The guards were stunned to see how Zack finished off the threat they couldn't even fight.

Until now, the only thing they thought about him when they looked at Zack was a spoiled child who had never seen the horrors that the world hides. Although they were speaking formally to him, it was because he has a magical class. If a stronger magician found out they had treated a magic user disrespectfully, regardless of how weak he was, they would be in a lot of trouble.

Once again, they remembered why wizards enjoy such high status in all parts of the world.

Seeing the quiet smile on Zack's face sent a chill down their backs. Fortunately, they treated him with respect. If they had offended him and he had refused to help them, perhaps they could be dead.

The mosquitoes that attacked them did not pose a serious threat. All they would have had to do is find a river or stream to dive into and wait for them to disperse, but running, terrified, in a forest in the middle of the night is not the brightest idea that one could come up with. The forest they are in is dangerous. Although they are going through areas where there are not too many inconveniences, in the case they lose their sense of direction and head deep into the forest, they may not be able to return safely.

"Hmm. Something happen?" Zack asked, confused.

“N-No. No problem. Thank you very much for your help,” said one of the guards in a hurried manner.

"So. If there's no problem, it doesn't matter if I go back to sleep?"

“Of course, mister mage. Thank you very much for the help” replied the other respectfully. Zack said goodnight to the escorts. And without waiting for their response, he turned and got into the tent.

When he was alone, Zack almost collapsed on the ground. He had to lean against one of the walls and sat on the floor to rest, his forehead sweating.

Despite all the knowledge in the matter of magic that he possessed, his practical experience could be considered almost non-existent. Not only is actual combat extremely stressful for him, but having to perform multiple spells simultaneously is a feat few can boast of at his age.

The show he put on out there was not something simple: First, he had to summon a large amount of water and make it levitate with a different spell. Then, he had to manipulate the water to trap all the insects around them. And then, he transmuted the water into fire. All of this was quite a mental stress.

Unfortunately, it was the only way to escape the guard´s surveillance. After all, you can't look to the right hand if you're looking to the left.

(Fortunately, everything went well) Zack thought while he recovered from the pain.

Thanks to this, neither of them realized that Zack was performing an extra spell, not on them, nor the mosquitoes, but on...

Zack's gaze fell on a corner of his seat where a little rabbit was sleeping soundly.

…

The next morning, they broke camp and continued on their way. Due to the situation last night, the guards decided to continue without breaks until they reached the forest´s exit.

Little by little, Zack could see with his own eyes how the weeds on the path disappeared, and the trees became increasingly scarce. They experienced no further trouble for the rest of their stay in the woods, and in the evening light, Zack was able to see the exit.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

In the distance, there was a barracks very similar to the one they had to go through to enter.

"Stop" Zack said from the back.

If this had been before, the knights would have ignored him, but ever since he saved them from the threat of mosquitoes, his voice had gained more weight.

They stopped immediately, and Zack opened his arms before the gaze of the guards. He took a few steps in the direction of the woods and crouched to the ground. In his hands was the little rabbit he had caught hours after entering the forest. He placed it carefully on the ground, and his hands began to shine as he caressed it gently.

"Mr. Wizard" said one of them while observing the changes in the rabbit.

"It's no big deal. It's just a few little spells to keep it safe." The guards looked at each other without saying anything. Their orders were clear to prevent him from using magic of any kind without supervision. Even so, they both remembered the scene from yesterday and realized that if Zack has a bad opinion of them, that was not going to help them in their career. Also, even though none of them had magical training it was clear the spells he was casting were harmless.

It was obvious that the magician they were escorting had potential. In the future, he would be someone important. It isn't worth making enemies with him for something like that.

After Zack finished performing the spells, he got up from the ground and walked towards the guards before the innocent eyes of the little rabbit and got up from the spot and began to go back into the forest.

…

The next morning the group left the barracks where they had spent the night and continued on their way.

Even though none of the guards had said a single word, they seemed much more energetic than yesterday, it was evident that they had rested well. Zack, for his part, was grateful to have slept in a bed instead of going back to rest in the narrow carriage in which he had to spend the night before. They borrowed a carriage from the barracks and prepared themselves for the rest of the trip.

With renewed forces, they continued on their way to Stormblade City. Except for the incident in the forest, the journey so far has been fairly smooth.

Gradually the road they were crossing began to become rockier, the grass on both sides of the road began to thin, and the previously flat terrain slowly turned into a slope. In about two hours, there was no green left in sight, and the road had deteriorated quite a bit, causing the carriage to wobble with each large stone that was stepped on the wheels. If these last few days Zack had been uncomfortable in the carriage, the feeling he had now was indescribable.

Zack and his guards were approaching a mountainous area, but he was too busy to notice.

Once he passed this area, they would be a day's drive from the city, and with it, Zack's hopes should go to zero. The only thing he could hope for was that his assumptions were not false.

This area was characterized by its complex structure, which made it impossible to pass on horseback except in very particular places, which made it the ideal place to hide out bandits.

The problem of the bandits has been an existing problem for many years. Every time the soldiers tried to exterminate them, they took advantage of their knowledge of the mountains to hide and escape from their pursuers. As the soldiers left, the bandits again attacked merchants and travelers using this pass, causing all but the most confident and/or powerful to cross this area.

Zack wanted them to be attacked by bandits, that would be the only circumstance in which the soldiers would stop paying attention to him, and he would have a window of opportunity to escape. Even so, bandits are not stupid. If any of them think this is a trap, none of them will show up. After all, it is highly suspicious that a carriage alone with two guards would visit this area. If it was him, he wouldn't attack the carriage for fear that the soldiers would be too strong. Zack could only hope that the bandits' greed would outweigh his cautious side.

The carriage continued on its way smoothly, and with each passing minute, Zack grew more anxious. Not surprisingly, his entire plan depended on this point. If they weren't attacked by bandits, all the preparations he had made up until now would be for nothing.

Suddenly Zack looked outside and breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he was right, the bandits were as greedy as he imagined.

A little further on, in the middle of the road, another carriage blocked the way, preventing them from continuing their march. Nearby, two people, a young man and, a woman, were looking at the carriage with serious expressions.

Hearing the noise behind them, they turned around and, seeing more people, a relieved smile lit up their faces.

The older man walked over to where they were.

The bandits were here.