No one answered immediately. The guards and travelers looked at one another in a stunned silence, the only sound being the heavy breathing of the wounded and the distant rustle of the wind. After a brief, heavy pause, the circle of spectators burst into spontaneous cheers. They rushed toward me, their faces lit with relief and admiration, patting my shoulders and shouting in their local tongue. I didn't understand a single word they were saying, but their joy was unmistakable.
“Hey, I understand that you are happy, but I don’t get what you are saying at all,” I muttered, trying to keep my balance as they jostled me.
They seemed to finally notice the language barrier. Several of the guards looked toward the man I had first saved, but most of them turned their attention toward the central carriage of the other caravan. A man stepped forward, dressed in flashy, expensive clothes that looked out of place in the dusty aftermath of a battle. He moved with an elegant, practiced grace that screamed of high society.
“Hello, warrior. Sorry, but most of them don’t know the common language,” the man said, offering a polite bow. “I am Malikstein, the owner of this merchant caravan. Thanks to you, we survived this desperate situation. Please allow me to express my utmost gratitude to you”.
“It is okay,” I answered casually, leaning my steel sword against my shoulder. “If I were not to help you, we would have been their next target anyway. So, as long as we distribute the loot fairly, I don’t ask for anything more”.
I had no desire to play the selfless hero. Being the "noble savior" was a bothersome role that often led to more trouble than it was worth. I wanted what I had earned.
“You are truly a glorious warrior,” Malikstein said, his eyes scanning me with interest. “Normally, people would try to gain as much as possible in this kind of situation”.
“Of course, they would,” I countered. “But you are a merchant, so I don’t think you would be trying to give as much as possible either, right? I am sure you already planned to show what merit your own warriors displayed in the fight”.
I knew how merchants operated—they were always looking for the most profitable angle. If I had been dealing with anyone else, I might have asked for a direct reward, but I knew Malikstein was already calculating the cost of this conversation. While I had been the one to tip the scales, the guards had still done the heavy lifting by holding the line while I picked the bandits off. From an outside perspective, I was merely a highly effective supporter.
“Hahaha, you are very sharp,” Malikstein chuckled, though his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. “I am ashamed to show this side of me to the person who saved our lives, but I cannot deny your logic. So, how do you suggest we distribute the loot?”
“Hmm, how about half?” I suggested, watching his reaction closely. “I think half would be appropriate if you judge me as your savior, right? Except for the leader whom I defeated, of course”.
I was intentionally asking for a high share, prepared to negotiate down, but to my surprise, Malikstein didn't immediately protest.
“Half is somewhat acceptable,” he mused, “but what about the leader?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” I said, standing my ground. “He and all of his belongings will be mine. I only agreed to the duel because your men didn't refuse my conditions, after all”.
Even though Malikstein hadn't been the one to agree to the terms of the duel, his men’s silence was enough to justify my claim.
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“I see. Normally, I would bargain over a captive of his level, but I can’t say anything if that was the agreement you reached,” he said, his tone resigned. He then turned toward the direction of our carriage. “I am sure he will agree that this is an advantageous transaction for you as well. Right, Mr. Copez?”
“Yes, I agree,” Copez said as he walked toward us. He looked at Malikstein with a touch of wariness. “This much is the most you can take from this greedy jewelry merchant. Han, I was surprised to see you rushing into the fray, but you showed excellent battle prowess. I heard you had a talent for hunting from Othrik, but this is beyond what I imagined. You fought like the swordmasters from the old stories. And as if that weren't enough, you even have a good trade sense. I am truly amazed”.
Copez’s eyes gleamed with excitement. I realized then that he would likely tell the story of this battle to everyone in Hajzenfels when he returned. It was a good thought; it might stop the villagers from worrying about my safety once I was gone.
We decided to combine our caravans for the remainder of the journey toward Targashar. Since we were so close to the city, it made sense to sort the loot and sell the captives there. Between the two caravans, we had collected the equipment of seven bandits and had two captives to sell. Copez mentioned that there might even be bounties on their heads.
“According to the current market, all the equipment and the two regular bandits could be sold for around fourteen gold coins,” Copez explained. “So, seven of those coins would be yours. As for the dead ones, we can collect bounty rewards by using their intelligence cards”.
I hadn't known about that feature. It seemed that shortly after a person’s death, their intelligence card materialized in a physical form, which could be presented to the authorities to claim a reward. It was a macabre but efficient system.
I decided to keep the bandit leader’s equipment for myself instead of selling it. By doing so, I could return the equipment I had purchased with points to the shop, freeing them up for other uses. I also used my Identify skill on the leader's belongings. Aside from his iron sword, I discovered a silver ring etched with a strange, dark symbol. I had seen white symbols on other weapons before, but this black one was new.
***
Silver Ring?
- Increase stamina recovery speed by 100%
***
The black symbol clearly denoted a special attribute or enchantment. The stamina recovery buff was incredible—it was the kind of gear I had seen on the high-level knights who visited the village. I wondered how a mere bandit had come into possession of such a treasure, but I wasn't about to complain about my luck.
My final gain from the battle was the experience. I had personally finished five of the seven defeated bandits. Since their average level was 25, the experience gain was significantly higher than what I had received from hunting forest beasts. My Swordsman job reached Level 10, while Hunter and Villager both climbed to Level 14.
More importantly, the bloodshed had unlocked a new job: Warrior.
***
Warrior:
- A normal job for the battlefield.
- Strength increase (small)
- Endurance increase (minor)
- Agility increase (minor)
Skill: Survival Instinct
- Half of the endurance stat will turn into the agility stat for (5 + 0.1 * level) seconds.
- Skill cost = 20 mana
***
The job provided an excellent Strength bonus along with boosts to Agility and Endurance. I immediately overhauled my job list. I revoked my experience-boosting skills for the moment and returned all my point-bought equipment to the shop. I increased my ‘Extra Job’ skill to Level 3, allowing me to equip four jobs simultaneously.
I set my equipped jobs as Swordsman, Warrior, Hunter, and Villager. With my Swordsman job reaching Level 10, my total point pool had reached 100. I spent 58 points on skills and 30 points on stats, deciding to hold the remaining 12 points for later. I knew that once we reached Targashar, I would need to set Villager as my primary job to register at the gates, so the remaining points would serve as a safety net.
As the combined caravan set out once more, I sat in the carriage, watching the road ahead. I was no longer just a traveler; I was a warrior with the blood of men on my hands and the gold of a city in my future.
[Edited]