In the middle of the forest, the wanderer was searching for fruits to eat. He carried nothing but a worn backpack and a single sword. That day, he was hunting a wild boar. Moving slowly, he crept up from behind so it wouldn’t escape.
But when he was only a few steps away, a loud sound suddenly echoed from the foot of the mountain. The boar was startled and immediately ran away.
“Ah… it got away.”
The wanderer let out a disappointed sigh.
Curiosity quickly overcame his hunger. He changed direction and headed toward the source of the sound. After walking for about twenty minutes, he saw the light of a campfire in the distance. From behind the trees, a group of wanted bandits could be seen celebrating. Their laughter shattered the silence of the night.
Then his gaze fell upon something that made him stop.
A dragon… locked inside an iron cage.
“Boss, if that dragon sells for the price of five big houses, what will you buy?” one of the subordinates asked with a laugh.
“Hahahaha! Of course, big houses—and beautiful women,” the bandit leader replied greedily.
The wanderer crouched down, carefully observing the camp. He counted the number of enemies, measured the distance to the campfire, and noted the position of the cage. Once he was certain, he picked up a small stone and threw it toward some bushes far from his position.
“Huh? Was that a wild boar?”
“If it is, it’d be great to roast it!”
One of the bandits hurried toward the rustling bushes. At that moment, the wanderer moved. With silent steps, he activated his stealth skill and circled behind the bandit leader.
One thrust. His sword pierced straight through the bandit leader’s chest. The stealth effect vanished.
“BOSS!!”
“KILL HIM!!”
The battle was unavoidable. The wanderer fought with everything he had—blocking, dodging, striking while gasping for breath. Several slashes nearly hit him. He suffered cuts on his cheek and back, blood slowly seeping out, but in the end, the bandits fell one by one.
Inside the cage, Reiya caught glimpses of the fight. Her eyes were fixed on the unfamiliar figure.
When it was over, the wanderer took the key from the bandit leader’s body and walked toward the cage.
“Hey,” he said softly with a faint smile.
“Don’t worry. You’re free now.”
He opened the cage door and stepped back, waiting.
But Reiya did not move. She remained lying inside, her body stiff, her eyes wary. The wanderer did not force her. He simply sat near the campfire, took out some fruits from his bag, and placed them beside the cage.
“It’s okay,” he said gently.
“I just want to help you.”
Reiya stared at the fruits for a long time. Hunger eventually overcame fear. Slowly, she began to eat.
The wanderer then went hunting again. When he returned, he brought back a wild boar. He cut it up and roasted it. The aroma of cooked meat spread through the cold air. Reiya’s stomach twisted with hunger, but fear still kept her inside the cage.
The wanderer divided the meat in half and placed one portion near Reiya. After that, he moved away and sat out of her sight, cleaning his wounds and wrapping them with bandages.
Night turned into morning. Morning turned into night.
Three days passed, and the wanderer remained there. He never came too close. Never forced her. Never spoke more than necessary. Inside the cage, Reiya fought with her own thoughts.
“Is this safe?”, “Will he kidnap me too?”, “Or… is he truly my savior?”
Reiya stared at the iron bars for a long time. For the first time, no one was pulling her out. No one was forcing her. For the first time in her life, the choice was truly hers.
Trembling, Reiya moved her body. Her feet touched the ground outside the cage. She said nothing. Then she slowly walked toward the wanderer.