"What is the matter? Please explain it to me again."
"Hoo… Haa… You see, Sir Greyrat. One of our own villagers had turned on us and sided with the bandits. Just this morning, the scoundrel had taken our town merchant and one of our women into the woods at knifepoint—it is likely that that is where the bandits you had chased out are camping. We're putting together a rescue team as we speak, but please, sir! With your power, we could rescue the hostages without bloodshed!"
I knew it. I shouldn't have let those bandits escape into the woods. This is now my responsibility—I have to see this through. I can't run away from problems that I created, but what should I do? I used to be just some sweaty fat guy… I have no idea how to rescue a hostage.
"Of course I'll help. However, I can't say that I'm experienced in matters of hostage rescue…"
"That's hardly relevant. The culprit had been living in the village for a few years, so we know his character to a certain extent. Allow us to handle the talking."
Oh, that's pretty smart, actually. The Chief's just bringing me along as extra muscle in case things go south. Since I'd demonstrated my power, the bandits are more likely to negotiate if they want to escape with their lives.
"I see. Please show me the way immediately."
"By all means. Follow me, Sir Greyrat."
Once we jogged back to the village, the Chief and I rode a horse to the outskirts of town where the forest was. Interestingly, I received the 'Equestrian' job when I saddled up, but I'll save that investigation for another time. At the edge of the forest, two groups of men were staring off at each other. There were about a dozen bandits or so, all armed to the tooth, scattered menacingly around the shrubbery.
"XXXXX!"
A strong-looking farmhand shouted in an unknown language toward the tree line with a stern expression on his face. He looked rather experienced. Perhaps he was the Chief's son or something?
"XXXXX!"
Alright, I can say for sure that I feel a little out of place here. I can't understand a thing they're saying. Trying not to get in the way, I do a Character Reset and summon Aqua Heartia in anticipation for the upcoming fight, and stand with my arms crossed in the most menacing way I can manage. It was rather clumsy of me to apparat Aqua Heartia in the open, but I had no time to come up with a clever excuse.
Man, I really need to learn how to think things through.
"XXXXX!"
The Chief cut in, naturally taking over as the negotiator from the other guy. The farmhand, now free, strode over to me to express his thanks while the Chief went in circles with the bandits.
"Ah, you must be Sir Mage, our savior. I'd like to personally thank you once more."
"No, no. Anyone would have done the same in my position."
"How humble of you. I could discern your noble spirit from a glance. However, this much gratitude is necessary. Please allow me to repay you in whatever way I can."
In response, I gave an awkward smile while scratching my head. I'm really not used to heartfelt praise, you know. Seriously, I'm not into guys, but if you keep this up, I might fall for you… Wait, no. We're in a standoff with bandits. Focus, Rudeus!
"Anyways, could you tell me about the situation? Forgive my ignorance, but I can't seem to understand what anyone is saying."
"Of course. Not many people around these parts can speak Brahim fluently, after all. The bandits are demanding a large sum of money from the village. That man right there—" he said, pointing at a plump man who was currently bound in rope, "—is Picker, the village's general merchant."
"Also, the woman beside him is Tirihi. Her husband used to be an adventurer. Before he passed, he left her two weapons which supposedly hold tremendous power."
What is this, a beginner level quest? Let me guess, after I rescue the Tirihi lady, she'll ask me to choose one of two weapons as a reward, and the merchant will offer his services to me as an introduction to the world's economy. It's really hard to take this seriously when the plotline sounds like something straight out of an MMO—Stop, stop.
Rudeus. These. Are. Real. People.
Not a video game.
Saying that I'll take things more seriously is one thing, but actually forcing my mentality to change is difficult. Even now, I'm finding it hard to focus as if I'm going through relapse.
"Um, Sir Mage. Is something wrong?"
"A-ah. Not at all. It's just that I am inexperienced in matters like these, you see."
"Of course. We cannot expect you to solve all of our problems now, can we? Would you like me to translate?"
"Please, if you will."
From here, the tense standoff carried on for another hour or so. Despite the tense mood, the farmhand continued to make small talk with me. While I was apprehensive at first, it had been so long since I had a face-to-face conversation. Apparently, I was just craving the interaction with another fellow man. Re-learning to connect with people was another social goal of mine, after all.
Even if I managed to claw my way to success, I wouldn't want to spend another lifetime being lonely.
Frankly, I didn't know whether I was supposed to be alert or not, so I gradually stopped paying attention to the standoff. Besides, the Chief and the bandits were just going in circles, really. The bandits won't negotiate until I'm gone, but the Chief refuses to send me away in fear of their safety. That is, until…
"Sir Greyrat! The bandits are making a move! Please, do something!"
Just as the Chief called out to me, a dozen bandits began to charge from the tree line. The villagers, who were only lightly armed, stood helpless in the open against the criminals armed with Copper Swords and Leather Armor. Since the battle yesterday, many of the able-bodied men were still recovering. We were outmatched two to one.
Shit, what was I supposed to do? That escalated quickly. Even if I used the lethal Fireball, it wouldn't finish them all off before they reached us—they must've realized that at some point.
Think. Think. Think…
I still have my Bonus Skills. Although I haven't ever used them, desperate times call for desperate solutions. I'm frantically scrolling through the Bonus Skills I have equipped, and at the very bottom of the list is Meteor Crash.
Perfect. The bandits have spread out across an open field now, so there's no chance of collateral damage. Well, here goes nothing.
"Meteor Crash!"
Waving Aqua Heartia in the air, I let out a primal battle cry. Technically, I don't need to do the incantation, but I thought that I'd be thoughtful toward the villagers to tell them what spell I was going to use.
"Shit! Get down—"
In return, one of the bandits wildly motioned his comrades to find cover, but it was already too late. Before any of them could take evasive action, a car-sized meteor slammed into the ground, shaking the earth and trees around it. As the dust settled, it was clear that the bandits who were caught in the blast were thoroughly dead.
"XXX!"
The Chief shouted, and the half dozen or so villagers charged into fray. This is probably the cue to rescue the hostages. While some detained weakened bandits, others rushed into the forest to secure the hostages. I followed the few that went into the forest.
We ran for only a few paces before we arrived at a clearing. There, was a man armed with a dagger holding a woman at knifepoint. Unlike the bandits, he wore plain clothing and looked rather clean shaved. This must be the villager that was working with the bandits.
"XXXXX!"
He shouted madly, waving his dagger at us. Although I had no clue what he was saying, I'm guessing from the look of his bloodshot eyes that it wasn't anything too flattering.
"XXX… XXX."
"XXXXX!"
One of the villagers beside me tried talking him down, to no avail. Anytime somebody tried to converse with him, it only made the kidnapper more frantic. The situation was certainly escalating. This wasn't good—he was going to try something. I need to figure something out, fast.
As expected, the kidnapper, ridden with anxiety, raised his knife. The woman, Tirihi, braced herself in anticipation.
"Overwhelming!"
Reflexively, I activated the skill of my Hero job, Overwhelming. As I found out earlier this morning, this skill allows you to dilate time in exchange for a stupid amount of mana. However, this was perfect for me since I just so happen to have an abundance of mana reserves.
Time around me slowed. Inch by inch, the man's blade was nearing the woman's throat. I raised Aqua Heartia, and aimed the tip of my staff at the dagger.
Whew… Breathe, Rudeus. You can't mess this one up.
Although the man was a few paces away, the blade itself was rather thick, almost like that of a short sword. Remember—I don't have to hit the blade even, just any part of the man's hand. I only need to disarm him.
I'm only a novice at magic right now, but please, let me have this lucky shot for once.
In my eyes, it had only been a few seconds, but I was already feeling the heavy cost of the skill. I can only keep this up for a few moments longer until I was completely out of mana. Well, this does make sense since I was only level 1.
Dust gathered around my feet, forming into a ball of sand near the tip of my staff. The sand drew closer and closer, before consolidating into a fine stone. Confident in my aim, the projectile flew in a straight line.
Ping.
Bullseye. Luckily, the stone successfully found its mark, landing squarely on the dagger's handle. The blade flung from the kidnapper's hands into a bush nearby, out of sight. The man, reeling from the pain, instinctively grabbed at his bloodied hand.
I was not going to let this opportunity go to waste. Immediately, I tossed my staff aside and charged toward the man, tackling him to the ground. This should be the part where he gives up, I get girl, and return to the village a hero to live happily ever after, right?
Yeah, right. As if things would be that easy.
Just when I thought I had subdued him, the kidnapper pulled out a pair of smaller knives from his boots and began to furiously scratch at my body. What do you know, criminals are surprisingly competent and well-prepared people.
"Agh…"
Seriously, though, this wasn't part of the plan. I thought that this was when the bad guy gives up? He's putting up a surprisingly violent struggle.
Also, did this guy just stab me?!
I wince in pain, but it wasn't enough for me to let go. When I got stabbed by the bandit leader, the strike had come so fast that I didn't even register it. Now, however, was a different situation—I knew that I am going to be hurt so long as I held on.
The more the small blades plunge into my body, the harder I drive him into the ground out of anger. Blood, sweat, mud mix as our exchange devolves into a messy street fight. Having never fought somebody before, my body thrashed uncontrollably against his.
Unlike the choreographed fights I'd see all the time in anime, there was nothing spectacular about what I was doing right now. The more I fought, the more I realized that unlike a video game mob, this was a living, breathing human that experienced the same pain as I did while fighting to survive.
The reality of the fight had just set in for me. We were both struggling for our lives, taking whatever cheap shots we can score. He wanted to live just as badly as any other person.
"XXX!"
"XXXXX!"
Thankfully, the two other villagers came two my rescue. Each of them lunged at my assailant, pinning his arms down. Now with the upper hand, I straddled the kidnapper and took this chance to give him a good thrashing. I was tired, bleeding, and gasping for breath, but I never relented my assault.
Again and again, my fists connected with his mangled face. I didn't stop until I couldn't move another fiber of muscle.
In that moment, I didn't know what came over me. I let out an animalistic urge that I had never felt before in my life. I had been so disconnected with my own actions for the past 20 years that something—perhaps, a true desire to survive—awakened within me.
With that cathartic release, I learned what it meant to struggle for life.
…
As soon as I had confirmed that the threat was neutralized, I glance around me to find Tirihi, who was kneeling on the ground. Thankfully, she appeared to be unharmed. She must've noticed my gaze because she began to stand up weakly. Her eyes met mine as she hobbled toward me.
"XXX?"
Damn, it's too bad I can't understand her. Now that I have a good look at her, she seemed quite attractive. Although she was on the older side, I could tell at a glance that she had a strong, robust figure underneath her clothes. Even from this distance, I could smell her well-kept blonde hair.
Ah, is this where it all starts? Perhaps after this incident, the woman known as Tirihi will fall in love with me, and we'll live happily ever after in this rural village? Honestly, this sounds like a pretty good deal to me. Hm… Tirihi Greyrat. That has a nice ring to it. By the way, just so we're clear, Mrs. Tirihi, I would like 10 children at least. Of course, I'll love the children from your previous marriage as my own. That is, if they'll accept me.
Abruptly, the woman before me rushes forward. Oh my, Ms. Tirihi, why so handsy all of a sudden? Let's wait until we're alone before we do some adult bonding… or could it be that you're into this kind of thing? Is my future wife an exhibitionist? Hm, I could get into that. Let's get away from the two other men's prying eyes first before we get started, shall we?
Huh? What's this? My vision's going black?
While it was pleasant to experience the touch of a woman for the first time in years, it was not pleasant at all to experience fainting for the second time in the last 24 hours.
Perhaps due to the loss of blood, or the fact that I had used up all of my mana, my body falls limply like a marionette with its strings cut. Thankfully, however, instead of unceremoniously slumping forward into the mud, I'm caught by Ms. Tirihi's tender arms.
