Volume 1 - CH 3

Translator/Editor: Silver

「A Surprise Attack Isn’t Cowardly」Part 2

The path along the riverbed did not feel like an actual road to me.

The earth was simply flattened on this strip of land, the only indication of traffic being the carriage wheel’s tracks. I was following the river downstream using 【Dimensional step】.

When I spotted a stopped carriage ahead of me.

I could finally encounter the inhabitants of this world, but something about the atmosphere was off.

To investigate, I transported to a nearby location, and observed the carriage. One large man appeared to be thrusting his sword toward a bodyguard. Lying on the ground, were the bodies of five other guards. The person parallel to the bandit fell to the ground, only the six bandits and two women were left alive. It was obvious in which direction, things were developing.

If I wanted to save the two women, I’d have to take care of the six bandits that could kill without hesitation. However, going out and simply yelling “Stop it, you guys” wasn’t going to cut it.

If this were the game, then my current powerful equipment would allow me to be alright if I challenged them. However in reality, the outcome could bend to the will of chance.

There is only one strategy I can obtain certain victory with, I need to launch a surprise attack. It will all come down to how many I can remove within the initial action. However, the odds will be highly in my favor with this plan. After all I can always use 【Dimensional step】if the attack fails. First, I should take down the strongest looking one.

In my direct sight, the man that had been targeted pulled his pants down exposing his dirty ass.

My sword whipped out from its sheath, the mythical grade weapon 【Holy Thunder sword】was ready to released a little of the power capable of cutting down trees with one stroke. All right, I’m all set.

At once, I was behind the bandits with the use of transfer magic.

──When asking the result, the surprise attack was a great success. Rather, it was overwhelming victory.

Before they could even react, four people were rendered incapable of action. And the two that tried to run were quickly dealt with.

In the first place, I had no intention of letting a single bandit escape. It was like my state of being had entered a battle mode, when I saw the people trying to run my body moved instantly. Showing your back to a predator is something you should never do, when trying to running away from them. That is surely why I used 【Flying Dragon slash】to deliver the fatal blow……

Although it was to save the women, I felt nothing at the thought that I had killed. I wonder if this is a mental effect?

I begin to look around, as I’m hit with a immeasurable feeling that something important is missing.

──Well, even if I think about it now, it is unlikely that I would find the answer……

Moreover, since the threat of the bandits has been dealt with, I could probably get these women to lead me to the nearest town.

As for two women, I was having a little trouble of finding where I should be looking, I try to relieve their tension by speaking.

“Are you alright?”

I call out to the two women, speaking in a normal tone, as if we were normal traveler.

The tone was suitable to use whenever I play the game.

It was the basic manner of playing, although I usually had to type on a keyboard before I could speak. Even if we weren’t role-playing, most people would act as such, at least…… I think they would.

By the way, my character setting here were as a warrior, and I have the qualifications of a holy knight. A curse has changed me into a skeleton, so I wander looking for a way to break it. I’m a nice warrior in my early 40s…… those were the setting I prepared of asked.

One of the two women was still a girl, and had chestnut colored hair. She sat there stunned, cover in the blood of the bandits.  Indeed, it was kinda sad……

The other women was 20-something and wore the remains of a maid outfit. She wore her red curly hair in a short style, and was looking at me with strong brown eyes. Her clothes were heavily damaged around her chest as she was trying to cover her breast with her arms. Not much of the victim’s blood seems to have hit her.

“You should wash your bodies some in the river. I will take care of clean up while you do so.

“Y-Yes, Thank you very much. I will move ojou-sama over there.”

At my words the redhead maid, ran to the carriage and pulled out a piece of luggage, she then wrapped the girl, referred to as ojou-sama, in a cloth and took her to the riverbed.

Then, I look around again.

There were 6 bandit bodies, and 7 bodyguard bodies in total. A terrible scene. It was like looking at a dreadful crash scene from a foreign TV drama. There were also 12 horse, not counting the ones attached to the carriage. Based on the saddles and other gear on the horses, 6 of them seemed to have belonged to the bandits.

A horse in such a time should be quite expensive. It would be equivalent to a modern car. Selling the six that belonged to the bandits should cover my traveling expenses. Can I also receive money from selling the weapons of the dead as well? The weapons should also be quite valuable, as they are basically lumps a metal.

I decide to discard the leather armor that won’t seem to sell for much, in addition most of them are covered in blood.

I search the body of one of the bandits for the time being. Something like a leather pouch is tied to his waist. I remove the drawstring to verify the contents, 4 sheets of silver about the size of a 100-yen coin, and 15 sheets of various colors about the size of a 10-yen coin. A similar crest is drawn on all of them.

This seems to be the money used here. Silver and copper coins? Comparing it to the coins you see in Japan, they left me speechless. So this is the so called taste of wealth.

After a while, I’m sure that I’ve taken most of the valuables of the bandits.

The bottom half of the boss guy that was floating in soup, had 6 gold sheets in it about the size of a 1-yen coin. They were probably gold coins, although small they were comparatively heavy.

From all the bandits I got, 6 gold, 31 silver, and 67 copper. Perhaps this is a small amount, but I can’t tell without knowing the price of anything.

There were 6 swords, 1 mace-like weapon, and 3 daggers.

The weapons were gathered up in a sack I found on one of the bandits’ horses.

The corpses of the bandits were piled on the side of the road. Have I grow use to this kind of scene from those foreign dramas? I ponder as I notice my indifference to my actions.

I cast 【Flame】 on the pile of corpses. From my flame-thrower like hand, a jet of fire engulfs the pile of bandit corpses.

When they are reduced to ashes, they can be useful to the plants as fertilizer.

Suddenly I see, a copper had fallen near the flames.

I pick it up and throw it into fire, I don’t know if the ferries of the Styx river are here or not, but at least one of them should be able to cross the river now.

As I watched as the fire and smoke were carried upward, the two ladies returned.

The brown-haired ojou-sama immediately went inside to carriage, however her complexion seems to have improved. The maid pulled out a leather bag tied to the rear of the carriage and took some spare cloths from it,

“With the bodies of the bandits cremated, do you want to do the escorts next?”

I ask her about the treatment of other corpses. She stopped for a bit, and thought about it.

“The bodies will be claimed later on by other soldiers. Only the weapons and horses will be brought back, thank you for preparing them.” She replied, bowing politely.

“Understood.”

I return a short reply, and began to move the bodies.

The maid boards the carriage with her change of clothes, and pulled the curtains.

Finding another sack, I throw the weapons of guards in it, and placed it on the rear of the carriage.

I then hitch the guards’ horses to the carriage, with some rope I found in the bandits’ belongings.

As for the bandits’ horse, five of them are tied to the strongest looking one. Now it should be difficult for them to run, and I can bring the horses into the city by pulling the rope.

The horse I rode looked slightly annoyed by the weight of the body armor…

After awhile the maid appeared wearing her new clothes.

“This time you rescued us from a dangerous situation, we are truly grateful.”

The maid gently crosses her arms, and bowed deeply.

“I was resting nearby by chance. Accompany me to the next town and we will be even.”

I feel a little guilty brow betting her like that, but the journey to town has now interwoven our destinations.

“Thank you very much!”

The maid, without noticing my ploy, had a joyous expression, as she thanked me again and boarded the driver’s seat of the carriage.

When the carriage begins to move quietly, I had my own horse move at the side of it. The other horses were pulled by the rope, and followed shortly behind.