On their way home, Saphire and Aria walked along a path between shady trees. A gentle breeze carried the fresh scent of leaves, but the tranquility was soon disturbed by shouts and the sound of clashing weapons from a direction not too far away.
Saphire stopped in her tracks and raised her hand, signaling Aria to be quiet. "Stay here, Aria," she whispered, straining her ears.
From a distance, she saw a horse-drawn carriage being attacked by a group of bandits. There were about 20 of them, fully armed, attacking brutally. The four guards of the carriage tried desperately to fight back, but one by one they fell under the pressure of the overwhelming number of opponents.
Saphire's face hardened. Her eyes scanned the situation carefully. The carriage seemed to be carrying important goods, possibly passengers. If she didn't act, their fate would clearly be tragic.
Saphire knelt in front of Aria, looking at her seriously. "Aria, listen to me carefully. You hide behind that tree," she said, pointing to a large tree not far away. "Don't come out until I return. Understand?"
Aria looked at her mother worriedly. "But Mama, there are so many of them. Are you going to be okay?"
Saphire smiled slightly, though her face remained stern. "Trust me, I've been through worse than this. Stay safe, okay?"
Aria nodded reluctantly, then ran behind a large tree as instructed. After making sure Aria was safe, Saphire drew her katana, looking coldly at the group of bandits.
"Now it's time to make them regret it," she muttered under her breath, before starting to move with confident steps towards the battle.
As Saphire got closer, one of the bandits looked her way and signaled to his comrades. "Hey, there's someone else! Hahaha, does he think he can take us on alone?" one of the bandits shouted with a mocking laugh.
Saphire stopped a few meters away from them, her gaze as sharp as her sword. "If you surrender now, I might let you go with your lives," she said in a calm but menacing voice.
The bandits only laughed harder, thinking she was bluffing. "Foolish woman! Who do you think you are? Slaughtering us all by yourself?"
Saphire raised her katana in a casual manner, the wind blowing around her. "You'll find out soon enough."
One of the bandits charged forward with a reckless charge, swinging his sword at Saphire. In one swift movement, Saphire tilted her body and dodged the attack, then retaliated with a lightning slash that took the bandit down in one blow.
"He—he's too fast!" one of the bandits shouted, starting to panic.
Seeing their comrade fall, the others charged forward in unison, trying to surround Saphire. But with the combination of Shadow Step and the incredible speed of her AGI attribute, Saphire moved like a shadow between them. Each slash of her katana was deadly, and one by one the bandits fell without a chance to retaliate.
One of the bandits tried to attack her from behind, but Saphire activated Light Reflex, turned around with incredible speed, and stopped the attack with her katana. She then threw a kick that sent the bandit flying to the ground.
Saphire continued to fight relentlessly, her movements like a deadly dance in the middle of the battlefield. When the number of bandits was reduced to half, the rest began to lose their courage.
"Wait, this is no ordinary person!" shouted one of the bandits who tried to escape.
However, Saphire did not give them a chance. She threw her katana with full force towards the fleeing bandit, then activated Instant Move. In an instant, she moved to the position of the thrown katana and cut down the bandit in one move.
The remaining bandits tried to surrender, kneeling down and begging for mercy. Saphire approached them with a cold gaze. "Leave. And don't ever think about doing something like this again," she said in a firm tone.
Without thinking, the bandits ran in panic, leaving the horse carriage and their belongings behind.
After making sure the situation was safe, Saphire sheathed her katana and walked towards the horse carriage. "Are you okay?" she asked the passengers who began to get out with faces full of gratitude.
"We're fine, all thanks to you," replied one of them. "Thank you, Miss. We won't forget this."
Saphire nodded briefly, then walked back to where Aria was hiding. She found the little girl still waiting behind the tree, her face relieved when she saw her mother returned safely.
As Saphire was about to leave the place, a voice called out to her from behind. "Wait, Miss Fighter!" a young girl called from the direction of the horse-drawn carriage.
Saphire stopped and turned around. In front of her stood a girl of about 15 years old, with a beautiful appearance very striking. Her eyes were bright green like emeralds, radiating both gentleness and curiosity. Her hair was long, golden orange like the setting sun, flowing gracefully over her shoulders. Her face was beautiful and elegant, giving off the impression of a refined and honorable young noble. Her neat clothes, although a little dirty from the incident earlier, showed her high status.
Saphire looked at the girl with a little surprise. "Do you need something?" she asked, her voice flat but not cold.
The girl smiled softly, trying to hide her nervousness. "My name is Isolde Ashryn. I am a student at the magic academy in this city. Thank you for saving us. If it weren't for you, I don't know what would have happened to all of us." She lowered her head deeply, while folding her hands in front of her chest as if praying.
Saphire nodded briefly, accepting the thanks. However, her gaze remained full of curiosity. "Isolde, if you are a student at the magic academy, why didn't you intervene? With your magic, you should have been able to deal with bandits of their class easily."
The question made Isolde look a little uneasy. She gripped the hem of her skirt nervously, lowering her gaze. "I... I was just accepted into that magic academy. My mana is still very weak, and I don't have enough confidence to fight. I'm afraid that I will only be a burden to others."
Saphire studied the girl carefully, noting the honesty in her voice. "Then why did you choose to become a mage? With your weak mana and your lack of confidence, what made you want to take that path?"
Isolde bit her lip for a moment, then looked at Saphire with eyes filled with determination, though there was a hint of doubt in them. "I had no choice. I come from a noble family with a magical bloodline. If I don't inherit that ability, I will disappoint my family and ancestors. But... to be honest, I want to become stronger. I want to prove that I am capable, even though I am still weak now."
Hearing that confession, Saphire fell silent for a moment. She understood the pressure this girl must have felt, even though her path was different. Finally, she spoke in a softer tone. "Then, you must start training yourself. That power doesn't just come. Your fear will only hinder you from moving forward. You know that, right?"
Isolde nodded slowly, looking embarrassed but also encouraged by Saphire's words. "I know. And I promised myself, one day I will become stronger. Thank you for your advice, Miss Saphire."
"My name is Saphire, not 'miss'," Saphire said, half-jokingly. "And make sure you keep that promise, Isolde."
The girl smiled brighter, respect radiating from her gaze. "Of course. If we meet again, I will show you how far I have come."
Saphire simply nodded, then walked away. Aria, who had been peeking from behind a tree, finally came out and took Saphire's hand.
"Who is she, Mama?" Aria asked curiously.
"Just a magic student," Saphire answered lightly, before continuing their journey back to the city. Behind them, Isolde stared at Saphire's back with a newfound admiration in her heart.
On the way home, Saphire was silent, her mind filled with questions that never got answers. She watched Aria walk beside her with light steps, looking happy after their short adventure. However, her thoughts returned to one thing that always made her curious.
"Why can't I use magic like the people in this world? Why do I only have skills?" Saphire muttered softly, more to herself.
She remembered her fights against various enemies, from bandits to Alpha Wolves. Skills like Shadow Step or Wind Slash had helped her many times, but unlike magic, those skills didn't use mana.
"Everyone in this world uses mana for their magic. So why am I different?" she thought again. Her eyes narrowed slightly, contemplating deeper. "Hmm... maybe because I'm from another world. Maybe my body isn't in tune with the energy of this world. Whatever it is, there must be a reason behind me being sent here."
Saphire took a deep breath, trying to dispel her anxiety. She didn't want to get too caught up in questions that couldn't necessarily be answered right now.
Aria who was walking beside her realized that Saphire was pensive. "Mom, what are you thinking?" she asked, looking at Saphire with her innocent eyes.
Saphire smiled slightly, ruffling Aria's hair gently. "It's okay, Aria. I was just thinking about something."
Aria nodded, not really understanding, but still gave a bright smile. "Mommy can handle anything. I'm sure of it!"
Aria's words made Saphire's heart a little lighter. She decided to not thinking too much about it for now.
Soon after, they arrived at the inn. The distinctive aroma of Elara's cooking greeted them at the door. Elara emerged from the kitchen, waving at them with a friendly smile.
"Welcome back, Saphire, Aria. How was your day?" Elara asked in a soft tone.
Aria immediately ran towards Elara, telling her about their adventures enthusiastically. Saphire just smiled, taking off the katana from her back and placing it in the corner of the room. She felt tired, but her heart was calm.
"Whatever the reason I am in this world, I must keep moving forward. Aria needs me," Saphire thought as she stretched.
After greeting Elara, Saphire finally went up to her room to clean herself and enjoy dinner, preparing herself for tomorrow.
After enjoying a delicious dinner made by Elara, Saphire and Aria headed to their room upstairs. The night felt so quiet, only the sound of the gentle wind whispering through their bedroom window.
Aria jumped onto the bed enthusiastically. "Today was so much fun, Mom! I loved watching you fight. You're so cool!" she said with a big smile, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
Saphire sat on the edge of the bed, taking off her boots and arranging her things in the corner of the room. She turned to Aria, a soft smile on her face. "But you're great too, Aria. You've learned a lot and gotten stronger. I'm proud of you."
Aria moved closer, hugging Saphire tightly. "I'll keep trying, Mom! So I can be as strong as Mom."
Saphire returned Aria's hug, gently stroking her pale blonde hair. "We'll keep learning and growing together, Aria. But tonight, let's rest first, okay. Tomorrow will be a new day."
After making sure Aria was comfortable in bed, Saphire blew out the candle on the small table, turning off the lights in the room. The calming darkness of the night enveloped the room, only lit by the dim moonlight that came through the gap in the window.
Aria yawned a little, then closed her eyes. Within minutes, her breathing slowed, indicating that she had fallen asleep.
Saphire lay down on the other side of the bed, her eyes staring at the ceiling in thought for a moment. Thoughts about this world, about her responsibilities as an adventurer, and about Aria who was now the center of her life swirled in her mind.
"No matter what happens, I will protect you, Aria," she whispered softly before she finally fell into a deep sleep, welcoming the next day full of new possibilities.