How This Man Catches the Bandits
If Lucius really was a dragon, he wouldn’t be recounting his own playful experiences right now.
Cassel lightly shook his head and extracted a firm promise from the innkeeper.
“If there turns out to be another hideout, I’ll hold you responsible later.”
“Good heavens, there isn’t. I’ve been running this inn for over twenty years—why would I lie? It’s not as if I’m going to pack up the whole building and flee.”
Raphael, yawning loudly as he descended from the second floor, cut in.
“Hm? Didn’t you say that pot has been boiling for over a hundred years? Did you sell food somewhere else for the other eighty?”
“……”
“Give him a bowl too, sir.”
“Of course. You’ll need a full stomach to catch bandits, so I’ll ladle it up nice and thick with all the good bits.”
“No, I’m fine! Why me again!”
At any rate, they had suddenly been saddled with the task of wiping out the bandit gang.
The inn’s century-old tradition had abruptly shrunk to twenty years, yet the innkeeper proved to be an excellent source of information.
After studying the terrain on the map corresponding to the location the man described, Lucius spoke.
“I’ll send a spirit ahead to scout first.”
“I can handle an undine myself, you know.”
Lucius smiled, confidence radiating from his face.
“Leave it to me.”
“Pii… pipipipii…”
Momo, who had been relatively quiet until now, suddenly burst into an energetic tune.
Raphael, who possessed perfect pitch like any other high noble, immediately interjected.
“Hm? This bird isn’t just making random noises—it’s actually singing along to a melody, isn’t it?”
“Does it sound that way? I thought it was just chirping because it felt good.”
When Pay tilted her head, Lucius’s sharp gaze swept over Momo’s back.
The moment anyone discovered what his feelings truly were, the life of the drakan Moitette Barunus would end in eternal rest.
Terrified, Momo flapped his wings and darted straight onto Pay’s skirt, landing on her knees.
Raphael remained deep in thought even amid the chaos.
“I feel like I’ve heard that sound somewhere before, but I can’t quite place it…”
“Enough. I’m sending it now. It’ll be back with information as fast as possible, so just wait a moment.”
‘Dangerous guy!’
Cutting Raphael off, Lucius summoned a sylph instead of any other spirit.
The mana around them surged like a wave, and the high-ranking spirit shot off toward the designated location at incredible speed.
Cassel, sensing the mana fluctuation, let out a low groan.
“What did you just do?”
“Hmph.”
Pay had no affinity for wind spirits, but she caught a glimpse of the sylph’s departure—white, soft hair fluttering in its wake.
Whatever it is, it’s pretty. Does Lucius always see things like this?
Feeling a twinge of envy, Pay deliberately summoned her own undine and kept it by her side.
“……”
It was childish, she knew, but the presence of a spirit offered a small comfort at times like this.
A short while later.
“It’s back.”
“What? Already?”
Pay’s eyes widened as she held a cup of warm grain tea.
“Yeah.”
She set the cup down and asked, “The reaction was calmer than I expected, so there must be fewer than ten of them.”
“How did you know?”
“If there had been eleven, Lucius would have already scolded the innkeeper.”
Lucius looked flustered at having his rather consistent behavioral pattern so easily read.
“When have I ever been angry all the time?”
“Well, lately it’s been a bit less.”
That’s because of you.
Unable to voice his painfully obvious one-sided feelings, Lucius shared the information the sylph had brought back.
As the innkeeper had said, there were nine bandits, and they were hiding exactly where he had indicated. There were two archers, but neither looked like a master marksman.
Pay let out a small laugh.
“Does whether someone shoots a bow well really show on their face?”
“Their faces just look like they can’t fight. Their shoulders and hands don’t look like they’d be any good at archery. I’ve pinpointed their location, so I’ll go take care of it quickly by myself.”
“Ah, no. Let’s go together.”
Pay grabbed the hem of Lucius’s clothes the moment he stood up. Beneath his silver hair, his ears flushed bright red in surprise.
The only one who noticed was Cassel, who had been staring at Lucius for the past hour.
“Let go. Let go!”
His dragon heart pounded as if it might burst.
No matter how he looked at it, this was serious.
Pay, seemingly oblivious, didn’t release him. Instead, she scolded him.
“Where do you think you’re going alone?”
Cassel rose calmly as well.
“Then Lucius and I will go. Pay, you stay with As and Raphael… hmm.”
“Who decided I’m ‘Lucius’ to you?”
Lucius raised his voice to hide his flustered state caused by Pay’s touch.
But Cassel’s thoughts were complicated.
He needed to avoid any situation where Pay or Prince Astain might be endangered. Yet leaving her alone with Raphael in his absence made him uneasy.
Still, he was a proper knight.
If he doesn’t try anything strange and protects the two of them in case of emergency, it should be fine. Raphael… Lucius the mage… I need to decide which of them is safer for Pay to be with.
At this point, every other man in the world looked like a wolf to him.
Pay pouted and confronted Lucius.
“Why are you trying to leave me behind?”
“…You’re staying here no matter what.”
“No. I’m going no matter what. Raphael, please stay with As.”
“There might be bloodshed.”
“I’m not scared. This whole journey was my decision—how could I back out now?”
Pay spoke firmly and stood up as well.
Realizing he couldn’t stop her, Lucius scratched his head.
“Ha… They’re wanted criminals anyway. If we’re going to capture them alive, it’s not impossible. Do you really, truly have to come?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s have Momo trample them all lightly and hand them over to the lord’s estate.”
In Lucius’s mind, this was the best way to minimize the danger to Pay.
“…Didn’t you just say we should capture them alive?”
“Fine, then stay right next to me. I’ll wrap you in my spirits so even if arrows fly or there are traps, you won’t get hurt.”
Pay looked at Lucius with trusting eyes.
“You’ll protect Cassel too, right?”
“Why would I protect some guy?”
Lucius grumbled but didn’t push back against Pay’s insistence on coming along.
Thanks to his help, the journey felt like an entirely new experience. The wind spirit enveloped their bodies and carried them gently through the air—different from riding Momo.
“This is amazing.”
Even after riding every possible mount in the world, riding a unicorn had always seemed impossible to imagine.
She touched the flute hanging around her neck.
Even now, the moment Lucius had given her the unicorn still felt like a dream.
“…We’re almost there. There’s a spot in this forest where the trees and grass are especially dense—it looks like they planted it on purpose for camouflage. One of the two archers was out on patrol, and the other was near the building. Given the time, they might all be inside the hideout now.”
At his grim tone, Pay quickly returned to reality.
“The security doesn’t seem very tight.”
Lucius lowered his voice slightly.
“Even if they shoot arrows from inside toward the doors or windows, it’ll be just as troublesome. I’ll handle it with that guy, so don’t move recklessly and stay behind me, got it?”
“You said to stay beside you.”
“I just changed the plan.”
“Tch…”
“Follow Lucius’s instructions.”
“It’s not ‘Lucius’!”
Pay grumbled but didn’t insist on taking the lead.
Both men cared for her.
Why… she didn’t know exactly, but she liked it. More importantly, showing off in a situation like this could cause real trouble.
She was gradually becoming a wiser mage.
As Lucius had said, the deeper they went, the denser the forest became.
Although they had cast a noise-suppression spell, Pay still tensed every time she heard the distant sound of dripping water or leaves rustling in the wind.
Prick—
‘What…?’
Feeling a sudden sting at the back of her head as they approached, Pay turned slightly.
“Why? There’s nothing behind us.”
“Ah… it’s nothing.”
After answering Lucius, she gently touched the back of her head.
Nothing came off her neatly tied hair. Yet it had hurt so much earlier—like her head had split open and blood was flowing.
“My lady! Lady Marietta… ugh, run away! You mustn’t get caught…!”
‘Could it be?’
Along with a tightening pain in her chest, she remembered the desperate scream. It was exactly the same as back then.
Cold sweat beaded on Pay’s forehead in an instant. She pressed her lips tightly together.
Was it because she was experiencing a similar situation?
I’ve never actually visited the place where it happened. Maybe this area just resembles it. Or perhaps… the ones who did that to me, my nurse, and the maids were bandits…
“There they are.”
Lucius, voice lowered to a whisper, pointed ahead.
Two men in camouflaged shirts and pants stood there, blending into the surroundings. One was sitting against a tree, while the other—the archer—was standing, though he carried only a quiver and no bow in hand.
“Their guard is pathetic. If we make too much noise fighting, the others might escape, so I’ll go first.”
Cassel didn’t object.
A small orb formed in Lucius’s hand and then dispersed. Pay watched with wide eyes as the two men ahead stiffened without uttering a single word.
“……!”
“……”
Unable to even groan, their bodies first went rigid, then white cords appeared all over them, binding them tightly. Though she couldn’t see inside their mouths, their tongues were likely bound the same way to prevent any warning cries.
Lucius really is amazing.
A 7th-circle Hold spell.
Normally used to bind ankles and restrict movement, Lucius had finely tuned it so the men couldn’t even shout a warning to flee.
To cast such powerful magic without chanting…
Could she have done the same?
Pay clenched her fists, mentally reviewing several spells she might use in combat.
“Sleep.”
Without any resistance, the bound men’s eyes lost focus, whites showing as they collapsed. Cassel approached the fallen pair, picked up the bow, and quietly snapped it.
Crack.
“They won’t wake up for a while, so we’ll leave them. I’ve already had the spirits wall off the area, so there’s no escape route. Let’s finish this quickly.”
“Understood.”
Lucius openly coated his hands in black mana, while Cassel drew his sword. Pay summoned her undine, transferred her mana into it, and followed behind them.
Reaching the log hideout surrounded by tall trees, Lucius shouted openly.
“Hey, come out!”
“Lucius…!”
Pay gasped in shock.