I Will Destroy the Bandit Guild
I would destroy it. The bandit guild.
The duke's garden was beautiful beyond all description.
Kiera and Lucy sat on outdoor chairs, gazing for a long while at the riot of colorful blossoms. It was hardly leisure time, however. Kiera was, for all intents and purposes, in recovery — the time she needed to reclaim the Hero's Power.
"Kiera, don't you miss that pork belly dish the mutt used to make?"
"It tasted good, sure. But I wouldn't go looking for it again."
"Really?"
Lucy smiled as she gazed at the distant scenery. "Lately I find myself thinking about the mutt sometimes. Maybe we shouldn't have kicked him out so carelessly, and honestly, I'm bored now that there's no one left to torment. If I'd known it would turn out this way, I would've wrung him dry before tossing him aside."
Kiera's expression turned serious. "Why are you suddenly bringing him up?"
"Honestly speaking." Lucy paused for a moment before continuing. "In the wise judgment of me, the great mage Lucy, I'd say your power vanished because of Maru. On the surface you claim to hate him, but deep down, losing him must have hurt you terribly. Psychological trauma eating away at the Hero's Power — that's my diagnosis."
"Kuk kuk."
Kiera's shoulders shook slightly with laughter, and then her voice grew louder and louder. "Ha ha, hahahaha!"
She laughed like a madwoman, then abruptly her face turned grave. "Lucy. Listen to me. Until literally one minute ago, a man named Maru didn't exist in my memory — no, in my life at all. But thanks to you, I remember him now. Do you understand what that means?"
"So you truly haven't thought about him once since the mutt left..."
"Why would I think about him? We broke up, so it's over. We're complete strangers now."
"You lost your power, and the only thing that's changed in our lives since then is that the mutt is gone. That's why I said it."
"I swear on my life it has nothing to do with him. If anything, having him around did more harm than good."
Lucy laughed. "You really do hate him, don't you? Weren't you the one saying he took such good care of you when you were sick? Where did that gratitude go?"
"I don't hate him. It's just that being good was all he had. What we do demands more than goodness. It demands ambition. And whatever I owed him from those days, I paid back in full during our time as Heroes. A commoner got to tag along with the Hero, meet all sorts of nobles, and enjoy luxuries far beyond his station. What more did he need?"
"Cold. Cleanly cut."
"Cold? I gave him plenty of chances. He just couldn't seize them. I did everything I could. Honestly, looking back now, he was never enough for me. He was someone suited to my poor days, and the fact that it dragged on so agonizingly long just ended up wounding us both. We should have parted at the right moment. Breaking up now is far too late."
"His money went into that expensive armor of yours too, didn't it? If you were planning to dump him, you shouldn't have taken it."
"I was his girlfriend. Of course I'd buy him things. It was useless money for him anyway. Besides, I expressed my gratitude plenty."
"In what way?"
"Sharing my bed with a mere porter like him — what more could he ask for?"
"I don't think you two even held hands for the last year."
"Before that, I mean."
"Lady Kiera. There you are."
A man's voice suddenly carried over from the distance. "I was hoping I might run into you."
A tall, strikingly handsome man with beautiful orange hair was approaching. It was Yosef, eldest son of Duke Toledo.
Kiera sprang to her feet and greeted him with a demure smile. "I was just taking a walk. What brings you to see me?"
"I'm on my way out of a budget meeting, as it happens. And you'll be pleased to hear this." Yosef flashed his white teeth in a splendid smile. "The House of Toledo has resolved to sponsor the Hero Kiera's activities for the next three years. And you mentioned wishing to replace that old horse you ride? We'll have the finest steed in the land prepared for you within days. Look forward to it."
"Oh my!"
Kiera covered her mouth with both hands, tears welling in her eyes. "Thank you...! Thank you so much!"
"Think nothing of it."
Yosef patted her back as she wept tears of joy, wishing her a bright future.
Once the mood had settled, he spoke again. "Ah, one more thing. Might you be free tonight? There's a ball attended only by the sons and daughters of the nobility, and I would love to invite you, Lady Kiera. Everyone will consider it an honor."
Without a moment's hesitation, Kiera gave him a winning smile. "What a coincidence — my schedule just cleared up today. What time were you planning to depart?"
The two of them were soon utterly absorbed in talk of the evening's ball.
Lucy, sitting beside them and resting her chin on her hand out of sheer boredom, pursed her lips.
Kiera's good at stroking egos. I could never pull that off, not if my life depended on it.
Maru popped into her mind unbidden, and she snickered.
Is our mutt alive or dead by now, I wonder? If Han Maru could see this scene right now, he'd die of heartburn.
Several hundred kilometers away, at the bandit guild's stronghold, a robed middle-aged man lay sprawled on the ground.
"Guh... s-spare me..."
"I was only going to shake you down for three generations' worth, but you had to resist, so now it's ten. That's on you."
Having delivered his verdict, the alchemist promptly passed out.
Maru dusted off his hands and started walking. Ahead, he could see half-naked women shrieking as they fled from a thatched-roof house.
"There it is, then."
Just as he reached the entrance, a hulking mass of muscle came waddling out — a pig of a man over two meters tall, bald-headed, with trapezius muscles so thick and swollen they swallowed his neck. One look told you this was the boss.
Maru stopped square in front of him. The man glared down at him with furious eyes, and his mouth opened. "Was it you who turned my domicile into a wreck?"
"Yep."
"You bald little shit, I'll kill you."
Without warning, his hand whipped out in a slap.
Crack!
Maru's head snapped sideways. He turned it back into place and returned the favor.
CRACK!
The boss's body flew through the air like an arrow and crashed into a neighboring building.
"Gahh! F-fuck...!"
"Surprised it hurt that much?"
Anyone else would have been out cold already, but he was the boss for a reason — the man could take a beating. He scrambled up through the debris, grinding his teeth. His face flushed scarlet, all the way to the crown of his head.
"I'll carve you into pieces and chew your flesh raw!"
The boss began hurling everything he could get his hands on. Rocks, building debris, people — anything and everything came flying at random. Maru weaved and dodged, backing away step by step.
"You'll come find me yourself, I figure."
Leaving the flailing brute behind, Maru stepped into the boss's own house — and the boss came charging right after him. The instant the man tried to follow him inside, Maru's fist shot out and hammered into his face.
"Ugh... uuaargh..."
"Didn't see that one coming, did you?"
"You... son of a...!"
The massive bulk toppled backward. Maru climbed onto his stomach and drove a few more punches in for good measure — and then the man's body abruptly began to transform, erupting with a torrent of filth so vile it rivaled Maru's own mother jokes.
"Kiiiek...! You daaare! I won't leave you alive!"
Spider-like legs burst from both of his flanks, while his two legs fused into one and curved into a scorpion's tail.
Maru watched the thing thrashing beneath him wrap those many legs around his body, and felt less alarm than sheer disbelief.
"What are you supposed to be? A demon?"
"KYAAAAH!"
A demon had infiltrated the bandit guild and been playing at boss. Maru tore free every leg that had pinned him down, then gleefully shredded the creature to ribbons. The demon boss was no match for him at all — the gap in power was a chasm. It died in pieces, torn apart without ever landing a blow.
"Trailing a Hero's party all those years, and now I see a demon and just go berserk... Occupational hazard, that's what it is. A real problem."
Maru shuddered at his own savagery, muttering that even he had to admit it had been brutal.
"Found it."
He discovered the Mirror of Truth inside the boss's house, wrapped it carefully in cloth, and carried it out. Then he made a full circuit of the guild's stronghold. Anyone with the sense to run had already fled, and fires burned here and there across the grounds.
"I can't believe I did all this..."
The despised, sneered-at porter had single-handedly gutted an entire bandit guild. It didn't add up — and it hadn't even been that long. Only days since he'd left the Hero's party.
"Well, no more worrying about putting food on the table."
Maru rubbed his nose and started walking. He needed to grab Prince Edward and get out of here fast.
He was mid-thought when the burning watchtower abruptly toppled sideways, sealing the entrance to the cave prison.
"Edward!"
The moment Maru lunged forward, a violent pain tore through his chest and he collapsed.
"Gah! What is this?! Something's... trying to come out!"
It hurt so fiercely he wanted to scream. It felt like his flesh was being split apart. He didn't know the cause, but the sensation was unmistakably clear — and a terrible premonition seized him: if he released whatever was surging inside him, it wouldn't be himself that was ruined, but the whole world.
Maru gritted his teeth and bore it with everything he had.
"Hah! Hah!"
He dragged himself up and ran. He stopped before the blocked entrance. Flames roared across every inch of the collapsed watchtower's wreckage, and nothing inside the cave could be seen at all.
"Edward!"
Thankfully, a voice answered from the other side. "Oh, Maru! Are you hurt anywhere!"
"You should worry about yourself! Hkk!"
"Wh-what was that sound just now!? Did you get hurt!?"
"Stop breathing! The smoke! Hah, hah!"
"If you're hurt, then I'm relieved! It's dangerous — see to yourself first!"
"Don't say stupid things!"
Maru began clearing the burning debris through his pain.
"Keep a wet cloth over your mouth until I've cleared it all! Gah!"
"Take a rest if it's too much! I'm the prince of this realm, you know! I absolutely refuse to die before ascending the throne! Even the flames will make way for me!"
Inside the cave prison, Edward shouted cheerfully — but in truth, he had given up all hope. Black smoke poured into his nose; every breath was agony.
"Cough, cough!"
He would suffocate to death soon enough. And still, he worried for Maru more than himself.
"You look worn through — give it up! At this rate it'll take an age to dig me out! I'd rather you escape safe and sound. I'm a fool anyway; who'd be happy to see me live? They'd all probably cheer, saying good riddance."
Sensing his own death, Edward wore a bitter smile and murmured to no one. "In all my years of living, you're the first person who ever truly tried to help me. A stroke of luck arriving so late... but I think I can leave feeling good about it."
Then he called out again, loudly. "Don't wear yourself out for a useless man like me! The survivors are out there — leave before they come back!"
But from beyond the wreckage came the sound of Maru straining and heaving as he cleared it away — and his voice with it.
"Why is your self-worth so damn low! Listen to me, and listen well! There is no one in this world who's beneath notice! Not me! Not you! Our time to shine just hasn't come yet! We're only late compared to everyone else — which is exactly why you have to survive, you idioooot!"
In that instant, a mountain of debris was hurled skyward, and clear air flooded into the smoke-choked prison.
Maru had flung the burning wreckage far away. Then he pressed a dry cloth to his mouth, looked down at Edward still slumped on the ground, and broke into a bright grin.
"See? You get to live. Why give up before it's even over? Hah, hah...!"
"Maru!"
Edward wept tears of gratitude right where he sat. Never in his life had anyone saved him with their heart instead of their money. He went on sobbing about how admirable Maru was, how heroic, how utterly the greatest — until Maru, unable to bear it a second longer, kicked him square in the rear.