Volume 1 16 - (Rescue) 1

Volume 1 Chapter 16 – (Rescue) 1

Translator: HASUTSUKI, Editor: Thorrium.

Three days had passed after Ryouma was summoned.

It was around noon, and Ryouma was walking along the highway toward Aru.

Today Ryouma was a little late at waking up, and after eating breakfast, he had gone to the blacksmith to receive his weapons, before going to the guild in order to receive new quests before began the journey to Aru.

(I really do hope I don’t run into that thieves group…)

Ryouma thought back to when he received the quests.

“Now! Why don’t those who have experience and skills to back it up, not try their hands on these quests!”

The young receptionist that had talked with Giltz-san yesterday called out to people loudly in front of the bulletin board inside the guild. Ryouma forced his way through the crowd to take a look at the paper hanging on the bulletin board.

-Statement-

We are seeking to make a party to subjugate the thieves group called [Red Moon], the group appears on the highway and villages between Aru and Melveren.

Objectives:

Total extermination of the group [Red Moon]

Either capture or kill everyone.

Reward:

The reward is 50.000 Baht for each of their member, there are eight members confirmed.

However, other than the eight members, we have also decided to pay 50.000 Baht if it can be proved, that anyone else brought in is a current member of the group.

As for the treasures that is in the thieves’ possession, it will be regarded as a bonus for the subjugation party.

On completion, there will be awarded 50 achievement points to all member of the subjugation party.

Period:

When the subjugation party has been formed, it will have half a month to complete the quest.

Application Requirements:

Applicants must possess rank F or above.

Applicant must have mercenary experience.

People with experience as soldiers or as law enforcement will be approved.

The number of people needed are six people.

Individuals who have experience in searching and tracking, and those who have combat experience will be given priority.

Authorizer: Melveren Guild Branch chief Akrez Rekine.

-

Ryouma had listened to people talking around him.

“Oi, look at that… 50.000 Baht for one! That would be 400.000 Baht for eight people! And also we can take their treasures as well!”

“Uwaaah. The guild make a great splurge eh?”

“I guess they can’t help it, you know? Since Graez seems to have failed after all… Even the guild have to try and redeem some of its honour yeah?”

“What!? 『The rock smasher』Graez?!”

“That’s right. He seems to have to taken down another thieves group instead.”

“Ha! Did the person go and subjugate without doing investigating first?. How stupid… well if it’s that person I guess it can’t be helped! He might be strong, but he lacks a brain.”

“Oi oi. If Graez heard you, your head would roll, you know?”

“Wups… My mouth slipped.”

The people surrounding his seemed to be mercenaries and adventurers as well.

(I guess Graez-san has a hard time huh. He does not look like a bad person though…)

Ryouma went into the guild while listening to the men’s heartless criticism.

“I’m very sorry, but all the delivery quests from Melveren to Aru has been suspended. There’s some urgent delivery quest; however, they are only available for those who has single Chapter rank or higher, so sadly I cannot introduce them to Mikoshiba-san.”

The woman who is at the reception desk told Ryouma and bowed her head.

“Is it because of the thieves group in question?”

“Indeed. Because of the previous failure, the guild lost a fair bit of prestige… The feudal lord and his garrisons has also have been complaining… Ah! I-I’m sorry. Please forget what I had said just now.”

“No no, it’s fine. Well with that being the case, is there something that I can accept?”

“Hmm let see. There’s three kind of subjugation quest for I ranks, and three subjugation quests for H rank.“

“If the rank of the person who receives the quest is higher, then the achievement points will be 0 but the reward will be double, is that right?”

“Yes. That exactly right.”

“Well, how is the time limit?”

“There’s no time limit for subjugation request quest below B rank, you know?”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Indeed. That’s why, like this, it would be better to receive subjugation bellow B rank, see?”

“If that is the case, I would like to take all the subjugation quest that can be accepted by a single H rank.”

“I understand. Then please take a look at these.”

She then presented a book.

“This is?”

“It contains the list of the subjugations targets, the rewards, and also known places where they have made habitats. Up to 20 quests can be taken by single H rank. Since it would be hard to explain everything verbally, it is my job to gives this book for first time H rankers. Please read it carefully.”

“Haa… I understood.”

The only good thing about it, was that it was not very thick.

(Does everything really change so much with just one rank?)

“Well then, since the quest will be registered by the personal card, the procedure ends here. Thank you very much.”

When the miss receptionist said so, he lowered his head.

Ryouma then left the guild while carrying the book handed over to him.

Back at the main road, it had been 2 hours since Ryouma had left Melveren.

Ryouma had followed the road, which now passed through a very thick forest, it was not a problem to walk on the road since it was width enough that three carriages could drive next to each other, however, when problem was, that one either sides of the road there was only thick trees.

Since the high trees were blocking the sunlight, the road was dimly lighted.

That combined with the threat of the thieves group, meant that no one was using the highway. No one else, except Mikoshiba Ryouma.

(Oi oi… Somehow, I have a bad feeling about this…)

A road that was surrounded by dark forest. It was a perfect place to lie in wait with an ambush, making it a perfect place for thieves to attack.

(Well, I guess, it would be fine though…)

Ryouma decided to go to Aru because he was constantly reminded by the pursuers, he wanted to cross the border as soon as possible.

However, such thoughts crumbled away immediately due to a scream coming from a woman.

“Kyaaaaa!”

“Shut up! Be quiet b*tch!”

“No!! Let me go!”

“Behave yourself!”

The sounds come just right of the place where the road turns a sharp right, which made Ryoma unable to see what was happening.

Ryouma began to run toward the voices, but when he arrived at the big trees he stopped and peeped from behind cover. There he saw a carriage that had been attacked by several men, there was also two girls.

“Kukuku, Today has been a great catch!. Oi, don’t it seem like luck have been on our side lately?”

“Agreed. Yesterday we also got a lot from the villages.”

“Their women were not bad for a rural village. We didn’t even get any turns with them at all…”

“Well, that can be helped… The price they sell for will be quite a bit higher, if they haven’t been violated.”

“I have also already gotten tired of only enjoying middle-aged women… But I guess, two young ones has finally come by…” He pointed to the girls that his company had catched.

“Hahaha. Time to enjoy!”

“Oi! Don’t put your hands on the products. We would get killed by the boss, you know?”

The man holding the blonde girl told his comrade. “But you know, this is a very high-quality goods, it would be a waste not to give them a try?”

The man holding the silver girl retorted.

“You think so as well? Don’t you guys believe the goods from the carriage will be enough to fill our quotas?”

And then voices of approvals could be heard from here and there. Suppressing their urges was not going to be effective due to the girls’ beauty, that was right in front of them.

Being unable to listen to the men’s words, the silver-haired girl yelled.

“If you touch us, we will bite our tongue!” However, the men was just smiling while looking at the girls.

“Ha! We know you guys are slaves and due to the collar, you won’t be able to commit suicide nor resist us!”

The girls faces turned pale.

They did not think that the thieves would have noticied it.

As the man said, the collar has the power to obstructs their behaviour, especially suicide and rebelled wre prohibited for slaves.

“But still, just in case, it will be best to have out way with them, while they are still wearing the clothes.”

“S-Stop. Let me go!” The girl desperately tried to free herself from the men, however due to the difference in strength she was unable to do so.

“Oi! If you don’t behave yourselves, I won’t be responsible if something were to happen to the other girl!”

The silver hair girl who had been resisting got quiet immediately after seeing the other girl had a sword to her throat.

“But still, your master is really cruel! To think that he would escape and save only his own self, while leaving you both behind.”

The man who had threatened the girl with the silver coloured hair, began ridiculing them.

“Gates yo~. Isn’t that obvious? After all, he had his life on the line, being being targeted by the [Red Moon group]”

“True that!” the man called Gate began to laugh.

“Oi! Look at this. With this getting five million Bahts would be easy!”

A man wearing a hood said while carrying an item.

“Uoooh. I can’t believe it. There’s really five million baht…”

“Is this all gold coins?”

Other than boxes full of miscellaneous goods, costumes, jewellery, there is one box filled with coins.

Almost all of its content was gold coins. Seeing that, the men’s faces became indecent.

“Hei, with this much loots, there won’t be a problem if we get the girls right?”

“Oi. I think so too… Jewellery and Gold coins, there are a lots of it… I won’t even mind if I get to do it last with the girls.”

“But, if the boss were to find out…”

To the man who shows a worried expression, Gates declared with distorted smiles on his face,

“What are you saying. It will be okay if we deals with both of them after we violate them. No one knows that these girls were among the spoils except us, see?”

Hearing Gates words, an disgusting laughter come out from the men.

(One, the, there… seven people huh?)

The men are 10 meters from the trees. The men’s clothing was not very different compared to mercenaries or adventurer that he saw at the guild. They wore armours and weapons.

However the big difference was how Ryouma would describe them… he could only think of one word; dangerous.

Killing, Stealing, and Raping.

It could be seen that they were confident, they showed it on their faces that they believed wholeheartedly that they were strong people.

(Such ugly appearance…)

In his sixteen years, Ryouma had never seen such ugly distorted faces before.

(What should I do? Should I help them?… It would cause me a lot of trouble if I was to get involved here…)

Ryouma hesitated.

(Should I help the girls or not? I am fairly sure they won’t be well off if I leave them, but if I get involved and just one of the bandits manages to escape, that person might come back with reinforcement, so I need to be sure that I can finish this. Hmm and with this distance, I have no countermeasures if the girls were being used as a shield.)

There was a clear reason to help, but Ryouma was unsure if he should do so. He valued his own personal security, which was already being tested with him being pursued by the empire. On the other hand, Ryouma valued justice, and while brooding over what he should do, Gate’s vulgar words finally reached him.

Anger appeared on Ryoumas face. (What am I even worrying about, is there any reason to let such people be alive?… Is it alright for me to let these guys go and do as they please, while I just return to my previous world? Can I live with that?)

Ryouma who had been summoned to this world forcibly, and wanted to go back to his world by all means necessary, had such thoughts.

If he had been offered to return to his world in exchange of the entire population of this country, he would most likely taken the deal.

However even so, letting girls in front of his eyes getting raped and killed while staying silent, he felt unable to accept it.

(Both my hands have already been stained with blood. And I do not believe that I was in the wrong, not once. Even if someone were to criticise me, for ending the lives of the people standing in my way, in this foreign world, I could confidently respond with“I killed them out of necessity!”, however… if I were to leave these girls, would I be able to say the same? No it would be impossible! I don’t care about others, but I definitely won’t be able to forgive myself for it.)

Ryouma who can be ruthless and cold, was actually by nature a good person.

He was an ordinary man with common sense and a normal sense of justice, the only difference between him and the general public would be his resolution.

Being resolute to kill his opponent and be true to his own sense of justice, that might be the only difference.

Ryouma took the chakrams from the bag and sneaked inside the forest to make a surprise attack.

Due to the sheer number of people, if the surprise attack failed, it would be disadvantageous for him, especially as did not hide his face this time. So

If one of them manages to escape, reinforcement might come and try to take revenge on him.

(I guess it can’t be helped, to raise the probability for this to success… I guess I should apologize beforehand)

Ryouma apologize in his mind.