After Retirement, Living a Stud Life in Another World - 45
Chapter 45: Bandits
The next day, I skipped school—or rather, was forced to—and found myself on the outskirts of the capital. Our goal was to attack the base of the bandit group to which the captured man belonged, dismantle it, and gather evidence proving their connection with corrupt nobles.
Before us lay what seemed like an ordinary village at first glance. Gretel, who had a sword drawn in front of Mother and Sister waiting, tilted her head curiously.
“Hey, doesn’t this look peaceful? Are you sure there’s a bandit hideout here?”
“Yes, Lady Margarete. There is no mistake; this is the bandits’ headquarters. What do you think after looking at this village? Do you notice anything?”
“I have no idea! That’s not my expertise!”
Gretel, with strawberry blonde hair, scratched her head, and Ayaka, a refined lady despite being a “concubine,” smiled gently at her. Despite discovering that she was pregnant, Ayaka usually obeyed my instructions, but this time, she insisted stubbornly on accompanying us.
While Beatrice, with her porcelain doll-like expression, made a comment that could be interpreted as either praise or dismissal, saying Lutz was a dense man but perceptive, I scrutinized the village again and felt a slight unease.
“There are no children in this village.”
Indeed, for a large village with over a hundred residents, there was a noticeable absence of children playing in the streets or fields. It seemed unlikely for a village of this size. Upon closer inspection, the farming area was disproportionately small for the village’s size, making it impossible for the villagers to sustain themselves. The people roaming around the roads, seemingly villagers…
“Lutz might be dense, but he’s perceptive. They are all part of the bandit group.”
Beatrice, with her cold expression, made a comment that was hard to interpret, and Gretel, whom I admired as a fellow “concubine,” seemed to show deep respect towards her. Although I hoped she wouldn’t engage in dangerous activities now that we knew she was pregnant, Ayaka, who usually followed my instructions obediently, insisted stubbornly on joining this time.
Beatrice, with her stunning emerald eyes burning with cold flames, expressed anger towards Count Bergen, who, without any right, had stolen Susanna’s modest happiness with his base desires. The anger seemed even greater than I had imagined. It felt three times scarier than Gretel’s anger, which could be easily understood with a single glance.
“Rest assured, Lord Lutz. I will protect you and His Highness with my life.”
“Don’t risk your life. There’s a new life growing in Ayaka’s belly. I want you to prioritize protecting that child.”
As usual, Ayaka was overly serious when it came to me. Her eyes were genuinely serious; she would sacrifice herself without hesitation if I were in danger, and that worried me. If things got tough, maybe I could be a human shield for Beatrice. That’s about the extent of my usefulness.
“Yeah, no. Ayaka’s child is like a part of me. Even though I’m not fit for combat, being an S-Class magic user, I’ll show you I can protect myself and Lutz.”
“Y-Yes, your gracious words…”
Ayaka, who had comforted and reassured me, was now directing tearful eyes filled with emotion towards Beatrice. The gratitude and loyalty toward the royal family of Belzenbruck, who had given them the haven they had dreamed of after a long and harsh journey to the brink of destruction for the Dark Clan, seemed to be a solid and unshakeable bond.
“Alright, let’s move. These thieves lurking here have no value or strength worth Ayaka risking her life for. Let’s quickly subdue them. I’m counting on you, ‘Hero’ and ‘Reincarnation,’ and Anneliese.”
“Yes, leave it to me!” “Beatrice-sama, don’t forget the ‘reward,’ please!”
Responding to Beatrice’s command, Mom and Gretel responded with gleaming eyes. I can’t help but wonder what exactly the “reward” is, but well, it doesn’t matter.
And then, without saying a word, Sister began creating several water spheres and started floating them around herself. It seems she was inspired by the way I taught her to use magic, and she independently devised and crafted several ways to apply water magic to combat. She’s probably going to show us something amazing.
“All right, let’s move out!”