Laws' thoughts

[Laws Pov]

(krakaboom!!)

"What the fuck?!" The carriage shook violently, almost making me lose my balance.

"Nngh!!, stop!!" With a whiplash I stopped the horses' advance and looked back.

"Paul!!!" Hilda's voice reached my ears and I looked behind me.

My wife Anna and everyone else looked worriedly outside the carriage and Paul was nowhere to be seen so I quickly got out.

I circled the carriage and found myself facing a terrifying scene.

Paul was on the ground, wounded, and 15 swordsmen were in front of him with murderous intent.

"We have to help him!!" Roxy's voice came from my left.

"Laws!!, Roxy!!, run!!!" Paul's command was immediate and a swordsman rushed towards him.

"Tch!, those bastards!!" Roxy muttered angrily as she pointed her staff at the swordsmen and I immediately remembered a call I had with the little boy who is now the leader of our group.

It was right after Paul faced the SeaFolks, now that I think about it, ever since I met him, that kid has always stood up for us without asking for anything in return...

The only time I could remember helping him was when we first met and I was able to distract Enzo with an arrow to his throat but nothing more.

Was this how our whole trip would be? Apart from Gesse, I was the only adult man in this group and yet...that child always protected us...

But he never threw that in my face or anyone else's face, what did he call it?...

"I have a kind of...savior complex" were Paul's exact words.

But that was no excuse for me not to help him, but even I'm left wondering...

What would be the point? That kid is hundreds of times more powerful than me. If I got involved in some of his fights, I'd end up being another burden which he would have to protect...

No! I don't want that!!

That made me remember my life in the great forest.

My life was never easy because of my mother, her name was Elinalise DragonRoad and she is a complete whore...or so they said in the elven territory.

And to make matters worse, she abandoned me when I was barely 15 years old, it was precisely the night after my birthday, when I woke up she was not there and she never came back.

It's been 36 years since that day but I still remember it and from then on my problems began.

I was despised throughout my village for simply being their daughter, it was decades and decades of the same thing.

But all that changed when I met her...Anna, my wife.

I fell in love with her from the day I saw her and spent years conquering her but simply because he was my mother's son, our marriage was forbidden.

It didn't make sense, why? Because of her? What do I have to do with that woman? She abandoned me! I'm not her!!

"Let's escape... let's escape to the central continent..." Those were Anna's words in one of our secret meetings and without thinking twice, a week later we escaped.

We traveled for months just to get to Millis, we knew we couldn't have a life there, but it was still just as painful to see the treatment the humans gave us.

We always went on foot and on foot was how he found us...

He was a boy of no more than ten years old and he was driving a carriage at night.

Anna and I were on the verge of collapse and in a desperate attempt I begged for them to take us and surprisingly he agreed.

That was my first debt to him...

Later that night we were ambushed by Millis's soldiers, apparently Paul angered them by rescuing his girlfriend from the slave market

He easily defeated most of them and that's when I realized his absurd strength, but he was stopped by a King-rank swordsman.

That's when I realized Paul's true nature,

he would risk his life for our group without hesitation...

And it wasn't just one time and not just against one opponent.

And so my debt to him kept growing and growing, and if it continued like this, nothing I could do could pay it off.

So when his words reached my ears I gritted my teeth in anger.

There he is...overwhelmed in number and attacked by treachery, but he would give his life for us and what have I done for him?!.

"Roxy no! You heard him!! Let's get out of here!! " I shouted as I deflected her staff.

She glared at me and then looked at Paul, he had already killed several swordsmen so she sighed in resignation and we returned to the carriage.

As always, poor Hilda cried with worry...she is lucky to have a man as loyal to his friends as Paul...

The carriage moved quickly and fortunately no one was following us while Roxy blocked the way with magic.

But I had a bad feeling, not like the other times when it was a constant worry.

I felt bad, my mind only thought about Paul and the image formed in my head.

He won't survive...

He's there alone, he's just a kid and he's already facing these delusions, what kind of person am I if I'm not going to help him?!

What kind of partner will I be for him? Will I be this conformist all my life? Is this how I want my wife to see me?!

"Roxy! Drive the carriage!!!" I ordered with the firmest shout I could muster, just like Paul.

"Laws?...w-what's wrong?" Anna muttered beside me as she looked at me with concern.

"Paul won't survive this ambush...I have to help him!" I said as I switched places with Roxy, who just nodded when she heard me.

He had no excuse, in every fight, Paul leaves his girlfriend behind in order to defend her, is that boy more loyal than me?!

And that's how I made my decision, ignoring Anna's protests I jumped out of the carriage but not before picking up Paul's swords, And so with my ever-trusty bow and arrows I returned to the battlefield.

...

[Paul Pov]

I'm screwed...more screwed than I've ever been in this life and by far...

Right now I'm being carried like a sack of potatoes by the biggest swordsman in the group.

"tch...those bastards...if they had all attacked as a group we wouldn't have been reduced to three!" The youngest swordsman of the three muttered angrily as he glared at me.

"Calm down now, those idiots got too confident and that's why they died, but that's better for us, right? That means more reward!, isn't that right Mauricio?" The swordsman who was carrying me announced happily and the other two nodded in realization.

"Hehe, of course, for a moment I thought you guys wouldn't make it! But you always manage to surprise me!" Mauricio's raspy voice echoed through the forest, and I gritted my teeth in anger.

"Yeah...but still, this damn kid is a monster, triple saint, and you saw that horrible magic he used?! That was terrifying! He left the others like meatballs!!" The last swordsman muttered with a shiver and the other two nodded.

I just stayed silent as I looked around.

The group consisted of a total of 8 people now, most of them look like wizards and Mauricio can't fight so I rule them out, but the last three even with all my strength I doubt I can beat them...

I'm currently missing both of my hands and my left leg...

I am totally incapacitated and on my arms I have some kind of very thick handcuffs which prevent me from gathering my hand in them, but even without them it is useless.

Now with my hands severed I will no longer be able to cast spells of any kind...

The frustration and fear were so great that I almost started to cry, but I didn't, because surely these bastards would laugh at me.

Someone please help me...

I've already helped many people, right?! Isn't it time for the world to return that favor?!

Hitogami?!, are you there bastard?!, didn't you say you would take care of me, huh?!

Fucking piece of shit!!

Even trying to struggle wouldn't be an option, the bastard is simply too strong and I'm still in this child's body...

And also... I noticed something else.

We weren't going the normal way, we were going straight through the forest, like it was some kind of shortcut.

"You were very difficult to chase, you know, little whore? If it hadn't been for that demon, we would have lost you," Mauricio's mocking voice reached my ears and made me concentrate again.

"D-Demon?!, w-who was it?!, who was the bastard who sold me?!" I screamed as I struggled only to be punched right in the jaw.

"Well, since we already have you, I don't see how it will affect you. I don't know his name, but he was a disgusting demon with a monkey face and a metal breastplate. He also wore a black robe that looked horrible on him...Does he sound familiar to You?" Mauricio muttered as he looked at me with a horrible smile and I was in shock.

That bastard...that son of a bitch!!!

"That damn monkey son of a bitch!! I'm going to kill you damn Gesee! I swear I'll kill you!!' I screamed with all my strength and tears started to come out of my eyes.

That bastard betrayed me! I considered him a friend!!.

"Shut that damn kid up already!" Mauricio shouted and immediately another punch landed on my jaw, nearly knocking me out.

"That damn monkey son of a bitch..." was all I managed to mutter for the rest of the trip.

Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do, so I simply looked around, but even then, there was no way anyone could help me when they saw Millis's soldiers...

But besides, now that I realize it, the terrain here is very mountainous. I hadn't remembered Shirone being this way, but it was still a surprise.

I'm really muttering nonsense now, aren't I?...

...

Due to the slow progress of our group, night fell, and the group stopped.

"All right, let's camp here," Mauricio ordered, and the swordsman dropped me to the ground.

"Aaagh!! Be more careful, Invecil!!" I yelled as I writhed on the ground.

"Tch! Shut up, you damn brat!" The guy screamed and kicked me hard in the ribs, blurring my vision.

"Ugh..." I groaned in pain. I think this bastard broke something.

The forest at night has never seemed as terrifying as it does in this situation. You know what?

The guys started making a campfire, and the most powerful swordsman killed a black bear with a single slash. They started eating.

"Tch... unfortunately, the damn kid needs to eat too. Give him some meat and water." Mauricio muttered disdainfully. They threw me a piece of meat and a bowl of water.

"Go on, eat it, but eat it like a dog," the swordsman muttered as he made me get on my knees with a mocking smile on his face.

I tried to resist, but I couldn't, and I ended up eating off the ground.

"This just gives me more justification to kill you bastards!" I yelled angrily as I glared at them.

"Shut up, you bastard!" The swordsman screamed, kicking me in the ribs again. I felt intense pain in my lungs, and I began to cough violently until I coughed up blood.

"Tch! Donald Bastard! You broke his ribs! What part of "taking him alive" don't you understand?!" Mauricio shouted angrily and healed me.

"Tch, relax, man. You can always heal him, right?" the man replied, looking at me mockingly. I just writhed on the ground.

The hours passed like this and the guys eventually fell asleep and I was left alone with my thoughts.

This is shit