Episode 16: It's the end of the matter
The bandits who were causing trouble on the highway were defeated.
Most of the dozen or so bandits were reduced to dust by Uta.
One of them was an exceptional magician with fire control, but he died after being buried alive.
But the result isn't a happy ending.
The girl who had been held captive by the bandits, and the brave female knight who tried to rescue her, were both killed by the murderous blade.
A few hours after the battle ended.
Two women sat up in the dusty remains of the bandits' campsite.
"Um...what am I...?"
"Aria...?"
It seemed that Aria and Ilia had woken up.
The master and servant were lying on the ground, heaped on top of each other, but it seemed they were not dead.
A bloody sword was lying next to them.
Their clothes were also soaked with blood. It seemed that the incident had not been a dream.
"I-We were supposed to be killed..."
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"That's what I thought it should be... Ouch!"
As soon as I stood up, I was hit with pain.
Looking down, she saw a painful wound on her chest where she had been stabbed.
I checked on Ilia and she was the same.
The bleeding had already stopped, but the wound was still there.
"There are scratches on Lady Ilia's soft skin... what a thing to happen!"
Aria's expression became distorted.
My master's body was literally left damaged.
For a knight or an adventurer, this would be an honor, but for an unmarried girl, it could be a fatal blow.
There was a possibility that this scar would make it impossible for anyone to find a husband.
"...Mercy, I wonder. Of that person."
Ilia caresses her wounds and lowers her eyes sadly.
Uta could have killed them both.
But I didn't kill him.
He stabbed her once with his sword, and then healed her again, leaving a scar.
It was probably Uta's way of punishment and also mercy.
They both lived and were hurt.
Due to the whims of an evil god named Uta.
Putting the knight Aria aside... for Ilia, in some ways this may be more painful than being killed.
If she was attacked by bandits and sustained a wound in her chest... then as a noblewoman, she could no longer hope for favorable marriage prospects.
She could only marry as the second wife of an elderly nobleman or a man of lower rank.
(That man, how dare you humiliate Lady Ilia…!)
My anger outweighed my gratitude that my life had been spared.
If Uta had been present, Aria would have pointed her sword at him without hesitation.
(I won't forgive you... How dare you hurt Lady Ilia, I'll never forgive you...!)
Aria hated Uta.
However, if Ilia hadn't asked Uta for help, she might have suffered a terrible fate.
As a hostage, she would likely have been kept alive until the ransom was received, but the person she was dealing with was a rough bandit.
Even if they could return to their parents alive, their bodies may have been defiled.
The ideal situation would have been for Aria to get through that situation without pointing her sword at Uta, but... that was the result of Aria doing her best.
It was only Uta's whim that allowed the two to live, but if he had been in a bad mood, they would have been impaled by the sword and left as is, or turned to dust like the thieves.
Maybe I'm just lucky to be alive.
"Let's go... Aria, there's no point in staying here."
"Ilia-sama..."
"We can worry about the rest later... let's go home."
No matter how much you lament, the wound from the sword will never go away.
Even if you ask a skilled priest to treat it, the scars will still remain.
The injured master and servant huddled together and trudged along the road.
Whether they will hate the evil god's whims, or be grateful for them...the answer remains to be seen.