Erika: My Friend Is Obsessed with Me
Chapter 17
Chapter 17
Erica - When a Friend Becomes Obsessed with Me
Master was only human, so seeing a guy with such an incredible physique would naturally stir something in him, wouldn't it?
Still, she and her master shared years of bond built between teacher and disciple. That wasn't something to brush aside lightly.
“…….”
Erica snapped her head up.
She suddenly realized what absolute nonsense she had been dwelling on.
‘What on earth am I even doing right now?’
She shook her head briskly from side to side.
Clearing away the endless clutter filling her mind, she finally let out a faint sigh.
“Chaud.”
“Yeah.”
“Aura…… How old were you when you first manifested it?”
She blurted out that utterly childish question.
It couldn't have been that long ago. He probably only barely managed it around last year.
“Aura?”
Catching the unexpected topic, Chaud tried to gauge what Erica—who had been sitting there quiet as a mute chick—was actually thinking.
“Well. I don't remember clearly, but maybe around ten?”
“…….”
“Right, around ten I could pull out half a handspan, and by twelve I think I could envelop a longsword entirely.”
“…….”
Chaud's earnest, conscientious answer ended up completely backfiring.
Ten?
She shouldn't have asked. She was so pissed off.
“…….”
Even more sulky now, Erica pressed herself fully against the window and stared fixedly outside.
* * *
“Ambush! It’s an ambush!”
Neeigh—!
With the harsh sound of horses grinding to a halt, the surroundings plunged into chaos.
“Bandits up ahead, bandits!”
“Protect the cargo from the rear! You lot, start from the fourth carriage……!”
An elderly, gray-haired merchant shouted at the top of his lungs, veins bulging in his neck.
Clang, clash!
The sounds of weapons clashing could already be heard from the very front.
To cross the notorious Hiders Mountains, they had hired six mercenaries.
Two intermediate mercenaries and four low-tier ones.
Cold sweat poured down. They were hopelessly outmatched.
Regret weighed heavily on him. He should have spent more money from the start to hire more mercenaries before departing.
The old man hurriedly looked back toward the third carriage.
“Right, the S-rank—we have S-rank mercenaries, don't we?! Quickly…….”
“It's hopeless, Master Merchant! There are too many bandits. This looks like the main force of the Hiders mountain bandits!”
“Of all times……!”
“We should offer some silver ingots and negotiate, sir!”
“Right now, how many silver ingots do we currently have?! Hurry……!”
A commotion raged outside.
Even though they must have clearly heard the loud, panicked voices, the two S-rank mercenaries showed no intention of stepping outside the carriage.
“…….”
To be precise, Chaud was the one blocking the way.
“…….”
His long, solid legs barred the carriage door.
Chaud sat comfortably with his arms crossed and an impassive face, but his legs were blatantly stretched out toward the exit.
Erica was momentarily at a loss for words.
Was he showing off how long his legs were?
After blinking blankly, she finally opened her mouth.
Breaking the long silence that had hung between them.
“What are you doing? Move your legs.”
It was the moment Erica's prolonged silence broke.
At the sound of her bird-like voice, Chaud could finally converse with her.
“Why?”
What do you mean, why?
“Are you deaf? Can’t you hear the noise outside?”
“I don't know. Did we ever accept an escort request for this caravan?”
“You…….”
Scoundrel!
If you got a free ride in their carriage, pulling your weight was just basic human decency!
Erica was about to flare up in anger when she realized Chaud was simply picking a fight for no reason.
“Chaud. This is the Hiders Mountains.”
“I know.”
“What do you know? Do you have any idea how notorious the bandits here are? They sell off anyone, regardless of gender.”
“…….”
“Move! If we don't help right now, innocent merchants are going to die!”
“Then will you talk to me?”
“What?”
“Will you look at me and talk to me, just like you are now?”
This lunatic.
Gritting her teeth, Erica put strength into her thigh and raised her foot.
Slam! She kicked the door directly.
The carriage door caved in with a dent.
Naturally, Chaud had withdrawn his legs faster than the speed of light.
“……Were you trying to shatter my legs just now?”
“Who told you to block the way?”
“…….”
Ha, she's really driving me crazy. Chaud let out a hearty laugh as he watched Erica.
He followed her with his eyes as she grabbed her longsword, pushed open the carriage door, and jumped right out.
Erica hurried toward the front of the carriage procession.
By the time she arrived, a crowd of people was already surrounded in front of the lead carriage.
Dozens of bandits encircled them as if cornering prey.
Merchants wailed on their knees.
“W-We gave you the silver ingots!”
“P-Please spare us! I-I have a child at home!”
“Why the hell are these half-wits stuttering so much? Bunch of pathetic bastards, it's getting on my nerves.”
“Boss, should we kill the old man and tie the rest up for now?”
“A few of the slicker-looking ones might fetch a price if we offer them to those sodomite nobles.”
“How is there not a single woman among them? Ptu!”
The bandit leader spat, visibly foul-tempered.
Then he delivered a vicious kick to the head of a merchant in his way.
“Gah, cough!”
Just as he was about to stomp on the fallen head once more—
Whoosh!
A sword swept down in a long arc, blocking his kick.
Thud. The foot struck against the solid blade, vibrating painfully with a stinging shock.
Erica had made a rather polite entrance.
“I assume we can skip the pleasantries.”
Rummaging in her back pocket, she pulled out her mercenary token and thrust it squarely before the bandit leader’s eyes.
“I am Erica, an S-rank mercenary affiliated with the Southern Guild.”
While this wasn't what it was meant for, it wouldn't be bad if it could end things quickly.
“If you stop here and back off—”
“Boss, a woman! It's a woman! Look at that face, she's absolute top grade!”
“Heh heh, struck gold for the first time in ages.”
Unfortunately, the S-rank mercenary token posed no threat to them at all.
It was a confidence born from the bandits' overwhelming numbers and countless past atrocities.
“Isn't she way prettier than the ones we've sold off before?”
“Bring her over here! We're gonna make a fortune for once.”
Erica's brow furrowed.
The repulsive gazes piercing her from all sides made her skin crawl.
The tallest man among them strode over lazily.
Just locking eyes with him sent an unpleasant feeling creeping up her spine. Wow, how could someone look like that?
“Of course, the boss gets first—”
Slash—!
Thump.
Silence—
Watching the bandit roll across the ground, lifeless in an instant, the surroundings fell dead quiet.
The one who had drawn his sword so fast no one even saw him approach was—
“Should I not kill them?”
It was Chaud.
After he had already killed the man.
Erica stared at him blankly, completely dumbfounded.
“Why are you just standing there listening to that garbage? It's disgusting. You should kill them right away.”
Her eyes met Chaud's. She quietly held his gaze, which had sunk as deep as the ocean depths.
She had no immediate comeback.
Living as a female mercenary in this trade—especially one with a pretty face—meant hearing countless vulgar remarks.
Erica had grown numb to such treatment since childhood.
‘I'm fine, though.’
Even earlier in her childhood, back when she lived at the count's estate, it had been the same.
Because feeling pain, trembling in fear, and suffering to the point of wanting to die were all synonymous with being ‘fine.’ She had grown up brainwashing herself into believing that.
Pechenik was with her, but he couldn't always stay by her side. Every time he stepped away, danger loomed for the young girl.
Since she never spoke of the indignities she suffered, Pechenik had remained unaware of her circumstances for a long time.
Anytime, anywhere, she had grown up subjected to an exhausting amount of harassment.
She had endured unspeakable verbal abuse and numerous physical threats, but Erica was fine.
Because she believed she was fine.
“…….”
When Pechenik finally found out much later, he was rendered speechless for a long time.
“All this time…… I taught you wrong. It's my fault.”
Pechenik had looked furious.
From that day on, Erica learned how to point her blade at people.
He had told her never to get used to it.
Never get used to it. Don't delude yourself into thinking it's fine when it's not.
Rather than spouting nonsense about being fine, kill the person standing in front of you instead.
