The slave traders tensed up, taking his words as an insult to their authority.
"Excuse me?! We're good people! You just can't accept that we're richer and more successful than your sorry, broke excuse for a life!"
He didn't get angry—nor did he tense up in return. Instead, he steadied his guard and prepared himself for whatever might come next.
"Please, I don't want this to turn into a fight that harms any of us. So if I may ask… what are your intentions for this girl? Spill everything."
All three men glanced at the tool strapped to his wrist, then burst out laughing, hurling cruel insults his way.
"Oh my goodness! You really are a penniless nobody with no family to speak of!"
"A curse on your blood, is what you are!"
"Poor thing—I can't even bring myself to help you, you're that pathetic!"
Using their distraction to his advantage, he lunged forward, grabbed the girl, and fled. The slave traders flew into a rage, drawing their weapons: an axe, a sword, and a dagger.
"You'll pay for this, bastard!"
They chased after him without hesitation. As they closed in, he tossed handfuls of slippery mushrooms onto the ground—one trader lost his footing and tumbled down hard, but the other two kept running, leaving their comrade behind.
"Hah… this should be interesting."
Though the girl was heavy with chains, he managed to carry her steadily. His escape came to an abrupt halt, however, when he rounded a bend and found himself at a dead end—cornered with nowhere left to run. The two remaining traders grinned sinisterly, their eyes glinting with malice.
"You're far too much trouble to let go… We'll make you worth something and put you to good use."
"Come now, don't be stubborn. We can work this out, right? Become our slave, and we'll keep you fed and watered for life!"
He didn't trust them for a second. As they mocked him further, his eyes scanned the area, searching for an opening.
"Scared now, are we? You look like you'd eat dirt just to survive!"
"Look at him—staring around like he can actually find a way out! This is priceless!"
After a brief pause, a small smile crossed his face.
"...Well then. Let's begin."
Snatching the rope from his wrist, he hoisted the girl over his shoulder, then threw the rope's end around a thick tree branch overhead. With a powerful leap, he launched himself into the air and swung smoothly through the trees, leaving his pursuers staring up in shock.
"Until next time! I'd rather avoid a full fight for now!"
After successfully getting away, he dropped the little girl off somewhere safe and quiet—a place where she'd be found by authorities and taken in not as a slave, but as a maid or helper.
"Alright, you'll be safe here, at the very least. I'm better off leaving now rather than getting wrapped up in emotional scenes."
But before he could go, he felt a sudden tug at his coat. Turning back, he saw the girl had started to tear up. He comforted her, patting her back and pulling her into a hug.
"Hey now… there's no use crying."
Through tear-filled eyes, she looked up at him and spoke in a soft, shaky voice.
"Please… don't leave me here…"
His chest tightened at her plea. As he looked at her, he caught a vision of her sister in her face. Sympathy washed over him, and his heart stirred with the warmth and gentleness he'd known back on Earth.
"Alright, I won't leave you. Climb onto my back—but don't be a nuisance, okay?"
She nodded firmly, scrambling onto his back as he lifted her smoothly. Even with all the gear he was carrying, he was determined to save her life.
"Alright. Hang on tight."
Grabbing his rope, he threw one end around a sturdy branch, pulled himself up, and swung forward with enough force to launch them into the air. The rough rope burned his hands from the tight grip required, but he didn't care—not as long as he could find a way forward, and learn more about this strange world.
Soon, they spotted the small village again. He descended carefully, making sure neither his legs nor the girl on his back were hurt in the fall. As they landed safely, he heard voices approaching from ahead. He ducked behind a nearby wooden house to hide and peeked out to see who was coming—it was the three slave traders, their faces twisted with rage.
"That damned bastard! I'll show him what happens when he crosses us…"
A plan formed instantly in his mind. He whispered to the girl to hide in the bushes behind him, and she obeyed without a sound, staying perfectly still. Gripping his rope tightly, he waited for the men to walk directly into the path before him.
As they drew closer, he timed his move carefully. Just as they stepped into position, he snapped the rope forward, striking them hard and sending all three crashing to their knees, groaning in pain. He collected their weapons but chose only a dagger—stealth and speed were his strengths, not brute force.
"Well now… you lot really are mindless, aren't you?"
One of them looked up, wincing as he spoke.
"What… what the hell do you think you're doing?!"
A smirk crossed his face.
"If you were half as smart as you think you are, you'd know better than to chase me."
With those final words, he gathered the girl onto his back once more and disappeared, leaving the traders where they lay to deal with their own fate.
When they spotted another village—one that seemed truly safe and sound for her to stay in temporarily—he set her down gently and patted her head softly.
"Sorry, but this is where we have to part ways. I've got something I need to handle on my own, alright? Be a good girl."
His gaze fell to her leg, still bound by heavy metal chains. He picked up a sharp-edged stone and began striking at the links. It took nearly an hour of steady work before the chains finally snapped free, releasing her from the restraints she'd worn as a slave.
"There. Are you happy now—"
She cut him off by throwing her arms around him in a tight hug. A wave of nostalgia washed over him; he'd missed his sister back on Earth, and even though this wasn't her, the feeling was just as strong.
After a moment, he patted her shoulders and stepped back, gathering his supplies and checking that all his gear was intact. He looked down at her one last time and spoke.
"Don't worry—I'll come back for you soon."