episode_0026

I looked at the fainted bandit leader and thought to myself.

“Oh, I unintentionally reverted back to my original way of speaking.”

Sometimes when my thoughts become more intense or my emotions get complicated, my original way of speaking comes out.

Although it has improved compared to before, I couldn’t completely fix it.

“Hey, get up.”

I didn’t have time to wait for him to regain consciousness even though I had knocked him out.

Giving his head another blow, the bandit leader who had fainted woke up immediately.

“Ugh! What in the…!”

He grabbed his throbbing head, opened his eyes, and upon seeing me, he was startled but quickly showed hostility.

“You little…”

“You haven’t come to your senses yet.”

This time, with enough force to prevent him from fainting, I grabbed his head and slammed it onto the ground.

Initially, he still showed hostility, but that didn’t last long either.

“P-please…”

The bandit leader, his face covered in blood, finally in a subdued state, I asked him about my original purpose.

“Who’s backing you up?”

“…!”

Perhaps thinking they wouldn’t realize they had someone watching their backs.

The bandit leader’s face turned dark with fear.

“W-We don’t have anyone.”

“Really?”

“N-no…”

Thud!

After smashing his face into the ground once again, I exerted force to scrape it against the ground.

“Aaargh!”

Screaming in agony, he suffered.

I lifted his head again and asked, “Really no one?”

“I-I really don’t know!”

Expressing his grievances, he seemed genuinely clueless.

Still, I asked something else.

“How did you become a bandit then?”

“Oh, when the nationwide crackdown on bandits happened five years ago, I barely escaped! After wandering for four years, someone suddenly promised to protect me from being caught even if I raided, told me where to go, and I built my influence there!”

There was no sign of lying.

In a situation where their life is at stake, hardly anyone would lie.

“And what about today’s deal?”

“T-that’s…”

Seeming reluctant to speak about this, he trailed off.

Although I intended to slam him back onto the ground due to his unresponsive state, he was quick to speak this time.

“S-some people who suddenly came after I built some influence offered money in exchange for handing over young women!”

“Is that so? Where is this place?”

“It’s Fate City!”

“…Of course it is.”

I tossed the bandit leader I was holding far away and retrieved a cigarette I hadn’t touched in years.

After infusing magic into it, flames appeared at my fingertips, which I used to light the cigarette before taking a drag.

“…Huff…”

Exhaling smoke, I pondered.

“Haven’t smoked in five years.”

The last time I smoked was when my master died.

I never expected to pick it up again.

“Complicated.”

Fate City, where my master lived.

The mysterious figure who enabled the bandit leader to resume activities was also located in Fate City, the meeting place for their deal.

It could all be a coincidence, but I couldn’t help but find it suspicious.

“…It’s too late to seek the truth now.”

Five years ago, I relentlessly fought bandits like a madman.

But recalling my master’s words to bury the past and move forward, I managed to come this far.

His advice until the moment of his death was not to be consumed by thoughts of his demise.

However, now, five years later, fate had intertwined us in an unexpected manner.

Can I really just let it go?

If my master didn’t simply return to the bandits but had some kind of reason.

Can I really continue on like this?

I ask myself questions, but there are no clear answers.

“Let’s find out first.”

I decide to investigate the guy who helped with bandit activities and see if any other clues about my master’s death come up later.

Setting my destination that way,

I ask the guy next to me, “Do you want to come along too?”

He’s a young man too tender-hearted to become a bandit.

Until just now, he was holding back tears, but now he nods firmly.

Together, we head to Fate City.

***

To get to Fate City, I needed a carriage. Fortunately, the coachman from earlier was waiting for me, so I could comfortably reach Fate City.

Upon arriving in Fate City and paying the coachman, I handed a considerable amount of money to the young man.

“This is as far as I can help. You’ll have to live on your own from now on. Can you do it?”

“I’ll manage somehow…”

“Good. I have other things to do, so let’s part ways here.”

“Thank you.”

The young man bows deeply in gratitude, and after a casual handshake signifying farewell, we part ways.

“The place where I made the deal with the guy.”

Before coming here, I found out where I traded with the bandit leader and went there.

“If they’re selling people, it must be somewhere out of sight.

There’s only one area outside of this place known as the second zone and the den of outlaws.

It might seem similar to the dark alleys, but it’s distinctly different. The dark alleys are well-equipped enough for nobles to use, unlike this place, where truly lawless individuals live, hence the name Den of Outlaws.

Even nobles can’t survive here. It’s not like the usual dark alleys.

Also, unlike the dark alleys where you need special passwords to enter, anyone can enter here if they wish.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been here.”

After five years, I revisited the Den of Outlaws, a place filled with a heavy atmosphere and tough-looking individuals. It held memories for me.

As I continued to search for the trading spot, some thugs approached me.

After scrutinizing me, they smirked unpleasantly and said, “Are you a newbie? Wearing a strange mask is quite unique.”

“A newbie. There’s a initiation ceremony for newbies here.”

At first glance, it may sound unbelievable, but indeed, there was an initiation ceremony for newcomers here.

It was to confirm if someone setting foot in this area for the first time had enough skill to stay here.

Although it wasn’t my first time, after five years and coming with the same face covered by a mask, it was natural for them to think of me as a greenhorn.

“I’ve heard about you a few times already. Quite famous.”

“Oh? I’ve never seen someone like you before.”

“Well, it’s been five years.”

“Five years? Five years… If there was a famous person five years ago, there’s only one person it could be, right?”

“Could it be Kael…?”

I smiled without saying a word.

However, no one here misunderstood the positive implications of that.

“…Ha. That Kael? Ridiculous. The face looks somewhat similar, but with a mask on, it’s clearly not Kael.”

“You have to deceive those who can be deceived. Did we look that easy to fool?”

“As expected, they don’t believe it.”

Still, it wasn’t hard to understand why the reactions were as they were, considering I had made quite a name for myself.

To avoid revealing my entire face at that moment, I altered it slightly.

From their perspective, it must have felt like a rookie suddenly appearing and impersonating a seasoned veteran.

Thinking about it that way, I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“If I can prove that I’m Kael?”

“I’ll even lick the dirt off your shoes. Seriously, if you’re really Kael.”

“But if I can’t prove it, then you better be prepared.”

The means by which I could prove I was Kael.

In reality, it’s not that difficult.

At the time when my name was gaining recognition, there was an item that became known alongside it.

I reached out into the empty space.

Soon, the space where I reached tore apart.

A type of magic called Voidspace.

The common perception is that only mages can wield magic, but individuals of a certain level of strength could use Voidspace even if they weren’t mages.

Of course, reaching that level of strength posed quite a challenge.

“Ah, Voidspace?”

Even the two thugs who harbored considerable animosity towards me were taken aback by my manipulation of Voidspace, evident in their thoroughly bewildered voices.

Ignoring the voices of these thugs, I reached into the Voidspace and drew out a sword.

Somewhat worn and dirty.

But a green gem embedded in the hilt shone as brightly as ever, covering the entire sword with its light.

The eyes of the two thugs, as well as the surrounding lawless onlookers who had been watching me, widened to the point of disbelief.

They seemed to know what this sword was.

Well, if they knew my name, it was only natural that they recognized this sword as well.

“That’s… the sword that Kael used to carry, right?”

“So, could it be…”

Shock overtook the pupils of the two thugs.

Their gaping mouths seemed unable to close, clearly shaken by what they were witnessing.

Putting the drawn sword back into the Voidspace, I said, “Don’t waste any more useless time and move aside quickly.”