The next day.
We entered the bandits' territory.
There were no pursuers.
Neither Obert nor any of the other soldiers showed any sign of chasing after us.
They were probably waiting at the checkpoint on the main road, figuring we'd have to pass through it if we wanted to cross the forest.
Or so they thought, anyway.
The Human God should have been able to foresee that future.
However, I looked at my arm.
The bracelet engraved with the Dragon God's insignia.
Thanks to this, the Human God couldn't see the future I'd proposed to change.
In other words, taking this alternate route put us outside the Human God's range of precognition.
At least, that was the theory.
If the Human God had memorized the diary's contents thoroughly, they might have been able to predict it anyway.
But judging from Orsted's attitude, that didn't seem likely.
It was safe to assume the diary's contents hadn't been memorized.
As I was thinking this, the wind suddenly shifted.
"Stop!"
At the same moment, Gilleen, who had been walking a little behind, grabbed my shoulder.
"They're here."
At Gilleen's curt words, Eris moved to step forward.
I held her back.
If Eris took the lead, any negotiation would devolve into fists.
Eris obediently stepped back.
But her gaze wasn't aimed ahead — it was scanning to the side.
"They're surrounding us. What do we do? We could break through right now."
"Did you listen to what I said earlier?
I'll handle the negotiation."
"...Fine. I'll protect the princess."
With that, Gilleen stepped back.
I glanced behind me and saw Gilleen speaking quietly to Sylphie and the others.
My eyes met Ariel's.
She gave me a signal — leave it to you.
She was acting as if yesterday's events had never happened.
She'd told me to leave matters of Luke and the other nobles to her.
She'd apparently been chatting with Luke in bits and pieces along the way, but... we'd see how that turned out.
Either way, Orsted had entrusted Luke to her.
All I had to do was follow suit.
"..."
And so I waited for the bandit to make his move.
In conversation, the one who acts first wins.
Starting with a self-introduction — that was my personal theory — but it wasn't too late even to wait until the other party showed themselves.
"...Hmph."
Eris stood right behind me, scanning our surroundings.
She was tracking the black shadows that occasionally flickered through the depths of the forest.
This past day — no, since yesterday, right after the ambush — she'd been keeping closer to me than usual.
She was probably prepared in case Obert launched another surprise attack.
After a while.
Eris's gaze stopped moving.
It seemed the encirclement was complete.
"About five of them. We can handle it," Eris whispered.
When had she picked up that kind of detection skill?
As I was wondering, a man parted the bushes ahead and stepped into view.
Almost simultaneously, figures emerged from behind trees, from above, one after another.
One... five... ten...
Come on, Eris. There are twenty of them.
That estimate of five was way off, wasn't it?
The man at the front.
A fur vest and an unshaved beard.
A machete at his hip, and an unlit torch in his hand.
In other words, a textbook bandit look.
He raised his voice so we could all hear:
"What does the echo answer?"
I'd heard the code words from Orsted.
"A rabbit's burrow, and a bullfinch's song."
This code meant, in other words:
"What's your business?"
"I'm here to cross the border illegally, and I have business with a member of the bandits."
There were other codes too — human trafficking was "a fox raising kits," searching for someone domestically was "a cat's errand," and killing those who passed through the Red Dragon's Whiskers was "a bear waking up."
They had it all broken down into detail.
If you wandered in without knowing these codes, the surrounding bandits would switch jobs to highway robbers.
"Oh...?"
Hearing my response, the bandit adopted a suspicious expression.
"And the bullfinch's chick?"
"Striped acorn."
This referred to Tris.
The bandit's expression grew even more suspicious.
Then, as if to say "good enough," he shrugged and raised one hand.
The shadows around us promptly withdrew.
"Come on."
With that brief invitation, the bandit lit his torch.
I gave an "okay" signal behind me, and I could've sworn the tension around Ariel's group eased slightly.
Well then, let's go. I turned forward and found myself looking right into Eris's eyes.
She had an excited look on her face.
"You really are something, Rudeus."
I wasn't sure which part of that exchange warranted such admiration.
Oh well.
"Let's go."
"Got it!"
We followed the bandit group deeper into the forest.
---
The place they brought us was a small cabin built in the middle of the woods.
Outside, they'd thoughtfully provided a spot to tie up horses. Inside, there was a living room, a bedroom, and a storage closet.
The bedroom had three bunk beds lined up.
The sheets and blankets looked damp enough to breed bugs, but they were beds nonetheless.
If you had to name it, it'd be something like "lumberjack's mountain cabin."
The bandit — he'd never given his name, so I didn't know it — took my money and said:
"I'll bring the bullfinch. The crossing is at dawn tomorrow.
If you leave here before then, the deal's off."
Then he disappeared somewhere.
He was going back to headquarters to fetch Tris.
No one had asked us for details.
That was how these operations worked — they didn't pry into their clients' business.
As long as you paid.
"Phew."
I set down my luggage and gave everyone a rundown of the plan.
We'd be crossing the border at dawn.
A woman would be arriving soon to guide us.
We'd be staying here tonight.
"When dawn comes, we'd better pray we don't end up handed over to Darius," Luke said with a sardonic edge.
I shared that prayer.
Everything had gone smoothly so far, which was exactly why I had a nagging feeling something bad was about to happen.
But well, it was just a feeling.
"Our dreams crushed, reduced to bandits' playthings, huh?
Lord Rudeus. If that happens, at least let Elmoa and Klinee escape, would you?" Ariel said with a dry joke.
She knew what was going to happen next...
Oh, there it was — Elmoa and Klinee were glaring at me.
Come on, don't give me the cold shoulder over a joke.
"At least we'll have a roof over our heads tonight.
Starting tomorrow, the border crossing...
It might be a rough road, so let's get some rest tonight."
At Ariel's words, the others began to move about.
Ariel showed heavy signs of fatigue.
She probably wasn't used to walking through forests.
I'd assumed her two attendants would be the same, but they were doing fine.
They were massaging Ariel's feet right now.
Apparently, they'd trained for seven years specifically for this.
Luke stood by the window, vigilantly watching outside the cabin.
Every now and then he shot me a sharp glance.
Was I still under suspicion?
Maybe the Human God had told him that one of his companions was in league with the enemy.
Though if that were the case, it wouldn't be someone Luke knew — it would be the Human God's enemy.
Well, Ariel was handling him for now.
I'd watch and see how she played it.
Gilleen stood in the corner of the room, in a position with a full view of everything.
Same as always.
When I looked her way, she gave me a nod.
That nod probably didn't mean anything in particular.
Sylphie had gone into the bedroom and was cleaning.
I didn't mind, but did she really intend to sleep on those sheets and blankets?
Well, we'd brought our own bedding — she could just use the mattress.
Eris was behind me, tending to her sword.
She polished the blade with a satisfied grin.
Combined with the eerie gleam the sword gave off, she looked downright dangerous.
Well, I supposed I should see that as reassuring.
I would've liked to contact Orsted during this time, but...
I wasn't stupid enough to go out when I'd been told not to.
For now, I'd check my equipment.
---
About two hours had passed, perhaps.
Outside, rain had started to fall.
It wasn't the torrential downpour you'd get during the great forest's rainy season, but large drops were pattering against the cabin's ceiling.
Ariel had fallen asleep.
She'd entered the bedding Sylphie had prepared, and within moments the sound of her breathing grew steady.
Her attendant Elmoa had gone into the bedroom with her, and Luke stood guard in front of the door like a sentry.
Sylphie, Eris, and the attendant Klinee were chatting quietly about something.
Occasional giggles from Sylphie and Klinee suggested it wasn't a serious conversation.
They couldn't stay tense every waking moment — relaxation was important too.
Gilleen hadn't moved for a while.
She wasn't standing anymore but sitting near the entrance with her eyes closed.
I didn't think she was asleep.
There was no conversation.
I'd finished checking my equipment and was at loose ends.
Should I do something with this spare time?
"...!"
As I was thinking, Gilleen's ear twitched.
"Someone's coming."
As if on cue, Eris stood up.
Both of them had their hands on the swords at their waists.
Tension ran through the room.
A moment later, there was a knock at the door.
A loud, resounding knock.
"..."
Gilleen shot me a look.
When I nodded, she opened the door.
The person who entered was a woman wearing a hood.
She was wrapped in rain gear made from monster hide.
But even through the rain gear, her voluptuous figure was unmistakable.
"Jeez... I told you to open up already, you morons!"
The woman grumbled as she shed her rain gear.
Wheat-colored hair — not uncommon in the Asura Kingdom — and a revealing top with a wide-open neckline emerged.
Wow.
Was she even bigger than Eris?
"So who is it that wanted to see me?"
The woman surveyed the room and said in a booming voice.
"I figured some idiot was trying to use me as a substitute for a prostitute, but that doesn't seem to be the case, so how about you just get to the point!
I'm busy, you know!"
Her irritated, booming voice echoed through the cabin, dominating the space.
Eris scowled, and Klinee shot the woman a reproachful glance.
Before I could say anything, Sylphie spoke up.
"Um, excuse me, but someone is sleeping in the back. Could you please keep it down?"
"Hah!?"
The woman's mood turned sour in an instant.
"You drag me out here in the rain! And your big request is that I be quiet!?
Are you looking down on me!?
Do you take me, the impatient Tris, for a fool!?"
So this woman was Tris.
She was quite different from my impression in the diary.
I'd expected someone more... subdued.
Well, I'd already managed to offend her.
In the diary, she'd seemed to command quite a bit of respect, but that was only because she'd stolen the sacred texts from the Milis Church.
I had no connection to Tris on that front.
But that had already been sorted out with Orsted.
"Ugh, tch, what a pain. You've got to be kidding.
Let me tell you — I'm in a bad mood.
I lost at dice and Donovan chewed me out!
The new slave girl gives me the cold shoulder!
I get dragged out in the rain and end up soaking wet!
If you're not going to say what you want, I'm leaving!
It's an unlucky day for me!
Next time, pick a day when I'm in a good mood!"
Everything except the part about being summoned had nothing to do with us.
I wanted to get the conversation moving, but calming her down took priority.
As I was choosing my words, Luke smoothly stepped forward.
He took Tris's hand and gently wiped the rain from her forehead with a handkerchief.
"I apologize for summoning you so abruptly.
Tris. Would you please set aside your anger?
And would you grace us with your time to hear what we have to say?"
Such affected words and gestures.
Tris, her hand suddenly taken, stood there with her mouth agape.
But before long, her face flushed red and she averted her eyes.
"W-well, if you're going to put it that way, I guess I can at least listen..."
The effect was remarkable.
Impressive... so this was the power of a handsome face.
"..."
Luke turned back and gave me a look.
The rest is your job, it said.
As Luke stepped away, Tris called after him, almost reaching out.
"Hey. Before we talk... can I hear your name...?"
"...Luke."
Luke gave only his first name, then stepped back.
Tris listened to the name with a dreamy... no, actually, a somewhat suspicious expression.
Her face said she felt she'd heard it somewhere before.
Good. This was my turn.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Tris."
I smiled as warmly as I could.
"And who are you?"
Tris's suspicious expression shifted unmistakably to one of distaste.
The look one reserved for something dubious.
As always, I apparently wasn't great at smiling.
Maybe I should find some time to practice.
Get someone who was good at it to help me... Aisha, maybe.
Well, that could wait.
"My name is Rudeus."
I bowed my head.
Tris looked me over from head to toe and raised one eyebrow.
"Rudeus, huh... I feel like I've heard that name somewhere... Oh."
Mid-thought, something seemed to click.
Both eyebrows shot up, her expression shifting to surprise.
"The Quagmire?"
Oh? My name was known out there?
"Why is the most vile and wretched magician in Sharlia doing in a place like this..."
Most vile and wretched? What kind of information was circulating about me?
Then —
Clink.
A sound rang out.
Tris clamped her mouth shut at the sound.
I also felt a prickling sensation around my backside.
"..."
Clink, clink — the sound came in a rhythmic pattern.
I looked toward the source and saw Eris, at the edge of my vision, tapping the pommel of her sword with her nail.
A warning conveyed through sound.
Displeasure conveyed through sound.
Like a rattlesnake whose territory had been invaded.
For some reason, hearing that sound sent a shiver through my entire body.
A tremor of fear that crawled from my tailbone all the way to the top of my head.
"Ah, sorry."
And I wasn't the only one who trembled.
Tris's shoulders shook slightly as well.
"I-I wasn't trying to pry or anything."
That statement was directed more at Eris than at me.
Eris snorted once and stopped tapping the pommel.
What was that all about?
"In my line of work, information is everything.
I know the names and faces of dangerous people."
"I don't think I'm that dangerous, honestly."
"Oh, I'm sure you're not. I know, I know.
You're an unknown Rudeus,
not the famous Quagmire running around town.
And that woman isn't the Mad Sword King, and that beast-race isn't the Black Wolf.
That's the way it is, right?"
"...Yes, that's right."
I might have been careless to introduce myself.
But I hadn't expected her to know about Eris, too.
Was she maybe an apostle of the Human God as well?
...No, that was probably going too far.
She simply knew that the Quagmire Rudeus existed, and as a piece of information, she knew that the Mad Sword King and the Black Wolf were associating with the Quagmire.
Tying everything back to the Human God was likely to cloud my judgment.
"So, what does this unknown Rudeus want with a backwater punk like Tris?"
Well then, time for the main topic.
Ultimately, I needed her help to "expose Darius's crimes and bring him down."
But asking for that outright would only get me refused.
I couldn't just bluntly ask, "Are you Tristina Purplehorse, a former noble of the Asura Kingdom?"
The other party was a great noble of the Asura Kingdom.
Even if I explained my position, she might not see any opportunity to win.
There was an order to things.
First, we'd get along.
Then, along the journey, I'd hint at the opportunity for victory.
Finally, I'd dangle the idea — "If only there were a noble who'd been enslaved by Darius..."
If she took the bait, great.
If she didn't, I'd push a little harder.
Right.
"Tristina Purplehorse, is that you?"
That voice came from behind me.
My plan was ruined.
I turned slowly to find a blonde beauty standing there.
Ariel.
She must have just woken up; her hair was slightly more disheveled than usual.
But her voice carried its usual commanding charisma.
Tris's eyes went wide when she saw Ariel.
"W-why do you know that name...?"
"Oh, so you are Tristina after all.
...Don't you remember?
We met once at my fifth birthday celebration?"
As I was trying to figure out what to do, Ariel raised her hand to stop me.
Then she gave me a little wink.
Trust me, it said.
"A-Ariel...!? Princess Ariel!?"
Tris's eyes widened, her expression frozen in shock as she stared at Ariel.
She seemed to be cross-referencing her memories, studying Ariel's face intently — and then, as if recognition dawned, she remained stunned.
"W-why... why is Princess Ariel... in a place like this...?"
Tris's legs buckled and she sank to her knees on the spot.
Ariel stepped forward, gently nudging me aside.
"I received word that my father had fallen ill and returned home, but it seems my brother wasn't exactly welcoming..."
Ariel answered with a self-deprecating smile.
Was it really okay to say things like that?
That was the kind of thought I'd have.
But being open and unguarded like that was what built trust with the other person.
"Ah, I see. So you contacted us to cross the border safely..."
Tris nodded in understanding.
She might already have had information about our ambush in the forest.
"But Tristina — why are you in a place like this...?
I'd heard you'd gone missing."
"That's..."
Tris hesitated for a moment.
But as if steeling herself, she opened her mouth.
"Actually—"
---
After that, things progressed rapidly.
There was nothing I needed to say.
Tris, as if making a confession, revealed nearly the entire story of her life to Ariel.
Being abducted as a young child.
Living as Darius's sex slave.
Being sold to the bandits.
Living for a time as the bandit chief's woman.
Beginning bandit training on the chief's whim.
The chief being replaced, granting her freedom, leading to the present day.
Some of the details were quite harrowing, but Tris recounted them with neither tears nor laughter, simply and plainly.
Ariel shed tears over the hardship of her life.
They seemed to be genuine tears.
Through her tears, Ariel promised to "deliver divine punishment to the person who cast her into hell." She begged Tris to testify that "Darius kept her as a sex slave."
It was a masterful performance.
Tris did not agree immediately.
She argued that the Asura Kingdom was a powerful nation, that Darius was a cunning man, and that even Ariel couldn't win.
Ariel countered with a firm denial.
She named Sylphie, me, Eris, Gilleen, and Pergius as allies, and convinced Tris that they could bring down Darius and seize the throne.
Tris deliberated.
For one hour.
After a long, long silence, she finally nodded.
She swore before God that she would see Ariel safely to the royal capital and help in the effort to defeat Darius.
Tristina had become one of Ariel's companions.
I hadn't done a thing.
Ariel had deftly manipulated the conversation and drawn Tris into their ranks.
Of course, bringing Tris into the fold had been discussed during my meeting with Orsted.
But the method had not been specifically coordinated.
She'd probably watched me fumbling with my roundabout approach and couldn't stand it anymore.
As expected of Ariel.
As she'd said, she'd handle the nobles herself.
Then I'd focus on my own job.
Starting tomorrow, the journey would begin again.