Chapter 27
Leaving the dazed bandits alone for now, Yuurai walks through the town with Gilka.
"This area has gotten pretty clean. Thanks."
"I'm glad you're pleased. But this is just a small part of the whole town, so there's still a long way to go."
"Yeah. No complaints from the others? Like, 'All we do is grunt work!' or something?"
"It's fine. Far from complaints, they're starting to say that if they can work like this, it's not so bad."
"Really? I thought bandits were people who hated honest work and liked hurting others."
"I admit most of them are like that. But they didn't start out that way. They became bandits because they had no other way to survive. No jobs, abandoned by their parents, running from something. Same with me. I used to be a slave, but I couldn't endure that life and ran away. But even after escaping, there was no work, so I had no choice but to become a bandit."
"......I see."
"There aren't many people who actively choose to become bandits. They hit a wall they can't overcome and are forced into it."
"......Is that so?"
(Maybe the ones who attacked Lipia and the others were like that too......)
"That said, if I hadn't met Yuurai-sama, even if I had the chance to work honestly, I probably wouldn't have taken it."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Turning from a bandit to a law-abiding citizen takes a lot of resolve. We even want an excuse like, 'I'm only working honestly because a powerful person ordered me to.'"
"I see......"
"Also, thanks to Yuurai-sama, a lot of people have clearer expressions now."
"What do you mean by that?"
"For people who've done bad things to start walking the right path, they need to be punished accordingly. If they get away with all their past crimes, they start wondering, 'Am I really allowed to live like this?' Thanks to Yuurai-sama's harsh punishments, that hesitation is gone."
"Huh...... I guess that kind of thing happens too."
(Maybe the same can be said for Gilka. She seems less harsh than before.)
"Yuurai-sama's power is definitely terrifying, but it's also been a chance for me to change. Now, I think it was good I came here."
(It's not just a power that instills fear...... Just thinking that makes it a little easier.)
"......By the way, are there any people saying they can't sleep at night because of aftereffects?"
"Ah, there are. Some say they're scared to sleep because they almost always have nightmares."
"That's not good...... Are they okay?"
"There are sleeping pills and sleep magic, so it's okay."
"......I see. That does sound like bandits."
"We used them all the time when we were bandits."
"Figures."
A cold wind blew. The temperature was probably already in the single digits, and it was said this region would get much colder. Snow would pile up and stay for quite some time.
"By the way, do we need to prepare for winter? I don't need to eat, but Gilka does, right?"
"We still have enough preserved food for a whole town, so just for us, it's no problem. Since it's a cold region, it doesn't rot either. But by next year, we need to prepare properly. Like tilling the fields or bringing in livestock."
"......It would've been nice if at least the livestock had survived. Sorry, I wiped them all out."
"Even if they had, we wouldn't have been able to take care of them. They would've starved to death anyway."
"That's true."
As Gilka talked about next year, she wore a lively expression. Yuurai found it a little dazzling.
"Gilka, do you want to live in this town forever?"
"Well...... I think a future like that wouldn't be so bad."
"......I see. But sorry. As long as I'm here, all sorts of people will keep coming after me. We might not have a peaceful life. You might have to fight too, Gilka."
"I'm fine with that. Fighting not to steal or kill for myself, but to protect my town—doesn't that sound cool?"
Gilka grins cheerfully. There's a hint of ferocity like a wolf, but also strength.
"......When the time comes, I'm counting on you. According to Claire, there'll probably be a big battle before the real winter hits. She says it might be a top-tier adventurer or maybe an army—no one knows."
"When that happens, I'll fight too."
"Thanks. Claire and I are both weak against holy attributes, so if something like that comes, we'll be relying on you."
"Understood."
It's about time to return to the castle.
Just as Yuurai thought that, Gilka grabbed her and leapt backward.
A massive fireball crashed down where they had just been.
Looks like they were under attack.