Chapter 8

After the battle, Neila contacted the guild. The guild sent two of their staff members riding red dragons to pick up the bodies of the bandits who had been knocked out. There was no physical harm visible on them, but it would be a while before they woke up. The guild thanked them for their help and promised that they, along with the local law enforcement guild, would get to work investigating the origins of these bandits. After that, they continued on their journey.

The rest of the five-hour journey was part of the eighty percent uneventful journey that Syorin mentioned. No more attacks happened on the rest of the trip.

“I’ve transferred your pay,” the leader of the merchants said. The group checked their cards, making sure everything was in order.

“Accepted, thanks.”

“No, thank you for keeping us safe. I hope to work with you again someday.”

Kakashi and the rest waved to the merchants and continued.

“I wonder what would happen to them after this,” Kakashi murmured, watching as the village became smaller.

“I doubt bandits would dare to do anything in the near future.”

“Great, the optimism of a meathead. As if that’s enough to stop them.”

While they did defeat a lot of bandits, there’s no guarantee that it was all of them. More of them could be hiding in the woods, although hopefully, the captured bandits could make the investigation easier. Whether or not the cops of this world did their job properly remained to be seen.

“Well, at the very least, they got what they paid for,” Neila said with a smile. Kakashi also felt relieved as he completed his first quest in this world. His part of the quest was still in Neila’s and Syorin’s share, as he didn’t have his own card, although now he was considering getting one.

“Still, that ended up taking longer than expected,” Syorin said. After taking out the bandits, their trouble didn’t stop. As it turned out, the first tripwire wasn’t the only trap the bandits prepared. Scattered along the forest road were several more traps that they needed to dismantle. They did take out the entire bandit group in the first strike, so they didn’t need to deal with anyone for the rest of the way.

One of the carriages had also been damaged by one of the traps. They could still move, just at a slower pace. The trip that should have taken three hours turned into five.

“Yes. We’re going to have to replan our trip. Any suggestions?”

There was one more village that they would be passing through before sundown. On their original plans, they would be passing through this village at around seven, enjoying dinner while on the road, and reaching a large plain where they could camp at night by nine. Thanks to the two-hour delay, they would be reaching that village by nine, after curfew. Each village had its own laws, and this one banned anyone from leaving after nine. They could still enter, though.

“Why do they have such a rule in the first place?” Kakashi asked curiously. He thought curfews usually apply both ways, meaning that no one could enter as well.

“Our world isn’t like yours,” Astill scoffed. “We don’t have the luxury of safety during the night.”

“I guess.”

“I heard it’s primarily because they didn’t have enough guards. If they let people leave, they’ll need to provide guards to check people leaving as well, right?”

“That makes sense.”

“You always surprise me with your knowledge, Neila.”

“It’s just something someone said one time.” Neila laughed. “They like telling me about the places they visit.

“Must be nice coming from a rich family,” Astill said.

“I can’t deny that.”

“She’s the reason you’re even traveling, Astill,” Syorin scolded.

“You’re confident I wouldn’t find my own way without you.”

“Do you really believe that?”

Astill looked away, refusing to say anything else, prompting a tired sigh from Syorin.

“You act like a child sometimes.”

“I don’t want to hear that from you, meathead.”

Kakashi watched them back and forth, unsure how to react. He turned forward, noticing Neila tapped the wooden seat next to her. Kakashi stood up and crawled to the front, sitting down next to Neila.

“They really act like siblings, don’t they?”

“... They’re not actually siblings, are they?”

Neila snickered. “Nope, although I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re secretly are. Don’t say this in front of them, though. They’ll get angry.”

Kakashi turned back. The two of them were so busy bickering that they didn’t hear a word Neila said, despite literally saying it in front of them.

“Have you known each other for long?”

The way they acted around each other made it feel like they had been together ever since childhood. Neila’s answer surprised him.

“We’ve known each other for twelve months.”

Unlike on Earth, this world has three weeks in a month, but each week lasts only five days.

“... Isn’t that like… short?”

Half a year by Earth’s standard wasn’t a long time, especially not for friendships.

“We never intended to become a party in the first place.”

“You don’t? Then, what triggered it?”

Neila’s eyes turn to the west, at the setting sun. “Dragons, I guess.”

“Dragons? The same one the guild staff rode?”

“No, those are red dragons. They’re friendly. The problem is the white dragons.”

Kakashi recalled fighting the dragon straight after his arrival. That dragon didn’t look tame at all.

“Unlike other dragons, white dragons love destruction; they crave it. They love burning things and destroying things. At first, they destroy their homes. After that, they went around seeking other places to destroy. They’re a huge headache.” Neila held her forehead. “Each of us has something we seek, a reason we fought. We never pried into each other’s situation.”

“Is that so? Are you not curious?”

“I am, and I’m sure Syorin is as well. Astill… I’m not sure about her.”

Kakashi chuckled. “I doubt she cares.”

“Haha, maybe. Even now, you have your own reason, right?”

“My reason?”

“You witnessed our fight against that dragon. It isn’t easy. It’s dangerous. Yet, you joined us. If you’re just interested in living a new life, wouldn’t staying back in Larela be safer?”

Kakashi never opposed the decision to bring him aboard; he didn’t even question it.

“Your ability is really useful. You can make a huge amount of money in other ways. There’s no reason for you to risk your life fighting dragons with us.”

“...”

“Just so you know, you can reconsider. We won’t hold it against you. If you want better chances, then our destination-”

“No,” Kakashi stated. “I’m not changing my mind.”

A small smile appeared on Neila’s lips. “Well, looking forward to our journey together.”

“Same here.”