Feyt was thrown to the ground, still tied up and blindfolded. Carine on the other hand, was led into a room and has her blindfold and ties removed.

The cave like room that Feyt was in sounds like it has a few other kids, some crying, some screaming for their parents. But the room that Carine was in was clean and quiet with metal bars that looks like a prison. It would seem that both of me was separated for some reason.

I'm scared, I don't know what they'll do to me. Are they going to sell me as a slave? Or just torture me for fun? My heart is beating fast, scared on what would happen to me. I know I should escape, but I don't know if I can. My body is still that of a 12 year old, even if we managed to get out of here, they'll just catch us again in no time like when they kidnapped us.

"Hey, little lady, here's your food, eat up."

One of the cloaked man outside of the metal bars gave me a plate with food, the food was a slightly burned steak with a cup of water. The man leaves after leaving the food behind, I was kidnapped but I can still have steak? What's going on?

"HEY YOU BRATS! SHUT THE F*CK UP!"

The room that was filled with sobbing and screaming is now silent.

"Good~ here's your food."

I heard a metal plate was dropped in front of me, the odor was repulsive. The other kids behind me start running towards it.

"Hey, that's mine!!"

"Shut up! I'm hungry!"

It sounds like they're fighting for food, I'm still blindfolded so I can't actually see where the plate is.

The difference of treatment the both of me get is weird, is it because that Feyt is a commoner? No, I don't have time to think that. I need to get out of here!

 

---

 

"Boss, I've given the girl the steak."

The man with the black bandana nodded.

"Good, make sure you guys don't do anything to her, understood?"

In a cave like room full of wooden furniture, lit with only candles and a small campfire, stood five black cloaked bandits, and their leader wearing a black bandana.

"So, we're supposed to wait for someone to pick her up?"

"Yes, don't do anything reckless. Someone paid huge money for her, must be for some political reason I don't care about."

"But why giving her better treatment though?"

"One of their terms is that the girl must not be hurt, if not, our heads will be flying"

"What about the other kids boss? No one's buying them."

"Probably because you set the price too high."

The boss glared at the man who said that.

"Giih! Sorry boss!"

"Hmph! If we can't sell them at that price, we won't be making any money."

"But boss, do you know the term 'Slow but steady wins the race'? I believe if we sold a few of them for lower, then raising it bit by bi-"

"SHUT UP! DO YOU QUESTION YOUR BOSS'S METHODS!?"

"Geeeegh! Sorry boss!!"

"Hah... Anyways. How was the kidnapping? Anyone followed you guys here?"

"I don't believe so boss, but even if they did, they won't find the entrance in the cave."

"That's true, we have nothing to worry about boss!"

"Good, that other kid you kidnapped, is he a noble too? If yes, we can use him for ransom."

"No boss, he's a commoner, we can sell him... If someone buys from us that is..."

 

---

 

The guards I assign, most of them are missing, while the others are found dead. They appear to be stabbed by a sword, which means that those guards that are missing are the ones that killed them. They outsmarted me... They made me assign guards, guards that they already planted spies on. And with guards protecting Carine, I got careless.

"DAMN IT!"

*Slam*

The wooden table I slammed my fist into cracks.

"Forgive me My Lord! It was my fault that I lost sight of her!"

"...No, it's not your fault. It's mine for being too paranoid..."

If I didn't assign guards to protect her, I wouldn't have left Carine alone.

"Please calm down, we are currently gathering up people to search for them."

The elder is helping us, some kids from the village was kidnapped too, but this is the first time that the kidnapping was done in public. They kidnapped Carine for her Unique Talent, and I believe they kidnapped the other kid to sell into the slave market.

Standing behind the elder are two people, a woman with blonde hair and a muscular guy with black hair. I believe they are the parents of the other kid that was kidnapped. They both looked distressed.

"I'm sorry Fayn, it was my fault... I shouldn't have sent him off alone."

"No, even if you're there, I doubt the bandits will back off. It's alright, all we need to do is find them."

We are currently in the elder's house, discussing what to do.

The muscular guy broke the silence.

"We should go to the forest where the horses ran into. Surely we'll find them there!"

"I'm sorry but, we have searched the forest since the first kidnapping weeks ago happened, there's nothing there."

Nothing? I doubt that.

"Are you sure there's nothing elder? Any caves or abandoned buildings?"

"Well, there is a cave, but we checked there and it's empty."

"...Were there any animals or monsters in that cave?"

"Not that we know of, it was empty when we discovered it so we thought nothing of it."

"Idiots, that's the most suspicious thing in the forest!!"

I slammed my fist down again, I could hear the wooden table creak.

"My Lord, please calm down!"

"Ugh... Forgive me... It's just... When it comes to my daughter, I..."

The elder resumed.

"It's alright, could you explain your reasoning Lord Sareid?"

"...Caves are shelters in the wild, it will protect you from the cold, rain and other things. Thus animals and monsters always inhabit a cave, the only reason it would be empty, is because someone is preventing the animals and monsters from coming in."

The blonde woman asked.

"But isn't the cave empty? Where could they be hiding?"

"They might have mined an entrance and hidden it somehow, anyways, that cave is the most likely place the kids would be."

"I see, then I will start the investigation for the cave this sundown. Lord Sareid, may I ask that you lead the group?"

"Understood, I will find the kids elder, rest assured."

As I was about to leave the room, I heard someone call out to me.

"Hey, allow me to help you."

The muscular guy walked up to me.

"My Feyt is kidnapped and I want to show him how cool I am by saving him. As a fellow father, you understand me right?"

"Haha, sure, why not! We could use that strong arms of yours."

This exchange lighten my mood a bit.

"The name's Fayn, that beauty there is my wife Teffa."

"Pleased to meet you, my name is Kyrat Sareid, and this is Carine's personal maid, Leila."

"Pleased to meet you." Leila bowed

"Let's go find our kids!"

"Yeah!"

"Be safe Fayn, find Feyt for me."

"Sure honey!"

"Be careful My Lord, I shall protect the elder here."

I shared a firm handshake with Fayn and we headed off outside to prepare for the investigation.

 

---

 

It's been some time since I was kidnapped. I believe it's night now, but I can't be sure since the room Carine was in was only lit up with a single lantern and no windows to the outside and Feyt is still blindfolded. I asked the other kids if they can untie me and release my blindfold. They managed to pull open the rope, but apparently, the blindfold is too tight. I guess I'm stuck like this for a while.

I could hear the bandit's conversation from here. I believe Feyt has [Enhanced Hearing], since my ears hurt a lot on loud places and I can hear far away things. But now's not the time to think about that, I should focus on their conversation.

 

"Boss! We got an order!"

"Finally! Which one did they pick?"

"They said that they need one for their organs, so anyone that is healthy should suffice."

"Ah, then use the new kid. He won't be malnourished since he just arrived right?"

"Understood boss!"

 

That 'new kid'. They're talking about me aren't they!?

No no no! I need to get out, fast! I don't wanna die!

Think! Think think think!!

...

Maybe some of the kids have a good Talent that might prove useful!

"Hey, any of you have Talents?"

"M-My parents haven't checked mine."

"...Me neither."

"I-I have [Enhanced Fist Mastery]."

"That's a good one! Why didn't you use it to break out?"

"I tried punching the bars and walls, they're too strong, my hand hurts."

I tried feeling around the room, our way out is blocked by metal bars, I assume it's the same one as Carine's room. I tried knocking on it, yeah, it sounds dense inside, no doubt it's tough. But, maybe...

I tried knocking each and every bar I could, and one of the bars have a slightly different sound, it sounds hollow.

"This one! Hey you! Try punching this one!"

"Huh? Uhm... Sure!"

The kid walked up to it, and punched it as hard as he can. The pipe let out a audible creak.

"It-it bends!" The kid shouted

"Great! Keep punching it!"

"Okay!"

After a few punches

*Clang*

"The bar is down! We can escape!"

The other kids cries out in relief

Great! Now all we need to do is-

"What the!?"

"Th-the bandit's here!!"

"You brats! What the hell are you doing!?"

Crap! I forgot about the bandits! But I can't give up now!

I heard the bandit pull out his sword.

I tried reaching where I heard the 'Clang' from before was, and I managed to get the broken iron bar.

It's as long as a short sword and has a sharp tip due to it breaking, this will do.

I heard the bandit charging towards me from the left, I stabbed to that general direction.

"GYAAAGH! M-MY BAL-"

I managed to stab something, I pulled it out and try to replicate Carine's family techniques from memory.

I swung the iron bar down, and follow it with a few diagonal swings.

"KYUGEH-"

*Thump*

I can't see what happened, so I asked the other kids

"Is he down?"

"Y-yes..."

Great! We can get out of here!

"Wait, stand there for a sec!"

One of the kids grabbed something from the bandit, he brought it close to my face and cuts my blindfold open.

I can see again! The kid was holding a short sword, which I assume belonged to the bandit.

"Thanks!"

I take a look at the bandit I just fought blindfolded...

I stabbed him there?!

I looked away, as a fellow guy, I can't imagine the pain. But he chose the life as a bandit, he deserved it.

"Here!"

The kid handed me the short sword.

"Thanks, now let's get out of here!"

I charged towards the door where the bandit from before entered from, I assume the exit is there, and I also need to find Carine. The other kids are following close behind me.