Walking slowly, Violet kept her eyes fixed on the crevice.
The area around them was wide open, the trees far behind, and the sky stretched endlessly overhead.
A knot of anxiety tightened in her stomach.
This is bad… we're way too exposed!
If a griffon came swooping down from above—or worse, a wyvern—we wouldn't even see it coming…
Her fear had old roots.
When she was little, playing with the neighborhood kids, she'd accidentally disturbed a flock of crows nesting in an abandoned building.
They'd chased and scattered the birds for fun, but Violet had pushed too far. She got too close—
—and paid the price.
The enraged crows had swarmed her, pecking and scratching until she finally managed to hide inside an old shop.
"You must be careful, Violet. The world out there is full of sudden dangers…"
Those had been Célene's words as Violet sobbed in her lap, vowing revenge on every last feathered menace.
Continuing along the edge of the ravine, Violet noticed something up ahead.
"What's that?"
Approaching cautiously, she realized the dark shape was a long wooden bridge connecting the two sides of the crevasse.
But there was… something else.
A chill crept up her spine.
From the bushes near the bridge, a man stepped out—clad in light leather armor, a hood drawn low over his face.
Violet froze.
Nainai, who hadn't stopped walking, bumped straight into her back, squashing his nose flat against her shoulder blades.
Violet stared at the stranger for several long seconds.
"Is that… a man?"
What do I do?? Should I run?
She glanced at the dwarf tied to her waist.
No… dragging him along, I'd never get far.
Maybe he's just a traveler… I hope…
She approached with slow, careful steps, gripping her staff tightly, praying the man was harmless.
"Good morning…"
The hooded man gave a polite, swift bow.
"Good morning to you…"
"Who are you?" Violet tried to catch a glimpse beneath the hood, but failed.
"My name is Ghis, miss. Adventurer, part-time mercenary… and above all, thief."
Thief?!
"What an interesting sight…"
The man's tone remained casual and confident as his eyes examined both her and the dwarf behind her.
"…A girl and a dwarf tied together with a rope.
The world truly never runs out of strange sights."
"What are you doing here?" Violet tried to stall, hoping to figure out the man's intentions.
"Well, I'm waiting! I was waiting for someone just like you two to come by."
"Like us? What's that supposed to mean?"
Damn it…
"Well, as I mentioned… I'm a thief."
The moment his words registered, Violet began to step back.
"…So I was hoping you'd be generous enough to share some of your coins with me.
Let's say… all of them."
I knew it…
Now what do I do?!
"Coins? I—I don't have any coins…"
After all the work I did to earn them, why should I hand them over to him?!
"Oh, that's fine. There are other ways you can satisfy me…"
The man lunged forward with startling speed, grabbing at her.
"You're cute, you know? Just my type…"
His hands slid along her clothes, reaching her pouch—
clinkclink
"And what do we have here?" He feigned surprise with a crooked grin.
No! My money!
He yanked the pouch free, then lifted a hand to her chin, tilting her face up toward him.
Up close, Violet could finally see him clearly—young, dark-haired, dark-eyed. Human.
"Pretty little liar… definitely my type.
How about we—"
The moment his fingers touched her chin, Violet reacted on pure instinct.
She lunged forward and bit down on his hand with all the force her jaw could muster.
"AAAGH!!"
The man screamed, thrashing until he tore himself free.
Blood dripped from the crescent marks of her bite.
"You're insane! Look what you did to my hand!"
Raging, he turned back toward her, fist clenched and trembling.
"You brat—!"
It happened in an instant.
As soon as he stepped toward her, Violet swung upward and kicked him straight between the legs.
The man went pale—
—and collapsed to the ground wheezing, curling in on himself as he struggled for air.
"I… I'll kill you…!"
His hand shot toward his belt, fingers brushing the hilt of a knife.
Violet didn't wait.
Raising her staff, she brought it down hard on his head.
A solid THUD echoed across the ravine as the thief slumped unconscious.
"I grew up in an orphanage with six older brothers…"
Violet stood over him, eyes sharp and unshaken.
"It'll take more than some two-bit thief to scare me."
After releasing the force of that last strike, Violet stepped closer and glared down at the man with pure disgust.
"Pervert."
She picked up her pouch and tucked it back under her clothes, then kicked his knife—sending it spinning off the edge of the ravine and down into the depths below.
Behind her, Nainai watched with an expression of surprise and genuine admiration.
"What?" she asked, noticing his wide-eyed stare.
"How do you think I've survived all this time in an orphanage? By letting people do whatever they want?
Do you have any idea how hard it is being the only girl among a bunch of older brothers?"
Nainai didn't answer, but his eyes remained fixed on her, impressed.
"Come on…"
Violet stepped past the unconscious thief and tugged on the rope to get her companion moving again.
"Let's get out of here before he wakes up!"
Once she had regained her composure, Violet and Nainai headed onto the bridge.
She cast one last look back at the unfortunate man, still sprawled motionless on the ground.
Maybe I went a little overboard…
But he deserved it!
Crossing the bridge, the two continued along the trail.
The path narrowed as it slipped between thick vegetation, and soon the pair vanished into the shade of the forest.