A way to go travel

As we traveled, a vast, silent black storm loomed ahead, waiting for us.

 I stared at it, feeling a chill of fear creeping in, but Sero and Vanniez didn’t seem all that fazed. Was this just a normal occurrence in this world?

we were gradually getting closer to that ominous storm. Just then, Charollo shouted for us to stay inside the wagon.

After a while, the rain began to pour. It fell like a raging storm, with fierce winds howling through the air, and the sky was covered in heavy, ominous clouds.

The horses pulling the wagon struggled against the relentless storm, making the journey even more difficult. The road became uneven and unstable, causing the wagon to shake violently. Inside, we found it hard to keep our balance.

 The constant swaying and the rough terrain made me feel dizzy, and soon, discomfort settled into my body.

"We need to stop for a while! It’s not safe to keep going in this condition!" 

Charollo shouted over the howling wind.

Suddenly, the horse pulling the wagon lost sight of the road due to the heavy rain and slipped. Losing control, the entire wagon veered off course and tumbled down the cliffside on the left.

I couldn't steady myself—I lost my balance and was flung out of the wagon, crashing through the door. Vanniez reached out to grab me, but he wasn’t fast enough.

Amid the deafening roar of the storm, with rain pouring down mercilessly, all of us—along with the wagon—plunged into the abyss below.

..

Everything suddenly fell into silence.

Around me, I could hear the distant cries of birds. The faint scent of rain lingered in the air, and my body ached slightly. My clothes were damp—I could feel the coldness clinging to my skin.

…What exactly happened?

As I slowly opened my eyes, the bright sunlight pierced through, making me squint. Huh? Something felt off.

I tried to move my hands, but they wouldn’t budge.

Looking down, my breath caught in my throat.

I was tied to a tree.

Am i tied up…? Who did this?

I quickly scanned my surroundings, trying to make sense of the situation. Then, a voice reached my ears.

"Yo, you're finally awake? Thought you were dead for a second there."

I turned toward the source of the voice—James.

My anger flared instantly.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing?! Why did you do this?!"

I struggled to break free, but the ropes tying me were too tight, so I couldn’t succeed. 

“Let me go!! Let me go right now!”

James, with a sigh, spoke to me. 

“Is this how you treat the one who saved your life, you damn four-eyes?”

 I heard what he said, but I couldn’t believe it.

 “Saved my life? Stop saying nonsense. You were tied up in the wagon at that time.”

"You probably think I’m just some skilled robber, huh? Listen, it’s true that I was tied up in the wagon, but undoing those ropes is nothing for someone as skilled as me. “

(“Tch..the reason I saved you is because, using my 30-second ability, I realized that your life was in greater danger than the others.”)

..

"You said you saved my life, then why did you tie me up with ropes?”

“ Well,I know when you woke up and saw me, you would probably cause trouble, so I tied you up before you could wake up. Got it?"

"Ugh... Fine... I won’t cause any trouble, so let me go,"

 I said, looking at James. He stared at me for a moment, then spoke again, 

"Nah, it’s fine. I’m leaving before the little elf from your group finds me. Don’t worry, even though this place is a big forest, if you call out, your group will hear you and find you."

 I heard what he said, and I was filled with anger. 

"What? You’re leaving me alone in this dark forest like that?!" 

James shrugged and started gathering his things.

 "I already told you… If you call out to your group, they’ll hear your voice and come to get you."

Just as James was about to leave, he stopped and spoke to me before walking away. 

“Oh, I almost forgot—if you're going to call out for help, just don’t be too loud because there are some hungry beasts in this forest looking for food. good luck!”

 I heard what he said and became scared.

“Wait? What?? hold on–”

James didn't listen to what I said and walked away. I looked around, wanting to call out to Vanniez and the others, but I hesitated because of the beasts James had mentioned.

That thief, next time I catch him, I'll make sure he regrets it!

..

Not too far from where Yota was, Vanniez, Sero, and Charollo were present. Although they didn’t suffer any serious injuries, the lower part of Charollo’s wagon was completely damaged. 

Vanniez was busy taking out the bags from the wagon, while Sero was searching for Yota.

..

“Vanniez! I can't find Yota,"

Sero said, looking at Vanniez. Vanniez glanced at Sero and replied, 

"Don't worry. Even though this place is a big forest, spirits reside everywhere. If we ask them, we should be able to find him.”

Vanniez then turned to look at Charollo. Charollo was staring at his damaged wagon, its lower part in ruins. His expression showed deep contemplation. Vanniez walked toward him and said,

 "Hey..once we get out of this forest, we’ll find a place nearby to repair the wagon.”

Charollo shaked his head at Vanniez’s words before replying,

 "Vanniez, the wagon being damaged isn’t the main issue. My dear friend, who traveled with me on this journey, gave his life along the way. You guys should go find that boy. I’ll stay here for a while… I’ll catch up later."

Vanniez understood Charollo’s words and accepted his decision.

 With that, he and Sero left the area to search for Yota. Meanwhile, Charollo, who had lost his beloved horse, sat down in front of the damaged wagon, lost in thought.

..

Ah, that thief… He really isn’t coming back, is he? These ropes are too tight—I can’t untie them easily… What if those beasts he mentioned actually find me? 

Damnit! Unforgivable!

James, who had tied Yota up and left, was now searching for a way out of the big forest. He carefully observed his surroundings, using his ability to avoid dangerous obstacles as he moved forward. 

His 30-Second Ability was a unique supernatural power, something he had possessed since childhood due to various circumstances. However, each use required a 10-minute cooldown, and if he attempted to use it consecutively without waiting, the strain on his body could put his life at risk, depending on the intensity of the power used.

As James continued moving forward, he suddenly spotted something. His eyes widened, and without hesitation, he turned back toward Yota’s location, sprinting as fast as he could.

I struggled to break free from the ropes, but they were too tight. In the end, I decided to wait for Vanniez and the others to arrive.

 I’m sure that they are already looking for me right now, After that i will make sure to catch that thief no matter what.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps behind me. Something was moving within the dense undergrowth. 

Huh? What was that? Am I just imagining things? No… I can hear it—there’s a sound coming from behind me. The large tree blocks my view, but I’m certain… something is there.

Wait… wait. You’ve got to be kidding me! Could it be one of those beasts that guy mentioned? Please… let it not be.

The footsteps slowly drew closer and closer to me. Fear consumed my mind, making it hard to even breathe. That thing… it’s coming for me!

That thing finally emerged in front of me, spotting me tied to the tree. 

The moment its eyes locked onto me, it started charging straight at me.

 A boar-bear…?! No way! It’s coming right for me! I’m gonna die!

The boar-bear charged at me with incredible speed, ready to pounce. Just as it was about to strike, someone suddenly hurled a dagger straight at it

With tear-filled eyes, I watched as the boar-bear was sent flying backward by the force of the dagger. When I turned to see who had thrown it,—it was James. He was drenched in sweat.

James sprinted toward me, quickly drawing his dagger to cut the ropes. 

But at that moment, the boar-bear, which had been knocked down by the dagger earlier, slowly began to rise from the ground. Blood trickled from its belly where the dagger had struck, but judging by its expression, a single dagger wasn’t nearly enough to take it down.

James struggled to cut through the tough ropes with his dagger, but his hands were trembling slightly. The bindings were too tight, making it difficult to break free. 

I watched as the boar-bear slowly rose from the ground, my heart pounding. All I could do was pray that James would cut through the ropes in time.

『James』: "Damnit! Why the hell are these ropes so damn tight?!"

James suddenly stopped trying to cut the ropes. Instead, he stood up straight and turned toward the boar-bear.

 No… wait. Was he actually planning to face it head-on?!

"Hey! Just cut the damn ropes! Don’t try to fight that thing!"

James looked at me and said,

 "Watch closely—I’m more than just a thief. I’ll take that beast down." 

His eyes burned with determination as he pulled another dagger from his bag. Now armed with two daggers, he stood ready to face the boar-bear head-on.

The trees around us began to sway, and it looked like a storm was about to hit. James charged toward the boar-bear, and it sprinted right at him. 

The boar-bear swung its massive claws at James, but he used his ability to dodge just in time. In a swift motion, he turned and slashed his dagger, striking the boar-bear’s left forearm.

The boar-bear let out a painful roar and swung its right arm, aiming to strike James. The blow landed, sending James crashing into a tree.

I looked at James, feeling a rush of worry. To be honest, I was more worried about the boar-bear coming for me than I was about James.

James staggered back from the blow, spitting out a bit of blood. He glanced at the boar-bear, his resolve hardening as he prepared for another strike.

"Not bad, huh? But you're still just a beast! Don’t get too full of yourself!"

The boar-bear glared at James with fiery eyes, its rage building up as it charged at him once again. James stood his ground, and as the boar-bear swung its massive claws at him, he managed to dodge just in time.

 The beast didn’t relent, though—without losing any momentum, it came at James again, swinging its claws fiercely. James kept dodging, narrowly evading the boar-bear's relentless attacks.

"I told you not to get too full of yourself!"

James shouted. With a swift movement, he raised his dagger, dodging the boar-bear's attack, and then drove the blade straight into the same spot on its abdomen that he had struck earlier.

The boar-bear let out a furious roar, feeling the full impact of the strike. It swung its massive claws, knocking both of James' daggers out of his hands, sending them flying through the air. In the chaos, the boar-bear struck James across the face. 

Fortunately, at the moment of impact, it couldn’t use its claws to their full force, sparing James from a more lethal blow.

James felt the pain on his face and, filled with rage, clenched his fist tightly. He then swung his fist, striking the boar-bear’s face in retaliation.

James and the boar-bear were exchanging blows, each one striking the other. James dodged the boar-bear’s attack and quickly drew a smaller dagger from his pouch. With a swift movement, he plunged the dagger into the boar-bear’s arm.

"Did you seriously think I only have two daggers?" James laughed and said.

The boar-bear, unable to maintain its balance due to the pain, stumbled and fell. In the end, James managed to defeat the boar-bear and claimed victory. 

“Wow... it really was a fierce battle. You defeated it using a dagger, but I guess that's okay...:”

James looked at me and said impatiently,

“You little brat! Don't you know that you should be grateful when someone saves you?”

"Sure... Thank you so much for saving my life..."

"What is that disappointing sound??"

I was angry because that person tied me up here, but because of him, I survived... Anyway, I shouldn't blame him anymore.

James defeated the boar-bear, but due to the limitations of his ability, he ended up using it continuously without waiting the required 10 minutes, causing him to lose balance and fall to the ground. 

“Hey! Don’t rest yet! Come untie me”

James, was struggling on the ground, trying to regain his strength.

I noticed his expression. 

“Hey, what’s going on? Are you okay? Answer me!” 

James couldn’t respond, as he had no strength left. The rain started pouring down.

Suddenly, we heard more footsteps ahead of us,

 D-don’t tell me..

Like the boar-bear that James had defeated, many more of them were heading our way.

I was really shocked when I saw so many boar-bears, and I froze for a moment. I shouted at James, who was stumbling ahead of me, but he couldn't move.

 The boar-bears slowly started walking toward James, who was struggling to maintain his balance.

One of the boar-bears quickly lunged at James, trying to tackle him. At that moment, from a distance, a chunk of ice came flying in and hit the boar-bear.

I immediately recognized that the ice was from Sero. When I looked around, I saw Sero and Vanniez.

 “You guys...'"

『Sero』:"Sorry for being late, Yota..."

I was so happy to see them, and my eyes were filled with tears.

The wild boars were glaring at the two of them with anger, preparing to attack. At that moment, Charollo appeared from behind Vanniez and Sero.

 When Charollo spoke in his unique way, the boars hesitated, their confidence shaken. They quickly turned and fled in fear.

You and Sero were both staring at Charollo in astonishment, while Vanniez seemed completely unfazed, as if he knew exactly what was going on.

『Sero』: "Wow, that's impressive! How did you do that, little guy?" 

Sero exclaimed, amazed by Charollo's sudden influence over the boars.

Charollo, feeling a bit uncomfortable after being called "little guy," sheepishly explained,

 "That’s my special ability. I didn’t exactly make the boars scared on purpose, but it seems like I might’ve overdone it a bit."

Vanniez carefully untied the ropes that had bound me, while Sero took a quick glance at James, who was still struggling on the ground. The rain, which had been pouring heavily, suddenly stopped.

"Hey, what are we going to do with him? How about we just leave him here?"

I looked at Sero and said,

 “No, we can't! He's injured... and he saved my life... Let's take him with us.”

Sero and Vanniez looked at me, and Sero said,

“..Ok then..Let's take him for now.”

Vanniez carried the injured James, and Charollo, after a short while, said that we should head back to our wagon since it was getting late.

On the way back to the wagon, I asked Charollo,

“Hey little guy, what did you do back there? How did you make those boar-bears listen to your words?”

Charollo looked at me with a confused expression and asked again,

“Why have you guys been calling me ‘little guy’ since earlier? It's really making me uncomfortable…”

"Huh? Why is that? “

Vanniez came closer to me and Sero and said in a whisper.

After hearing Vanniez, both Sero and I were surprised.

[[ “Ch-charollo isn't a kid??” ]]

『Charollo』: Hey! I can hear you!

『Sero』: "Ah, wait! If I'm not wrong, he is one of those half-foot, right?"

“..Half-foot?” 

"Don't you know? Half-foot people may look like children in appearance, but in reality, they're actually adults."

"I heard what Sero said and decided to ask Charollo something.

“So... little guy—I mean, Charollo... how old are you, exactly?” 

Charollo let out a small sigh as he looked at me and replied

“36..”

Sero and I were both shocked and surprised, and Vanniez laughed as he looked at us. Ah, I always thought that person was just a kid…

[ Half-foot ]

[ Half-foot people are a small race with lightweight and agile bodies. Their appearance features slightly larger ears, and their form closely resembles that of a child. Because they look like children, it is difficult to estimate their true age. The Half-foot race is capable of controlling natural creatures, but they cannot control beings with much more mana than themselves. Some people regard them as a race blessed with fortunate spirits. ]