"You're always finding new ways to surprise me... Every time you do something even stranger than before. Honestly, I can never figure you out. You've been responsible for more than half of my headaches ever since I decided to teach you how to use mana." My grandmother looks at me with those strange eyes of hers.
"It's not a bad thing... Little Rafaela has extraordinary talent, and she seems like a good girl. Everyone speaks highly of her," I reply without hesitation.
My grandmother turns to Brendu. The princess lets out a soft sigh. "I can't deny that your grandson is a strange person. Sometimes he makes me question his intelligence... but he's right. That little girl possesses exceptional talent. I could even introduce her to the royal family and have them raise her."
I silently thank Brendu. Her words carry tremendous weight within my family. Many decisions are made while taking her opinion into account. It's not simply because she's a princess, but because of her vast knowledge and sound judgment.
My grandmother's eyes begin to change after hearing Brendu's opinion. It was only natural. The opinion of someone so respected carries much more weight. Although my grandmother loves me with all her heart and sees me as our family's savior, she also sees me as a troublemaker who only knows how to solve problems with his fists.
"Well then, we'll have to come up with a believable story and cover our tracks well." My grandmother presses three fingers against her cheek, gently tapping it over and over. That's how she thinks.
"What if we create a story saying she's the daughter of one of our relatives who passed away? It's quite believable—a distant cousin with similar talent for dual swords. It'd be easy to erase this orphanage's records and create a much deeper backstory. That would be our main cover." The moment my grandmother finishes speaking, only one thought crosses my mind: She's a genius.
"That makes a lot of sense. As far as I know, your grandfather's brother was quite the womanizer. He was murdered by one of his lovers and left behind many children. Little Rafaela could easily be one of those scattered grandchildren," Brendu adds to the story.
"She arrived in this territory thanks to a group of adventurers who were friends of her father. That was his dying wish. We've been receiving quite a few groups of adventurers lately, so it's a very believable explanation." That's the scene that immediately came to my mind when I imagined the story.
"You should use your brain like this more often. Lately all you've done is wander around or fight." My grandmother sounds like she's joking, but she's completely serious. "Let me think through the finer details and cover every possible loophole. The two of you should also spend the day thinking so we can come up with a convincing cover story. That way, it'll be much less likely for anyone to attempt an attack or kidnapping."
Brendu and I nod several times. Just as I'm about to say goodbye, someone knocks repeatedly on my grandmother's office door. I can hear the urgency behind every knock. After my grandmother nods, I use my Imra to open the door.
"Lady Rita! Lady Rita!" The poor man almost loses his voice the moment he starts speaking. As soon as he raises his head and sees Brendu and me, he falls silent.
"Go on. What happened?" my grandmother urges him.
"We found them! We found the hideout of the bandits who've been terrorizing the territory and the surrounding areas!" the young man practically shouts.
I look at my grandmother in confusion. I hadn't heard anything about this. No one had told me. "I didn't mention it because you were focused on your training and the territory's expansion. A few weeks ago, a group of idiots started looting and kidnapping women and children near our territory and Viscount Solar's lands."
"I'll go." I barely manage to suppress my anger. Those words leave my mouth before I even have time to think.
"I knew you'd say that." A smile appears on my grandmother's face. I can feel the pride overflowing from her as she looks at me. "Let me organize your team. It won't take more than thirty minutes. I already had preparations in place for the moment we found them." She picks up the phone to contact the others.
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"Do you want me to come with you?" Brendu asks while my grandmother coordinates with the rest of the staff.
"It won't be a pleasant sight. I've seen situations like this before, and they're horrifying," I answer honestly. She could avoid seeing this if she wanted.
"I know... it's just..." Brendu clenches her fist. "I've heard people talking about it around town too. Sometimes I go out completely disguised, and I overheard a baker saying his son disappeared a few days ago. The poor man spends every free moment searching for him whenever he isn't at his shop."
"Just like him, every family involved must be living through a nightmare. If I can do even a little to ease their suffering, then I'll do it." The determination in her eyes says everything. She's coming no matter what.
"The help of someone strong is always welcome." I gently caress her hand.
Brendu has become deeply involved with the lives of ordinary citizens. She often goes out completely disguised to socialize with all kinds of people and businesses. Ever since she started living in our territory, the princess has become far more sensitive to these kinds of issues.
I glance toward the corner and notice the poor scout sitting there, timidly drinking a bottle of water. His eyes never leave the floor. He's extremely nervous, and I can even see him trembling from time to time.
"Everything is ready. They're waiting for you here." My grandmother points to a large map hanging on the wall, showing us exactly where we need to go. "The two of you should pass through town as discreetly as possible. We don't want to cause a commotion." Brendu and I immediately understand what she means.
"I'll be back soon." Those are the only words I use to say goodbye. And when I return, it'll be with great news.
"See you soon, Grandma. I'll make sure this little boy doesn't lose control too much." Brendu gently takes my hand.
"Maki." I turn toward my grandmother when she calls my name. "Don't let a single one of those rats escape. Slaughter every last one of them... but bring back at least a couple alive so we can make them suffer even more."
"Your wish is my command, Boss." I close the door behind me as we leave. I hadn't planned on holding back in the slightest, but now those words have given me even more motivation.
The guard leads the way. He still looks extremely uneasy and doesn't seem comfortable at all. You can do this. It'll only be a short trip.
Throughout the journey, I force myself to think about other things. The moment I fail to distract myself, my mind immediately begins imagining every possible horrific scenario surrounding that damned criminal group.
Fortunately, having Brendu by my side has been a tremendous source of support. She's not only strong, but she's also my emotional pillar in situations like this. It would be even more comforting if all the girls were here, but it's a shame we're separated by the academy.
The meeting point is near Solar Territory, and it only takes us a few minutes to arrive. I quickly recognize a familiar face. "Rendo, you're everywhere. Give your body a break." Apparently, he's leading this operation as well. That alone shows how highly my family values him.
"Young Master Maki... Princess. What are you doing here?" He tries to sound as formal as possible, but he's clearly surprised and uncertain.
"We're here as reinforcements. I hope you'll watch our backs." Those words aren't directed only at him, but at the entire group. There are ten of us in total.
Several energetic voices immediately answer in agreement.
We set off without wasting another moment. Apparently, the hideout is near a lake, surrounded by enormous vine-like plants that make it incredibly easy to stay hidden.
The hideout lies between the two territories, though it's slightly closer to Uncle Camux's lands. That's why those enormous vine-like plants grow there—they provide perfect camouflage.
The closer we get, the harder it becomes to resist the urge to rush in and deal with them immediately. Holding back the impulse to charge ahead and teach them a lesson would've been much more difficult without Brendu by my side.
"They're keeping the women and children isolated in another patch of vines. They do it to reduce the charges against them if they're ever discovered. That strategy ended up costing them dearly. Now we can rescue everyone simply by killing the lone guard watching over them," Rendo explains.
Before Rendo can tell us the plan, I raise my hand. I don't need one. "Leave it to me. I'll be fast and precise. He won't have time to warn the others." Rendo seems hesitant for a moment, but after thinking it over for a few seconds, he decides to trust me.
My plan was simple. Once we were close enough, I chose the easiest approach. I used my teleportation ability and appeared directly behind him. His reaction was quick. He tried to put some distance between us while reaching for his weapon.
He wasn't that fortunate. By the time his body tried to move, a deep slash had already opened across his neck, and both of his legs had already been severed from his body. My swords were stained with his blood, and the light in my eyes was far more terrifying than usual.
His body was caught by my gravity magic before it could collapse. He didn't make a single sound. Little by little, he froze into a solid block of ice. His severed legs froze as well before shattering into countless pieces.
I raise my hand to signal that they can approach. Everyone moves in quickly without making the slightest sound.
"You two stay here and keep watch over them. The rest of us are going after the rest of those sons of bitches." Rendo leaves behind one man and one woman. Both of them seem like good people. The rest of us are going to put an end to this. It's time to let off a little stress. I crack my knuckles and get ready.