BXBX NOVEL Chapter 129 – The Isolated Village (3)
Chapter 129: The Isolated Village (3)
“…What?”
Naplas’ voice trembled.
It was an answer he hadn’t imagined.
“Is that the reason?”
“There’s no other reason.”
‘The truth is, I just wanted to see the bandits.’
Ketal couldn’t say that out loud, so he answered appropriately.
“Ah…”
Naplas’ eyes wavered at the response.
Does a person need a reason to save another person?
Right.
There was no need for a reason.
Didn’t the record of Kalosia, which he had told Ketal about, mention helping a child who was stealing without any particular reason?
Even the great gods save others without calculating the benefits.
So why do humans think they are great enough to decide who to save and who not to save?
“Ahhh…”
No reason is needed to save someone.
One acts simply because the heart moves them to.
“Ah!”
Naplas let out an exclamation.
It was a moment of realization.
He reached a higher spiritual level.
While it might not cause a significant change outwardly, the divine essence within him transformed to a higher level.
“Huu…”
With newfound calmness, Naplas spoke.
“…Thank you. You’ve broadened my narrow perspective.”
“Is that so?”
Ketal replied nonchalantly but was inwardly bewildered.
‘What?’
He had just recalled something he had seen during his time on Earth and answered appropriately, yet Naplas had admired him and exclaimed on his own.
‘Looks like he understood it well even though I said it randomly.’
Ketal thought so.
Naplas looked at Ketal with gentle eyes.
‘This barbarian.’
Impressive.
Now, he understood why Heize had said Ketal’s values were different.
‘It seems Heize couldn’t understand because it was too advanced for her.’
Heize still lacked the cultivation to comprehend Ketal’s realization.
Instead of clearing up the misunderstanding, it deepened it further.
They finished preparing to go to the bandits.
The village chief expressed his gratitude repeatedly.
“Thank you. Thank you…”
“Don’t worry too much. We’ll take care of it and come back.”
Naplas said gently.
“Heize, you should rest. The journey must be exhausting, so you need more rest.”
“Yes.”
Ketal and Naplas headed towards the bandits’ hideout.
It wasn’t far.
They soon found a cave.
“There it is.”
The bandits standing guard saw them and panicked, grabbing their axes.
“Who are you!”
“Oh. We meet again.”
Ketal smiled faintly.
It was the bandits who had attacked the village.
Upon seeing Ketal’s face, the bandit’s face turned pale.
“Everyone! Come out! Intruders!”
“What, what!”
Bandits came rushing out of the cave.
Ketal mumbled with an intrigued expression.
“There are quite a few.”
There were more than ten bandits.
This meant all of them were staying inside the cave.
‘Is there enough space in the cave for that many people?’
Were they living cramped up?
Ketal wondered.
The bandits who rushed out were shocked to see Ketal and Naplas.
“A, a barbarian!”
“And a priest?”
They were flustered upon seeing Ketal and Naplas.
Ketal spoke softly.
“I heard you’ve been plundering and harassing the villagers. I’d like you to stop.”
“…What nonsense!”
Naturally, talking didn’t work.
The bandits drew their bows.
“Shoot!”
Arrows flew.
Naplas waved his hand lightly.
A barrier of divine power formed, deflecting the arrows.
The bandits were astonished.
“We can’t fight them!”
“Boss! Boss! We have a big problem!”
One bandit hurriedly ran back into the cave.
Soon, a voice was heard.
“…What’s this? You can’t handle it yourselves?”
“Th-they’re too strong…”
“Useless fools.”
“Hmm?”
Naplas’ expression changed.
The voice was quite high-pitched.
The one called the boss appeared.
Ketal let out a small exclamation.
“The boss is a woman.”
Not just any woman, but a very alluring one.
She had a seductive appearance, wearing provocative clothing, and her face was filled with sensuality.
Her long brown hair was well-maintained, giving her an air of elegance.
“Hmm.”
Naplas’ expression changed.
He could instinctively tell that the woman’s aura was different.
She was strong.
Very strong.
The woman looked at them with narrowed eyes.
“…A barbarian. And a priest of Kalosia?”
She frowned.
“What kind of bizarre combination is this?”
“I heard you’ve been troubling the nearby villages. We’ve come to resolve it. How about stopping?”
Ketal said.
The woman looked even more bewildered.
“…You came here just for that? What, are you some kind of crusader for justice?”
Naplas could understand her confusion.
He felt the same way.
The woman narrowed her eyes.
“Anyway… you mean to interfere with me? That won’t do.”
She extended her arms, and two daggers slid from her forearms into her hands.
Naplas frowned.
“…You’re strong.”
“Oh?”
Ketal’s eyes gleamed.
“Strong enough for you to say so?”
“Quite strong. At the upper tier of first-rate warriors.”
“Oh.”
Being in the upper tier of first-rate meant she could easily be the head of a knight order in a small country.
But for someone that strong to be leading a small bandit gang?
‘Do you need to be that strong to be a bandit in a fantasy world?’
On second thought, it made sense.
This was a fantasy world, full of threats that didn’t exist on Earth.
To live as a bandit without the protection of the law, one would need such strength.
It seemed reasonable.
Of course, in reality, it was not.
Someone of her strength wouldn’t need to resort to banditry.
Naplas looked at the dagger the woman held.
There was a skull emblem engraved on it.
Naplas frowned.
“You’re a criminal. Why is a resident of the underground city out here?”
“Underground city?”
Ketal had heard of it.
A city created by a grand wizard.
A haven for all criminals.
The underground city of Magnarein, where sunlight never reached.
“That skull emblem on her dagger is the mark of Magnarein.”
“As expected of a priest of Kalosia, you know well. It’s gloomy with no sunlight there, so I came out for a little vacation.”
The woman spoke leisurely while polishing her dagger.
“Now that you know, I’d appreciate it if you left. Otherwise… you’ve got quite the body.”
She glanced at Ketal.
His muscles were evident even through his clothes.
The woman licked her lips seductively.
“Want to play with me? It’d be more fun than hanging out with that old man.”
“That’s a very tempting offer.”
Ketal smiled faintly.
“But unfortunately, I have to decline.”
“Really? That’s a pity.”
No sooner had she finished speaking than she darted toward Ketal, her movement startlingly fast.
It was a speed that would astonish even Naplas.
The dagger aimed for Ketal’s wrist.
It was a speed beyond ordinary perception.
“Oh.”
Ketal exclaimed.
“You’re fast.”
He grabbed the woman’s hand.
Her eyes widened.
But her surprise lasted only a moment.
Her body turned into shadows.
Ketal’s eyes widened.
The arm he was holding dissolved like a shadow and disappeared.
The woman caught her falling dagger and again aimed for Ketal’s arm.
Clang!
But the dagger bounced off.
“…Huh?”
Her eyes widened.
The dagger had clearly struck the barbarian’s arm.
But it was the dagger that was repelled.
“…What?”
“That’s an interesting trick.”
Ketal murmured as he raised his foot.
In that instant, he was right in front of her.
She gasped and tried to distance herself, but he grabbed her neck.
“Ugh!”
Her body turned into shadows again, slipping from his grasp.
But immediately, he caught her again.
“What…!”
Ketal tightened his grip.
The woman fainted instantly, her body going limp.
“It’s over.”
Naplas murmured calmly.
The woman was undoubtedly strong, but Ketal was far superior.
She stood no chance against him.
“Eeeek!”
As their leader fell, the bandits tried to flee in panic, but they were all ordinary people who knew nothing of the mysteries.
They were all subdued.
Naplas asked.
“What do you intend to do with them? Are you going to kill them all? There wouldn’t be a problem even if you did.”
“Eek!”
The bound bandits were horrified.
Ketal spoke.
“I’m not a barbarian.”
“Uh, um…”
Naplas closed his mouth.
While the statement was true considering who Ketal was, it didn’t quite match his appearance.
“Then I’ll take care of it. In the name of Lord Kalosia, I will bind the bandits. I’ll make them confess their sins in the nearest town.”
“Is such a thing possible?”
“It’s not an easy task, but… there are only about a dozen of them, so it’s not a problem.”
Naplas bound the bandits.
Only the female leader remained.
“While I could bind the other bandits at will, it’s impossible with this woman.”
Given her strength, which was in the upper tier of the first rate, she had to accept the binding herself.
The woman, who had woken up at some point, narrowed her eyes.
“What if I refuse?”
“Then, well… there is no other way. We’d have to resort to extreme measures.”
Naplas said coldly.
The woman sighed.
“I just came for a brief rest, and now this. Fine, I’ll accept it.”
“Lord Kalosia, remove lies and deceit from them, and grant them a chance to atone for their sins.”
With Naplas’s words, light descended upon them.
They would now walk to the nearest town to confess their sins.
Before leaving, the woman looked at Ketal.
“Barbarian. Your name?”
“Ketal.”
“Ketal, is it…”
The woman narrowed her eyes and smiled faintly.
“Very well. Ketal. My name is Cassandra. Let’s meet again someday.”
“I hope we get the chance.”
Ketal said cheerfully.
The bandits walked towards the nearest town.
Watching their backs, Ketal murmured.
“That was an impressive technique.”
He had clearly grabbed her arm, but she vanished like mist.
It was a strange technique.
Naplas responded.
“She’s a resident of Magnarein. They say there are rare techniques there that don’t exist outside.”
“Magnarein, huh.”
A subterranean city where criminals live.
Ketal’s eyes filled with interest.
“How does one get there?”
“It’s simple. Commit a crime.”
“You can’t enter unless you’re a criminal?”
“Generally, yes.”
Naplas pointed to the dagger lying on the ground.
“That skull emblem. It’s the pass to the underground city. It’s only issued to criminals.”
“I see.”
Ketal smiled faintly.
“It seems you can enter if you have a skull emblem.”
“If you’re desperate enough to get in, yes. But no one in their right mind would do that.”
Naplas shook his head.
The paradise of criminals, Magnarein.
Everyone who lived there was a criminal.
No ordinary person would even think of entering.
Naplas spoke with a sense of concern.
“I’d advise against it if you’re interested. It’s not just minor criminals there.”
Traitors who attempted to overthrow entire countries.
Mass murderers who killed thousands.
Mad wizards who used countless humans as test subjects.
Notorious criminals still talked about in the world resided there.
Naplas strongly emphasized the dangers of the underground city.
Hearing this, Ketal quietly smiled.
“I see.”
‘…Why does he seem more interested?’
Naplas felt a bit uneasy.