I reached into my pouch and pulled out a folded piece of parchment, its edges faintly glowing with a soft blue hue. As I opened the enchanted map to check our location, a faint shimmer of light rippled across its surface, revealing a real-time depiction of the surrounding area. Tiny, pulsing markers showed our current positions: Tanner, Gildarts, and me. The roads and landmarks shifted gently as if the map were alive, adjusting itself to display every detail perfectly.
Gildarts, walking beside me, stopped humming and leaned closer, his expression a mix of intrigue and amusement. "That's not a normal map, is it?" he asked, a curious gleam in his eye.
"Nope," I replied with a small, smug smile. "It's enchanted to show our location in real time. Helps keep track of where we are and what's ahead."
Tanner's eyes practically sparkled with fascination as he leaned in a little too close for comfort. "Do you have another one of those?" he asked eagerly, his face mere inches from mine.
I took a step back, feeling slightly overwhelmed by his enthusiasm. "I do, actually."
"Would you be interested in selling it?" Tanner asked, his voice bordering on desperate. "I'll pay good money for something like that!"
I hesitated for a moment, weighing the idea. Honestly, I could use the money. Generating more resources from my personal stash while convenient probably wasn't great for the local economy. There was no harm in passing off a useful tool like this to someone who clearly wanted it.
Gildarts, who had been watching Tanner's giddy excitement with an amused grin, suddenly perked up. "You know what? I want one too. That would be pretty useful for me."
I raised an eyebrow at him. "You? Don't you usually rely on instincts or dumb luck to get where you're going?"
"Exactly!" he said with a laugh. "And that's worked out great so far. But imagine how much smoother things would be with one of those. It's like having a cheat sheet for directions!"
Tanner, still holding onto his reins, turned to Gildarts with a disbelieving look. "Wait. Are you saying you've been getting lost all this time? How are you still alive?"
"Hey now," Gildarts said defensively, crossing his arms. "I don't get lost. I just take scenic detours. Besides, I always find my way eventually. Mostly."
"Mostly?" I asked, trying not to smirk. A certain green-haired swordsman popped into my mind, I really hope Gildarts sense of direction is better than that one.
"Look," Gildarts said, gesturing at the glowing map. "This thing would save me a lot of trouble. And it would be nice not to accidentally end up on the wrong kingdom again."
"Wait, the wrong kingdom?!" Tanner exclaimed, his jaw dropping.
"Long story," Gildarts replied, waving him off.
Shaking my head, I reached into my bag and pulled out two spare maps, their folded surfaces glimmering faintly with the same soft blue light. I handed one to Tanner, who immediately started unfolding it like a kid on their birthday.
"How does this work?" Tanner asked, his hands trembling with excitement.
"It's simple," I explained. "Just hold it open and focus on where you want to go. The map will adjust itself to show you the best route. It updates in real time, so if anything changes on the road, you'll see it immediately."
Tanner beamed. "This is incredible. Worth every jewel."
I turned to Gildarts and handed him the second map. He held it up with a satisfied grin, turning it over in his hands like it was some legendary artifact. "Alright, this should keep me out of trouble," he said, before pausing and adding, "Or at least less trouble than usual."
"Don't get my hopes up," I muttered, earning a loud laugh from him.
The road stretched ahead, still quiet for now, as Tanner examined his new map like it was the best thing he'd ever owned. Meanwhile, Gildarts kept flipping his open and closed, muttering to himself about how "fancy" it was. I allowed myself a small smile. At least now, if anything went wrong, I wouldn't have to worry about either of them wandering off or leveling the wrong place entirely. Probably.
Just as our journey seemed peaceful, a sharp whistle pierced the air, breaking the rhythm of creaking wagon wheels and faint conversation. Tanner stopped the wagon abruptly, his face paling as he glanced around. "That... That wasn't the wind, was it?"
"Nope," Gildarts replied casually, slipping his map into his pocket. His carefree grin hadn't wavered, but there was a spark in his eyes now, like someone who'd just been invited to a game he knew he couldn't lose. "Looks like we've got company."
Before I could respond, a group of rough-looking figures emerged from the tree line ahead. There were at least a dozen of them, their mismatched armor clinking as they stepped onto the road, weapons glinting faintly in the sunlight. Their leader, a tall, wiry man with a jagged scar across his face, raised a hand to signal his crew to stop.
"Alright, folks," the leader called out, his voice loud and commanding. "We'll make this quick. Leave the wagon, hand over anything valuable, and we'll let you walk away in one piece. Simple enough, yeah?"
Meanwhile, Gildarts gave me a nudge, his voice low but amused. "This one's on you, kid. I'm just here to observe, remember? Show me what you've got."
He stepped back casually, leaning against a tree, completely at ease as if we were watching a street performance rather than an impending fight. I sighed inwardly. This was my test, then. No pressure.
I turned back to the bandits, my expression calm as I stepped forward slightly, positioning myself between Tanner and the approaching group. "Look, I'll keep this simple. Walk away now, and no one gets hurt."
The bandit leader tilted his head, clearly unimpressed. "Oh, we've got a brave one here," he sneered, his crew chuckling behind him. "And what's a kid like you going to do? Give us a stern talking-to?"
I shrugged, keeping my tone steady. "That depends. Do you want to find out?"
The leader's smirk wavered ever so slightly as he tightened his grip on his sword. "You've got guts, I'll give you that. But guts won't save you."
I sighed, shaking my head. "Some people are really ignorant."
His eyes narrowed. "What did you just say?"
I smirked, raising my hands. In a flash of light, two sleek pistols materialized in my grip — Ebony and Ivory. Ebony, a jet-black semi-automatic with intricate silver engravings, gleamed menacingly in my right hand. Ivory, a silver twin with black accents and elegant carvings, rested in my left. Both weapons pulsed faintly with magical energy, perfectly balanced and designed for rapid-fire precision. The bullets were non-lethal, imbued with magic to incapacitate rather than kill.
"I guess you brought this on yourselves," I said, my voice cold and unwavering.
The bandits hesitated, glancing nervously at one another. One of them, a burly man wielding an axe, charged at me with a roar.
"Bad move," I muttered.
I squeezed the triggers. A flurry of magical bullets tore through the air. The axe-wielder barely had time to react before he was sent flying backward, crashing into a tree with a heavy thud.
"Get him!" the leader barked, and the rest of the bandits rushed forward.
I dashed to the side, firing off precise shots that struck their weapons, disarming some and forcing others to dive for cover. Gildarts watched from behind, grinning as he leaned against a tree. "Nice moves, kid. I was wondering when you'd stop holding back."
A bandit tried to flank me from the right. Without turning, I angled Ivory backward and fired, catching him in the leg. He collapsed with a pained yell.
"You're fast!" the leader growled, lunging at me with his sword. I twisted to the side, parried his blade with the barrel of Ebony, and delivered a swift kick to his gut, sending him stumbling back.
"Fast?" I echoed. "I'm just getting warmed up."
I flipped over a nearby crate, landing smoothly and unleashing a hail of bullets that forced the remaining bandits to scatter. One of them raised a crossbow, but I shot the bolt mid-flight, shattering it to pieces.
The leader, now desperate, charged once more. I calmly raised both pistols, aiming directly at his head. "Don't," I warned.
He froze, sweat dripping down his brow. The rest of the bandits, seeing their leader cornered, dropped their weapons and fled into the forest.
I stepped forward, pressing Ebony against the leader's forehead. "Guts won't save you, remember?"
He gulped, eyes wide with fear. "Alright... I yield!"
I turned to pursue the fleeing bandits, darting through the trees with ease. I fired a few warning shots at their feet, sending them scrambling even faster. I summoned enchanted cuffs from my inventory and swiftly restrained each of them as they fell, immobilizing them before they could escape.
I lowered my guns and turned to Gildarts. "That was easier than I expected."
Gildarts laughed. "You really know how to make an impression. Guess I won't have to lift a finger after all."
I holstered Ebony and Ivory, smirking. "What can I say? I aim to impress."
Damn I look cool