Life as an Adventurer with the Banished Marquis' Daughter - Chapter 04: Carriage Journey with the Exiled Marquis’s Daughter, Part 4

Chapter 04: Carriage Journey with the Exiled Marquis’s Daughter, Part 4

As I got down on the side of the carriage that was out of sight of the forest, I ran lightly parallel to it for a while. I felt the tension in my muscles easing and the flow of magic reaching the ends of my body.

Alright, I’m ready.

I put strength into both legs and started running.

＊

Dust flew up behind me as I kicked the ground.

It’s said that a skilled adventurer wouldn’t dig into the ground with their feet even when running at full speed, so I guess I’m still not that experienced.

However, my speed seemed to be acceptable since I heard a voice of admiration from the coachman far behind me.

Several people rushed out of the forest, startled by my sudden appearance from the carriage’s shadow.

There were three of them.

That’s a bad move.

It seemed I wasn’t the only one who thought so, as I could hear angry shouts directed at the three men who had emerged from the forest.

Despite being scolded, the three men tried to aim their bows at me.

They completely misjudged my speed and the distance between us.

I carefully controlled my strength and punched the first man in the abdomen.

At the moment he was hit, the man had a puzzled expression, as if he couldn’t understand why I was right in front of him. That look strangely stuck in my mind.

Maybe it was because if I miscalculated my strength, this could turn into my first murder. 

Pushing thoughts of the man’s fate to the back of my mind, I didn’t stop and moved on to the next man. 

And then the next.

As the third man fell to the ground, arrows flew from the forest. 

There were three arrows, meaning no one had fled.

I deflected the incoming arrows with my sword. The coachman’s assessment was correct; only one arrow was slightly heavier.

I ran towards the direction from which the lighter arrows had come, into the forest. 

A man who had tried to use a tree as a shield to nock his next arrow saw me running towards him and tried to flee, but of course, I didn’t let him. 

I punched his stomach with just the right amount of force, causing him to writhe in pain. Then, to keep him from escaping, I grabbed him by the collar and threw him toward the road.

Before the man hit the ground, I saw another figure trying to escape, so I dealt with him in the same way.

“Damn it!”

The man, likely a failed adventurer, cursed uncreatively as he tried to flee towards the road. He chose the road, which was easier to run on but harder to escape from, over the difficult forest terrain.

For a moment, I wondered if the man was confident in his physical enhancement abilities. However, an adventurer skilled in body enhancements wouldn’t turn to the poor-paying life of a bandit.

Though faster than an average person, his speed was barely that of a rank 2 adventurer, making him easy to catch up to.

Even though the man saw me running from the carriage to here, he chose the road to escape. Was it desperation or confusion?

Well, whatever.

I caught up to him and punched him a bit harder. 

He let out a short scream and passed out. 

I thought I handled it pretty quickly.

“Alright then.”

I decided to tie him up before the carriage caught up.

Grabbing the unconscious man by the collar, I headed back the way I came.

＊

“You’re pretty good, young man.”

As I tied up the unconscious bandits and lined them up at the edge of the road, the coachman caught up and praised me.

I was a bit pleased to sense his admiration for capturing them all alive.

“But still…”

The coachman sounded a bit surprised.

“You even had rope made from Needle Spider silk?”

I patted the tool bag at my waist in response.

“There was a kind person who taught me everything I needed to know.”

Rope made from Needle Spider silk is an essential tool for adventurers.

It’s compact, light, and strong. Depending on how it’s tied, even high-ranking adventurers have trouble escaping from it.

“Anyway…”

Ignoring the coachman who seemed like he wanted to say more, I asked, 

“What should we do with these guys? If we turn them in, you can keep the reward as a bonus.”

“Let’s leave them.”

The coachman answered immediately.

“I’ve got enough money. We can’t take them in the carriage or walk with them. Let’s just leave them here.”

Before they die, the knights will probably pick them up.

The man shrugged.

Well, realistically, that’s what would happen.

While this journey doesn’t have a deadline, there’s no reason to delay dealing with bandits.

“By the way, what’s your rank, young man?”

And the man suddenly changed the topic.

“I just reached rank 4. It’s tough while attending the academy…”

I grimaced, realizing I had said too much.

After my first fight against humans, I must have let my guard down and said something unnecessary.

Seeing my expression, the coachman chuckled.

“Don’t worry, young man. Some folks dislike nobles becoming adventurers, but I’m not one of them.”

The Adventurers’ Guild, which organizes adventurers, is essential for maintaining the kingdom’s safety.

However, the relationship between the kingdom and the Adventurers’ Guild, primarily composed of commoners, is complicated.

The relationship between the kingdom’s army, organized by the nobility, and the Adventurers’ Guild is even more complicated. 

Because of this, many adventurers dislike nobles registering with the guild.

For a moment, I thought about how to cover it up, but then I gave up. 

A sigh escaped my lips.

I didn’t know if the man was being truthful, but at least his tone, though teasing, didn’t seem malicious.

“Yes, I’m an adventurer, Senior.”

When I called him ‘senior,’ the man let out a strange laugh.

“My name is Merseja. May I ask for yours, young man?”

“Shin Longdagger. The second son of a ridiculously poor viscount family.”

“Shin Longdagger, huh? So, you’re that rumored…”

The coachman’s words were cut off. 

Or maybe he did finish, but whatever he said was drowned out by the sound of an explosion.