"Come on, come on — curse your bad luck for running into the Heidecker Group! You're all slaves—!"
We'd been escorting the young ladies toward the capital along the highway without incident all day, but as we set up camp for the evening, a bunch of weirdos cornered us and closed in.
"The Heidecker Group — one of those human-trafficking gangs that have been rampant lately. Of all the times for us to run into them... It would have been better if we hadn't..."
Young Lady Meiren's face had gone completely pale.
"And they're known as the most violent of the lot. With only one guard... Perhaps we should have delayed our departure after all."
The elderly butler seemed to regret it too.
Well then, time for me to step up.
One guard is more than enough.
"Oh, here comes some brat, all by his lonesome! Looks like he'd sell real nice as a young-boy slave to some perverted noble!"
"Hey, hold on a second. The girl that brat's trying to shield... Isn't she the daughter of the Ganbard Trading Company's president? We kidnap her and the ransom alone'll be more than enough! Kill the brat and the old man — keeping them alive is just a hassle."
"The Ganbard Trading Company? That's the biggest trading house after the Grandeur Jewelry Company! Heidecker's right — we don't need anyone but the daughter. Kill them all!"
The bad guys charged in, cackling like maniacs.
First, I sliced through the nearest bandit with a diagonal cut.
Oops — someone's trying to sneak closer to the people I'm guarding.
"'Dark Bind'!"
"Ggh — what the — I can't move! Somebody, get these black hands off me!"
While I was at it, I bound everyone present all at once.
And then, one after another, I pierced their hearts, severed their heads, and cut them apart.
"Who the hell are you?! We may be ex-knights, but we're a group of fighters — and you took us out just like that..."
The last one left standing, the boss Heidecker, thrashed and squirmed but couldn't move.
So you were ex-knights, huh?
"If you'd just kept working as proper knights, this never would've happened, you know?"
"What does a brat who knows nothing of the world know?! Hunting slaves for profit beats getting worked to the bone as a knight for meager pay while some nobles push you around! You'll realize how unfair this world is someday too! Now stay out of our way!"
"Then don't get in the way of my job. Escorting these young ladies is what I'm being paid to do."
Skills: [Reverse] [Divine Eye] [Sword God] [Fist God] [Spear God] [Scorching Magic] [Frozen Ice Magic] [Clear Gale Magic] [Rock-Iron Magic] [Holy Magic] [Dark Magic] [Space-Time Magic] [Thunder God Sword] [Gentleman Thief] [Ninja Master] [Seeker of Truth] [Supernatural Strength] [Pain Suppression] [Complete Status Ailment Resistance] [Dark Spirit's Protection] [Super Intuition] [Heaven's Gate] [Abyss Contractor] [Magic Hand] [Treasure Search] [Seduction] [Eloquence] [Great Luck] [Tenfold Growth Speed]
Rank: Orichalcum