After taking a day of rest, Akira and his group left Bulgar the next morning, once the sun has set. They had headed west to Lycia, and it took them more than half-a-day to reach the mountain range that separated Bern and Sacae. There, lived an infamous group of bandits; the Taliver bandits.
Arriving in front of the village's entrance, Lyn was taken aback by the sight in front of her.
「This place… It's…」
The village had been attacked by the Taliver bandits. Half of the village was burned while the other half of the city was heavily damaged; it was a terrible sight for Lyn to experience as her first travel.
「The entire area is in ruins. Why doesn't their marquess do anything to help?」
「Taliver Mountain is home to a gang of vicious, ruthless bandits. No marquess holds power here. My village was near here, on the other side of the mountain. My people were…」Lyn's eyes became empty, cold, without any emotion left within them. And after a long silence, she explained the story that happened, 「The Taliver bandits came at night. It took only one night. The survivors numbered less than ten, including me.」
「They're soulless beasts. I will never forgive them. Never.」
「Lyndis…」
「…」
Sain and Kent felt that they needed to say something but did not know what to say. Lyn made a wry smile and said with confidence, 「I'm not running away. I will be back...someday. I'll be stronger…I will break their swords beneath me like twigs beneath a stallion's hooves. I will avenge my people. I'll do everything in my power.」
「When the time comes, bring me with you.」
「Sain.」
Lyn felt grateful, his words touched her.
「Don't forget me, either.」
「Kent.」
She felt really grateful to have such blessed allies.
「Thus was the reason why I've decided to go to Lycia through this mountain range so that we can hit two stones with one bird,」 Akira explained.
「You mean by defeating the Taliver bandits and recruiting new fighting force after we save them?」
Akira nodded his head. Kent had a smart mind, he had to train him later on how to command troops, he thought. Kent was definitely a good commander.
「Although we may not obtain anything from defeating them, I just can't stand to watch innocent people getting slaughtered in front of me. And…」
A girl appeared in Akira's mind and a faint smile appeared on his face, 「My messenger should arrive soon.」
「Your messenger?」
Kent, Sain, and Lyn asked at the same time. And Akira was going to answer them but a sudden shout resounded within the destroyed village, 「Wait right there, little lady! What are you going to do to apologize? Huh?」
Not too far away from their place, several bandits were surroundings a young girl, mounted on a flying unicorn. The young girl had long purple fluffy hair and had an innocent face that did not fit her current age.
「Uh… I… That is, I…」
The girl did not seem to realize her own situation as she was still trying to give a proper apologize to them. One of the bandits suggested to his partner, 「Hey, she's quite a catch. eh, buddy? I bet our boss'd give us a pretty penny for her.」
The leader, Migal, nodded his head with a devilish smile on his face and said, 「 Yeah, She roughed me up a bit, so I figure fair's fair. It's not more'n she deserves.」
「I… I…」
Florina who had finally realized her own circumstances started to tremble. The bandits carefully approached her and her pegasus and were trying to catch them. This pegasus horse was her partner and she could not let them act freely.
「Don't you dare to touch her!」
Florina gathered all of her courage and threatened them, but it was obviously not enough to stop them. Worse than that, it had even angered them even further than necessary.
「What? You just watch your mouth, girlie!」
Florina was a kind girl and was not used to resort to violence to settle things so she could only try to calm them and pitifully begged with her timid voice, 「Do what you will with me, just… let her go. Please, I beg of you.」
To a pegasus knight, her pegasus horse was not just a means of transportation. She was also her soulmate and her dear, and best friend. She could not allow them to hurt her, not even in the slightest.
「Hahaha! Silly twit, Pegasus can only be found in Ilia, they're rare beasts, worth more than you by far! We can sell it for a mountain of gold. Let it go? Hahaha!」
Of course, there was no way they could let the pegasus horse escape them. The riches he could obtain from these two pigeons were too precious for him to let it go.
「No, you can't...」
The bandit's sentence completely broke Florina's last hope. Not only her but neither her pegasus would be spared from the bandits' greed. She could see herself sold as a slave to the filthy and perverted nobles as she shook her head and tried to struggle until the bitter end.
「C'mon Let's move!」
Florina did not have much physical strength. Compared to the bandits, her strength alone was not sufficient enough to stop them from kidnapping her. And in the end, they easily tied her up and was going to kidnap her somewhere, but noticing the commotion, Lyn could not help but mutter at she pointed at the pegasus horse, 「That's… that's pegasus… could it be?」
Lyn was apparently not the only one who had noticed the familiarity. Florina could not believe to meet her close friend, Lyn, in such a place as she shouted in surprise, 「Ah! Lyn?」
「Florina! What are you doing in a place such as this?」
「Lyn! Is it really you? I… I...」
Seeing Florina's tears welling up, Lyn could not help but sigh and said, 「Come now, no crying.」
Florina broke free from the group of bandits. They had not expected to meet a group of travellers during their attempt to kidnap which resulted in her escape.
Upon reaching Lyn, Florina hugged her, 「I'm sorry,」she said while tears were flowing through her cheeks. She could not help but cry, it showed Lyn how frightened Florina was by her current situation.
「Are you acquaintances?」
Kent asked.
Lyn nodded her head, 「She's my friend. This is Florina, a pegasus knight in training from Ilia. She's a little uncomfortable around men.」
Kent understood the meaning of her words and let the two young girls on their own as he walked towards the bandits and face them with Sain.
Lyn calmly looked at Florina and asked, 「Florina, what happened here?」
Florina calmed her falling tears and slowly explained, 「Well...um...When I heard you had left, I decided to follow you. Then I saw this village…I flew down to ask if they had news of you. I didn't see these two, and...well…」
Kent who was listening to the side somehow understood the whole story so he asked to confirm his doubts, 「Did your pegasus landed on them?」
Florina showed an embarrassed expression, 「Well, I... A little…」
The bandit pointed his finger at Florina.
「Aha! You've heard her!」
Another one even shamelessly said, 「She admits her fault! She stepped on my friend, and now she's got to pay!」
Lyn ignored the duo and asked Florina, 「Did you apologize?」
「Yes, I told them I was sorry many times over. They just wouldn't listen...」
Florina felt aggrieved because it was her fault in the first place. She was too kindhearted and she often gets bullied due to that. Lyn patted Florina to comfort her and gently said, 「Don't cry, it's all right.」
「Lyn…」
Lyn then returned her stare at the duo with a cold look.
「Listen, she's obviously sorry. Can't we just let this pass? You don't appear to be unjuried or anything.」
The leader of the group, Migal stepped forward and shook his head. He then unsheathed his weapon and declared,「No chance. The girl goes with us — by force if need be!」
「Hey! C'mon out now, boys! The men are fair game, but don't put a scratch on the girls!」
Once he finished his sentence, dozens of bandits came out from their hideouts and them. The negotiations had failed and they had no other choice but to fight.
「I'm sorry everyone...because of me...」
Lyn shook her head, 「That's not your fault,」she said as she unsheathed the Mani Katti. Sain, Kent, Akira, and the group also nodded their head in agreement. They then unsheathed their weapon and got ready for the approaching battle.
When everyone was busy fighting, a man's voice entered Akira's ears「May need some help?」Asked the man.
「Your help is welcomed.」
Akira said with a faint smile on his face. Two new recruits had come into his doorstep and without him doing anything. (It was really a good idea to come here,) thought Akira as he repelled surroundings bandits.
* * * * *
「That's finally taken care of. 」
Lyn unsheathed her katana as she defeated the last remaining bandit. Migal, the leader of the group has been taken care of and most of the bandits have been slain; though it had taken them two hours to do so, the village was now safe.
「Lyn!」
Florina descended from the sky after patrolling around the village.
「I…I can't see any bandit left near the surroundings.」
Lyn sighed in relief but she then asked Florina in a serious tone,「Florina…Why did you follow me? This is not a game.」
Out of nowhere, Florina asked all of a sudden,「Do you remember the knighting ceremony of the Pegasus Knight of Ilia?」
「Yes, you join a band of freelance soldiers to further your training,」Lyn recalled. She then has a sudden thought and could not help but voiced it out, 「Is that what brought you here, Florina?」
「Uh-huh,」Florina acknowledged positively through a nod of her head. 「I wanted to talk to you before I set out,」
「But when I went to Sacae,」Florina paused for a while before continuing, 「I heard that you left with some strangers, and…」
「You were worried for me?」Lyn smiled at Florina's cuteness. This girl was really something, she thought. If it was not for her current comrades watching them, then she would have hugged Florina and never let her go.「Thank you, but I'm more worried about you,」said Lyn as she patted Florina's head.
「Me?」
The girl showed a surprised expression. She has most likely yet to realize how much clumsy, easy-to-trick, and kindhearted she currently was. Akira could not help but show a wry smile as he listened to the two ladies talking to each other.
「Listen, most mercenaries are men, right? Bands of men?」Lyn especially emphasized the word «men» as she spoke. 「I can't imagine you being all comfortable around them.」
「I know, I know, 」
Florina repeated twice to give herself a bit more of courage and spoke again.
「It's just… I've always dreamt of being a pegasus knight.」
Akira could see for the first time how determined Florina's eyes were. It made him value Florina a bit more from the overall estimation he had beforehand. This time, the young pegasus girl had managed to forcefully hold her tears.
「I imagined I would just… work it out Somehow.」
When she said these words, Florina's face was as red as a tomato. Akira's heart skipped a beat; this girl was way too cute that it was hard for his heart to keep watching her. He felt his heart melting away from her cuteness.
「After today, I'm not sure,」 Florina stared at the ground below her feet. 「Maybe I should just…give up…」The tears that were holding back until now were going to flow once again.
Lyn thought that she had to say something but she could only pat her back and gently mutter, 「Florina… Don't cry…」
「Yes! There's no reason to give up on your dream!」
A manly voice entered Lyn and Florina's ears as they turned to look at Sain whose horse was approaching.
「Hm?」
Lyn's eyebrows frowned at Sain's weird face. The young knight knelt on the ground and kissed Florina's delicate hand.
「Lovely Florina! I have the most brilliant idea,」he said.
「Sain!」
Kent had a bad feeling about this so he called him out — but he was a step too late.
「You should come with us!」
Sain suggested. He paused and continued, 「With the addition of Wil here, we're a fine group of soldiers, and freelance too!」
「Wait, did you include me?」
「Of course! We're destined to meet here! It's fate!」 Sain insisted, 「Come now, Lyndis's band of mercenaries is a good training group as you will find anywhere!」
Ken gave a quick glance at Akira before he said in a severe tone,「Sain… This is no joking matter.」
「Lyndis? Um, Lyn? Mercenaries?」
Florina seemed to have lost the track of the discussion as she tilted her head so Lyn quickly explained, 「I can give you details later. This is all a bit rushed. However, Sain is right. Will you come with us, Florina?」
Florina was quite taken aback by Lyn's proposal as she muttered,「Travel with you, Lyn? Truly?」
She then started to imagine herself as a pegasus knight and she believed that if she were to travel with Lyn, then she might become what she had truly wished since young, to achieve her dream, to become a true pegasus knight.
「I would be so...so happy!」
Florina honestly said.
「Fantastic! Beauteous Florina! I am a knight of Caelin. My name is Saint.」
「Eeek!」
The young knight approached the young pegasus cavalier to greet her but instead of receiving a greeting, the young knight heard a loud cry.
「Stay back, don't get so close, 」
Florina pushed Sain away but the latter did not seem to notice the girl's disgust towards men. seeing such a commotion in front of him, Akira could only sigh in depression.
「Now that I think about it, they did not even mention my permission did they?」
Although Akira was the leader and recruiter of the group, he did certainly not feel like one...but at least... they had managed to recruit two new comrades, he thought.
「So… It is really alright if I travel with you?」
Everyone suddenly turned to Wil.
「Y-Yes! Of course.」
Florina was the first to answer Wil's question but including herself, everyone had the same thought at that moment: they all had nearly forgotten that this person, Wil, was standing there as well since the beginning.