn't sleep!)

She quickly went back to her usual self.

I concentrated and I could hear shouts coming from near the road. The road to the lake deviated from the main road so I had to concentrate really hard to even hear anything going on in the main road. But it sounded like people fighting. I could hear the sounds of swords clashing.

I put my bike, tent and other items inside the item box and took out my sword. And I slowly moved towards the source of the sound.

I moved through the trees so as not to startle anyone. As I got nearer, I could see people fighting. I crept down behind a bush. A large car was visible as well as some smaller bikes. And there were people in uniform beside those bikes. The bikes were crudely put together as if making a mockery of Earth bikes. And the car was more like a big carriage in the shape of a car. There were no horses though. I figured it had something to do with magic. It might even run on fuel but that possibility is a little dim. A strip of spikes was set up on the road and it seems the tires of the vehicles got punctured after running over them.

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There were two groups of people fighting. One was clad in dark blue uniform and looked like they were officials and another was clad in simple armours with scraggy faces and looked like bandits.

The officials had made a stand and were protecting whoever was inside the car but they were slowly being pushed back. The bandits outnumbered them and had already slain a few of the uniformed officials.

(There's also a mage and a sword expert among the bandits.)

(I see. No wonder.)

(Master, I think it'd be better if you helped them. They'll be wiped out at this rate.)

(Hmm....what do you want me to do.)

(You can use magic.)

(But they also have a mage)

(That person is a 3rd circle mage)

(And the sword expert?)

(I think you will be able to defeat him)

(Alright....Let's do it.)

I came out of the bushes and revealed myself. There were around 15 bandits and the people in uniform had been reduced to only seven people. The bandits were so busy fighting that they didn't notice me at first. But the uniformed soldiers became wary. They probably thought another one had joined the group of bandits.

I smiled at the people in uniform and made a few fire spears. As they glowed red suspended in air, the bandits finally noticed something was wrong. I then shot them towards the bandits.

"There's a mage. Defend!" One of the bandits screamed.

Three bandits fell down immediately but some were able to block the rest of the spears. A few people with shields came forward to block any further attacks with magic. I took out my sword from the scabbard and pointed it at the bandits.

(Master, behind you!)

I quickly turned and blocked the sword aiming for my neck. A bandit with a small moustache came into view. He smiled creepily and said.

"You blocked that, huh?"

I took a stance with the sword. The bandit crept forward a few steps and jumped at me. I blocked the sword again. His defensive counters were pretty good and even his feints told of a seasoned warrior. He sliced at me again. I rotated my body and jumped back. His sword barely missed the nerves in my legs. I charged at him, feinted to the right and struck him on his left side and feinted again to the left. The sound of the swords chipping away at each other filled the area.

"You're pretty good. Are you famous?" He asked.

I didn't say anything. I was thinking of ways to counter him. I started infusing energy into the sword. The sword expert's eyes became wide.

"He-Hey. That's an energy blade."

Without giving him time to think, I slashed at him. He was barely able to block it. His right arm was crushed and his sword fell down. Big gashes could be seen all over his body. Blood began to gush out of the wounds. He began panting and I knew it was only a matter of time before he died due to the blood loss.

"You. How....?" He said and lost consciousness.

After seeing the sword expert fall down, the people in uniform seemed to get their courage back and charged at the bandits. I also ran towards them slashing at their shields. The sword fused with energy easily sliced those shields in half. I fired a few ice arrows but they were blocked by a barrier. A bald guy in a robe was chanting at the back. I ran straight towards him deflecting the swords that tried to slice me and cast Ice Age on the spot he was standing in. His whole body instantly froze. The rest of the bandits were easily obliterated by the remaining guards.

I was wiping the sword when the person who looked like a captain came up to me and bowed his head.

"Thank you for your help. My name is Auzier. Without your help, we would have been wiped out."

"I'm Rayce. You don't need to thank me. I was just passing by and was happy to lend a hand."

Another guy came up to Auzier as I was speaking to him and whispered something in his ear.

"Ahem, the young lady would like to thank you. Please come this way."

"Young lady?"

"Ah, we are the knights of Marquis Kaerius household. We were just on our way to Glaecia escorting his daughter. We got separated from the main force and were going to the city by ourselves. Which could have turned into a big mistake if not for you."

"I see."

I was led to the big car and inside was a teenage girl wearing a formal dress with a maid next to her. She had blond hair and blue eyes and had beautiful and delicate features. She smiled at me and motioned for me to sit in the seat opposite her. I did so.

"My name is Amelia von Kaerius. Thank you for your help in subjugating the bandits. If you hadn't helped, we would have been sold off as slaves once they had caught us."

The maid was nodding and crying beside her.

Amelia held my hand and squeezed it. She was trembling. I patted her hand and she smiled. Another cruel reminder that this world was not like Earth and there was lawlessness around. Though it pained me to take the life of another human, if I hadn't intervened, I don't know what would have happened to these people. At worse, innocent lives would have been lost. Though they would have probably held onto the Marquis daughter for ransom.

"My name is Rayce. I'm an adventurer and was just on my way to Glaecia. It was a coincidence that I was at this place but I am happy to lend you my assistance." I bowed.

"Since we are going the same way, please let me give you a ride. It's the least I could do."

(Master, acquaintances!)

(Ahhh, alright!)

"Sure, that would be really helpful." I accepted her offer for the ride.

Martha, which was the name of the maid, brewed some tea and gave it to us. It was made with the same tea leaves like the one Hendrick had. I guess rich people had good connections.

Soon the punctured tyres were fixed. Auzier came to inform us that we would be starting soon. I nodded.

As the car started moving, flanked by the bikes on either side, I asked Amelia about the vehicles. She said that these were only available in the capital and they had just recently been made. Since the prices were quite high, it was impossible for normal people to buy it. And it ran on Energons and consumed a very high amount of it. It didn't seem that practical to be honest. Maybe future versions would be better.

"Would you like one of these bikes or maybe a car like this one? I'm sure my father would be more than happy to provide you with one as a reward."

The maid was nodding vigorously beside her.

"Ahaha, I'm not looking for a reward. But thank you for the offer."

"No no, you will have to take a reward. The honor of the Marquis family is at stake." Amelia said forcefully grabbing my hand again.

"I-If you don't want a bike, may-maybe you could ask for something else." She said, her face red.

(Master, you have done it again!)

Airi sounded shocked.

(Wh-what did I do)

(You idiot!)