The New Things That Are Worth Protecting

The atmosphere that had been filled with warmth and a sense of family instantly turned into terror and fear when a group of people—who looked like bandits—arrived carrying weapons and demanded that we hand over our valuables.

Parents immediately shielded their children. Fear was clearly written on everyone’s faces, especially the children’s. Seeing them so frightened made my heart ache. It reminded me of Daisy. Even though this world is harsh, an experience like this would surely leave scars in their hearts—and I would not let their smiles disappear.

Among the merchants’ group, although they were escorted by several adventurers, they were still outnumbered by the bandits. Meanwhile, in our group—the regular passengers—we had no guards. Aside from me, Rima, and Clive, there were only two men and one woman adventurer who happened to be riding in the passenger carriage.

“What should I do to them?” Clive asked.

Rima looked around before answering, “Disable them if you can.”

“Alright!” Clive replied with a nod.

“Lun, you’ll be support—use protection magic,” Rima said. “And you three, please protect my sister while also guarding the other passengers. Leave the attacking to me and him and me,” she added.

“Miss! Have you gone mad?! Fight dozens of bandits?!” a young male adventurer shouted.

“Just watch,” Rima replied, then immediately walked to the right side.

Seeing this, Clive moved to the left. He dashed toward the nearest bandit. The bandit swung his sword, but Clive easily dodged and countered with a punch to the solar plexus. The bandit collapsed instantly. Seeing their comrade attacked, several bandits rushed toward Clive.

Since the fight had begun, I immediately chanted a spell—or rather, a line I quoted from a game.

O Goddess Ishtar, please grant us your protection from all dangers that threaten us—BARRIER! I shouted in my heart.

As soon as I focused, a white magic circle appeared beneath our feet. Light burst from it, forming a white dome that covered all of us.

“This…!” the male mage muttered.

On Rima’s side…

“Hey, miss! You’ve got guts, fighting us alone,” said the bandit leader.

“Yeah, boss. She’s bold,” added a skinny bandit.

“Want to surrender yourself? Good, good, hahaha,” the leader laughed. “Quick, capture her!”

Several bandits approached Rima cautiously. She merely gave a sly smile before raising her hand. Vines burst from the ground, wrapping around the legs and arms of the bandits approaching her. They struggled to break free.

“Damn it! These are hard to break!” one shouted.

While they struggled, thicker and larger vines appeared, binding their bodies and slamming them to the ground.

THUD!

One by one, the bandits were pinned to the earth.

What is this?! She can use magic without chanting?! She… she’s no ordinary person. I chose the wrong prey, the bandit leader thought.

After disabling several bandits, Rima’s gaze turned toward the leader. Feeling targeted—

“Stop her! Buy me time!” he shouted before fleeing.

The bandit leader ran as fast as he could into the forest.

SHRRT! SHRRT! SHRRT! HAH…! HAH…! HAH…!

The sounds of leaves and branches brushing against him mixed with his ragged breathing. He glanced back.

Hah… She’s not chasing me. Good job, everyone. It’s a shame I lost members who’ve been with me for five years. But members can be replaced. As long as I’m alive, I can rebuild the organisation. First, I have to escape!

When he looked forward again, he nearly died of shock. Rima stood about twenty-five meters ahead of him. He stopped instantly. His face went pale, cold sweat ran down his cheeks, and his body trembled violently.

When did she get here?! I didn’t even sense her presence!

After that, no screams or groans were heard—only the sound of birds suddenly taking flight somewhere in the forest.

A few moments earlier…

As more bandits tried to approach Rima, some fired arrows. The arrows stopped midair about a meter away, halted by an energy field centred on her.

With many bandits already subdued, the rest grew afraid and slowly backed away. But Rima did not let them escape. Using area magic, she immobilised those trying to flee. Only the leader remained—already gone.

Rima’s body vanished in a flash of golden light.

Moments later, she reappeared in the same golden glow—bringing the bandit leader bound in vines.

“Done. Clive, how about you?” she asked.

“I’m finished too, Miss Rima,” Clive replied, having tied up the bandits.

Eight bodies lay nearby—some conscious, others unconscious.

“Rima? Rima the Silver Witch?! An S-rank adventurer?!” someone shouted.

She instantly became the centre of attention. People crowded around, eager to see her and shake her hand. Some were speechless in awe; others whispered in admiration.

Rima really is a celebrity, I thought.

As I drifted in my thoughts, someone tugged at my clothes. It was the little girl who had joined me earlier, standing with her parents instead of the crowd around Rima.

“Oh? You’re not joining the others, Molly?”

She shook her head. Molly was only six.

“For us, you’re our idol,” said Dirra, Molly’s mother.

“Me? An idol?”

“Yes… you saved us,” said Roter, her father.

My heart melted instantly. My eyes stung with tears.

They had been the first family to join me at lunch earlier.

“Aww… thank you,” I said, touched. “By the way, where are you heading?”

“We’re going home. Our house is in a small town called Tazik, two cities from here,” Roter replied.

“Two cities? That’s far,” I said.

“Yes… we wanted to show Molly the capital,” Dirra said.

“We planned to take her to Nuzantra, but it’s too far,” Roter added, disappointed.

To keep Molly from feeling down, I picked her up. Her little hands clutched my clothes.

“Auntie Luna, when I grow up, I want to be like you!” Molly said brightly.

“Oh? Then you have to train hard, okay?”

“Mhm!” she nodded.

Her innocent smile warmed my chest—and made me melancholic. My thoughts drifted home, to a blonde little girl surely waiting for me.

Daisy… are you doing well there?

Alright, continuing the full translation from where the story moved forward:

A few minutes later, with the help of the other adventurers, we managed to gather all the bandits.

“So what now? Are we taking them to the next city?” I asked.

“Of course not. That would just waste time,” Rima replied with a grin.

“Then?”

“Use your teleportation magic. I’ll bring a few others as witnesses, and we’ll come back here afterwards,” Rima answered.

“…Are you sure about using that kind of magic openly?” I whispered.

“Relax. They already saw earlier, didn’t they? Besides, people already know I can use flight and teleportation magic,” Rima said casually.

“Oh? Alright then.”

“Well then, we’ll be off,” Rima said.

After that, Rima and several others disappeared along with the bandits through teleportation magic. There wasn’t much to do but wait. Some people took naps, others sharpened their weapons, while I continued chatting with Molly and the others.

Two hours later, a magic circle appeared, and several figures emerged.

“They’re back!” someone shouted.

“How did it go, Rim?” I asked.

“Such a hassle. The process took time, that’s why we were gone so long. This requirement, that procedure… troublesome,” Rima complained.

Seeing her grumbling made me want to laugh.

“Why are you laughing?” Rima asked.

“Haha, nothing… it’s just rare to see you grumble like that,” I replied, trying to hold back my laughter.

“Am I not allowed to complain? I’m human too, hmph!” Rima pouted.

The people around us struggled to suppress their laughter. When Rima glanced their way, they quickly looked away in fear.

“Hahaha, alright, alright, I won’t tease you anymore, okay?”

After that, I introduced Rima to Molly and her parents. We chatted briefly before everyone decided to resume the journey.

After the bandit incident, the trip went smoothly again. Throughout the journey, Rima remained the centre of attention—even during rest stops. People always wanted to hear stories from an S-rank adventurer. At first, she refused, but since I was curious too, she reluctantly told a few tales. It made dinner feel warmer and more intimate, like bedtime stories.

Two days later, we arrived in the town of Tazik in the afternoon. A small town said to have fewer than 300 residents.

Not much different from Barqa, I thought.

After getting off, Rima, Clive, and I were invited to dinner at Roter’s family home. We stopped by the market to buy ingredients before heading there.

It was a small, simple wooden house. The furniture was wooden too. The fireplace still used firewood. The wooden floor creaked beneath our steps.

“Sorry, our house is so modest,” Roter said.

“Why apologise? There’s nothing to be sorry for. This is your home—no need to feel ashamed. Our house is wooden too, right, Lun?” Rima said, looking at me.

Yes, wooden—but made from the strongest wood in existence.
“What Rima said is true. Even though we’re nobles, we choose to live simply.”

“Really?” Roter asked, surprised.

“Yes! We elves always live in harmony with nature,” Rima replied.

After that, Rima and I helped Dirra cook. I also taught her a few simple recipes using easy-to-find ingredients. She was absolutely delighted and couldn’t wait to show Roter later. The warm scent of burning wood filled the room, mixed with the aroma of spices.

After days of travel, my body felt sticky. Seeing Dirra’s grateful smile warmed my heart. This is what I mean… not just saving lives, but improving their quality of life, no matter how small.

Because of that, I decided to build a bathroom. A small one with a tub big enough for an adult. The addition was deeply appreciated by Roter’s family.

By sunset, the food was ready, and we shared dinner filled with warmth and affection like a real family.

The next day, we said our goodbyes.

“Miss Luna, Miss Rima, and Sir Clive, thank you for everything,” Roter said, bowing slightly.

“Why so formal? We’ve grown closer, right, Lun?” Rima said, winking at me.

“That’s right… What’s past is past.”

“Oh, Miss Luna… may we name our second child after you?” Roter asked hesitantly.

Second child?!

Before I could react, Rima cut in.

“Oh! That’s wonderful news!”

“Of course you can. When is the baby due?”

“I’m not sure yet… I haven’t checked, but my period is already a month late,” Dirra answered shyly, cheeks flushed.

“Congratulations, Dirra!” Rima exclaimed.

“We’ll visit again someday,” I said.

Molly didn’t understand at first, but when she learned she’d have a sibling, she was overjoyed.

After a few more conversations, we finally continued our journey.

And with that, the road stretched before us once more.