I walked toward Sayo and Leyasu and told them to calm down, but it was as if they didn't hear me. They were traumatized beyond comprehension. Taking a look around, I saw a decapitated head, spilled guts, and a pool of blood surrounding us, and I realized just how gory the scene truly was. This was also my first time killing humans, but surprisingly, I didn't feel anything. To me, killing these bandits felt no different from killing danger beasts.
Well…
Suddenly, I activated my Teigu and planted my palms on Sayo and Leyasu's heads. I figured that making physical contact would further amplify the effects of my power.
"You both should forget what happened and only remember that we were attacked and that I saved everyone while the two of you stood back and watched. The blood on your hands was blood that sprayed onto you," I said. Instantly, their eyes glowed white for a brief moment, their pupils disappearing entirely.
After that, I removed my hands from their heads, stepped back, and deactivated my Teigu. Their bodies jerked slightly as they came out of the trance-like state. They looked around, saw the pile of dead bodies on the ground, and horror appeared on their faces, though it wasn't as intense as before.
"O-Okun—sama, you killed them yourself?" Leyasu asked in a shaky voice.
"Yes, I did," I answered, faking a tired tone. Suddenly, I heard sniffing sounds, as if someone was crying. I glanced at Sayo and saw tears streaming down her face.
"I… I'm sorry for just sitting there and not assisting. I feel so useless," Sayo muttered in a low voice, surprising me. I had thought she was crying because she saw blood on her hands.
I moved closer and hugged her. "It's fine. You both aren't useless. You just have to be brave and stand up for yourselves next time," I said, patting her back. Leyasu nodded silently, staring at the blood on his hands, but he didn't ask any questions about it.
Seeing that the two of them were back to normal, I sighed and went to look for the rider of our carriage.
"So, Tatsumi ran away without looking back?" Leyasu suddenly asked.
I turned my head toward him and chuckled. "He ran with his tail tucked between his legs."
"I see…" Leyasu muttered. I didn't know what was going through his mind, and frankly, I didn't care. He was probably weighing Tatsumi's betrayal. I would make sure to reveal his hypocrisy. He wasn't as good as the series portrayed him to be. If anything, Tatsumi was horrible.
"Found you," I muttered as I walked up to the carriage driver and slapped him across the face hard enough to jolt him awake. He immediately started cursing at me.
"Don't act like we didn't take care of the bandits," I said to the cussing driver.
"I fucking got shot, you idiot!" he yelled back, showing me the broken arrow lodged deep in his chest area.
After a lot of back-and-forth convincing, I finally helped him remove the arrowhead. Luckily, it hadn't hit any vital points.
We boarded the carriage again and continued our journey.
__________________________________
In the deeper part of the forest, a figure emerged from the bushes, panting heavily. It was none other than Tatsumi, who had taken to his heels after he and his company were attacked by bandits. He moved forward toward a small stream and knelt beside it, cupped his hands, and scooped up some water to drink. After quenching his thirst, he splashed water on his face as well.
"Haaa~! I thought I was going to die back there," Tatsumi exclaimed loudly while staring at his reflection in the stream. "But wait, didn't the others run after me? I wonder if they're okay. They probably went in another direction," he muttered to himself, reassuring his own heart. What mattered to him the most right now was—
"I can see the Empire ahead! I can't wait to become an officer!" he shouted, clenching his fists and pumping them into the air. With renewed excitement, he continued his journey. Along the way, he encountered a merchant who helped him reach the Empire.
Upon arriving, Tatsumi was completely mesmerized by the Empire's grandeur. Everything felt different here, far more advanced than the backwater village he came from. Clutching his bag tightly, he headed straight to where he could apply to join the military without hesitation. After asking around, he finally found the place.
There was a long queue, and the moment he joined it, he began attracting a lot of stares. After all, he looked very young compared to the average applicant, and from his clothing and the questions he asked, it was obvious he came from a village.
They were attended to by officers who first checked their height, age (sixteen being the minimum), and overall prowess. Tatsumi outperformed expectations in every test and even defeated one of the supervisors in a duel, eager to show how capable he was. He went as far as boasting that he would quickly climb through the ranks with his skills.
That, however, became the final straw.
"Hey kid, unfortunately, we can't accept any more people. There are just too many applicants. You have to leave," the supervisor said coldly, personally shoving Tatsumi toward the exit.
"B-But sir! I passed every test! I don't mind even becoming a low-ranking officer!" Tatsumi argued, but that only further enraged the supervisor.
"LEAVE! YOU ARROGANT PIECE OF SHIT!" the man roared, slamming the door shut in Tatsumi's face.
Unable to understand what he had done wrong, Tatsumi stood frozen. He had only shown how capable he was, yet he was treated like trash. Heartbroken, he sank down onto the floor in defeat, when a voice suddenly called out to him.
"Hey, kiddo. Why do you look so down?"
Tatsumi raised his head, and the first thing that entered his vision was a pair of dangerously large tits hovering above his face like ripe mangoes begging to be plucked.