The battle on the river had somehow been overcome.
Two boats had attacked from the upstream side where the gods and I were defending, and one more from downstream, where Felix-san and Mia-san had gone to assist. There were three of them in total.
The magical lights illuminated the now-quiet surface of the river. Once I stopped moving, my soaked clothes felt heavy and cold, so I quickly changed out of them.
The words of thanks for repelling the attackers ended quickly.
In a way, it was because our work wasn’t done yet. As the villagers and the raven warriors that are holding torches looked on, a loud voice suddenly rang out.
“Alright—!”
“Pull!”
Everyone began hauling on the ropes stretched across the river, each one tied to an enemy vessel. If we left them drifting, the current would carry them away.
I joined in, taking hold of a line myself.
“Heave… ho!”
『You can do it, Rion!』
Solana was cheering me on, but it was a bit distracting…
Because I was wedged in between Mia-san and Felix-san, I was practically standing on my tiptoes.
Before long, with a heavy thud, the enemy boat slammed into the riverbank. One of the capsized vessels lay on its side, its bow and mast jutting into the shore like stakes driven into the earth.
The bandits who had been tied up inside the ships seemed to have awakened from the shock of the impact.
“W-what is going on….”
“Rope…?”
“When did this happen…!?”
The bandits glared at us from within the circle of guards, their eyes burning with frustration.
“Damn it! You’re the ones who did this, huh?!”
“Was that… water magic?!”
Ah, I see—
They couldn’t see the gods. From their point of view, their ships must have suddenly capsized, they blacked out, and when they came to, they were already tied up.
“Y-you’d better behave yourselves!”
I tried my best to sound intimidating, though I wasn’t sure how much effect it would have given my height. The bearded bandits blinked at me in disbelief. Then, one after another, they began to wail.
“W-we lost to a brat like this…?”
“We thought it was just a bunch of merchants!”
Solana’s expression stiffened in irritation.
『What a rude bunch.』
Certainly, it was a surprise to the bandits. From their perspective, this was unexpected. Most of the warrior group had disguised themselves as merchants. After all, sending a group of more than ten armed adventurers downriver would’ve drawn too much attention.
“I don’t really mind. But still…”
If we really had been what we looked like—just a child and a handful of merchants—then that raid would’ve succeeded. They would’ve taken us all, bound us in chains, and sold us as slaves.
There were others who had anchored downstream from us and been attacked in the same way. They were actually a combination of real guards and merchants.
A shadow crept across my heart. That small difference, the illusion we created, had been the only thing separating survival from tragedy.
From farther along the bank, Felix-san came running toward us, his boots splashing in the mud.
“We’ve captured all the bandits downstream as well. 23 upstream and 12 downstream —three boats in total.” He exhaled sharply with a grim expression. “It’s a frightening number.”
I remembered what we’d heard just that evening— that the slaver traders from Flocia were pushing their raids farther inland, following the river upstream.
My hands trembled, and I clenched them tight to keep the shaking from showing.
“Felix-san. Mia-san.”
“Mm. Let’s start by hearing what they have to say.”
Mia-san answered.
Three of the bandits—apparently their leaders—were dragged off the boat and forced to their knees on the riverbank.
Among them was Zamza, the one I’d defeated earlier. He carried himself with a false calm, and when our eyes met, his lips twisted into a sneer.
“I’ve heard there were other raids farther downstream. Was that your doing?”
I asked, stepping forward.
The bandits exchanged glances and then gave a low, scornful laugh.
Zamza was the one who answered.
“And what if it was, huh?”
He tried to sound defiant, but the mocking glint in his eyes only stoked my anger. My voice trembled when I spoke again.
“Were you… taking people? Enslaving them?”
“Damn right we were!” Zamza barked, grinning wide. “Remember this, brat—your sisters, your parents, whoever you’ve got—we’ll make ‘em all slaves for payback, you hear!?”
He threw his head back and cackled, tongue lolling out like some beast drunk on cruelty. There wasn’t a trace of remorse in him. Just ugliness—raw and festering.
“You—!”
I took a step forward, but before I could say more, a searing white flash streaked past Zamza’s face.
A heartbeat later, red scattered through the air.
“…Eh?”
A single line of blood ran down Zamza’s cheek, and his eyes went wide in shock.
“I have something to ask you.” came a low, steady voice.
It belonged to a man—a swordsman, maybe about twenty years old.
He wore the rough leather gear typical of adventurers, his dull blond hair stirring softly in the night breeze. Tall, sharp-featured, so handsome—so much that at first glance, one might have mistaken him for a woman. But his broad shoulders and the way his hand gripped his sword at his side left no doubt of his strength. And his eyes—cold and piercing—were sharper than any blade.
“I’m one of the escort adventurers. From the fleet stationed downstream. My name is Nils.”
With that brief introduction, the swordsman straightened and faced the bound bandits once more.
“There’s one thing I need to confirm.”
He raised his left hand, one finger extended. In his right, the sword’s edge shimmered faintly in the torchlight.
“You said you were taking people—didn’t you?”
The air itself seemed to tighten, as if the night were holding its breath.
“I’m looking for my family.”
Nils knelt, leaning close until his face was inches from Zamza’s.
The bandits’ mouths worked soundlessly, gasping like fish pulled from the river.
“Look here. This, do you recognize it?”
From his pocket, he drew out a small object—a fragment of metal dangling from a thin, blackened chain.
Once, it must have been a necklace. Now, it is destroyed. The surface was scorched as though seared by fire, the delicate engravings and inlaid gems buried beneath layers of soot and rust.
“The woman who dropped this,” Nils continued, his tone tightening, “was taken by raiders—by people like you. Before you captured her, do you remember seeing it?”
“I—I don’t know anything!”
One of the bandits stammered.
“She’s my family. My sister. Her name is Dee.”
Nils spoke softly. Even I found myself holding my breath.
Zamza, too, had gone pale under the weight of that presence.
So this is what people meant when they spoke of killing intent.
Nils’s eyes narrowed, his right arm tensed, the sword trembling faintly in his grip.
“W-wait!”
I blurted, unable to stand the suffocating tension.
Felix-san stepped forward beside me, planting his staff into the ground.
“…River raids are a grave crime,” Felix-san said firmly. “These men have already been captured. The law will judge them, and the investigation will uncover the rest.”
Nils let out a sharp snort through his nose and rose to his feet.
With a smooth motion, he sheathed his sword, then swept his gaze across the remaining bandits—everyone except Zamza. When they shook their heads frantically under his stare, he turned on his heel.
“…My apologies. I shouldn’t have interrupted your investigation.”
Without waiting for a reply, he strode away, his boots splashing faintly in the shallow water.
But his words lingered in my mind.
He’s searching for his family…?
“I’ll go talk to him.”
I uttered before I even realized it.
I couldn’t help it—I wanted to know more. And if he was really looking for someone who’d been enslaved, maybe the warrior corps could help somehow.
I caught up to him just as he was about to leave the riverside.
“…You’re looking for someone who was taken as a slave?”
I asked. Nils turned around, surprise flickering in his sharp eyes as he looked down at me.
“…Yes. My sister.”
For a moment, Lu’s face flashed through my mind.
If my own sister were kidnapped—if she were taken away like that—I’d probably search the world too.
Slavery… abduction… those were things that shouldn’t exist. They were cruel in a way that made your chest ache just to think about them. Still, I couldn’t just blurt out, we’re after the slave traders too. That wasn’t something I had the right to say—not yet.
“Did you need something?”
“Ah—um…”
The words caught in my throat, and I just stood there, frozen.
Nils gave a faint smile.
“A newcomer, huh? Then—may I give you one piece of advice?”
I blinked, startled, and nodded.
“Your heart is too kind.”
“…Huh?”
He glanced toward the riverbank where the captured bandits still sat tied up.
“Those bandits, earlier. An empty threat is no threat at all. I can tell you have strength in you—real resolve. That’s good. But you should learn how to use it. Sharpen your sense for when to show mercy, and when not to.”
I realized then— that killing glare of his earlier… maybe that had been part of his negotiation.
“So… that was on purpose?”
“Who knows.”
A faint smile tugged at his lips, but his eyes—narrowed and cold as winter steel—made my breath stagnate.
“There are times when getting the truth means you can’t choose your methods.”
The sound of metal jingled softly as he slipped the charred necklace back into his coat. Then he turned, the river mist curling around him as he walked downstream.
“If I frightened you, I apologize.”
He said over his shoulder, his voice is low but sincere.
I found myself staring in the direction he’d gone for a while.
Down by the river, the merchants from the downstream convoy were approaching, stopping to consult with Felix-san about what to do with the captured bandits and when to set out tomorrow. It seemed like they were sorting out the practical things now that the fighting was over.
Mia-san caught up to me, her red hair swaying in the lamplight. She narrowed her eyes, gazing after Nils’s fading silhouette.
“That guy—he’s got skill,” she muttered.
It made sense. Mia-san and Felix-san had been protecting the merchants downstream, so they must have seen him fight firsthand.
“Mm. It’s hard to believe he’s not more well-known.”
Felix-san added.
“He told me he’s looking for his sister.” I replied.
“Ah. So that’s why he’s traveling…”
Felix-san folded his arms, the metal of his gauntlets clinking softly.
“Honestly, as far as intimidation tactics go, what he did to that bandit wasn’t wrong. But… call it a hunch—something about him feels a little unstable.”
I nodded quietly. If nothing else, it meant we weren’t the only ones chasing the slavers. Maybe we could work together.
But then I remembered the cold, killing edge in his eyes—and the thought made my chest tighten.
My heart wavered, rippling like the moonlit surface of the river.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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