Chapter 54 - Chapter 53: The Marquis's Daughter Kidnapping, Part 2
Mika hid himself among the trees in the forest, watching the group of bandits from quite a distance.
Right now, the bandit group had stopped their carriage in the forest and were drinking around a campfire.
The carriage that had been traveling along the road continued to run without lighting any lamps even after the sun had set, but before reaching Yaunasun, it turned onto a side path.
Mika had been following the carriage, but if he hadn't been closing the distance bit by bit, he would have ended up going all the way to Yaunasun without them noticing.
Beyond the side path lay a forest, and the bandits had moved away from the side path within the forest; currently, they were gathered around a campfire in a slightly open spot.
There was no sign of the girl. She was probably still inside the carriage.
Six men were drinking alcohol and devouring meat around the campfire.
The emaciated man whom Mika was most wary of was the only one not joining that circle; he sat apart from them, quietly drinking his sake.
(...It's a relief that he's drinking alcohol, but he probably won't drink enough to dull his movements or judgment. Still, if the others get completely drunk and passed out, there might be a chance to rescue her...?)
Mika continued to ponder how he could somehow rescue the girl while listening to the men's conversation with his "Hellish Ears."
"Hey, do you have a plan once you get to Shaksara?"
The man who seemed to be the bandit leader spoke to the man named Bogeiza, who had a large scar under his eye and whom the leader had killed.
"I don't know why you were a knight in the Marquis's army or whatever, but you're on 'our side,' right? If you're saying you'll join us, we might as well put you to use."
"No, for now I just want to drink, sleep with women, and live an unhealthy life. The Marquis's army over there doesn't even let you drink properly; it's too healthy."
The man with the scar under his eye answered while nibbling on something bit by bit.
"Too healthy? Hahaha, that sounds bad for your body. But you can do that even if you come here, right?"
"If work is always on my mind, I can't enjoy it. If I run out of money, I might show my face eventually. When that happens, please find me some easy work."
The leader took a swig from the wine bottle and let out a long breath.
"...Like this time?"
The leader's eyes fixed on the man with the scar under his eye, piercing him as if appraising him.
"Yes, just like this time."
Saying that, the man with the scar under his eye took a small sip of sake.
He didn't care at all about the leader's appraisal.
"Hahaha, you seem like you'd be useful for various things. Recently, there have been quite a few big jobs. If you're a usable guy, you're welcome."
One of the men who had been sitting around the campfire stood up and sat next to the leader, joining the conversation.
"But really, this job was so easy, Boss. I was so bored because there was nothing to do."
"I was worried you guys were too bored and would do something stupid at any moment."
"Hehe, you're right. In a rotten town like that, there aren't even any women worth wanting."
Hearkening to that, a vulgar laugh erupted from the other men listening.
"So, is the next job already coming?"
"Hey, hey! Already talking about the next job! It's going to ruin the taste of the sake!"
The leader grimaced while poking the man next to him.
"...Well, we did get a request to kidnap some clerk from a certain trading company or something. Compared to this, it's like a fart. We turned it down because we were busy. Maybe they'll bring it back again with a higher reward."
The leader threw the meat he had finished eating into the campfire.
(...Are these guys hired kidnappers? Not for ransom, but kidnapping on commission?)
They were truly a disgusting bunch, making one feel like vomiting.
Although they had indeed overheard the conversation inside the carriage and talked about rewards.
"This time it went smoothly because the client gave us various advice. Something like, 'That fool Bogeiza can be easily drawn in.' Otherwise, even with a good reward, we couldn't have touched the job of kidnapping a Marquis's daughter."
A Marquis's daughter, you say!?
Mika was so shocked he almost made a sound.
(A Marquis's daughter... could it be Marquis Leventein's? Is that girl the daughter of the Marquis Leventein family?)
Mika's mind went blank.
He had thought she was just some rich person's daughter, but never a noble, let alone a Marquis's daughter.
"They even kindly taught us a way to infiltrate the city. If we have a way through the slums, we can escape easily even if the gates are blocked. With this much information gathered, we can't exactly hang up our sign anymore."
"From now on, let's loudly proclaim, 'We even kidnapped a Marquis's daughter!'"
"That sounds good."
The men's laughter rose up.
Mika carefully and quietly left the spot without being noticed.
When he returned to the side path, Mika couldn't help but squat right there.
(...Kidnapping a Marquis's daughter? No matter how you look at it, this is getting too big! This isn't a problem I can handle alone, is it!?)
He desperately suppressed the urge to scream wildly in despair.
"What do I do? What should I do? How should I move?"
Mika struggled to think with his confused head.
If it's Yaunasun, he thought he could reach it in about an hour by running.
Should he tell the soldiers there and have them send out a rescue force?
But would the soldiers believe Mika's story?
One hour to go. One hour for explanation and persuasion. One hour to return.
Even if he was fast, he should think it would take at least three hours.
If he was unlucky, they might not believe his words and lock him up instead.
"Detailed interrogation will be done tomorrow."
During that time, there was no guarantee that the girl would remain safe.
There was also the possibility they would depart while he was away.
The bandit group's goal was kidnapping, but that meant, on the flip side, "as long as they are alive."
They were the kind of people who thought they could just carve a scar on the girl's face with a knife and heal it with a potion.
At this very moment, he didn't know what treatment she was receiving.
(Damn it, damn it, damn it! What is this Marquis's daughter thing! Don't mess with me! What the hell do I do about this!!!)
Mika held his head.
Most of the bandits, he thought, he could handle somehow.
If he caught them off guard, failure would be almost impossible.
But there was one.
An opponent he couldn't even think he could win against, even if he caught them off guard.
In the first place, he couldn't even think he could catch them off guard.
The emaciated man.
He kept his distance from the group alone, drinking sake while remaining alert to his surroundings.
If he was going to catch them off guard, he should throw a "Stone Bullet" from behind... no, maybe an "Air Cutter" would be better?
If he could take down the emaciated man that way, he could probably handle the rest somehow.
But if the surprise attack failed, he would have to face the emaciated man plus six others.
He couldn't devise a plan to win.
No matter how hard Mika thought about how to fight with his own hand, in the end, he would be crushed by the emaciated man.
(...That guy is probably B-rank.)
Something like that suddenly popped into Mika's mind.
He didn't know if he was actually an adventurer.
But he must have skills equivalent to B-rank.
Completely superior.
The veteran with one or two quirks that Ninetiana had spoken of.
That Ninetiana, who had rated him as someone who "survives alone even if the whole party is wiped out."
Normally speaking, he was not an opponent Mika could match.
(...I'm glad I met Yaroibarov-san first. If I hadn't, I probably would have gotten drunk.)
Mika knew a man even more amazing and dangerous than that emaciated man.
It was a desperate situation, but compared to Yaroibarov, it was still better.
He was able to think that.
Mika let out a quiet sigh.
For a moment, the thought of abandoning her floated in his head.
He didn't know what political reasons led to the kidnapping of the Marquis's daughter, but that was something out of his reach.
It wasn't something Mika should stick his neck into.
He could think that way too.
(...No way.)
There was no way he could do that.
Even if Mika abandoned a girl alone right now, no one would know or care.
But even if no one knows, Mika knows.
Even if no one blames him, Mika will continue to blame himself.
Mika himself will remember the fact that he abandoned the girl until he dies.
His back teeth ground together.
He couldn't make up his mind.
His stomach wouldn't settle.
He was angry at his own lack of courage.
Gah!
He struck his own cheek.
Chewing on the faint taste of blood spreading in his mouth, Mika entered the forest.
Mika hid behind a tree and watched the bandit group.
As usual, there was no sign of the girl, and the men were drinking happily, letting out vulgar laughter.
The men gathered around the campfire were completely off guard, but it was clear that only the emaciated man remained alert to his surroundings.
It was still about 50 meters from the emaciated man.
Mika managed to approach cautiously to about 10 meters from there.
40 meters remaining.
But he couldn't get any closer than that, as he felt he would definitely be noticed.
(...Expecting them to be off guard is futile...)
In that case, the plan to surprise attack the emaciated man had to be discarded.
He should absolutely avoid the worst-case scenario of a seven-on-one situation if he failed.
Mika slowly stood up and leaned his back against the tree.
Thus, he quietly repeated deep breaths.
He had to make up his mind.
【Physical Enhancement】was still continuing without any problems.
There was fatigue, but his body could still move sufficiently.
Mentally it was quite tough, but he could still hold his ground.
(...Fine.)
Mika closed his eyes.
No fear, no hesitation.
Just go with the flow?
That was always the case anyway.
(...Engage...)
Calm his heart.
No fear, no excitement.
(...Let hell be beneath the blade.)
He concentrated his consciousness and confirmed his magic power.
Mika's range with a radius of 10 meters centered on himself.
(Only by abandoning oneself...)
He muttered "Stone Bullet" and created thirty fist-sized stone pebbles.
He raised the "output" of【Physical Enhancement】to five times.
(There must be a way to float!!!)
He opened his eyes wide and simultaneously fired twenty "Stone Bullets" at the men gathered around the campfire.
At that moment, he leaped out from behind the tree and charged at the emaciated man with all his might.
He used the remaining "Stone Bullets" to suppress the emaciated man, trying to keep him within his magic range somehow.
(If I take this guy down! The rest will be fine!)
It might be difficult to hit with "Stone Bullets" or "Air Cutters," but if he can get him within the magic range, he has "Thousand Edge."
It was difficult to send magic power into the nostrils or oral cavity, but if he could get his hands or feet within the range, he could inflict serious injuries.
Mika thought that the only way to find a chance to win was "Thousand Edge" against the emaciated man.
At the same time as charging, Mika extended his magic range toward the emaciated man.
As long as he could fit him in his field of vision, he could extend his magic range to over 20 meters.
With【Physical Enhancement】, his rushing power increased, and Mika's charging speed was unbeatable even by beasts.
However, the ability raised to five times meant that even the shock of kicking off the ground was at the limit of Mika's durability.
If he was unlucky, he might suffer heavy damage to his bones and muscles even with this.
Suddenly, a scream rose up, and he grimaced.
He glanced sideways at the campfire.
Four men had their heads blown off and died.
One man lost his right arm and screamed, the explosion echoing loudly in Mika's ears which were enhanced by "Hellish Ears."
The leader also survived, shouting something.
Mika lowered the volume and finished them off with three "Stone Bullets" each.
When Mika turned his gaze back, the emaciated man was hiding behind a tree.
There was still distance, and he couldn't quite get him within the magic range.
(Tch!)
He couldn't help but click his tongue, but he had avoided the worst-case scenario.
He had killed the men other than the emaciated man.
The only one left was the emaciated man.
(I wanted to avoid this situation if possible, but...)
The emaciated man hid in the forest and was completely lost from sight.
It would be a relief if he just gave up and went somewhere else.
(...Well, that's impossible, I guess.)
If the emaciated man was truly equivalent to B-rank, he was the kind of guy who would be said, "Even if the whole party is wiped out, he survives alone and completes the request."
He must be hiding somewhere, calculating the situation and the path to completing the request.
Mika also hid in the forest and searched for the emaciated man's presence.
That said, Mika didn't have any special techniques to search for presence.
He raised the volume of "Hellish Ears" and searched for the "sound" made by the emaciated man.
(...I have a bit of ringing in my ears from that just now. It's not that I can't hear, but searching for the emaciated man's "sound" with this...)
The scream of the man he had failed to kill and the leader's shouting had caused a bit of ringing in his ears.
Mika gradually increased the volume of "Hellish Ears" to search for the emaciated man's "sound."
But only the sound of the campfire crackling and the grass rustling in the wind grew louder, and he couldn't find the essential sound.
Especially the sound of the campfire crackling pierced Mika's ears with a crackle!
He hid and slowly moved away from the campfire, but he had to increase the volume accordingly.
In the end, it hardly changed at all.
He sank into the darkness, searching for the emaciated man's sound.
Moreover, he couldn't disconnect his consciousness from the carriage.
If the emaciated man tried to complete the request, taking the girl away would be essential.
There was a possibility that he would divert Mika's consciousness from the carriage and escape from the scene with the girl.
(Please don't do that. If you have to choose, choose to eliminate me.)
Mika almost wanted to ask the emaciated man.
Only if the emaciated man targeted Mika would Mika have a chance.
If he seriously tried to run away or avoided combat, Mika probably wouldn't be able to catch him by the tail.
Mika reacted sharply and suddenly jumped sideways.
Two thin knives suddenly stabbed into the spot where Mika had been just moments ago.
Mika realized he had forgotten to deactivate "Hellish Ears" and couldn't roll properly, tumbling and rolling on the ground.
If he hadn't deactivated "Hellish Ears," the sound he made after landing might have burst his eardrums.
(My position is completely exposed! I have no idea where they are on the other side!)
But, mixed with other faint sounds, he could hear the sound of the knives cutting through the wind.
That's why he was able to dodge suddenly.
(I can roughly figure out the direction, but I don't know where they were hiding. Besides, they're probably not there anymore.)
He must have thrown the knives and moved immediately.
But it was a good sign.
The emaciated man seemed to be fully intent on killing Mika.
The corner of Mika's mouth rose.
The emaciated man on the other side knew Mika's position, but Mika didn't know the emaciated man's position on the other side.
It was a very severe situation.
And yet, Mika felt a surge of excitement rising within himself.
The difference in skill was obvious.
But strangely, he didn't feel like losing, wrapped in a sense of omnipotence.
(...Good. Let's go all out.)
Something snapped inside Mika.
The ordinary limiter that avoided getting injured was removed, and he felt a desire to settle this fight no matter what happened to him or the opponent.
Mika stood with his back against a large tree, bending his knees just a little.
He lowered his hips slightly, leaning forward, adopting a posture that allowed him to move instantly in front, left, and right.
Then, he closed his eyes.
He kept increasing the volume of "Hellish Ears."
It was like an amplification level that would try to hear even the emaciated man's breathing and heartbeat.
Amidst the loud noise of the campfire crackling and the grass rubbing in the wind, he searched for a single sound.
Shhh...
At that moment, Mika's body moved in the direction the sound came from.
He caught the emaciated man's figure in his field of vision.
The emaciated man was on Mika's right, at a distance of 30 meters.
He raised【Physical Enhancement】to ten times and closed more than 10 meters in an instant with just two steps.
Mika had been searching for the sound of the emaciated man throwing a knife at him.
Raising the arm could be done slowly and silently.
But the motion of throwing the knife down inevitably made a sound of cutting the wind.
And the fact that the thrown knife would hit Mika meant there were no obstacles in the straight line from the emaciated man on the other side to Mika.
Breaking his leg bones with the shock of kicking off the ground, he leaped in and closed the distance to within 20 meters in an instant.
The knife passed just barely past Mika.
Mika instantly extended his magic power toward the emaciated man he had caught in his vision, enveloping the tree where the man was trying to hide in magic power.
"Thousand Edge!!!"
And he tore everything apart with countless small blades.
"Gyahhhhhhhhh...!"
For a moment, a scream like that was heard, but after that, nothing could be heard except the sound of "Thousand Edge" like babababashu!
Mika rolled on the ground with the momentum of his charge.
"Ugh!? Gah! Goh!? Gya! Ga!!!"
Because the momentum was too great, his entire body's bones cracked and broke from the impact of rolling.
Even with durability increased ten times by【Physical Enhancement】, it seemed he had easily exceeded the limit he could endure.
Well, it was natural since he flew with full power using ten times the force.
Bones are weak against lateral force.
Gon!
"Gahf!"
At the end of his rolling, Mika hit a tree and lay on his back.
But he couldn't move a single finger with his own will, let alone move his body.
Although parts of his body twitched involuntarily, unrelated to his will.
(...So... it... hurts...)
Because of the pain and his own reckless strategy, laughter suddenly rose up.
But if he tried to laugh, it hurt his broken ribs and such, and even if he held back, it hurt.
At his own ridiculous figure, laughter rose up again.
In a vicious cycle where he wanted to laugh but couldn't, and that itself was funny, Mika twitched while enduring the pain alone.
After twitching for a while, he became a little calm.
(Anyway, unless I do something about these fractures, there's nothing I can do. Seriously, it hurts too much...)
Mika had done partial healing before, but could he do it for his whole body?
Partial healing would be fine, but in Mika's current case, he had no idea where to even start.
At a time like this,【Heal】would be really convenient.
(For now, let's go with the full-body repair course. If there are parts that heal slowly, I'll handle them individually.)
It sounded like an esthetician's course, but it was a life-or-death matter.
First, he didn't know if this forest was safe.
The bandit group had probably researched it somewhat and selected it as a resting place, but if they encountered beasts or magic beasts, Mika probably couldn't win.
He couldn't even turn his head.
And since he wanted to pour all his magic power into recovery, he wanted to stop the 10-meter magic range if possible.
He still had physical stamina for now, but if he couldn't move forever, Mika himself might rot away here.
But the biggest concern was that there might be other members of the bandit group.
If they didn't arrive at the scheduled time, their comrades might come looking for them.
In the first place, who could say for sure that this wasn't the meeting place?
Mika closed his eyes and decided to focus solely on the healing magic.
For now, he should just focus on recovery.
He gathered magic power vigorously with "Absorb" and poured it into treating the fractures.
Whether Mika survived or not depended on how much he could shorten the time for this treatment.
He told himself that and performed the healing magic with priority over everything else.
(I'm sorry... please wait just a little longer. I will definitely save you.)
So, apologizing to the girl.