Chapter 16 - Why Me?

"Achoo!" I rub my nose after sneezing, feeling the cold of the night chilling my bones. I look up at the already dark sky, realizing how lost I am in this unfamiliar forest.

Lost in thought, I accidentally stumble over a root and fall out of the tree line, finding myself on what appears to be a road... "Thank God. Wait, no. Gods are crap," I mutter with a grunt of frustration. But the point is... if I had gotten lost, I'd be screwed.

My attention is drawn by a sound coming from the dirt road, and from the darkness emerges a carriage pulled by two horses. The coachman wears a hood that obscures his face, and there seem to be two people sitting behind him. I approach to try and talk to them.

The carriage slows to a stop in front of me, the oil lamp swinging back and forth with the movement. "Hello?" I ask, trying to make myself heard over the noise of the night.

"Do you need something, lad?" the coachman asks with a rough, gruff voice.

I nod, "Yes, I was wondering where I am. I got lost in the woods and need some directions. Or could you take me somewhere?"

The coachman chuckles, followed by the passengers behind him. "It's strange to get lost at these hours... Haven't you been walking all day?"

I shrug, "Heh... not as much as you'd think," I reply with a slight smile.

The coachman nods, "Well, to the east is Tristainia, the capital... Ah, and also the academy if you're interested. To the northwest, where we're headed, is the port city of Antomiers. You can hop in if that's your destination."

I thank him for the information and climb into the back of the carriage, taking a seat at a safe distance from the other two hooded men. "Uh, hey," I awkwardly greet them as they turn to look at me.

One of them lowers his hood, revealing a weathered and toothless face. The few teeth left were yellow and some even black, prompting me to vow to find a way to take care of my dental hygiene in this medieval world.

"How are you, lad? I wonder how you ended up so far away. There's no nearby town here," the man says with a malicious grin.

I shrug, "I've been walking for a while. And you, what are you doing traveling so late at night?"

Both men laugh, followed by the coachman. "Hehe, well, what do you think a group of men would be doing traveling the roads at night?"

A sense of unease begins to grow inside me as I observe the sacks of goods beside the carriage. A dark red stain under the light of the oil lamp makes me go pale. Unless it was spilled wine, I was probably in great danger here.

I scratch anxiously at the back of my head, letting out a nervous laugh. 'Haha... I-I guess I really need to head to the capital... My parents are probably looking for me,' I say as I prepare to step down from the carriage. But before I can take a step, the hooded man grabs my arm, stopping me in my tracks.

"'Now, hold on. Why don't you just sit quietly and listen to what I have to say? I'd hate for anything to happen to you on the way back,' he asserts, but his words sound more like a threat than anything else. To make matters worse, he pulls out a dagger from his belt, displaying it with a sinister smile.

"I furrow my brow. These guys are obviously some sort of thieves. They won't let me go now that I know what they're up to. They'll likely keep me as a hostage or try to get rid of me right here. My heart begins to pound in my chest, adrenaline starting to flood my system as I find myself in another dangerous situation.

"I shake my head and gaze at the men with determination, bracing myself for any sudden moves. 'Hey, what do you think a kid is doing wandering so close to the magic academy at this hour? My family might get mad if you...' I say, Taking a few valuable seconds for my next move, I look towards the thieves, and Without hesitation, I make a decision.

"'Crystal Ice!' My shout cuts through the night, resonating in the air as I channel my magic towards the men in front of me. A burst of energy surges from my hands, taking the form of sharp ice crystals that hurl towards the thieves with ferocity.

"The men are taken aback by my sudden attack, trying to dodge the ice projectiles as they step back. One of them manages to avoid the impact, but the other isn't so lucky. An ice crystal hits him in the shoulder, causing him to scream in pain and stagger backward.

As the incapacitated man struggled to recover from the impact of my attack, his companion managed to react despite the shock. I received a strong punch to the face, causing me to fall backward against the wooden railing of the carriage. I took a deep breath, bracing myself for the worst as I saw the dagger glint threateningly in his hand.

I dodged to the side at the last second, feeling the cold blade of the dagger cutting into my side, leaving a long painful gash. But I couldn't afford to be distracted by the pain. I knew I had to act fast if I wanted to survive.

I aimed my hand toward the man's face with burning determination in my eyes. "Crystal Ice!" I yelled, channeling my magic toward him with all my might.

Three ice crystals surged from my hands and struck the man in the chest and face. I watched his face contort in total agony as he fell backward, collapsing down the side of the carriage when he finally came to a stop. The coachman looked back with evident surprise on his face as the scene unfolded before his eyes.

I barely managed to avoid being stabbed by the man I had struck in the shoulder, but his sudden entrance into the carriage sent us both tumbling off the back. I landed heavily on my back, breathless as the man fell on top of me, restraining my arms in the process. "Arrgh!... W-wait! We can talk about this!" I shouted as I felt his arm lift backward, ready to "install" a couple of new holes in my body.

"How the hell can you do magic without a wand!?" he exclaimed incredulously.

"Oi! Lap! Don't you harm the merchandise! We could get a lot of money for a wandless wizard!" the coachman cautioned from the side, distracting the thief holding me.

I grimaced at the man's words, but I didn't have time to correct him. If I could free my hand, maybe I still had a chance to escape. I glanced at the coachman, who seemed to be calming the horses. Meanwhile, the other thief appeared to be motionless, likely dead.

However, a glint next to the corpse caught my eye, the thief's dagger.

I furrowed my brow as the thief remained on top of me. "I only allow women on top of me!" I shouted as I used all my strength to push myself up. Though my strength was limited, I managed to break free from the guy.

The thief staggers backward, giving me the opportunity to break free as I lunge for the dagger. The thief tries to follow suit, but once my hand wraps around the hilt of the weapon, the runes on my left hand begin to glow intensely.

Power floods my body, clarity descends upon me, and my mind sharpens. Additionally, knowledge of stances and basic techniques related to daggers appear in my mind as if emerging out of nowhere.

I assume position, holding the dagger in reverse grip with cold eyes, almost erasing myself from the thief's sight.

The thief spits out a tooth and assumes a weak stance while focusing on me, convincing himself he can't lose to a kid. 'Take this! Ha!' he roars, wildly brandishing his dagger towards me.

My body moves on its own, responding to the situation with a swiftness and precision that even surprises myself. I lean slightly to the left, deflecting the thief's movement downwards with the reverse grip dagger. Adrenaline courses through my veins as I seamlessly transition into a swift counterattack.

The thief is left dumbfounded by his failed strike, unable to react in time. Without wasting a moment, I step forward and execute a precise slash towards his jugular, deeply cutting his neck and puncturing his windpipe. Though his arteries seem intact, his fate is already sealed.

The look of shock in the thief's eyes slowly fades as he collapses to the ground, his life fading away along with his last breath. Silence reigns in the carriage, broken only by the sound of my own ragged breath and the frantic beating of my heart.