His decision to kill Corvin hadn't just completed a quest, it had set off a chain reaction. The mayor's grief, the suspicion falling on Elise's family, their deaths—whether through the mayor's orders, his rage, or some other consequence Yamamoto couldn't even guess at.
'I can't be so careless going forward,' Yamamoto thought to himself. 'Even if it means giving up rewards, even if it means taking the harder path... I need to think about consequences. About who gets hurt.'
Whether or not he would be able to stick to that, who could say? It was easier said than done, in the end.
…
The next morning, Kenneth noticed Yamamoto's subdued mood but didn't comment on it. They made their way to the transport area, where they found a caravan heading to Mashlow. It had around a dozen wagons carrying various goods, with 8 hired guards for protection. The fee was a bit steep, but understandably so, so they paid without much of a bargain.
Once they were ready, they climbed into a wagon they had been shown, the one carrying textile, and to say the least, the place was much comfortable, with enough space for one to even lie down if they wished.
Another passenger was already there before them, a young man that looked to be in his late teens, with dark hair pulled back into a messy ponytail. He sat at the corner end of the wagon with his arms crossed, wearing a mean screwface, glaring at nothing in particular.
"Morning," Kenneth offered cheerfully, receiving a low grunt as reply.
Kenneth glanced at Yamamoto and shrugged, and Yamamoto just minded his business.
The caravan set out shortly after sunrise, and the journey began.
The young man spent most of the first day sitting in tense silence, and from his template, Yamamoto couldn't help but feel that he was going to be troublesome, he had too much going for him in that direction.
Sure enough, he didn't need to wait long to confirm his suspicions.
On the second day, while the caravan was moving through a forested section of the road, the lead wagon suddenly came to an abrupt stop, with shouts accompanying it. It was alarm from the guards in front.
"Bandits!" One of them yelled out, "Everyone stay where you are!"
Yamamoto and Kenneth immediately stood, hands moving to their weapons. This was what they'd been hired for—or rather, what the caravan guards had been hired for, but as adventurers, they weren't about to sit idle.
Well, while they yet decided, the young man was faster than both of them.
He vaulted out of the wagon with a snarl, drawing a pair of short swords from sheaths at his back, and charged toward the front of the caravan before anyone could stop him.
Watching the boy, Kenneth couldn't help but be bold, calling to Yamamoto as he jumped down after the boy. "Odinson, come on!"
Yamamoto followed, catching up quickly.
The bandits were a ragged group—maybe a dozen of them, armed with mismatched weapons and wearing leather armor in various states of disrepair. They'd set up a crude roadblock with fallen logs and were demanding the caravan hand over valuables.
To say the least, they didn't get any good answers before the young man charged at them, ferociously. His technique was wild, past the border of reckless, but it was undeniably effective against the bandits. He fought with a raw aggression that caught the bandits off-guard, scaring them enough from his attitude alone.
As great as that was, his wild style of attack was leaving him too open, completely pouring everything on brute offense and no defense.
One of the bandits managed to find himself positioned behind the young man, swinging his club at his back, but luckily, Kenneth arrived in time to block the strike, "watch your back!" He attacked back, but the bandit managed to dodge by jumping back, only to fall into Yamamoto's sword, dropping with a gurgle.
The fight had devolved into chaos. The caravan guards joined in, and suddenly the bandits realized they were outmatched. The remaining half of them broke and ran, while the other half threw down their weapons and surrendered.
The young man, even then, charged to kill them, but Kenneth physically grabbed him and pulled him back.
"It's over!" Kenneth shouted. "Stand down!"
The young man shook him off, breathing hard, his eyes wild. For a moment, Yamamoto thought he might actually attack Kenneth, but then the fury drained out of him, leaving only exhaustion. He stalked back to the wagon without a word, leaving the others behind.
"What the hell is his problem?" one of the guards muttered.
Kenneth just shook his head. "Leave it. Everyone's got their demons."
The caravan master thanked them for their help and offered a small bonus in coins, which they accepted. Then the journey continued.
…
Four days later, a pack of wolf-like creatures appeared, all six of them between level 8 – 10.
The young man was off his wagon before the guards could even react, charging at the beasts with those same wild, aggressive attacks.
Watching him, Yamamoto just couldn't take it. "For fuck's sake," he growled, jumping down after him.
Kenneth followed with a resigned sigh. "This is getting old."
These beasts were more dangerous than bandits, by far. The young man managed to severely injure one, but took a nasty gash across his arm from another.
Yamamoto stepped in before he could get himself killed, controlling the situation and effortlessly killing four of the beasts, while Kenneth took care of the last one. As for the one the young man had injured, it fled, leaving behind a trail of blood.
The young man tried to pursue it, but Yamamoto grabbed his shoulder.
"Enough. Let it go."
The young man spun on him, and for a second, Yamamoto thought he'd have to fight him too, but then the anger drained away again, and the young man just pulled free and limped back to his wagon.
"Someone needs to talk to that kid," one of the guards said. "He's going to get himself killed."
"Or get someone else killed trying to save him," another added darkly.
Yamamoto said nothing. The young man hadn't done anything to him directly. Everyone had their own issues, their own circumstances. As long as he didn't put Yamamoto or Kenneth in real danger, it was better to just let it go.
They treated the young man's wound—Kenneth had basic medical supplies and knew how to apply bandages properly. The young man accepted the help silently, then retreated back into his corner of the wagon.
The rest of the journey passed without major incident, and nine days after, they arrived Mashlow.