A faint wind stirred the trees, carrying the smell of smoke, stew, and underneath it all, a subtle sweet scent.
Sniff. Sniff.
Sweet stew? No, it couldn't be.
I followed it, staying low, and cautious.
At the clearing's edge, I hid behind a tree and peeked out.
A girl... with a guy hovering over her?
Quite ballsy... doing 'that' this deep in the forest...
Hnnrgh.
I ruffled my hair.
Of course, just my luck to stumble on a couple fucking around.
I sighed and started to turn away. But that smell...
I turned back, squinting my eyes.
Tears running down her face?!
And that smirk on his...
So even in this world, I can't escape scum like that...
I gripped the handle of my sword tighter, my knees bend.
Wait... I stopped myself.
Should I step in though?
This has nothing to do with me... it'll only bring trouble...
But those hollow blue eyes stared right at me. Hopeless. Defeated.
A shiver ran down my spine.
The guy reached for her sash and started pulling on the knot.
Thud!
My heart skipped a beat.
I burst from behind the tree, charging straight toward them.
I've seen too many isekai stories... I know exactly what will come of this...
Despite that I just have to save her!
My boot slammed into the guy's side, sending him sprawling off her.
He slowly got up and glared at me with quite a vile expression.
"W... Who are you?"
I scratched my head.
"Me? Just a passerby. How about you tell me what's going on here instead?"
His expression softened, and a smile appeared on his face.
"She got poisoned earlier, while we were fighting wolves."
"Poisoned while fighting wolves?"
"I can prove it!" He said while he pointed at his backpack. "I have the magic stones in my backpack."
I looked at his backpack and noticed the bowl with spilled over soup on the ground right beside her.
He really thinks I'm that gullible?
"I was just trying to help her!"
I smirked at him, arms crossed. "By taking off her clothes? Just for your info, I saw it all."
Tsk.
"Y... You are making a huge mistake!"
I sighed in my head Oh no... here comes the typical villain speech...
"I'll have you know, I'm Gai, a famous D-Ranked Adventurer!"
"Bla. Bla. Bla. I didn't ask..."
"Quick Step!"
He disappeared, reappearing in a sudden dash for his Sword.
Grabbing the hilt, he went for an upper slash.
I dodged backwards.
Slash!
Blood splashed from my chest.
The tip of his sword grazed me, piercing my leather armor.
"You can't dodge this one!" A wide grin on his face.
He tightened his grip and pulled his sword down.
From above?!
I unsheathed my sword, swinging right at his.
"Quick Step."
He vanished.
What? Again?
He appeared behind me and kicked me in the back, launching me forward.
I crashed into a tree.
Agh.
Fuck... I really underestimated him...
He stepped closer, a vile grin spread across his face as he licked my blood from his blade.
So that's the strength of a D-Rank...
I stood up and spat out blood.
Hahahaha.
"If you beg now, I might show you mercy." He said, boastfully, arms spread out.
I glared at him.
Body reinforcement... My muscles bulged. Movement up, Sharpness up.
I sheathed my sword, slightly bent my knees getting in stance, and hovered my hand above the hilt.
"Still resisting?" His grin widened. "Then I'll just make you BEG!"
I gripped the hilt tight, tighter, as tight as I could.
I coiled, every muscle locked, veins throbbed, and breath held...
"Quick Step!"
He appeared right in front of me, blade aimed at my neck.
Ssshing.
A single metallic hiss.
The sound of a blade shattering.
My sword at his neck.
His face, eyes widened, sweat dripped, mouth opened wide.
"Last chance, Mr. D-Rank Scum. That is, if you value your life."
I glared deep into his eyes.
His knees shook and he fell to the ground.
I made my way over to the girl and slipped a hand under her head, lifting it slowly.
Her lips moved, barely but they moved.
I couldn't make out what she tried to say.
I assumed it was "help me".
"You are safe now." I whispered to her with a warm smile.
That gentle smile... It seems familiar, have I met him before? She thought before she passed out.
I gently placed her down, got up, glared at Gai, and threw his backpack in front of him.
"Scram, run with your tail tugged between your legs, and pray we never meet again!"
And now here comes the "Next time, I'll beat you speech." or "I will get my revenge."...
Gai just grabbed his backpack and ran without a single word for his life into the pitch black forest.
I scratched my head. Or not?
My gaze shifted to her.
I can't just leave her here, can I?
Guess I'll have to take her with me.
I gathered up all her belongings and carried her on my back.
Her chest pressed against my back, my face flushed.
S... so soft... No.No.No. I shook my head. Lock in, Alex, this isn't the time for thoughts like that!
We headed deeper into the forest.
Now I'm just like all those MCs who saved their heroines, carrying them to safety.
Hehe.
As if...
She lightly woke up while I carried her.
"Am I really saved? Or... is he just like him...?"
We arrived at my hut hidden deep in the forest.
Finally... home sweet home, my back is killing me.
We entered, I placed her down on my bed and her belongings beside it.
Her eyes opened. Where am I?
I lit the lanterns. The small and cozy hut came alive in a warm yellow light.
"Give me a second, I'll make you some herbal tea."
Setting the kettle over the fire, I tossed in the dried leaves and left it to brew.
In the meantime, I took off my top armor and clothes.
The cut thankfully isn't that deep, It should heal quickly.
After cleaning the wound, I wrapped some cloth around my chest, and then I went and poured a cup of the tea and brought it over to her.
"If you can, open your mouth slightly, hopefully it helps at least a little against the poison."
I still can't feel my body much.
She opened her mouth a little, as far as she could.
I brought the cup to her lips, tipped it lightly, and helped her drink slowly.
After she finished, I placed the cup on the nightstand beside the bed.
She tried to say something again, her lips moved but no sound came out.
"Rest up for now, once you feel better we can talk."
Getting up, I grabbed my sword and went outside in front of my hut.
God I'm such an IDIOT!
Unsheathing my sword, I threw the scabbard to the side and started practice swinging.
I overestimated myself way too much, I could have DIED!
Just because I got reincarnated doesn't mean that I'm OP like all those MCs.
Swinging my sword harder, sweat build up.
My baseline strength is way too low, I need to train more...
The one thing I learned, though, buffed up, I'm stronger than a D-Rank, but I can't just rely on my buffs to carry me.
I kept swinging my sword until the sun started to rise.
Clatter!
What was that? It came from inside.
Wiping the sweat from my forehead, I looked at the entrance.
"Everything okay in there?"
... No response? Maybe she fell?
Walking over and opening the door, I entered and looked around.
Where is she...
Suddenly, I felt something cold and sharp at my throat.
"D... drop your sword!" Her voice trembled.
I dropped my sword.
Is this who saved me? It was so dark that I couldn't see him well. Her mind raced.
He's a bit taller than me, dark hair a little long, well trained body... and those green eyes...
"Is this really how you thank someone who saved you?"
"For all I know, you could be just like him!"
Are you serious?!
Raising my hands, I noticed hers trembled. "Can't you at least put the knife away?"
Hmm...
"Fine..." She pushed my sword away and took a step back, still clutching the knife.
"Feeling better?"
She glared at me.
"I'll take that as a yes." Walking past her, I sat down on my bed.
"Why did you save me?"
So untrusting... though I can't blame her. Not after what she just went through.
"Straight to the point, huh? It's okay, I did it more so for myself."
Glaaaare.
"So you just admit that you just wanted to get your hands on me?!"
"What?! NO!" I scratched my head. "I just meant... I couldn't have forgiven myself if I didn't save you."
"That makes no sense." She tilted her head. "You'd risk your life just for that?!"
My eyes narrowed. "Yes? Do you have a problem with that?"
Pff.
She scoffed. He has to be lying, there's no other way...
My cheeks reddened.
"How about, instead of making fun of me, you tell me what even happened before I arrived?"
She looked down at the ground.
Her expression, that lifeless stare, and eyes teared up.
Clutching her robe and closing it tighter, her hands trembled.
C... can I really trust him? What if he's pretending, just like Gai?
"It's fine if you don't want to tell me, I think I can guess the gist just from what I saw."
No, just because he saved me doesn't mean I can trust him...
"T... then why even ask?" She asked, glaring holes through me.
Damn, she's got some sass, here I thought she'd be mentally quite broken after what she went through.
This world keeps surprising me left and right, all those isekai writers would be jealous of such a firsthand experience.
Hahaha.
"Sorry, I'm just trying to ascertain what might happen next."
"W... What do you mean?" Is he laughing at me?
"Well, while yes, I did save you, I have a feeling that it's not over yet."
After all, I can't just tell her that, I've seen those exact scenarios play out in games and anime before, can I? She'd never believe me.
"What are you trying to say?"
"I'm trying to say that that guy from last night might not just leave it at that. After all, aren't you both adventurers?"
"I saw your guild tag yesterday."
Head tilted slightly, brows furrowed, she held her chin.
"So you think, he might be worried about everyone finding out?"
"Well, how is his current reputation?"
My gut is telling me that this might not have been his first time... so if this is the first time anything like that surfaces... I can only imagine how he makes sure that it stays hidden...
"He seems to be well known and liked..."
"So, you might be his first victim that..."
Dooon!
Her eyes widened and face lost all color. "Now that you mention it... he did call me 'precious merchandise'..."
I clenched my teeth.
She gagged, quickly covering her mouth. "Y... you don't think he m... meant t... 'that'?"
I was right... so this 100% isn't over yet, but what will he do?
I got up. "Take a seat, I'll get you some water."
She sat down on the bed and I brought her a cup of water.
"Thank you..." She drank the water.
"So do you now feel like telling me more about what happened?"
"Under one condition."
Oh? Making demands now? Quite an intriguing one.
"And what is that condition?" A smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth.
"I still don't trust you, BUT I want you to be my bodyguard."
"Why should I? That's asking for quite a lot."
She thought for a second. "Well... you know what he did as well, so wouldn't he come after you as well?"
Hmm... the smartest move would be to avoid this, after all, it's way too risky... there's not nearly enough info, and I highly doubt she knows much either.
I scratched my head.
"Do you even have a plan on what to do about him?"
She looked down. "No..."
Should I run away? It might follow me... or worse. My best chance is to help her.
Besides... she's right. I'm already involved. There's no turning back now.
I guess it's about time my MC arc starts!
In my head, i stood tall, chest puffed out, and fists on my hip.
Shudder.
"Stop grinning like that." Her expression, disgusted.
Back in reality, I stood with a wide grin, giggling, and drooling a little.
Ahem.
"Let's forget that."
Unexpectedly early... but as long as I'm careful, it should work out...
Internally, I trembled, sweating buckets.
Surely... Plot armor will work in my favor right?
"Fine, I'll protect you."
"Really?"
I held out my hand. "I'm Alex, nice to meet you. Let's get along until we finish taking care of this."
She shook my hand. "I'm Shizori, likewise, I hope we get along."
"Now as per agreement, tell me everything."
I sat down beside her while Shizori told me everything that happened, from how she just registered at the guild and met Gai, who was supposed to teach her the ropes, up to the point where I interfered yesterday.
Staaaare.
Her eyes locked onto my chest.
"A... also... can I ask you something?"
"Yeah, go right ahead." I raised an eyebrow.
"Those bandages... is that from yesterday?" She asked with a worried expression.
"Yeah... his sword managed to graze me. Not a big deal though."
"Let me see."
"No, no, it's all good, it's just a scratch."
Her face turned dark, she turned towards me, slowly getting closer.
A shiver ran down my spine. Scary...
"It's a healers job to take care of injuries. Especially since you are supposed to be my bodyguard for now, so I'll need you at your best."
That glare and that voice.... they don't match at all! How can she look like she's going to kill me while wanting to heal me?!
I slowly moved backwards on the bed until I hit the wall.
She crawled after me, trapping me, before pressing her palm firmly against the wound.
Ouch. Ouch. Ouch!
With her eyes closed, I could feel her mana gathering in her hand.
"Light heal."
At first it hurt, but then her touch grew warm, and the pain faded.
She sat back down.
Is it over?
I took off the bandages, the wound gone without a trace.
"Wow, It's completely healed up?!"
So that's healing magic? Way cooler than I imagined. I wonder what the limits are...
"Is this your first time getting healed?" She chuckled with her hand over her mouth.
Sweat beaded on my forehead. "N... no, of course not."
"Let's get back to the main topic."
"I think the best course of action for now would be getting you back to Eldenbrook and reporting what happened to the guild."
"Hilde did tell me that if I ever needed help that, I could come to her."
"The receptionist girl?" I'm just a little worried, what if she's in on it...?
"Yeah, she seemed really nice so far, and she might be able to help us."
"Okay, let's eat something first, then we head out. We should be able to reach Eldenbrook before it turns dark."
She nodded.
We ate some dried meat rations, washing it down with water, and rushed to get ready to head out.
"Are you sure we will make it there before nightfall?"
"Yeah, I know this forest like my back pocket, we'll take the shortest route."
I led the way through the forest, Shizori right behind me.
She seemed a little tense, who could blame her though?
We left the forest and walked along the dirt road leading to Eldenbrook.
Shudder.
I have a bad feeling about this.
"We are almost there, we should be careful."
"I agree." She clutched her staff.
Approaching the city entrance where a few guards are stationed, checking everyone who wants to enter, we entered the queue.
"Identification?" One of the knights asked us.
Shizori showed them her guild tag. "He's with me."
"Shizori huh?" He grabbed the hilt of his sword. "You need to follow us."
"What's this about?!" She asked.
I whispered into her ear. "Let's just follow them for now."
"B... but..."
"If they wanted to arrest or kill us, they would do it right here, this seems more like they want to ask questions."
Her hands trembled slightly.
I faced the guard. "We'll follow you, but as her bodyguard I'm not leaving her side."
"Fine, let's go." The knight turned around and led the way into the gatehouse, with us following.
"Take a seat." He said as he sat down on the other end of the table.
"So what is this about?" I asked with my arms crossed.
Another knight walked in, sat down beside him, placed paper, a quill, and an inkwell on the table, and started to write down notes.
"Let's begin. Do you know a man by the name of Gai?"
The color drained from Shizori's face, her eyes darted toward me.
I gave her a nod. It should be fine to tell them.
"Y... Yes, I know him."
"Ok, at this point in time we are investigating the case of Gai getting attacked and robbed." Leaning forward, he clasped his hands on the table.
"According to Gai, the culprits are a beginner adventurer he wanted to help out and her accomplice." His gaze shifted to me.
"Weirdly enough, an unknown guy whose description exactly matches your bodyguards."
"WHAT?!" She shouted.
"T... that's not true at all!" Her pupils shrunk.
So that's his plan... so dumb, there's no guarantee it would work, though. Something doesn't feel right.
"If that's the case, then what's his proof?" I asked the knight.
"Well, he showed us his broken sword, does that ring a bell?" The knights gaze turned sharper.
Ha!
"Yes, it shattered while I fought him off... while SAVING Shizori."
"Saving her? From what?"
I looked at her, but she was frozen, shocked, trembling, her staff gripped tight.
I guess this is a little too much for her.
"From Gai."
"Care to explain further?"
"Sure. I was passing through the forest when I stumbled upon Gai hovering over Shizori. She was unable to move, poisoned by Gai, and he was clearly about to take advantage of her."
Silence.
Her head tilted down, pale as the moon.
"Is that true?" The knight asked her.
She just slowly nodded.
"Also, if we really robbed him, then what exactly did he loose?"
The knight sighed heavily.
"For now we'll note down your statements and investigate further, expect to hear from us again."
We got up and left the gatehouse. We got lucky, usually accusations like that get the MC thrown in jail.
I lightly slapped Shizori's back. "Stay focused, this is just the beginning, I doubt he only reported it to the knights."
"As planned, let's head to the guild next."
Tears welled up in her eyes. "W... what if he told the guild the same thing? How do we even prove our innocence?"
"No point in overthinking it now. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."
I gave her a bright smile. Please god, give us a break!
Meanwhile, at the guild, Hilde leaned over the counter, head propped in one hand, index finger tapping the counter. Her brows were deeply furrowed, and eyes shadowed with a cold, predatory scowl.