Chapter 4: New Bond In His and Her Life

<p>After killing the Crazy Bear, Nao withdrew his sword from its belly and began harvesting several parts from the monster's carcass, including its fur, claws, teeth, and heart. Meanwhile, Anna sat on a rock, watching Nao with a suspicious look still plastered on her face. After finishing with the materials from the Crazy Bear, Nao gave a respectful bow to the carcass and offered a prayer for forgiveness, much to Anna's confusion.<br/><br/>"Why are you doing that to the monster? It almost killed us both just now," asked Anna, still looking bewildered.<br/><br/>"It's a law among adventurers. This monster is still considered a regular animal because it was just trying to survive, like us," replied Nao while cutting parts from the Crazy Bear.<br/><br/>Anna then turned away. "Um... Mr. Nao, thank you for saving me, but I still don't trust you," she said.<br/><br/>Nao stood up and faced Anna. "That's good. You shouldn't trust people you just met so easily. But don't overdo it; it'll only make things harder for you later," replied Nao.<br/><br/>Anna puffed out her cheeks. "I know that, but it's hard for me now because humans are hunting me," she said.<br/><br/>"Those hunting you must be slave traders looking to make money by kidnapping other races and selling them. They are enemies of adventurers too," Nao said calmly.<br/><br/>As they talked, Anna's stomach growled with hunger. Nao pulled out a bag of chocolate cookies from his small bag and handed them to Anna.<br/><br/>"Are you hungry? Here, eat this. I already ate earlier," Nao offered, giving Anna a cookie.<br/><br/>"Thank you for the food," Anna said, immediately taking a bite.<br/><br/>Anna instantly felt happy because the cookie was delicious. Tears began to flow as she remembered her parents. Nao sat beside her and gently patted her head.<br/><br/>"Let it all out. You'll feel better. I'll be by your side now," Nao said softly.<br/><br/>Anna cried loudly while hugging Nao, who hugged her back tightly to comfort her. After she finished eating, Nao suggested they return to Spira Village and invited Anna to come along.<br/><br/>"Do you want to come home with me?" Nao asked.<br/><br/>"I think it's better for a girl to be in a safe place," Nao said, extending his hand to Anna.<br/><br/>"Is it okay?" Anna asked.<br/><br/>"Of course it is," Nao replied.<br/><br/>Anna took Nao's hand, got up from the rock, and stood close to him. Nao then lifted her onto his shoulders to prevent her from getting tired during the journey.<br/><br/>"Wow, I feel like a giant!" Anna exclaimed with joy.<br/><br/>"Aren't you scared?" Nao asked.<br/><br/>"No, this is fun," Anna replied.<br/><br/>"Alright, hold on tight," Nao said.<br/><br/>Nao began walking towards Spira Village, talking with Anna along the way. He started asking about her background, and Anna began to share her story.<br/><br/>"I was born into a dragon race family known for their strong magic and power, living in the village of Fance, north of the human capital," Anna said, smiling.<br/><br/>"Oh... You're from the dragon race, but your behavior before didn't seem authoritative at all," Nao teased.<br/><br/>"About that, I'm sorry," Anna muttered, puffing her cheeks again.<br/><br/>"It's okay. You were just protecting yourself. Please, continue your story," Nao replied.<br/><br/>"My father was a great merchant. His goods always sold well, and many customers were satisfied. My mother helped him with the business and took care of me. She was also the strongest fire magic user ever," Anna said.<br/><br/>"May I know your parents' names?" Nao asked.<br/><br/>"My father's name is Arlon Von Zwei, and my mother's name is Norea Von Zwei," Anna replied, showing Nao a locket with a picture of her parents.<br/><br/>"You have a family photo in this locket. That's interesting. This way, you can always see the faces of your loved ones even if they're no longer with you," Nao said. "How did your family make a photo like this?"<br/><br/>"As far as I remember, my parents used a magical technology that could replicate an object into a painting that looked just like the real thing. But I forgot its name," Anna replied, tapping her forehead with her finger.<br/><br/>"No need to remember everything now. I might ask my friend to make one for me," Nao said, handing back Anna's locket. "Please, continue your story."<br/><br/>Anna continued, "Three weeks ago, my father came home in a hurry and told us we had to leave and run away."<br/><br/>Nao nodded. "Do you know why your father was targeted by those bad people and why you had to run away?"<br/><br/>"I'm not sure about the details, but from what my parents said, a group of bad people wanted to capture us, though I don't know why," Anna replied.<br/><br/>"Let me guess, when they came, they killed your parents," Nao said in a low voice.<br/><br/>"Yes. My father was killed by an arrow, and my mother tried to protect me but failed," Anna said.<br/><br/>"Listen to me, Anna. Those people are called bandits. Their job is to kidnap or kill their targets for corrupt merchants or nobles," Nao explained.<br/><br/>"Bandits? Dirty work?" Anna asked, confused by Nao's words.<br/><br/>"Let me clarify. Bandits are hired to kidnap or kill targets set by their clients. Any remaining family members are taken and sold into slavery as a bonus," Nao explained.<br/><br/>"They do such horrible things just for money?" Anna asked, shocked and angry.<br/><br/>"Yes, because that's their job, and sometimes for personal desires," Nao said.<br/><br/>"Have you ever fought them, Mr. Nao?" Anna asked.<br/><br/>"Yes, when I was still a Steel rank, my team and I fought a bandit group that held several hostages from different races," Nao replied.<br/><br/>"Did you manage to defeat them, Mr. Nao?" Anna asked again.<br/><br/>"Yes, we freed the hostages and took them to safety, then reported everything to the guild," Nao said.<br/><br/>"Wow... It's usually the humans who are the masterminds behind capturing helpless people, right?" Anna asked, smiling.<br/><br/>"No, the leader of that group was from the dragon race," Nao revealed.<br/><br/>"What?" Anna was shocked. "A dragon race leading bandits?" she shouted.<br/><br/>"Not just that. There were also beastmen, elves, and even wingmen," Nao continued.<br/><br/>"Even other races? I wonder why they would become bandits too," Anna said, bewildered by Nao's revelation.<br/><br/>"Anna, no matter the race, there will always be good and bad people from every background," Nao said.<br/><br/>"Oh... I understand, Mr. Nao," Anna replied, her expression sad.<br/><br/>Nao then saw the gate to Spira Village. "Anna, we're almost at Spira Village. I'll cook you a delicious meal when we get there," Nao said.<br/><br/>"A delicious meal? I'd love that," Anna said, smiling widely.<br/><br/>"Haha... You're so enthusiastic," Nao said.<br/><br/>As they reached the gate of Spira Village, a commotion was happening inside. Nao put Anna down, and they entered the village. There, a group of people were causing trouble with Ran, the village head. The villagers gathered, wanting to help, but Ran held them back.<br/><br/>"Answer my question. Have you seen a dragon girl here? Answer truthfully!" demanded the bandit leader.<br/><br/>"How many times do I have to tell you, there's no dragon girl here. If there was, I'd have shown you," Ran replied, raising his voice.<br/><br/>"Don't lie!" the bandit leader shouted, slapping Ran across the face.<br/><br/>Ran fell, clutching his cheek. His husband, Alto, immediately approached and expressed his anger.<br/><br/>"Hey, bastard! Why did you do that? Who are you?" Alto demanded, furious.<br/><br/>"Oh, how bold of you. Let me introduce myself. I'm Feres, and these are my comrades, Botz and Torn," Feres said.<br/><br/>"You've made our boss very angry! You know the consequences, hehehehe," Torn said, grinning menacingly.<br/><br/>"So get ready to face punishment from our boss," Botz added.<br/><br/>"What do you want with the dragon girl? And what's your purpose?" Alto asked angrily.<br/><br/>"That dragon girl is our asset. Without her, we can't make money. So I'll ask one more time, where is she?" Feres demanded.<br/><br/>"I've told you we don't know, so please leave now!" Alto shouted back.<br/><br/>"A bold choice. I like that. Botz, kill them!" Feres ordered.<br/><br/>"Understood, boss!" Botz replied, drawing his large axe.<br/><br/>Just as Botz was about to kill Alto and Ran, Nao and Anna arrived. Seeing the situation, Nao immediately threw a knife, hitting Botz in the shoulder.<br/><br/>"AAAHH... That hurts! Who threw that knife?" Botz screamed.<br/><br/>Nao stepped forward. "Of course, it was me. You've gone too far," Nao said calmly.<br/><br/>"Oh, there's an adventurer here," Feres said, then turned to Anna.<br/><br/>"Anna, stay with me. Don't go anywhere," Nao ordered.<br/><br/>"Yes, Mr. Nao," Anna replied, hiding behind him.<br/><br/>"Hand over the girl now!" Feres demanded.<br/><br/>"So you're the ones who kidnapped Anna and killed her parents. How fortunate for me to collect a bounty on you," Nao said calmly.<br/><br/>"You dare challenge us? Don't joke. You're alone; you can't possibly win," Feres said arrogantly.<br/><br/>Nao drew his sword and pointed it at Feres. "It's worth a try, isn't it?" he said, intimidatingly.<br/><br/>The showdown between Nao and the mysterious group was about to begin. Would Nao be able to defeat all three of them? Stay tuned for the next chapter.<br/><br/>**TO BE CONTINUED...**<br/><br/></p>