A Rescue Rewarded with a Slap
"This makes the second time..."
Elsid lifted his head and looked out over the Nao territory, visiting it for the second time. His first visit had been solely to search for clues about Vandel, leaving no time to explore. This time, however, he planned to embark on a long journey and had stopped to resupply beforehand. As a trading city, Nao offered plenty of quality goods—an ideal place to prepare before heading to the temple in Agatram and the northern regions.
Strapped to Elsid's back was the same worn-out backpack that had accompanied him on countless travels for over a decade, carrying his entire fortune. Remembering how he had once wiped out a group of bandits under the guise of eradicating undead in Nao, he let out a small chuckle. The bustling square was filled with people hurrying about and merchants loudly hawking their wares. Watching them, he found himself wondering if he had managed to protect even a small part of their daily lives.
This isn't like me at all.
Shaking his head to clear the sentimental thoughts, he set off to purchase the supplies he needed. There were quite a few items on his list, so he would have to move quickly if he wanted to finish before the day ended.
Elsid first searched for a place selling clothing suitable for cold climates.
"Somewhere that sells coats made of bear fur..."
Thanks to the helpful passersby who kindly pointed him in the right direction, he soon found a shop that carried coats perfect for the northern regions, his final destination. While wandering through the back alleys toward the shop, he stumbled upon an unpleasant scene in a secluded corner.
Really? First thing in the morning and I have to witness this.
Three burly men had cornered a young girl against a wall. Though her face was hidden beneath a gray hood, her build and posture made it clear she was a girl.
"Hey, why don't we have some fun together?"
"With a body like that, you ought to put it to good use."
"That's right. Those proud breasts of yours are meant for men."
The sight of three grown men surrounding a single girl and spewing vulgar remarks was utterly repulsive.
"How terribly rude of you."
Despite their threats and harassment, the girl showed no fear. Instead, she glared at them with a bold expression. At the same time, she raised her right hand and swung it at the man in front of her.
"Oh my, it seems the lady doesn't know her manners."
The leader of the three grabbed her wrist with a rough hand and smirked wickedly as he pulled down her hood. Her hidden appearance was revealed—silver hair reminiscent of the Milky Way and bright blue eyes like the sky. Her beauty lit up the space around her.
"Whoa! She's something else."
"Kekeke, what a killer look."
"Boss, I can't hold back anymore. Let's get started right now."
Having seen her face clearly, the three men grew excited like monkeys in heat. While her beauty was undeniable, she was clearly still a young girl. Watching grown men behave this way toward her made Elsid feel sick to his stomach. Unable to suppress his disgust, he acted.
Bending down, he picked up a pebble from the ground and hurled it with force at the hand of the man gripping the silver-haired girl's wrist.
Crack.
"Aaaagh!"
The pebble struck the man's index finger, shattering the bone. His scream followed immediately.
"Ugh, was that you?"
"Yeah, that was me."
The leader, clutching his hand and suppressing his cries, turned toward the direction the stone had come from. There stood Elsid. When asked the question, Elsid nodded without hesitation.
"Who the hell are you? Why are you butting in?"
"Just a passing traveler. One with a bit of a meddlesome streak."
As he spoke, Elsid glanced past the unpleasant man to the silver-haired girl. Fortunately, aside from a slight wince from having her wrist grabbed, she appeared unharmed.
"Teach that insolent brat a lesson."
The leader gave the order.
"Yes, sir! We'll show him!"
"You bastard! You're dead!"
The other two men charged at him with ridiculous fury. Compared to the orcs, zombies, skeletons, chimeras, and even the necromancer who could transform into monsters that Elsid had defeated so far, these two thugs were nothing more than a light snack. Without even drawing his sword, he drove a fist into each of their solar plexuses. Both men dropped to their knees, clutching their stomachs and groaning.
"You son of a—! Take this!"
The leader met the same fate, a single blow to the solar plexus sending him to his knees as well. In an instant, Elsid had subdued all three men with just three strikes.
"Still want to keep going?"
Drawing the wooden sword from his waist, Elsid asked the question.
"Hah, what can you even cut with that wooden sword?"
"You're right. I can't cut anything with it."
Despite his broken finger and the heavy blow to his solar plexus, the leader still tried to act tough.
"But I can break things."
Elsid lowered the wooden sword in his hand, pointing it at a very specific part of the man's body.
"Want to find out?"
In that moment, all three men turned deathly pale. They realized that the man before them was an opponent they could never hope to defeat, no matter what they tried. Once that truth sank in—
"If you don't want to fight, get lost. I'll give you three seconds."
At Elsid's words, the three men lost all will to resist and fled the alley as fast as their legs could carry them, screaming "Aaaagh!" as they ran. Their escape skills were truly impressive. Watching them go with a look of disdain, Elsid turned back to the silver-haired girl near the wall.
"You all right?"
Since she looked younger than him, he spoke casually as he approached.
Smack!
"What is your goal?"
Instead of answering, the girl delivered a sharp slap across his cheek.
"Did you hire those men and stage this whole scene just to approach me? What are you after?"
"..."
Rubbing his stinging cheek, Elsid thought to himself.
Wait, don't tell me...
She actually thought he had hired those thugs and orchestrated the whole thing? He couldn't help but wonder what kind of lonely life she must have led to jump to such an absurd conclusion. If he had known this would happen, he should have broken a few more bones before letting those men go.
"I helped you out of simple human decency. Do I need another reason?"
Elsid quickly explained himself before the distrustful silver-haired girl could come up with any more strange misunderstandings.
"Though I never dreamed I'd get slapped in return for saving someone out of goodwill."
"Don't lie. Unless this is all an act, how could you have shown up at such a perfect time?"
Shrugging at her words, Elsid rummaged through his backpack and pulled out a small wooden splint and some bandages. Back when he had been Luke's trainer, he had gone through bandages constantly, so he always carried them. He used more making splints than he did treating actual injuries.
"Let me see your right hand."
Taking her hand without waiting for permission, he found exactly what he expected—a slight fracture in her wrist. It was from when the thug had grabbed her and she had slapped him in return.
"How weak do you have to be to injure yourself while slapping someone?"
He placed a wooden splint from her elbow to her fingers and wrapped it securely with bandages, creating a makeshift cast. This should be enough for emergency treatment.
"Once you leave here, get proper treatment right away. At a temple or wherever..."
After finishing the first aid and releasing her hand, he spoke again.
"Judging by your appearance, you look like the daughter of some high-ranking noble or the heir to a major merchant guild. Why are you wandering around alone without any guards?"
"That's none of your concern."
"Well, you're not wrong."
Even as he turned to leave, the girl's eyes remained filled with suspicion, and he received no thanks. But that didn't matter. He hadn't helped her expecting gratitude.
"Be careful, then. I hope you don't run into any more guys like that."
Waving at her, Elsid left the alley and disappeared down another street. The alley was now empty except for the girl.
"Still, I don't believe you."
Left alone, the girl muttered to herself before eventually leaving the alley as well, heading off on her own path.