After dinner, I sit on the sofa with a backpack on my back so that I can escape immediately. The sun slowly sets, and it becomes midnight. Suna seems to have sensed the tension of Father and Mother, and although she looks like she is about to cry, she is enduring it.
『Rina, they are here!』
Yuu, who had gone outside to check the situation, flies into the living room.
「They are here」
At my words, Father and Mother hug us tightly.
Bang bang bang.
The sound of knocking on the front door echoes inside the house. I thought they would sneak in quietly, but it seems they do not feel the need to hide.
Well, that is natural. The one giving them rewards is the noble, who is the absolute authority in this village.
Bang bang.
Rattle rattle rattle.
There was a sound of the living room window being knocked and shaking.
「Eek」
Suna lets out a small scream.
「It is okay. Be quiet」
Mother hugs Suna to her chest to reassure her. But Mother herself is trembling.
「This is troublesome. Break it. No one will come anyway, so there is no need to worry about the surroundings」
Hearing the man’s words, Father’s arm tenses up.
Bang bang bang.
The sound of the window breaking echoes in the living room.
「Kana」
「What is wrong?」
Father picks up a wooden stick he had placed nearby.
「If they enter the living room, I will fight. Take the children and escape」
「No. I will fight together with you」
「No. Please, protect the children」
「…」
Father grips Mother’s hand tightly. Mother nods with a sad expression.
「Agus. I leave Mother and your sisters to you」
「Yes. Father, you must definitely come later too. I will protect everyone」
「Of course」
『Rina, what should I do?』
I look at Yuu, who is flying around restlessly in the air, and then look toward the window.
『Do you want to know the situation outside?』
I return my gaze to Yuu and nod.
Bang crash.
My body jerks at the sound of the window breaking.
『Understood』
As I watch Yuu fly outside, I notice that onii-chan is looking at me.
「Rina」
There is no need to hide at a time like this. After all, the most important thing right now is survival.
「I wanted to know the situation outside, so I asked him」
When I look at onii-chan, he has a slightly surprised expression.
「I see. If we know their movements, we can find a chance to escape」
「Yes」
I hear Father and Mother gasp. I grip their hands tightly.
「Surely, there will be a chance for all of us to escape」
Crack crack crack.
I hear the sound of the window breaking.
「It is no good here. Let us move」
Father peeks from the living room into the hallway.
「Quietly, slowly」
With Father in the lead, we quietly leave the living room.
Crack crack.
「Not yet?」
「Just a little more」
My heart tightens painfully hearing the voices of the men outside. I deceive myself with deep breaths and somehow move my trembling body to follow Father.
What happened to Yuu? Why has he not returned?
Crack crack crack.
「It broke!」
At their voices, Father holds the wooden stick and looks toward the living room.
「The window at the end of the hallway. We did not defend it, thinking of escape. Get out of this house immediately」
Crash, thud thud thud.
「We did it」
I hear the sound of breaking, something collapsing, and then their joyful voices.
「Go! Hurry!」
At Father’s words, Mother grabs my and Suna’s hands and runs down the hallway. Onii-chan follows, looking back worriedly.
Mother opens the window at the end of the hallway and checks the outside.
「There is no one. From here—」
「There they are」
At the man’s shout, Mother turns around.
「Go quickly!」
At Father’s loud voice, Mother lifts Suna up.
『Rina. Help has arrived! They will be here in just a moment! Huh? Rina?』
I hear Yuu’s voice from the living room.
「Eh? Help has arrived?」
「Eh?」
Surprised by Yuu’s words, I mutter, and Mother looks at me.
「What are you doing. Hurry」
Father is fighting the men who have come out into the hallway. Is he already injured? Blood is soaking through the clothes around his shoulder.
『Rina, I found them! Hold on a little longer! Help is coming soon!』
「Father, hang in there a little longer. Help has arrived!」
At my voice, the man who was about to hit Father turns his gaze toward me.
「Hahaha, too bad. No help is coming!」
I take a few steps back from the man who grins at me.
Scary.
『Ah, please come quickly～!』
Yuu spreads his hands in front of me as if to protect me.
「What are you doing, you guys!」
「Who the hell are you!」
When I hear a young man’s voice, I hear the sound of swords clashing.
「What is it?」
「What happened?」
『They’re here～! We made it in time～』
At the voices heard from outside, the men fighting Father show confused expressions. Yuu shouts happily and raises his hands in triumph.
「We are saved」
My strength suddenly leaves me, and I sit down in the hallway. Onii-chan sits next to me and shows a relieved expression.
「Are we saved?」
Mother, still holding Suna, sits down and mutters.
「Hey, this is bad. Let’s escape」
When a man pokes his head out from the living room, he calls out to his companions in the hallway.
「What about the brats?」
One of the men in the hallway looks at me.
「Are you stupid? It does not matter. Let’s escape immediately」
As the men who hurriedly escaped disappear from sight, Father lets out a big sigh and sits down.
「Rigus. Are you okay?」
Mother, still holding Suna, hurriedly goes to Father’s side.
「I am fine」
「But you are bleeding」
「The sword just grazed me slightly. I am truly fine」
Seeing that Father is safe, tears unintentionally spill from my eyes.
Good. Truly, good.
「What shall we do about the ones who escaped?」
「Chase them. I will check if there are any remaining enemies here」
「Understood」
I thought it was one person earlier, but it seems two young men came to help.
「Who came to help us? The Bishop?」
No, the Bishop probably does not fight.
I look at Yuu, who is laughing happily in the air. After onii-chan follows my gaze, he makes a slightly disappointed expression.
If Yuu becomes visible, they will surely be surprised, so it is better if he remains invisible.
『No. Two young men I do not know. But one was dressed similarly to the adventurer Litton, so I think he is an adventurer』
「Adventurers?」
Why did adventurers help us? Was it a coincidence?
「Whoa, this looks bad. Hey, is anyone here? Um, was it Agus?」
「Me?」
Onii-chan is surprised when the person who helped us calls his name.
「Is no one here?」
「We are here!」
「May I come in?」
Hearing onii-chan’s voice, the young man asks for permission to enter.
「Please do」
「Thank you very much. Excuse me for intruding」
With Father’s permission, the young man thanks him and enters the living room.
「Ah, there you are. Are you injured? Are you okay?」
When the young man finds Father, he immediately goes to his side and checks the injury.
「It is just a slight cut, so I am fine. By the way, who are you? Why are you here?」
At Father’s question, the young man bows his head slightly.
「I am Rudok, an adventurer. My adventurer companion, Litton, asked me to check on a boy named Agus and his family when I had time」
Litton made such a request for us. But did he come to check in the middle of the night?
「Actually, I intended to check around noon today. But on my way home, I met a guard knight who looked panicked. Moreover, he said he was looking for Agus’s house, the one I was asked to check, so I was surprised」
A guard knight for onii-chan? When I look at onii-chan, he widens his eyes in surprise.
「When I heard the story, he said there was a possibility of being targeted, so although it was midnight, I guided him to the house. We noticed something strange on the way and hurried」
「Is that so? Thank you very much. You really saved us」
Hearing Rudok’s explanation, Father bows deeply.
「No, I am glad we made it in time」
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