"It's a list of all subjugation quests available at H rank, including the names of targets, rewards, and habitats. There are 20 quests available at H rank. Since explaining everything verbally would be cumbersome, we provide this list when you take an H rank subjugation quest for the first time. Please read it carefully."

  "Alright... I understand."

  At least the book wasn't too thick, which was a small relief.

  "Now, I've registered the quests on your card, so the procedure is complete. Thank you for your efforts."

  Silva left the guild with the card and the book in hand.

...

  About two hours had passed since Silva left Melferen. The road cut through a dense forest. The path was wide enough for tow or more carriages to pass, so walking was easy. However, the forest was densely packed with large trees, blocking out most of the sunlight. Despite being daytime, it was strangely dark.

  Probably due to the threat of thieves, there was no one else on the road. Silva Schneizel was the only traveler.

  The road, flanked by dark forests, was an ideal spot for an ambush perfect for thieves to strike.

  Silva was making his way to Aru to avoid pursuit from the Empire, aiming to cross the border as soon as possible.

  However, his plan was disrupted by a scream that pierced the air.

  "Ahhh!"

  "Shut up! Be quiet!"

  "No! Let me go!"

  "Behave yourself!"

  The screams came from a sharp bend in the road, just beyond Silva's line of sight.

  Silva sprinted towards the noise and took cover behind a large tree at the curve. He cautiously peeked out.

  Ahead, he saw a carriage under attack, surrounded by several men, with two girls being held captive.

  "Haha, another big haul today. Aren't we getting lucky lately?"

  "No kidding. Even that village yesterday had more than we expected."

  "And the women weren't bad for a village that size. Though we didn't get our turn..."

  "Well, can't be helped. The untouched ones fetch a much better price when sold."

  "I'm tired of only older women. It's the young ones like these that we want," one of them said, pointing at the girls.

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  "Hahaha, ain't that the truth!"

  "Hey! Don't touch the goods, or the boss will kill you!"

  The man holding the blonde girl warned his companions.

  "But look at them! They're such fine goods!"

  The man holding the silver haired girl responded.

  "Yeah, and we've already met our quota with the loot from this carriage."

  Another man, who had been rummaging through the carriage's contents, chimed in. The men around him nodded in agreement, losing control in the presence of such "treasure."

  "If you lay a hand on us, I'll bite my tongue!" the silver haired girl shouted defiantly.

  The men, however, merely grinned.

  "Hah! We know you slave girls can't kill yourselves or resist because of those collars!"

  The girls' faces went pale. They hadn't expected the thieves to know about the collars. As the man said, the collars magic prevented them from such actions.

  "But just in case, gag them both," one of the men ordered.

  "Stop! Let us go!"

  The two girls struggled, but they were no match for the men's strength.

  "Hey! If you don't behave, who knows what will happen to that girl over there?" The silver haired girl, seeing a sword pointed at the other girl, gave up and fell silent.

  "Still, your master is pretty heartless, isn't he? Runs off with his guards and leaves you behind to get raided by us," one of the men mocked.

  "Gates, you can't blame him. Being targeted by us, the 'Red Moon Group,' and still being alive is lucky enough."

  "You got that right!" Gates burst into laughter.

  "Hey, look at this! This is worth at least five hundred thousand baht!" one of the men shouted, holding up a valuable item.

  "No way... There's really five hundred thousand here..."

  "Is all of this gold coins...?"

  Amidst the boxes of miscellaneous items, clothes, and jewelry was another box filled with gold coins. The men's eyes gleamed with greed.

  "Hey, with such a big haul, shouldn't we be able to do whatever we want with these girls?"

  "Yeah, I think so too... With all these gold coins and jewels, getting some extra spoils shouldn't matter."

  "But what if the boss finds out..."

  Gates gave a twisted smile to the man who looked worried.

  "Don't worry. We just kill them both after we're done. No one but us would know there were slave girls among the loot, right?"

  Hearing Gates' words, malicious grins spread across the men's faces.

  (One, two, five... seven of them...)

  The men were about ten meters ahead of the large tree. They were dressed no differently from the mercenaries or adventurers seen in town armor and weapons. However, their faces bore the savage look of predators, twisted with a desire to violate, hurt, steal, and kill. The arrogance of their perceived strength showed in every sneer and leer.

  (What ugly faces...)

  In his seventeen years of life, Silva had never seen faces so contorted by depraved desires.

  (Should I help them? ... But getting involved here would be risky...)

  Silva hesitated.

  (Even if I help them, things could get complicated. If I decide to help, I have to eliminate all seven men. If even one escapes, they could come back with reinforcements. If they use the girls as shields, I will have no choice but to strike regardless of their safety.)

  Reasons to help. Reasons not to. His survival instinct clashed with his sense of justice. His escape from the Empire, and countless other factors, swirled in his mind.

  Then, Gates' vile words reached Silva's ears.

  Silva's face hardened with anger and resolve.

  (What am I even considering? Should I really let these people live?)

  These were his true feelings.

  Even Silva, who could be ruthless in pursuit of his goals, was fundamentally a decent person. He had ordinary morals and a sense of justice.

  Silva grabbed his chakram from his bag and quietly moved through the forest to position himself for a surprise attack. If the ambush failed, he would face overwhelming odds. Moreover, this time he wasn't wearing a mask. If any of the bandits escaped, they would surely return for revenge with reinforcements.

  (I have no choice but to maximize my chances... Sorry about this,)

  Silva thought, silently apologizing to the girls caught in this dire situation.