"So, what do you think?" Philip sat down across from me. He had a smug expression on his face.
"I probably can," I said, and his smile seemed to widen at my answer. Either he was surprised I'd willingly thrown myself into the proverbial fire that was Eris's tutor, or I was hiding how I felt about it.
It was probably a mix of both.
"Are you sure?" He raised an eyebrow. "I've never seen anyone walk away from their first meeting without getting punched at least once, but I'm sure you could do anything else." Was he trying to help me...? No, certainly not.
He was an overprotective father, and he didn't want Paul's son anywhere near his daughter. Understandable, really. I would have done the same thing.
If I go home now, Dad will just make fun of me, so that's not an option.
It was just an excuse, but I'm sure Philip didn't mind. If I can, I'd recommend my plan from before.
"Do you have any plans?" He rubbed his chin as he stared at me.
"I'll fake a kidnapping; I'll help her get back from there. That way, I'll show her everything knowledge can do for her in the long run. By the time we get back, she'll want to learn."
Philip opened his mouth, then closed it as he thought for a moment.
"That might work." He stared at me.
"Did Paul teach you that to pick up girls or something?"
"Dad would never need something like that to get a girl to like him." Philip nodded.
"You're absolutely right. Women always hounded him, no matter what he did." He stroked his chin as he continued to nod.
"But that idea of yours doesn't seem so bad to me."
"Suddenly you feel like being generous?"
"No." His gaze was cold, but something close to recognition was evident on his face. "I just want to see what that kid Paul keeps praising can do."
"I guess that means I can't disappoint."
"I guess so." Silence fell between us shortly after I finished speaking.
His gaze turned sinister as he looked at me, but perhaps because of the way I looked at him, he decided to relent. "Anything but hurt her."
"I understand... I wasn't planning it anyway," I mumbled, my eyes narrowed.
"Let me give you the details of what I have planned." Without hesitation, I continued. Philip, at his side, glanced at me for a moment and nodded deftly.
I saw Thomas perk up a little in the corner of the room after I spoke; how odd...
...
When I woke up, my head was throbbing. It almost felt like someone had hit me with a baseball bat... Which it probably was.
"Isn't one of the mantras of kidnapping to not damage the cargo?" my voice echoed in my ears.
Everywhere I looked, it was dark, and I couldn't move my hands.
"Yeah, why not put a kid in a box and tie him up? Nothing could go wrong," I said with a straight face. I tried to use magic, but nothing came out of my hands.
"Hmm?!" I was slightly disturbed by this.
I pushed open the lid and slowly got out of the box.
Looking around, I found a dark, damp basement. It smelled musty, didn't smell very nice, and had piles of armor piled up in a corner.
It was the typical place where kidnapped children are kept.
Next to my box was another one just like it. No sound came out, but I could tell who was inside.
"What the fuck?" I muttered as I looked at my hands, more specifically at what was tying them together.
They looked like police handcuffs, but they were black and thicker, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't cast a single spell.
"Anti-magic handcuffs..." I muttered angrily as I stood up.
There was no need to explain anything; the name said it all.
But why? I'd introduced myself as a swordsman but never as a mage, so why?
I tried to cast magic, beginner level, intermediate level... nothing came out.
Advanced level... also nothing.
"Shit..." Sweat began to run down my cheeks, and I sat down on the box in front of me.
"Hmmmm..." I began to concentrate mana in my hands. Not spells, just pure mana, and the handcuffs began to crack, that's it!
I injected mana into my hands, and the handcuffs began to crack further until they exploded and turned to dust.
"Phew..." A sigh of genuine relief escaped my lips.
Without making much noise, I approached and lifted the lid of the box. Inside was a girl I had recently met.
The same one who had thrown herself at me with the intention of smashing me in the face. Eris Boreas Greyrat.
"Hey," I patted her on the shoulder.
"Hey, wake up." I shook her lightly, and her eyes slowly opened.
Her face went from sleepy and confused to completely furious when she saw me. "What the hell...?" I covered my mouth with a finger and did the same to her.
"It looks like we've been kidnapped. Try not to make any noise." She looked at me for a second, then without hesitation, jumped up and ran for the door.
"Damn idiot..."
"Ghislaine! Ghislaine, where are you?!" She screamed loudly. So loud that whoever had us captured could definitely hear her. "Ghislaine! Ghislaine, can you hear me?!"
"Shut up, you damn brat!" The door Eris was yelling at burst open, sending her flying toward me.
"That hurt! I'm going to beat your ass!" The man was burly. He certainly wasn't someone you found attractive, and he had a distinct stench about him that just made you turn your head.
"Shut up, you stupid brat!" He raised his arm, and a fist connected with Eris's face. It was a sickening sound. One I didn't want to hear.
Still, I stayed still.
The force of the punch sent Eris flying, landing a few feet from where she'd been with a thud.
"I'll tell Grandpa about this..." She staggered forward after hitting the ground.
The anger in her eyes was real and burning, but the man was already standing over her before she could get up and fight back. Then, he started stomping on her without a second thought.
"Shut up already!" I stood there, watching. Unfortunately, I left my sword in the mansion.
They wouldn't let me have it, but even without it, I knew I could defeat this guy.
The only reason I didn't move was because I knew Eris needed a wake-up call.
That was his saving grace. That was the only reason he wasn't already dead.
After all, a spoiled brat needs discipline from time to time.
His heartbeat stopped as a whimper escaped his lips.
He looked at her almost as if admiring her work, and a second later, spit from his mouth toward her.
"That should teach you." With that, he turned to me. His gaze reflected irritation and a twinge of anger.
A punch landed on me a moment later, but only once. "How depressing." With that, he left and slammed the door. "
"Asshole..." I whispered the word as I approached Eris.
She had a few knocked-out teeth and probably several broken bones. Yet, even though she could barely breathe, she kept whispering about revenge.
"Haaa..." I sighed in exasperation as I healed her.
I reached out to touch her, and she grimaced.
Anger flashed across her face again, but this time it was aimed at me.
"Stay still; I'll heal you." With a quick incantation, her wounds faded and closed.
By the time I finished, she was trying to get up, but fell back down.
"What's wrong? I'm still hurt here." Heal me completely!" Her breath was labored, but the only response I could give her was to refuse.
The truth is, I healed her almost completely.
I couldn't allow her to scream her head off and get killed.
"If I heal you, you'll scream again..." I knew that if I could, I would. "Ghislaine can't hear you from here, so I guess we're far from Roa, and besides, if you knew how, you could heal yourself."
"But that's why you're my guardian—"
"They haven't hired me yet because a certain someone didn't like me. So I'm under no obligation to help you." It was a blatant lie, but I wasn't going to admit it.
She winced as she leaned against the wall. It still hurt.
There were only two ways out of the room. The door behind which our kidnappers lay, or the barred window in our room.
Obviously, that meant the only logical exit we could take was the window. No matter what, I needed to show Eris that violence isn't the only solution.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I don't plan on dying today, so I'll take my leave." With a quick burst of magic, the stone surrounding the bars crumbled, letting me through.
"Don't leave me here!" Her voice, though pained, was still loud. Which only meant one thing.
"I told you to shut up, brat!" the man shouted from behind the door, but as he went to fling it open, I blocked it with a rock.
"What the hell?!" "It won't open!"
"What do you mean?" another man's voice echoed. From everyone's perspective, two adult kidnappers against two children was a decided duel.
I hoped Eris realized that too.
"Well, I'm going." I started to leave as I threw the bars holding the window to the ground. The banging on the door grew louder.
"Don't leave me here!" she gasped, clutching her side. She was in no condition to move, but even now, she complied with his demands.
"If you listen to me, I'll help you. But promise me you won't scream." I don't want us to get caught. I don't need you if you're a burden."
"I don't have to listen to you—"
"Can you really go back alone?" I said, frowning.
How long would it take her to give in? I didn't imagine it would be that hard to ask a simple "please," but this is Eris we're talking about; this bitch was already seriously pissing me off.
"I'll handle this." One of the men spoke softly. Instantly, the slamming doors stopped. It seemed they were about to enter.
"Can you promise me you won't be violent or shout?" Her face twisted in annoyance, but I saw a flash of fear in her eyes as she looked back at the door. She had two simple choices: swallow her pride or die.
"I promise not to be loud." So she swallowed her pride... Good work, Eris.
"Let's get out of here then"
...
"Healing X." The green glow on my hands disappeared as the spell ended.
When I finished, she stretched out her arms, making sure everything seemed in order. I knew it was, but she still seemed a little apprehensive about me since I hadn't fully healed her the first time.
"Good! This will do!"
"Didn't you just promise not to talk?" I whispered angrily.
I wasn't worried about the kidnappers finding us, but the point of this plan was to prove a point... Well, if it comes down to it, I'll kill the men.
"Why should I keep a promise to you?!" Great, she's back to acting like her old self.
For a long moment, I squinted at her and seriously considered hitting her, but I held back.
"If you're going to act like this, I'm leaving," I said coldly. "Good luck." Without even looking at her, I started to walk away.
"Hmph!" Her arms were crossed over her chest in her usual defiant pose.
"Where the hell have you brats gone?! Get out of here!" Only distant screams could be heard through the town streets.
Although I don't quite understand why they're screaming if they're looking for kidnapped people. Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of finding us? It's not like we want to go back to them after all that.
"F-fine. I'll shut up and I won't hit you." Eris spoke softly.
It seemed like the screaming had affected her. She was still a child, so I'm sure the beating she received was something she wouldn't soon forget.
How infuriating! I'd be laughing my head off if I didn't know what was going on.
This had deviated too far from the plan. Philip himself had specified not to hurt her, and the anti-magic handcuffs...
Someone set a trap in my trap.
"I'll do everything I can to get us back to Roa. Stay close. You never know if they're-"
"Come out, brats!" The voices, which had been distant before, suddenly grew closer. So close that they'd see us if we weren't careful.
"Eris! In here!" I pointed to a latrine. It was our best chance of avoiding them. They weren't going to check a bathroom for children.
"R-really?" However, he didn't seem to like the idea.
"Yes, really. Quick!"
I pushed Eris inside and closed the door. A minute later, people were heard running outside.
"They can't have gone far! Keep looking!"
"I swear to God, if they are, I'll gut them!" It was the stinking bald guy. He didn't seem too happy with our escape.
"Don't forget, we need one of them alive! I told you those handcuffs wouldn't be enough!" The other one sounded more reasonable, but it wasn't as if she was going to just go out and try to diplomatically resolve the situation.
Suddenly, I felt a tug on my shirt.
It was Eris. Her body was trembling.
She must have been scared. Her footsteps faded a moment later as she ran in another direction.
"We should be fine now." With a gesture, I opened the door and we left.
As I stepped out, she seemed to have let go of me.
"Are you okay?"
"Pff!... Why wouldn't I be?!" she cried irritably. Only to cover her mouth in worry as I glared at her. If those bastards don't kill her, I'll kill her first...
"You're okay." It was a good thing she took her promise seriously, but she was probably more worried about herself than anything else.
"First, we have to find a carriage, and then a place to spend the night."
"A-aren't we going back to Roa?" She seemed even more worried at that thought.
"There's no way we can make it back before dawn, and even if we could, no carriage would be willing to take two children to Roa in the middle of the night." She didn't seem to like the idea of staying anywhere other than home, but she was going to have to put up with it for one night.
"Come on. Let's find a carriage and calculate the trip to the next town." From what I could see, we were a few hours from Roa. We're probably about two towns away from the city. So we'll have to manage our finances for now.
"Whatever you say." She seemed lost, probably due to drowsiness and the adrenaline coursing through her body. I, on the other hand, was fine. Maybe that was the only reason she was willing to listen to me.
We walked around the town for a while. It was obviously quiet. Only a few people were awake; if they were, it was by pure chance or they had some unfinished business.
"Do you see that?" I pointed at a salary sign. It simply indicated the price of a bus ride to neighboring villages.
"I can't read." The way she said it almost made me laugh, but she sounded so irritated that I didn't even ask the question I held back.
"It's a sign for the trip to neighboring villages."
"And why do I need to know that?"
"It's important that, if you ever travel, you be able to calculate your money and finance it properly. Reading is a fundamental skill for that."
"Calcu... late? Can't you do it for me?"
"I'm not your servant," I spat.
Eris looked at me uneasily.
"Why are you talking like that?" Her expression, which seemed to have soured over time, now took on its usual angry look, and I sighed again.
"Like what?"
"Like Dad." Did i sound like Philip? I guess he said something like that when we spoke, but really? Maybe it was because I used to try to sound like a con man whenever I spoke in public. Or maybe it was just my inner schemer coming out.
"My parents have always called me a little weird."
"Did they also say you always look terrible?" Her tone was harsh and dismissive. It seemed like she wanted to make fun of me a little.
"A couple of times," I muttered through clenched fists. Honestly, I hadn't gotten this angry at someone in years.
"I see." With that, she stopped talking. My answer seemed to have caught her off guard, and so we remained silent the rest of the way.
I'm already regretting this, and it's only my first day...