Chương 13: Ryan is Saved

Ryan was leaving himself an escape route. If Maddie and Hale didn't actually come for him, he still wouldn't end up on the slave block. Even though House Lebanor was a shadow of its former self and going back guaranteed him no luxurious life, it was still infinitely better than being sold into servitude in a foreign land. Honestly, I should have done this sooner, he thought. He should have found a way back to Ember long ago.

Whatever original scheme Hale had in mind when he abducted him didn't matter anymore; returning to his own lineage as soon as possible was the only logical choice. Except...

"You... your family is really that wealthy?" The teenage girl who had been speaking with him earlier suddenly grabbed Ryan's sleeve, her eyes desperate.

"Could your family buy us out too? Please, we don't want to be sold off as concubines to the Berulans!" The other women quickly swarmed in, their voices overlapping in frantic pleas:"Yes, please! Anywhere in Ember is better than staying here!"

"If you can't buy all of us, could you at least buy my daughter? She's your age, she can serve as your personal maid!" Flustered and completely caught off guard by their sudden desperation, Ryan instinctively took a step back.

"I... my family..." He didn't have the heart to spell out the harsh reality: his family were cold-blooded merchants. They cared about profit margins, not charity. They would never spend a single silver piece buying random slaves for no reason, and he held zero leverage to demand such a thing from them anyway. Suddenly, a thunderous explosion violently shook the cavern. Seconds later, the sound of falling rock and crumbling gravel echoed from the front entrance.

Through the wooden bars of the holding cell, flashes of fire illuminated the dark tunnels, accompanied by furious shouts and the clashing of steel. The Seki captives shrank back into a tight corner, trembling in fear.

"What... what's happening out there?!" Ryan murmured under his breath, "... Did they actually come?" A few bandits, their clothes scorched and ragged, sprinted into the holding area, screaming frantically: "Get up, all of you! We're moving out right now!" They lunged forward, roughly grabbing the women by their arms and shoving them toward the back exit. Ryan scanned his surroundings, his eyes locking onto a row of large water urns near the wall.

His wrists were bound in heavy iron cuffs, but the chain linking them left just enough slack for him to manipulate his magic. Flicking his wrists, Ryan drew a small stream of water out from the nearest urn. In the next instant, he reshaped the liquid into several razor-thin water blades, hurling them straight at the nearest bandits. His elemental control was far from refined; the water blades lacked pure cutting power, leaving only shallow, bleeding gashes across the bandits' arms and chests.

Taking advantage of the sudden opening, Ryan yelled at the captives:"My people are out there rescuing us! Don't let them drag you away!" The Seki women caught on instantly. Realizing salvation was right outside, they erupted into a violent frenzy of resistance. Caught completely off guard by the sudden rebellion, the bandits struggled to maintain control. There were only four guards in the holding area, while the Seki women held the clear advantage in numbers.

They hurled rocks, sank their teeth into exposed arms, and kicked recklessly. One woman managed to wrestle a broadsword away from a bandit, swinging it wildly and severing several of his fingers in the process. Seeing the situation spiral out of control and hearing the chaos outside drawing closer, two of the bandits abandoned their "merchandise" entirely, bolting toward a side exit to save their own skins.

The remaining two tried to assert dominance, but overwhelmed by the barrage of strikes, they fled shortly after. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. The sounds of battle outside gradually died down. As the firelight settled, two silhouettes stepped into the cave mouth—one of them sporting a massive pair of draconic wings.

"Ryan? Ryan! Are you in here, kid?!" Hale's voice boomed down the cavern hall.

"... I'm here! Over here!" Ryan called back, surprised to hear his own voice trembling. Hale trotted into the holding area carrying a lit torch. Seeing Ryan standing there completely unscathed, a look of immense relief washed over his face.

"Thank God. I was terrified they'd killed you!" Ryan pressed his lips into a tight line, trying his absolute best to put on a tough front.

"I don't die that easily. What happened to the bandits outside?"

"A few were knocked out, the rest scattered into the woods." Maddie folded her dragon wings back into her spine, her amber eyes sweeping across the room.

"And these people are...?" Ryan quickly explained, "They're Seki captives. The bandits kidnapped them across the border to sell them." Hale scouted the area for a moment before kneeling beside an unconscious bandit, fishing a heavy iron keyring from the man's belt. Struggling to isolate the correct key with his single left hand, he grunted in frustration and tossed the whole ring to Ryan.

"Here, see if one of these unlocks those cuffs." Fortunately, one of the keys fitted the iron locks perfectly. Ryan freed his own wrists before moving down the line to unlock the foot shackles of the Seki women. The captives stared at the two newcomers with a mix of awe and deep suspicion. After exchanging hushed glances, the oldest woman in the group stepped forward, bowing deeply.

"Thank you for delivering us from those monsters. May we ask the names of our saviors?" Hale cleared his throat awkwardly. Giving out his notorious real name in front of Seki citizens was a recipe for disaster, so he pulled a fake name out of thin air:"Uh, just call me Zale. This is... Haddie. And the kid is Ryan. We were just coming for the boy, so don't worry about repaying us. Now that you're free, what are your plans? Heading back to Seki?"

"We... we need a moment to discuss among ourselves."

"Oh, sure. Take your time. We'll be right outside." The three of them stepped out to the cave entrance, using the bandits' abandoned shackles to bind the arms and legs of the unconscious cutthroats. Once the job was done, Hale draped his arm over Ryan's shoulder.

"Man, you scared the life out of me, kid. Getting snatched without making a sound..." Ryan squirmed under the weight of the arm, but surprisingly, he didn't shove Hale away.

"They stuffed a rag in my mouth, alright?"

"Fair point. Anyway, as long as you're in one piece, that's all that matters. Glad our rescue rush wasn't for nothing." Ryan glanced at the young man smiling softly beside him, muttering under his breath: "You didn't even have to come..."

"Huh? Did you say something?"

"Nothing!" By then, the Seki women had finished their hushed council. They filed out toward the cave entrance, bowing in unison before Hale's group.

"We owe you our lives," the eldest woman said, her voice trembling with emotion.

"Our only desire now is to return home to Seki. But we are merely women and children stranded deep within enemy territory... We honestly do not know how to cross safely. If it is not too much to ask... would you be willing to escort us back to Seki? Our border town is just across the divide, and we will compensate you properly." Hale felt an instant pang of internal conflict. Back in his old world, there was a moral standard: if you start a good deed, you see it through.

Abandoning a group of freshly rescued women and children in the middle of nowhere felt downright dirty. Right on cue, his translucent system interface flashed open, awarding him +10 Merit for the captured bandits and an impressive +30 Merit for liberating human trafficking victims. Opening his stats panel, he realized he was just a hair's breadth away from reaching the 100 Merit milestone. Escorting these people home safely would undoubtedly push him over the threshold, finally unlocking the system's Item Shop!

The thought immediately boosted his spirits. Still, he needed to consult his team first.

"What do you think, Maddie?" Maddie pondered for a moment before replying, "Guarding a group this large through an official border checkpoint will be extremely difficult, Master." Another Seki woman chimed in hesitantly, "Actually... when the bandits brought us across, they bypassed the official garrison entirely and used a hidden mountain trail. I remember the path clearly; we could take that route instead."

"How long does that path take? Is it dangerous?" Hale asked. The woman hesitated slightly.

"When we walked it on foot, it took three days. As for danger... we cannot be certain. That is why we are begging for your protection..." Seeing Hale actively weighing the option, Maddie offered softly, "If you wish to help them, Master, then let us do so." Hale shot her a look of genuine gratitude.

"Thanks, Maddie. I really couldn't bring myself to just leave them here." With the decision finalized, Hale turned back to the Seki group.

"Alright, we'll escort you home. Let's rest here for the night and hit the trail first thing in the morning." A collective wave of relief washed over the Seki women, their tense shoulders finally relaxing. Using the supplies left behind by the bandits, the women quickly set up a fire to cook a warm meal and prepare bedding for the night. Maddie originally volunteered to stand guard in case any stray bandits returned, but Hale firmly insisted on taking the night watch himself.

Maddie had already fought hard enough today.