Chapter 18
Elior POV
I took Luna out of my pocket and held her gently in my arms.
"Luna…"
Kyuu?
"I know it hasn't been long since we met, but…"
I looked directly into her golden eyes.
"Do you trust me?"
She didn't even hesitate.
Her ears immediately perked up, and she nodded rapidly.
Kyuu!
I couldn't help smiling.
"I'm glad."
I muttered the words quietly.
Then my expression became serious.
"The quest is more dangerous than I originally thought."
Luna tilted her head.
"I may not be able to protect you if things go wrong."
Kyuu…
"I want you to stay here."
The moment I finished speaking, Luna vigorously shook her head.
Kyuu! Kyuu!
"No."
I sighed.
"Luna…"
She shook her head even harder.
"Luna, please understand."
I gently stroked her head.
"I'm asking you to stay because I want you to be safe."
Her ears drooped.
"If something happened to you…"
I paused.
"…I wouldn't be able to forgive myself."
She looked conflicted.
She clearly didn't want to leave me.
But she also seemed to understand why I was asking.
I smiled reassuringly.
"Don't worry about me."
I gently tapped my chest.
"I'm strong."
I smiled.
"I can take care of myself."
Then I brought my forehead against hers.
"I'll come back very quickly."
I looked into her eyes.
"I promise."
Luna stared at me for several seconds.
Eventually, she lowered her head and gave a reluctant nod.
Kyuu…
"Good girl."
I gently scratched behind her ears.
I then turned toward the old man.
He had been quietly observing our interaction.
"I know this is selfish of me…"
I held Luna out toward him.
"…but I have a request."
Before I could explain further, he nodded.
"Don't worry, young man."
He carefully took Luna into his arms.
"I'll take care of her."
I nodded.
I wouldn't entrust Luna to just anyone.
But my magical perception could sense the nature of his magical presence.
It wasn't something that could perfectly measure a person's character, but there was nothing malicious about him.
His presence felt calm and sincere.
He was a kind man.
I trusted him.
"Thank you."
I looked toward Luna.
"I'll come back."
She stared at me with worried eyes.
"Kyuu…"
I smiled.
"I promise."
I reached into my storage ring and took out a small Communication Lacrima.
I handed it to the old man.
"Keep this with you."
He looked at it curiously.
"If anything happens, use it to contact the Rune Knights."
He nodded.
"I understand."
"Good."
I took one final look at Luna.
Then I turned toward the forest.
"Good luck, young—"
The old man paused.
He smiled.
"No. Good luck, Elior."
I smiled back.
"Thanks."
Light enveloped my body.
The next instant—
Whoosh!
I disappeared into the distance.
It took me only a couple of minutes to reach the location.
I slowed down as I approached the bandit hideout.
It was hidden deep inside the forest.
A collection of crude structures had been built around what appeared to be a naturally formed cavern.
I landed silently.
I closed my eyes.
My magical perception spread throughout the area.
I immediately sensed them.
A lot of people.
Around a hundred.
They were gathered together.
Drinking.
Laughing.
Celebrating.
As if nothing had happened.
My expression darkened.
Then I sensed something else.
Something much stronger.
I focused on it.
That presence…
It was difficult to describe.
It didn't feel like a normal human magical signature.
It felt darker.
More sinister.
There was something fundamentally wrong about it.
I frowned.
That's probably their leader.
I pushed the thought aside for the moment.
There was something more important.
I searched the surrounding area.
Then I found them.
Women.
Dozens of them.
Around forty or fifty.
The villagers.
I immediately moved toward their location.
The women had been locked inside a large underground cell.
There were no guards nearby.
Apparently, the bandits didn't consider them capable of escaping.
I entered the area silently.
The sight made my expression harden.
They looked exhausted.
Their eyes were lifeless.
Some were sitting against the walls.
Others were simply staring at the floor.
It was as if they had already given up hope of ever leaving.
I clenched my fists.
I wanted to free them immediately.
But there was a problem.
The bandits were nearby.
If I started fighting while they were exposed, they could get caught in the battle.
I raised my hand.
Light spread outward.
A large barrier formed around the entire cell.
The women barely reacted.
They were too exhausted to care.
"This will protect you."
I spoke softly.
The barrier was designed to withstand attacks around A-rank strength and endure even a single S-rank-level attack.
As long as I remained alive, I could continue supplying it with magic.
They would be safe.
I turned away.
Now for the other problem.
I moved through the hideout.
I didn't bother hiding anymore.
There was no point.
The moment I reached the main area, I raised one hand.
A concentrated beam of light shot forward.
Bang!
The nearest bandit was struck and collapsed unconscious.
Silence.
Every bandit stopped what they were doing.
They turned toward me.
One by one, weapons were drawn.
The leader stood from his seat.
He looked at me.
Then he smirked.
"A twerp?"
He gestured toward me.
"What are you all staring at?"
His voice became louder.
"Surround him!"
The bandits immediately moved.
Within seconds, around a hundred men had surrounded me.
Swords.
Axes.
Spears.
Knives.
Magic.
They all pointed toward me.
I stood completely still.
The leader walked toward me.
He stopped a few meters away.
"I don't know what you thought you were doing by coming here."
He grinned.
"But don't think you're walking out alive."
I looked at him.
"I have a question."
He raised an eyebrow.
"A question?"
"Hoh…"
He laughed.
"Go ahead."
He spread his arms.
"I'll even grant it as your final wish."
I stared at him.
"Why?"
His smile faded slightly.
"Why what?"
"Why did you do this?"
My voice was quiet.
"All of this."
For the first time since entering the hideout, something stirred inside me.
The numbness was beginning to disappear.
The leader stared at me.
Then—
"Pfft."
He burst out laughing.
"Hahahahaha!"
The other bandits joined him.
"Hahahaha!"
"Did you hear the kid?"
"He wants to know why!"
The leader wiped a tear from the corner of his eye.
"Fine."
He looked at me.
"I'll tell you."
He spread his arms.
"It's because it's fun."
My eyes narrowed.
"That's it?"
"That's it."
He laughed.
"It's the law of the jungle."
His expression became arrogant.
"Survival of the fittest."
He pointed toward himself.
"I'm stronger than them."
He then pointed toward the direction of the cell.
"So I decide their lives."
He smiled.
"That's how the world works."
Silence.
I stared at him.
He genuinely believed it.
He had murdered dozens of people.
Destroyed an entire village.
Stolen innocent women from their families.
And he didn't feel even a hint of remorse.
All because he believed strength gave him the right to decide who lived and who died.
"That's your reason?"
My voice was barely above a whisper.
"You killed so many people…"
I looked at the bandits around me.
"…for such a stupid reason?"
The laughter stopped.
The shock of what I had witnessed had finally begun to fade.
The numbness was disappearing.
And something else was taking its place.
Anger.
No.
Not anger.
Rage.
Pure, unrestrained rage.
I thought about the bodies in that pit.
The old man.
The children.
The women locked in that cell.
Luna's frightened eyes.
All because these people thought they were strong enough to do whatever they wanted.
My magical power began to rise.
The air around me became heavy.
The bandits' smiles disappeared.
"What…"
One of them took a step backward.
My eyes slowly moved across the crowd.
"You think strength gives you the right to decide whether someone lives or dies?"
The pressure continued increasing.
The ground beneath my feet cracked slightly.
My magic wasn't being shaped into a spell.
I wasn't consciously casting anything.
It was simply leaking out.
My emotions were feeding my magic.
The overwhelming magical pressure of an immensely powerful mage was enough to make weaker opponents instinctively freeze.
I looked directly at the leader.
"Then let's see how strong you really are."
The pressure exploded outward.
BOOM!
The entire hideout shook.
One bandit collapsed.
Then another.
Then another.
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
They began dropping one after another.
Some lost consciousness instantly.
Others collapsed to their knees before falling forward.
Within seconds, dozens were unconscious.
The remaining bandits stared at me in terror.
I continued releasing my magical pressure.
More fell.
More.
And more.
Until eventually…
Only one person remained standing.
The leader.
He stared at me.
His arrogant expression was gone.
For the first time, there was fear in his eyes.
I slowly raised my head.
My golden eyes met his.
So that's what this feeling is.
I looked at the unconscious bodies surrounding me.
It's not some borrowed ability.
It's simply my magic… and my will.
I took a slow breath.
The magical pressure around me settled slightly.
The leader swallowed.
I smiled coldly.
"Now…"
I tightened my grip around the hilt of my light sword.
"…we can talk."