THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

"Let's go."

Anriette seems to have fainted because of her injuries. Well, K'nor has already chased the bandits away so if she dies, then that will be that. If she was in that town, then she certainly deserved whatever happened to her.

"Ugh…" She moans with pain while blood pours out of her nose. She's going to die after all.

"Well, nothing I can do." I turn around and touch K'nor who was still looking at her. "Let's go, K'nor. There is nothing we can do for her." At least, there is nothing I want to do…

"Woof!".

"Se…len…"

"What?!!" Did she just say Selene?

I walk to her but there is no more sound coming out of her mouth except groans of pain. Could it be she is Selene's relative? I have to save her then!!

"Hang on!! You hear me?!!"

I heal her and all her wounds disappear quickly. Her face looks just like the day I first met her. That the image I was using while healing her after all. When I am finished, she still doesn't wake up.

"Was she that tired?"

***

"Please help!!!" She suddenly wakes up thirty minutes later, screaming as loud as she can. "Where… what… Hyaaa!!!" Seeing K'nor lying in front of her, she screams again and backs away until she hits the tree behind her.

"Stop screaming."

"Mr.Dragonroad. How? What? This is-"

"Calm down first." She keeps breathing heavily for a long time, sweating bullets. Finally, after more than ten minutes, she gradually calms down.

"Fuuu..." Taking a huge breath, she sighs heavily and places her hand on her chest.

"You okay now?"

"Y-yes. Thank you. I suppose you saved me somehow from this beast. You must be really strong." Saved you from K'nor? Because he has his eyes closed, she thinks he is dead. So, she doesn't remember how I was stroking his head earlier.

"Those bandits seem to like you quite a bit."

"Bandits?... Ah! Where are they? Those fucking bastards!!! Shit-eaters!!"

"They ran away, but they are not far, I think." I can still hear their heartbeats, so they are still around.

"Mr.Dragonroad, please. I need your help. My-"

"Did you know Selene Caracas?"

"What?"

"Selene Caracas and Excafol Ditorria. Did you know them?"

"No, wait, I-"

"So, you didn't then?" Why did you say Selene's name if you didn't know her? Could it be that she is associated with those assassins? That would explain how she survived. I should kill her as painfully as possible. Pull out her nails and cut her toes then burn-

"I knew Selene very well. She was the one who helped entered the guild. She is like a mentor to me. I often helped in her inn when I could. Though it closed sometimes ago. As for Excafol Ditorria. He came back recently to town with her but…"

"I see." Why are you looking at me like that?

So, she knew Selene after all.

"What is it that you wanted help with?"

"Please, I beg you. Those bandits took my identification card, and without it, I will be considered a slave wherever I go. I sincerely implore you, help me retrieve it. There are other people who they have taken as well. Please, I implore you, help us."

"Begging like that won't change anything. I will recover your card but that's all."

"Why?!! Please, if it is a payment, you can have it as soon as you bring it back!! I swear on my name!!!" She removes the coat a bit, awkwardly exposing her shoulder.

"Meaning?"

"You can have your way with me as much as you like. I won't resist, I swear." Have my way? What does she mean?

"Listen, I don't care about what-" She starts crying. Tears are falling down from her eyes like raindrops, and she once again places her face to the ground.

"Please." Tch. If only you didn't know Selene.

"Tch! Stop crying. I will do it."

"Thank you!! Thank you very much!" she thanks me while crying even more. Her face turned pink.

"K'nor, you stay here with her." K'nor raises his head and looks at Anriette, then he just yawns. Anriette starts trembling like a leaf. She keeps looking at him with a terrified look. "He won't do anything. Unless you do something first, of course."

"I-I would never."

***

Leaving Anriette and K'nor, I head to the bandits. They were not even far from us and were walking quietly as if they didn't want to make any noise.

"Hey, don't you think we are far enough?" They are whispering while walking like snails. What's the point of that?

"Idiot! Have you not seen that beast? It was an alpha male wolfider. And an adult one at that. it must be the one who controls this forest!"

"So, what? It must be busy eating that girl. We should run and flee as far as possible while it is."

"You crazy? Those things are so territorial it would slaughter us just because we entered his territory!!"

"No, he is right. You should have run."

Hearing my voice, the bandits turned towards me as I was standing on a tree.

"Who-"

I fall on them and slaughter everything single one.

"Please! Please! I wil-"

The last one tried to beg or something. It doesn't matter since I have already beheaded him. I find Anriette's card in a pouch they had, together with some water. I remove some clothes from the bandits and go back.

"You are back already? How? Were they near here?"

"Here is your card and some clothes. You can go now."

I hand her the card and the clothes I took, ignoring her question. She takes them with her trembling hands and looking at her card. She sighs deeply—a sigh of relief. But then looks at me with disbelief.

"What is it?"

"T-the others? You didn't…"

"Their fate is their own. Yours is yours. In the first place, if they didn't have the courage to flee like you th-"

"They sacrificed so that I could flee and find help!!!"