Chapter 117
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Having entered the town through the proper procedures, we were able to leave without any issues, as expected.
By that time, it had just started to snow, and we could see many travelers heading south as if fleeing from it.
In fact, people with bases in the south apparently spend the cold season there.
Iris’s hometown, Gavrett, is also in the south, so our group followed suit and headed south as well.
Maybe because our group consists of one man and 2 women, we get odd looks from the adventurers guarding the caravan ahead… probably because they don’t want to rely on our strength.
They’re all men, and Iris and Seria are beautiful, so that might be part of it.
Anyway, for now, Seria is dressed as a Cleric, and since we still attract a lot of attention, we shouldn’t run into any trouble.
* * *
After a while.
We seemed to have arrived at a place commonly used for breaks, as various individuals and groups were heading off the road into an open area.
Meanwhile, the caravan ahead didn’t seem to be stopping here for a break, so we decided to keep moving and skipped the rest as well.
That in itself wasn’t unusual, as individuals and small groups were also passing through the place without stopping.
However, naturally, the number of people around us decreased, and with some taking different paths, the crowd thinned even more.
* * *
After about 5 days, as dusk approached and we were about to prepare for the night camp, the caravan ahead veered off the road.
”What do we do?”
Iris asked that, probably because they had been glancing over here several times.
Or rather, at Iris and Seria.
Having passed several forks in the road, at this point, only our group and the caravan ahead were on the same path.
It was clear they were concerned about the two of them.
Their gaze felt unavoidably cautious, and it seemed they were uneasy about camping in the same spot.
I, too, would rather avoid trouble if possible, so after confirming with Seria, who was on the cargo bed, we decided to keep moving for a while.
And then… just as we were about to pass the spot where the caravan ahead had stopped, their guards suddenly stepped out and blocked our path.
Zash!
”!? Whoa—! Stop!”
Neigh!
Zazash!
Even though they had jumped out so suddenly, Iris decided it would be bad to run them over. She yanked the reins, bringing the carriage to an abrupt stop.
She naturally complained to them.
”That was dangerous! Are you trying to kill us?”
They responded with smirks.
”Come on, now. It’s almost dark, and it’s dangerous to keep traveling, so we stopped you to help out, you know?”
”Yeah, yeah. The next campsite is a ways off.”
”Besides, during this season, lots of people are traveling south for a while and carrying a lot of money, so this is a region where bandits are prevalent.”
Their words made sense, and if it were just out of kindness, I would have readily accepted their advice.
However, the words that followed instantly erased that thought.
”So, you’d better spend the night here. Well… since you’re getting our advice for free, we’ll expect you to keep us company. Don’t think you’ll be getting much rest.”
”Which one should we start with?”
”Does it matter? If you take too long deciding, they’ll both be buried.”
”Yeah, yeah. We’ll just do both.”
…What the hell is with these guys?
They give unsolicited advice, then demand payment for it. This is nothing but extortion.
It seemed that Iris and Seria also shared this sentiment, as their expressions of dislike for the group intensified.
Of course, I’m going to refuse their proposal.
”We need to hurry, and we have no intention of letting you guard our women and belongings. Could you please move aside?”
When they heard that… they started shouting.
”Hah!? How the hell should we know!?”
”Why don’t you go on ahead!”
”Shut up and leave the women and the cargo behind!”
Just listening to what they were saying, it wouldn’t be surprising to think they were the bandits here.
I’ll be clear about these people.
”The money and cargo are one thing, but there’s no way in hell I’m handing over the women to the likes of you.”
”…The hell did you just say?”
”You bastard…”
Chak…
At my reply, the men’s hands moved to their weapons.
They should have known Seria was a cleric just by looking at her, but for her to make a request like this… Do they not fear the church, or do they think she can’t rely on them and doesn’t care?
I’m starting to think these guys are the bandits.
Anyway, it’s clear they’re up to something, so I decided to confirm things by speaking to the caravan leader, a man who looked to be in his mid-thirties.
”Um, is this okay? Letting them do this?”
”Hah! There’s a lot of cargo for the number of people, and the women are high-quality. I had my eye on them. They’re acting on my orders, so of course it’s fine!”
So this guy’s the ringleader.
Yep, these guys are definitely bandits.
They have 2 wagons and 8 guards.
It’s not a huge number, but the way they’re going about this suggests they’re used to it… This isn’t their first time.
Which means there’s a chance they’ve targeted other small groups of travelers, just like us.
I should probably ask about that.
”This doesn’t seem like your first time. Have you kept any of the women you’ve taken before?”
”Nah. If you use ’em too much, they’re worth less. We sell ’em off before that happens.”
Human trafficking, too…
I wouldn’t interfere if the women were consenting, but based on what these guys are saying, it sounds like they’re forcing themselves on them.
”…Sigh.”
”Hmm? Have you given up?”
The merchant, apparently thinking my sigh meant I’d given up, told his men to prepare.
“All right, boys! Take care of the man, then we can have our fun!”
“Yeah!!”
Shff!
Clack!
Responding to the merchant’s command, the men drew their weapons.
I thought they said they’d let the women and cargo go if we didn’t interfere.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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