"A-AGHHHH!!!!-"
Hello there, this is Finn. As you can see, I'm still in the middle of training right now.
"H-HELP!!!!"
It's been 8 years since I got reincarnated in this world. Allow me to summarize! So, long story short, I got reincarnated into the world of a novel I read before falling asleep. I don't exactly know how it happens, but, oh well, it's not like I care enough to find out the details.
"W-WHAT'S WITH THIS MONSTER??"
More importantly! This world has magic! something that I have always longed for! Yes. My fascination with magic must've brought me to this world, to this fate! If it's not, I can't really understand any other explanation, all those nights I spent reading a novel were not in vain.
"STOP, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS??"
"Hm, why? Aren't you doing the same thing to those people over there too?"
I point my blade to a carriage laid down near.
"S-stop! I will not do it again! So, please, stop! I don't wanna die!"
"Well, no matter how much you plead, you wouldn't get spared from me, mister. I mean, back in my world, someone told me, that those who've killed must be ready to be killed."
"B-back in your world? What are you talking about? P-please, just spare me. If you spare me, I'll tell you where the boss kept all the money and prisoners!"
"Oh? Now we're talking, say it then, before I change my mind."
"His tent!! All the gold was in his tent, the biggest one!! And he kept all the prisoners in the cave over there, imprisoned!!"
"I see. Goodbye."
After I cut the bandit's neck, I make my way toward the biggest tent I can find.
Exterminating scum like this has become my daily training. You know, I hate these kinds of people, they kill the innocent and rob the weak, which is truly a disgrace to society, and I kinda want the gold they have.
Huft, if only this place had more criminals like them, I would become rich in no time. Can't they just get rid of public order, please?
"GRRRR---"
"Oh?"
I stopped my step and saw a Dire Wolf running towards me. I stepped aside and dodged it before slashing it with my blade. Then, out of nowhere, someone appeared on my back. He raised his dagger and thrust it into my neck, killing me instantly.
"Ha! This is what happens when you underestimate your opponent, kid. Even though I'm a mere bandit now, I used to be an assassin in the Hooded Brotherhood."
Until my body becomes a black liquid and I start engulfing the bandit bit by bit.
"WHAT?? AGGH!! STOP!! I-I can't...breathe..."
The bandit started to suffocate as the black liquid engulfed his entire head. He tried to free himself, struggling as hard as possible, but to no avail. At last, he fell to the ground, flapping like a fish until his body stopped moving.
"You can't even detect where my real body is and foolishly fall for a cheap clone; no wonder you got fired from your assassin job. Your skill sucks dude."
I stepped down from the tree where I was hiding and started walking to the biggest tent to collect my quest reward.
"Ah, there it is!"
Surely, with this many people, they must've robbed quite the sums, no? If not, they should just retire from being bandits. Well, it's not like they have the chance now.
Entering the tent, I found five treasure chests filled with gold coins and jewelry. Damn, these guys are killing it, I really wish there were more bandits around who were as capable as them.
"Oh? Would you look at that? How many people did these guys attack to save up this much?"
Saving it all up in my Shadow Pocket, I believe the amount would be close to 5 million gold.
All that done, I make my way towards the cave that "Mr.Bandit A" told me where they kept the prisoner.
"It should be around here somewhere..."
After some time passed and still couldn't find the cave, I started to feel all this becoming troublesome, so I was thinking to just get the fuck out, but...
Just imagining myself saving all those people and then vanishing into the night without saying anything, doesn't it sound cool? I always wanted to try that.
With that thought in mind, I steeled myself and swore that I would find that goddamn cave and make this scenario of mine into reality no matter what.
"Hmm... could it be they cover the entrance with Illusion magic? Now that I think about it, they also make the camp hidden with Illusion too, but detecting illusion's not really my forte...meh, whatevs, I'll just destroy everything."
A Dark Aura starts surrounding my body, and the Darkness within my blade thickens.
"I'm sorry if I somehow killed one or two of you, but those are the sacrifices I'm willing to make. I mean, this is just so troublesome, you know? You would do the same if you were me."
*SWISH*
I swung my Shadow blade into the rock wall near, and sure enough, the Illusion was torn up, revealing the entrance of the cave.
"Where do these bandits get this kind of Illusion tool anyway? Do they attack some high-ranking nobles or something? If the nobles were indeed captured, maybe I can get rewarded when I save them."
But if I do that, my plan to "Save the People while saying nothing, then Walk Away Mysteriously" will be ruined, forget it.
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"W-what was that?"
"I don't know, it looks like something dangerous is coming over here!"
"Mama, I'm scared."
Inside the prison cell, heard a lot of panicking voices. The reason for this is the trembling of the caves and the loud noises just now as if someone or something is trying to destroy the cave itself.
"Is it perhaps, the Knights?"
"No way, it's not the Knights, something different is coming our way."
"Mama..."
An eight-year-old girl with silver hair and violet eyes cries out to her mother's arm.
"It's okay, dear, everything will be okay."
The mother held her tight and whispered soothing words; seeing her daughter like this, she could not help but feel terrible about her powerlessness.
Abigail is the wife of an influential merchant across the kingdom, and she's planning to celebrate her daughter's birthday by visiting the kingdom's capital.
Since the day her husband passed away of illness three years ago, she has kept living peacefully with her daughter in a backwater town, her daughter is the sole thing in this world that keeps her from breaking. If something ever happened to her, she couldn't even bear to imagine.
But the reality is that here, on the way to the capital, they've been ambushed by over 50 bandits, it's pretty unlikely for bandits to have such a high number because usually they're annihilated before they become too much trouble.
That's why Abigail only brought 10 Guards and a Knight to guard the carriage, though they were outnumbered five to one, they still managed to hold on, that is until a Dire Wolf came charging toward the Knight, and all of a sudden, when the knight's attention was all on the Dire Wolf, someone stabbed his neck from the back, killing him instantly.
With the Knight gone, the bandits made easy work finishing the rest of the guards, and thus she and her daughter were captured.
Abigail feels ashamed of herself, if only she were more careful, her daughter would never have had to experience this traumatic situation.
"It's okay, dear. Mama is here."
As if trying to reassure herself, Abigail said so with a weak smile.
"Hey, Sophia. It's okay because I'm here!"
Another girl her daughter's age said. She has blonde hair and golden eyes, the sign of royalty; Princess Charlotte Evermore, apparently she's been kidnapped when she was running away from the castle at night.
"As you see, I'm a princess of the realm. Father will never let anything happen to me, so you can trust me, I'll protect you."
The girl said with a bright smile while holding Sophia's hands.
"Besides, I'm a Knight in training, so I can use some magic, you'll be fine!"
This evoked a reaction from Sophia, her violet eyes started brimming with a little hope that everything would be just fine, and she smiled.
Charlotte started to pat Sophia's head like she was her little sister and smile back.
Seeing this, Abigail can't help but feel a little relieved, at least Sophia has someone her age she could interact with.
*Tap tap tap*
A footstep can be heard in the dark tunnel of the cave as a small boy is approaching them. Wearing a black coat and a hood, with his face surrounded by dark smoke, he approaches them nonchalantly.
"W-what do you want? who are you?"
Seeing the appearance of the boy who dreaded in darkness, as if it symbolized fear itself, the group became terrified.
The boy raised his Black Sword, and everyone's face went pale.
*CLUNK*
What the boy did next is something nobody expected, he cut through the prison lock like butter as he walked back toward the entrance of the cave without saying anything.
"..."
Abigail sees in confusion, who was he? The boy's frame looks like he's just an 8-year-old, yet the aura and power he shows could rival those of an adult knight or even surpass them.
"Wait! My name is Abigail Laures, let me reward you for saving me and my daughter!"
Abigail ran toward the boy, but the boy did not stop. Of course she had expected this, but she couldn't help but at least try to thank her savior.
A true hero, unlike the usual dazzling hero showered in praise, is a hero who works behind the scenes, he saves the weak without gaining any recognition and without expecting anything in return.
She couldn't tell who he was, nor did she even know his name, but what she does understand from looking at him is that behind his intimidating appearance, lies a really kind heart.
*Tap tap tap*
As then a bunch of multiple footsteps can be heard entering the cave,
"We're the Knights, you're all safe now!"
Teardrops begin to fall under Abigail's eye.
"...Thank you, Unknown yet Kind Shadow."
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Damn, I feel awesome. I mean, how could I not? A mysterious person clad in black saving the people in the shadow is a romance to every boy in the world, and this me finally able to make it reality!
"Now then, I guess it's time to go home—wait, what's that noise—was it Bandit reinforcements?"
Focusing my eyes on the crowd where the noise comes from, what I see is a blue flag with a symbol of a white griffon.
"Wait, why is the Blue Knight Order's here? Don't tell me they finally caught on to my antics?! I-i have to run, facing them with my current power would be suicide!!"
And thus I ran, as far as possible.