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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: The Magic Tower Genius Descends the Labyrinth
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Coincidentally, the two of them were thinking the exact same thing.
They both wanted to ask about each other's intentions.
But even their thoughts failed to fully align.
"Cherentia. You want to help these complete strangers?"
Even as Sylbian countered, Cherentia nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"We have the power to help them. So why wouldn't we?"
Her bold question carried an air of confidence, as if asking what the problem could possibly be.
Sylbian found himself at a loss for words in that moment.
'Why wouldn't we? What kind of straight-out-of-a-novel righteous answer is that?'
It was the kind of response straight from some heroic tale, and more than that, he couldn't find a way to argue against it.
It wasn't just about denying her intentions.
It felt like she was asserting that it was natural to accept others' risks for one's own sake.
"I have no intention of forcing my will on you alone. If you're in a hurry to head north, then I should prioritize that as well."
And now Cherentia was gently yielding to his wishes.
To Sylbian, it felt like he'd been completely cornered.
"No, I think you're right. We can't help everyone, but that doesn't mean we should just turn a blind eye."
It sounded almost like resignation at first glance, but Sylbian himself realized it too.
If he insisted on pushing north from here, Cherentia would show clear disappointment.
'No, I can't let that happen.'
It had barely been a few days since they became companions.
Above all, he didn't want that to happen, no matter what.
Besides, he didn't think Cherentia's thinking was wrong.
"Sylbian! So you thought the same!"
At that moment, her face brightened dramatically, her ears perking up sharply.
Her glossy tail swished back and forth, as if she were immensely satisfied with his answer.
"Yeah, let's go help them."
Sylbian gave a small smile and finally accepted.
"An excellent decision!"
"Then first, we should find a place to set down that massive pack..."
Sylbian trailed off blankly, blinking in surprise.
Whoosh...!
Cherentia shot off the ground in a single bound, her figure slicing through the space with blinding speed—even Hesente wouldn't have kept up easily.
'How can she move that nimbly with such a huge backpack?'
He was dumbfounded by her sudden action, but there was no time to think deeply.
Thud!
Sylbian kicked off the ground in turn and hurriedly chased after Cherentia.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Deep in the woods, quite a distance from the main road.
The forest was stained with thick bloodstains on trees and underbrush everywhere, and there were corpses of people who had breathed their last.
"P-please... spare my wife and me. We'll give you all the goods from our caravan, so please...!"
Even as the man leading the caravan begged, the thug looking down at him let out a sinister chuckle.
"Ha! The goods are ours by right anyway, so you got nothing else to offer?"
He drew his sword outright and narrowed his eyes mockingly.
"If we're showing that much mercy, you'd better offer something more than what you've got. Show some real sincerity, yeah?"
"Melen! Just kill 'em. Doesn't look like they've got anything else. Why bother asking?"
"You gotta squeeze 'em hard for stuff like this. You never know—they might have something stashed away."
Shing!
The bloodstained sword tip lightly grazed the man's cheek, drawing a line of blood from the wound.
"I-I beg you like this! Please, just spare our lives...!"
It was the moment the terrified man begged again.
Boom!
A heavy thud echoed loudly out of nowhere.
The bandits' eyes snapped toward the sound.
"Who's there!"
"Who the hell comes barging in here without fear?"
Some tensed warily, others scoffed—right then.
Everyone froze for a split second, holding their breath.
"...Humans after all, huh. I figured it'd be humans pulling something like this, but it still sours my mood."
Cherentia set down her backpack—larger than her own frame—and casually rolled her shoulders.
Crack! Pop!
Bone joints cracked with each motion, exuding an eerie pressure.
Her sharp, amber eyes scanned the humans in the area, gauging their individual strengths.
'Their mana is pathetic, and their physical abilities aren't worth much attention either.'
Still, she couldn't underestimate humans because of their techniques.
The skill in wielding various weapons humans possessed.
A power not visible on the surface, so the elders had always warned never to let your guard down against humans.
Recalling that, Cherentia took a light step forward.
"A b-beastkin? A wolf beastkin, no less?"
"Why's something like that all the way out here in the deep woods...?"
The bandits gripped their weapons tighter in shock at her approach.
Thud!
"Haa...! She's ridiculously fast."
The moment Sylbian in his pristine white robe landed beside Cherentia, panting.
The atmosphere grew even stranger.
"A mage!?"
Now the bandits felt outright terror amid their shock.
"Sylbian. Doesn't look like there's much to see here. Mind if I handle it alone?"
Cherentia asked Sylbian, completely ignoring the bandits.
"...Yeah, that should be fine."
Sylbian took in the situation at a glance and nodded lightly.
The wreckage of the caravan was scattered everywhere.
With corpses strewn about and blood pooling in spots, there was no need to think further.
'They were ambushed by bandits while camping.'
Only a finely dressed man and woman huddled together, trembling in fear.
Probably the caravan owners the bandits had kept alive to extort.
"Got it. I'll clean this up quick."
As Cherentia responded, she stomped lightly.
"Don't let your guards down, everyone! You know how fast wolf beastkin move...!"
The bandit leader shouted urgently, gripping his sword tightly—
"Gahk!"
Blood suddenly sprayed through the air.
The man whose throat was neatly sliced clutched it in disbelief as he collapsed.
"Uwaaaah!"
"What the...?"
The shocked bandits wildly swung their swords at her in panic.
"Kill her!"
"Hurry and kill that bitch!"
But no matter how they slashed, not a single scratch landed on Cherentia.
Swish, whoosh...!
The instant she kicked off the ground, her figure vanished from sight.
And whenever she extended her razor-sharp claws, a bandit fell dead without fail.
It was a one-sided slaughter.
Even Sylbian, who had some gauge of her abilities, felt overwhelmed for a moment.
"...She's beyond what I expected."
Even with Hesente active, barely managing to track her with his eyes was the best he could do.
How fast she moved.
How she mercilessly severed throats without hesitation—it was astounding.
So much so that he didn't even feel the urge to help.
There was no moment for him to step in.
Before he could even cast a proper spell, Cherentia would have ended them all.
Thud!
In under ten minutes, the eight bandits lay dead on the ground.
The only ones left standing were Sylbian and Cherentia.
"Wh-what just happened...?"
"Why did that beastkin save us?"
The surviving caravan owner and his wife stared at Cherentia in fear.
Flick!
Cherentia casually wiped the blood and flesh from her claws, utterly nonchalant.
No guilt, no hesitation in her expression despite the gore on her hands.
"So, are you two alright?"
She asked them indifferently, and they hurriedly bowed low.
"Th-thank you for saving us!"
"If there's anything you desire, beastkin lady, please tell us!"
Cherentia frowned for the first time at the sight of the quivering couple.
Noticing the change, Sylbian gave a wry smile and stepped forward gently.
"Please, stand up. We didn't help expecting any reward."
"Thank you! Mage sir!"
"Ah! So you're the mage sir who commands the beastkin!"
Unlike with Cherentia, their faces lit up brightly toward Sylbian, whose expression darkened sharply in response.
He hurriedly glanced at Cherentia and shook his head vigorously.
"No. Cherentia and I aren't in any master-servant relationship."
"Enough, Sylbian."
Pat!
Cherentia lightly tapped his hand and turned away without a hint of lingering.
Sylbian stared blankly at her retreating back.
'I really can't figure her out.'
When she'd insisted on helping strangers, he'd seen it as impulsive.
Her rough words and actions had a human side that built trust, even if crude.
But now it was different again.
Hoist!
She slung the massive backpack—bigger than her frame—over her shoulder like it was nothing, revealing yet another side.
'She heard something that could've pissed her off big time, but didn't bat an eye.'
On the contrary, Cherentia turned away as if it were nothing.
In truth, he'd heard similar things a few times in the Magic Tower.
High nobles or senior mages sometimes treated beastkin and other subraces as slaves or underlings.
Yet Cherentia brushed it off lightly.
Even though it was no small matter...
Sylbian opened his mouth softly amid heavy thoughts.
"We'll be going now. I hope you make it safely to the city."
"Ah! Before you go, could you at least tell us your name, mage sir!?"
"If we meet again, we absolutely want to repay you!"
As the caravan owner and wife urgently asked for his name, Sylbian pondered briefly before answering.
"Sylbian Blanc. If we meet again someday, I'll accept a simple meal then."
"We'll never forget your name, mage sir!"
With that, Sylbian slowly headed toward Cherentia.
Step.
His heart felt strangely complex as he walked.
This good deed wasn't something he'd wanted to do.
And he hadn't even helped directly.
Cherentia had wanted to do the good deed and provided the actual aid.
Yet the gratitude went to him.
'They didn't even think to ask about Cherentia.'
Seeing how others treated beastkin firsthand made him feel bitterly sorry for no reason.
"You're here."
As he joined her, she glanced at him and stepped forward lightly.
"Cherentia, are you used to things like this?"
Sylbian asked almost without thinking.
Thud.
Cherentia halted her steps and slowly shook her head.
"I just don't care. I helped them because I wanted to. Not expecting any reward, as you said."
Her jet-black hair swayed with the motion, briefly captivating Sylbian's gaze.
"I see."
But he understood her words soon enough.
Help could be given because someone asks for it.
Or because someone wants to give it.
Cherentia had straightforwardly chosen the latter.
Her attitude struck him as more profound than expected.
'I can't claim to know her well.'
Yet the Cherentia right before his eyes didn't seem bad at all.
On the contrary, her actions only made her look better to him.
'And I've learned she's even stronger than I thought.'
He hurriedly leaped after Cherentia, who was heading off into the distance.
Saving those nameless people,
was perhaps a huge gain for him after all.