Return Through Magic

Chapter 13 - Rescue Mission

That night, according to their plan, Yuki and Aira slipped out of the inn. They packed their belongings in silence, careful not to make any noise that might draw attention. As the night grew darker, they stepped out of their room, taking care not to alert the innkeeper or anyone else.

As they stepped outside, Yuki felt the cold night air brush against his skin. Aira signaled for him to stay quiet and follow her lead. They navigated through dark alleys, staying within the shadows.

"Why do we have to sneak out like this? Wouldn't it be better to leave during the day?" Yuki whispered.

"Trust me, it's safer this way. During the day, everyone can see us. Now, at night, we have the advantage of darkness," Aira replied in a low voice.

Before completely leaving the inn, Yuki glanced back at the place they had rented. He couldn't believe they weren't allowed to rest longer, especially since his body still ached from their last battle.

They continued walking in silence until they heard suspicious noises coming from an old building at the edge of the village. Aira signaled Yuki to stop and listen. The sound resembled a hushed conversation, followed by the clinking of chains.

"Something's off. We need to investigate," Aira whispered, her eyes filled with determination.

Yuki nodded, though he felt nervous. They cautiously approached the old building. As they got closer, the voices became clearer. They could hear a faint conversation.

"This is the last shipment. Make sure all the slaves are delivered safely. We can't take any risks," a voice commanded, firm and authoritative.

"Slaves? What do they mean?" Yuki whispered, horrified.

Aira crouched and peered through a small crack in the wall. Her eyes widened as she saw the scene inside. "Yuki, the innkeeper... she's a slave trader. They're selling demi-humans."

"Why didn't you tell me this was a slave trade?" Yuki whispered, unable to hide his annoyance. He couldn't believe Aira had kept something so important from him.

"Because you were busy sleeping while I was out investigating in the forest alone earlier today. So, who's really to blame?" Aira glared at Yuki, who gave a sheepish grin.

"We have to stop them, Aira."

"Not now. We're not strong enough to fight them all. We need to leave and report this to the authorities," Aira pulled Yuki away from the building.

Yuki initially wanted to follow Aira. However, he halted when he heard a child crying for their mother, followed by a man's yelling and the crack of a whip.

"Silence! You should be grateful we didn't kill you and feed you to the rabbit monster."

Aira and Yuki clearly heard the man's harsh words.

"If only that foolish adventurer hadn't killed our rabbit monster, we wouldn't be in this mess. Damn it. Who knew that young man was so tough," the man who was yelling at the child slave spoke again.

"Never mind. We'll easily get back the gold coins the boss gave that young man once we finish this job. Right, Boss?" Another man's voice chimed in.

Aira and Yuki's curiosity peaked when they heard a familiar voice.

"Yes, after this, we'll kill them while they're sound asleep from the drugged food. That herbalist woman with him is also very beautiful; she'll fetch a high price on the black market. It's a shame the little blue-haired boy disappeared, so we've lost one catch, but it's not a problem. The two of them are enough to make up for our losses. It's too bad about our rabbit monster, but we can always get another one from the black market. So hurry up and finish this and don't slack off." The innkeeper's voice rang out, shocking Yuki and Aira.

They peered through the window to confirm it was indeed the innkeeper. She stood there arrogantly, dressed like a bandit with a cruel expression.

Yuki blinked repeatedly, unable to believe his eyes. The kind innkeeper had turned into a ruthless crone.

Yuki remembered how the inn had suddenly held a celebration that afternoon, inviting Yuki and Aira as the guests of honor. The innkeeper had said it was to thank them for defeating the monster that had been terrorizing the village.

Yuki and Aira had attended the party, smiling and eating the food provided by the inn. But they didn't realize that Aira had wisely given them both herbal pills she had made earlier as a precaution. Sure enough, the food had been drugged.

Yuki shuddered, imagining what would have happened if he hadn't followed Aira's advice.

"Aira, we have to act now. We can't leave those children," Yuki whispered with determination.

"This will be very troublesome. Look how many people are in there," Aira hesitated, seeing the number of guards.

"But we can't just leave, Aira. Look at them," Yuki couldn't bear to see the terrified faces of the chained demi-humans.

Seeing Aira's hesitation, Yuki spoke again, "Aira, these people are cruel. We have to stop them. We can't let them profit from selling lives."

After a moment of thought, Aira nodded, "Alright, we'll attack. But we have to be careful."

They quickly planned their steps.

"I'll blow up that door with my magic. Be ready to attack with your sword," Aira commanded.

"Got it," Yuki responded quickly.

Aira extended her right hand toward the door of the old house.

"Fireball!"

A ball of fire shot out, hitting the door and shattering it into pieces.

"Wow!" Yuki, still not used to Aira's magic, was awestruck.

"Move, idiot! This isn't the time to admire!" Aira lightly smacked Yuki's head, annoyed at his inaction.

Snapped out of his daze, Yuki moved quickly to enter the house. They both stepped inside the old building, clearly visible.

Inside, they saw several armed men guarding the slaves. Children and adults were chained and looked terrified. One of the men they had heard earlier stood near a slave, whip in hand.

"Who are you?!" the man shouted upon seeing Yuki and Aira.