Yes, as difficult as it might be to believe, Douve, daughter of the great House of Sepaeda, travels with only Blois and I as her bodyguards. On this carriage, moving leisurely through the countryside, are Douve, Blois, Lain, and myself, along with the old gentleman who drives it.
“Um, Lady Douve, are you sure we’re okay? No danger? Aren’t there lots of scary men outside?”
My daughter Lain, still a young child, tugs at Douve’s sleeve, as though looking for reassurance.
Douve smiles reassuringly at Lain. Having known Lain since she was a baby, Douve tends to treat the girl like her younger sister.
“Nothing to worry about, dear. Your papa and Blois are both very strong.”
I would prefer that her ladyship choose to consider discretion the better part of valor, but I suppose that’d be asking for too much.
Blois and I are certainly powerful, it’s true, but having only two guards to look after two people, not to mention the driver, has its risks even just considering the problem of numbers.
“Isn’t that right, Sansui, Blois? You two are my precious bodyguards, after all.”
Abuses of authority exist no matter what world you’re in, and nobles have more authority than most. Douve’s decided she wants us to kill bandits, which means we don’t have much choice in the matter.
I suppose I should be grateful that she has the sense not to just run off on her own, but massacring villains for her entertainment still strikes me as morally questionable.
Still, there’s no one here who can overrule Lady Douve, so we had no choice but to accept a detour from our planned route.
“The sun’s starting to set. Suppose that means we’ll spend the night here.”
“Lady Douve, aren’t you scared of the dark? I’m... a little scared.”
“Oh, it’ll be alright, Lain. Sansui and Blois will keep us safe.”
Glancing out the window, I noticed that the setting sun was dipping below the horizon. There aren’t any street lamps out this far, obviously, so the night is pitch black.
Since the carriage is pulled by actual horses, they still need to be fed and rested at night. Unfortunately, there’s no appropriate place to rest them on this new detour, since we’re currently heading up into the mountains.
It’s clear enough from Lain’s reaction that we’re deliberately heading toward risky territory during a dangerous time of day, all for a lark.
“Sansui, how many bandits are in these mountains?”
“About twenty, ma’am.”
At the moment, I’m regretting the fact that Immortals are able to sense the presence of other people. We’re not heading toward mountains that look like they might have bandits in them. We’re actually heading toward mountains that we know have bandits in them.
I can’t help but wince at Blois’s accusing gaze. Still, just because there’s bandits in these mountains, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll attack a carriage with the crest of House Sepaeda. I can only hope they restrain themselves.
“How exciting. I hope they bite.”
Using herself as bait — pretending to be defenseless, no less — in order to lure the bandits in, kill them, and then toss their bodies into a ditch... It’s not exactly a display of artful sensibility, but the ‘victims’ here are hardly innocents. They’ve brought their fate on themselves.
“I am looking forward to seeing you both fight.”
“I will use the skills passed down from my Master to defeat any who approach.”
“Any fool who challenges the crest of House Sepaeda won’t live to regret it.”
Given their line of work, bandits attacking a carriage are hardly in a position to complain about getting killed. Bandits willing to attack a carriage belonging to the famed martial House Sepaeda? They may as well be asking for death.
Sure, Lady Douve going out of her way to lure the bandits in is a bit iffy, but it’s not like she’s deceiving them. It’s ultimately their choice to attack us, after all.
“Papa...it’s all dark now.”
“Yes, I see that.”
The sun has set, and even the time where the clouds produce a faint reddish glow from the dying embers of the sunset has passed. The sky is filled with starlight, with a few scattered clouds obscuring patches of the sky.
In spite of this, the carriage continues along the mountain path, pausing only once it arrives at a fairly level area.
It’s hard to think of a situation more suited for a bandit attack. My daughter is the sanest of all of us.
“...Prepare yourself, Blois. They’re moving faster than expected. They’ve already seen us, and they’re amassing.”
“They still only number twenty, yes? Then their numbers are of no consequence. Focus on defense; I’ll deal with them.”
We have the elderly driver take shelter in the carriage, as well. Once the noncombatants are all inside, Blois and I decide to head into the dark woods.
“Papa...do you have to go?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be right back. Wait here with Lady Douve.”
“...Okay.”
My daughter’s such an angel. She’s such a good girl that I end up feeling bad for her. Why should a five-year-old have to deal with a bandit attack because her dad’s employer is bored? I think Lady Douve could stand to concern herself a bit more with how she influences Lain’s upbringing.
“Come out here already. I can see torchlight moving in from all sides.”
At Blois’s urging, I draw the wooden sword from my sash and step out of the carriage.
It’s a little early to call it night, exactly, but the sky is already full of stars. Although lit by moonlight, we’re in a heavily wooded mountain pass, so I doubt they can see where anyone else is without their torches.
Of course, that doesn’t matter to an Immortal like me. For Blois, the torches are simply markers to aim at.
“Halt and listen well! Do you approach knowing who rides within this carriage?!” Blois’s voice rings out like a thunderclap. She’s making one last effort to warn them.