Chapter 38:

Banditry 2

Misanthropic Reincarnation: Learning to Love in Another World


Win descends the staircase and returns to the lobby of the guild hall, the little girl unconscious in his arms. He places her down gently, leaving her in the care of the villagers, then exits the building. He scans his immediate surroundings and finds nobody else. Win leaps into the air with a gust of wind, solidifying the air beneath him to hover there. He looks down on the village from his new vantage point.

He does not see anything amiss right away. With only two more bandits roaming the village, it’s little wonder he cannot find them so simply. Just as Win is about to fall back to the ground and resume his search on foot, however, he sees something. In one building, a story taller than the other houses, the only of its kind, a second floor window shatters, and some object flies out of it. With another quick burst Win drops himself right in front of the door.

Win tries to push the door open, but feels something blocking its path. The urgency of the situation as it is, Win rips the door from its hinges. Right in front of the now open doorway is a spear thrust into the ground, the shaft sturdy as it pushed into the door. Win grabs the spear and pulls it from the floorboards for safekeeping.

The first floor is an ordinary home, though without anyone inside. Win moves on to the second floor, where the window broke. At the top of the staircase is another closed door. Win grips the spear tightly. He thrusts it through the door, the wood splintering as the blade passes through. He felt no other contact as the spear comes to a stop. Win sighs at the failure of his ambush. He then feels someone yanking on the spear from the other side of the door. Win draws the spear back with a sudden pull. He hears something bang against the door.

Win pushes the door open, whoever happens to be against it not adding much weight. When he walks inside he realizes that the second floor is an office. In one corner is an older man, tied up with rope. Win looks around the door to find a short, scrawny young man. He notices Win.

“Hah! You might’ve beat me, but our plan is already—!” Win grows bindings out of the door, covering the small bandit’s mouth and holding them against the door.

Win ignores him and moves to cut the older man free. When the old man’s mouth is uncovered he instantly begins to speak.

“Oh, I’m saved! Thank you so much, young man! But I think we need to run, this village might be doomed.”

“Why do you say so, sir?”

“That man over there, he sent a message from my office. Now we can’t contact Margrave Lufian for protection, and I’m sure there’s hordes more of these bandits.”

“Not at all sir. There’s only one, a man named Hrothgar, who I believe you ought to know.”

“Hrothgar! He finally came back and this is what he does!”

“Don’t worry sir, I’ll end this soon. There are plenty of other villagers sitting in the guild hall; go join them if it pleases you.”

Win leaves the office quickly, then the house. He does not know where Hrothgar is, but for the leader to be missing, there is only one place he could imagine him being. Win makes his way to the edge of the village. The door to Hrothulf’s home is wide open. Win can hear screams of pain and the clanging of metal from inside. One man stands over the other inside the house. He stomps on the other’s chest, the metal clanging whenever he moves. The man on the ground seems limp. He begins to talk, his voice strange from the injuries he’s suffered.

“Hrothgar… It’s not too late to stop this… I’ll apologize to the mayor with you… You haven’t—” The attacking man, evidently Hrothgar, kicks Hrothulf in the jaw to stop him from talking.

“‘Not too late?’ Are you stupid? I’m doing this because I hate you! And this damn village! There’s nothing else to it! Nothing for me to apologize for!” Win interjects from behind him, announcing his presence.

“So you’ll destroy this village just to feed your own wrathful urges? All because you’re so pathetically filled with hate? All because you don’t get along with your brother? How foolish. What a vapid man you are. Surely you are among the worst we have to offer.”

Hrothgar turns to face the voice, his beating paused. When he first lays eyes on him, Win is already rushing forward. He grips his sword, an icy blue glow pouring out from the sheath. As Win draws his blade, both Hrothgar and Hrothulf shiver as a penetrating chill fills the room. They feel the cold seeping into their bones. Win draws out his blade fully, cold air blowing out from it, frost covering the metal. He slashes at Hrothgar. Hrothgar grabs at one of the chains attached to his outfit. He holds it out, catching Win’s slash. However, Win is far stronger, and still easily overpowers Hrothgar. Hrothgar can feel himself losing his footing as Win begins to push him back and off the ground.

A large glacier blasts out from the edge of Win’s sword, the blue glow and frost disappearing. The ice swallows Hrothgar up. The wall breaks as the glacier collides with it. Wood snaps and splinters as Hrothgar is forced out of the small house. Win picks up Hrothulf’s battered body and begins to evacuate him.

“Mr. Hrothulf, the ice won’t hold him long. I’ll take you to the other villagers.” Hrothulf responds, his voice still weak.

“What will you do to him?”

“I’ll do whatever it takes, but—” Hrothulf interrupts, clearly straining himself as he does so.

“Please don’t kill him!”

“You’ll still say that after all of this?”

“I’m… his older brother… I should protect him.” Win smiles.

“What a foolish man you are! Worry not, I had no intention of killing him if I could help it. All we can do is hope the other villagers will have magnanimity enough to forgive him.” Hrothulf nods solemnly then falls unconscious in Win’s arms.