Chapter 11

Shiori: You're lucky that I'm better than you, you filthy crook! Plus, killing such a defenseless douche like you would stain my record.

Shiori snorts with disdain, turning around to set eyes on me gazing at her.

Shiori: What are you looking at, dude? Did you think I was going to execute the poor bastard?

Shiori: I'm not that kind of woman! These morons don't deserve an ounce of my effort.

Shiori: Isn't that right, you idiot?

Giggling at her offensive comment, Shiori rests her hand on the shoulder of the outrider she beat first, the man still kneeling with tears rolling down his cheeks.

Hoping to not receive another shattering kick like that, he nods frantically, stealing a satisfied peal of laughter from my companion.

Shiori: Aaah... Dealing with criminals is so much fun! They're always so smug it makes victory twice as sweet.

Shiori: Oh well, the moment has passed, so it's time for you to sleep.

Not wanting to leave any bandit awake, Shiori smacks his head from behind, sending him into the cold hands of unconsciousness.

Just like that, the squad of outlaws remains on the ground, motionless, floating on an invisible pool flooded by their pity.

Hayato: Honestly, I'm glad to see you have some principles, Shiori.

Hayato: That's a rare trait for people of your kind.

Shiori: I know, right? I'm a bit too soft at times. Reckon I could blame my parents for that!

Shiori: They raised a decent human being, clearly unlike these disgusting dunces.

Hayato: Speaking of which, what are we going to do with them?

Shiori: Eh? What do you mean? They're not our problem anymore.

Shiori: Coming here was their choice, so they must deal with it and its consequences.

Hayato: I agree with that, though these caves are extremely dangerous. Ditching them will lead to their demise.

Hayato: Something horrible will eventually find them and have a snack.

Shiori: So what? Are you worried they'll give the creature a stomachache?

Hayato: I'm worried about their lives, even if they're virtually worthless. We have no right to toy with them like that.

Exasperated, Shiori rolls her eyes, still opting to leave them to their luck.

Shiori: You'll have to look after them, Hayato! Because I'm out.

Hayato: No, you aren't. Because in case your memory is awfully selective, I saved you from the slime down below.

Hayato: You owe me a favor, and this is your chance to even the score.

Shiori: Fine! Whatever works for you, dude. But after this, you won't be able to boss me around again.

Hayato: Deal.

Glad to be no longer indebted to me, we shake hands, thus officially redeeming the favor I rightfully obtained in the caves.

Shiori: Okay, so what do you want me to do with these nitwits?

Hayato: Bind them up and notify the proper authorities as soon as you have the chance.

Hayato: They'll decide what to do with them. It's their duty, after all.

Shiori: Sure, I can do that. Luckily for you, I have some spare rope I used to traverse the caverns and reach the ruins!

Shiori: Otherwise, we'd have a problem.

Smirking at her remark, Shiori draws out some regular rope, employing it to hogtie the criminals.

Hayato: Did you really have to tie them up as if they were cattle, Shiori?

Hayato: Isn't it a bit excessive?

Shiori: Nuh-uh! It's humiliating at best, and they deserve to be humbled.

Shiori: Also, you didn't specify the means, so I took some artistic freedom.

Hayato: Exploiting loopholes... Typical. I'll be more mindful in the future if I have to ask another favor from you.

Shiori: Please, don't! I'm not sure if anyone has told you, but you're quite a nagger.

I can't help but laugh at the title she used to describe me.

Nagger? I simply abide by my moral compass, something many people lack.

Shiori: Alright, these chumps are ready to be delivered to a cell. Can we leave already? I'm running out of patience!

Hayato: We can leave, but only if we lug them out with us.

Shiori: Err, why? They're safe here. Or they'll be for as long as sunlight seeps into the room.

Shiori: The horrors we met won't dare to approach the entrance until nighttime.

Shiori: And before you start complaining again, Silverleaf is nearby.

Shiori: When I tell them about these losers, they'll dispatch some dudes from the militia to pick them up. They'll wake up in the town's jail.

Hayato: Hmph, if you say so, then we can proceed.

Shiori: FINALLY! I need actual fresh air. I'm sick of this thick, damp, musty atmosphere.

Shiori: I swear I feel like my lungs were filled with hopping dust bunnies.

Eager to resume our spelunking journey, Shiori leads the way, moving fast to reach the exit sooner.

Shiori: Jeez... I can't believe you bent my will to your "heroic" attitude, Hayato.

Shiori: Heroes are always the first to either kick the bucket or grow corrupted, becoming what they swore to destroy.

Shiori: An irony, don't you think?

Hayato: That's not true. Firstly, because I'm not a hero. I simply do what , I believe, is right.

Hayato: Abandoning people, regardless of their alignment, is wrong.

Hayato: And secondly, this land would benefit from having stronger values.

Hayato: Perhaps your stay in the depths negatively affected your ethics.

Shiori: Yeah, right! As if caring for each other could be possible.

Shiori: This isn't some fantasy wonderland, dude. We're all in an eternal struggle where nobody gives a flying damn about you.

Hayato: That's the thing. There's no reason to be alone. Your community is there to assist you. Or, ideally, it would be.

Shiori: Man... You should quit eating shrooms! Hikarigane is not, and won't be, the dreamland you're yapping about.

Huffing at her claim, Shiori paces up as sunlight becomes more intense, eventually stepping out of the rocky domains of the mountain.

A white light blinds me, but when my eyes adjust, I catch sight of a perennial valley with a stunning river flowing in the middle.

Shiori: Welcome to Silvercreek Forest! Isn't it a sight for sore eyes?

Lounging under the warmth of the sun, Shiori sits down, sighing with relief.

I do the same, but at the same time, I deploy the solar panel to charge the battery of my devices.

At long last, I won't be off the grid.