I Think There’s a Rat Among Us
Do people need crises in life?
Absolutely not.
Please, never let something like that happen.
Juhwan sat leaning against the wagon wheel. He rested his head against the wagon and closed his eyes.
He once heard somewhere that humans use a huge amount of energy just by seeing things with their eyes. The amount of information the eyes receive is far greater than people think.
Maybe because of that, whenever he had time, simply closing his eyes made him feel a little less tired.
“Just how long are they going to keep following us?”
There had been another bandit attack during the night.
This time, the merchant company at the very end of the convoy was attacked. The other places were safe.
“Something’s strange.”
There were other places that had not been attacked for days.
But somehow, this place bothered him.
It felt similar to the sensation of noticing someone staring at you.
“Is it because there’s a mage here?”
Among the entire merchant convoy, this was the only merchant company with a mage.
Maybe the bandits knew that too...
“But it’s strange for bandits to know something like that.”
Yes, it was definitely strange.
Juhwan opened his eyes while still leaning against the wagon.
Unlike the ground, the sky above was quiet. The sky that had been completely dark not long ago had already changed into the pale color of watered-down ink.
When daylight came, the bandits never attacked.
People who had grown used to that fact over the past few days began moving around restlessly.
Throughout the convoy, people checked broken wagons and stolen goods, selected the injured, and loaded them onto carts.
Those close to death were already being treated like corpses.
Juhwan stood up and searched for Leonard.
Leonard was staring toward the direction where the bandits had disappeared.
He looked deep in thought.
Should he interrupt him?
Juhwan hesitated slightly, but then he saw several wagons from another merchant company leaving the convoy ahead.
Leonard’s gaze also turned there.
Juhwan walked a few steps toward Leonard, who seemed about to move.
“What is it?”
Juhwan thought Leonard had not noticed him, but Leonard suddenly turned his head and asked.
Juhwan stepped closer and lowered his voice so others could not hear.
“It’s a little strange. Only we haven’t been attacked.”
“....”
Leonard’s eyes turned toward Juhwan’s face.
His gaze was sharp.
Like a leopard staring at prey.
Surely he wasn’t suspecting him?
Juhwan met Leonard’s eyes directly and continued speaking.
“I think there’s a bandit among us.”
“…Yes.”
Suddenly, Leonard smiled.
“Are you a hunter?”
“I learned a little.”
“I see. You must have learned from a good teacher. Your footsteps make almost no sound.”
“....”
Leonard glanced at the bow Juhwan was carrying.
“That’s quite a unique bow.”
“…The person who taught me made it.”
“A long time ago, I saw someone from another country use a bow like that. I heard it can be made easily and uses many kinds of wood. It’s rare in this country.”
Leonard motioned for escort leader Gordon.
Gordon, who had been speaking with the guards, ran over.
While watching Gordon approach, Leonard asked:
“If they are seriously injured, how many people can you heal in one day?”
“I think I can heal as many as the number of escorts in this convoy. I’ve never tried before, but judging by my mana, I should be able to.”
Leonard, who had been looking toward Gordon, turned back to Juhwan with surprise.
“You can heal dozens of people within a single day?”
“That much is possible. It probably wouldn’t even take a full day.”
“Truly impressive.”
While Leonard spoke, Gordon arrived.
“Gordon, if this continues, more merchant companies will leave the convoy. Go around and persuade them. Tell them that if they leave now, they’ll become food for the bandits. I think that’s what the bandits want. Separate them one by one and devour them easily.”
Gordon simply lowered his head without showing much surprise.
“I understand.”
“It will be difficult to persuade them with words alone. From now on, tell them we will pay for healing magic for seriously injured people who can still be saved.”
Gordon, who had listened quietly, asked:
“That will cost a large amount of money, sir.”
“It can’t be helped. If all the smaller merchant companies leave, then companies as large as ours will become the next targets. We don’t have enough escorts compared to the bandits.”
As Gordon prepared to leave, Leonard added:
“Not people who are certain to die, and not lightly injured people either. Only seriously injured people who can be saved. Make that clear.”
“I understand.”
Gordon immediately left with several servants.
As Gordon ran toward the wagons trying to leave, other servants began visiting the merchant companies to inform them he would soon arrive.
Leonard looked at Juhwan and grinned.
“I agree with you. I think there’s a rat among us.”
After that, time passed without major trouble.
Despite Gordon’s persuasion, a few merchant companies still left, but most remained.
After healing the injured people from other merchant companies, Juhwan headed toward the wagon where Lizzy and Dorothy were staying.
For the past few days, he had barely seen their faces properly.
He stayed outside constantly on guard, tense and watching all directions.
“Lizzy, it’s me.”
He knocked lightly on the wagon door.
With a rattling sound, the door opened.
Lizzy and Dorothy rushed toward him at once.
“Daddy!”
Juhwan spread his arms and hugged them both.
Lizzy and Dorothy also tightened their arms around him as if answering his embrace.
“Juhwan, are you hurt anywhere?”
Lizzy asked worriedly.
Dorothy suddenly lifted her head.
With a face that looked ready to cry, Dorothy looked up at Juhwan and said:
“Daddy’s not hurt, Mom. Daddy is super, super strong, so he won’t get hurt. Right, Daddy?”
It sounded less like confidence and more like a question.
There was crying hidden at the end of her words.
Juhwan smiled.
“Of course. Your daddy is a healing mage. Even if I get hurt, I can fix it quickly.”
“Right?”
Dorothy let out a relieved breath.
As always, her hat and Oz were still on her head.
Even while worrying about Juhwan, she had made sure to keep wearing the hat she loved.
Thinking about that made him smile a little.
Children could be reassured easily.
Adults were different.
Lizzy still looked at him with worry, unable to completely believe his words.
“It’s okay, Lizzy.”
He hugged her lightly again.
Lizzy’s slender body bent back slightly as her arms rose and wrapped tightly around his neck.
Whispering softly, she said:
“Be careful, Juhwan. If things become dangerous, run away no matter what happens. Promise me you’ll put yourself before others.”
Then Lizzy lowered her voice even more.
“Even if Dorothy and I are in danger too, it’s the same, Juhwan. You must escape first. Please.”
“....”
Silently, Juhwan hugged Lizzy and Dorothy.
“That kind of situation will never happen, Lizzy. I absolutely won’t allow it.”
“....”
Juhwan lightly kissed Lizzy’s lips.
Dorothy puffed out her lips like a baby pig.
When he kissed her too, Oz came next.
Dorothy pushed Oz forward, wanting him to receive a kiss as well.
Unable to refuse, Juhwan pressed his lips against the horned rabbit’s forehead too.
“Pii.”
“....”
A strange sensation flowed through him.
It felt as if something had passed between him and the horned rabbit.
It felt slightly different from when he gave mana.
“Daddy, what’s wrong?”
Dorothy tilted her head.
Juhwan said it was nothing and looked at Oz.
He noticed that part of the fur on Oz’s forehead had become slightly white.
Not much.
Only about the amount of dirt under a fingernail.
There were only a few white strands.
“But... was there always a part like that?”
Oz’s fur was dark brown with uneven patches.
The belly was different, but the rest of the body looked like that, and the face was slightly darker.
If there had been white fur like this before, he would have noticed it.
But strangely—
it did not feel like a bad thing.
Juhwan carried the chamber pot filled with waste outside over the next few days.
He dug a hole a short distance from the wagon and buried it.
Lizzy had wanted to do it herself, but he would not allow her to move away from the wagon.
The bandits were dangerous enough already, but now there might even be a traitor inside the merchant company.
He could trust no one.
While he was busy with various things, the convoy started moving again.
Juhwan entered the wagon and lay down.
Lizzy and Dorothy lay beside him with Juhwan in the middle.
The space was so narrow their bodies overlapped slightly.
Mostly because Juhwan’s body was too large.
Juhwan tried to move to the corner instead, but both Lizzy and Dorothy shook their heads.
Neither of them wanted that.
They both wanted to stay close to him.
Unable to help it, Juhwan hugged them both tightly in the cramped space and lay flat while closing his eyes.
He heard the destination was not far anymore.
They only needed to endure for a few more days.
The destination was said to be a large city, meaning there would be soldiers there.
They could send people to ask for help.
It seemed the other merchant companies were hoping for that too.
But things would probably not go so easily.
Because Leonard had stopped the wagons from leaving, there was a high chance the bandits would change their behavior.
After putting in this much effort, it would be foolish to think they would quietly retreat.
Today—
or maybe tomorrow—
something would happen.
“I need to rest now.”
He needed to restore both stamina and mana.
He had to be ready to fight whenever the bandits attacked.
“Lizzy, Dorothy. Don’t open the door for anyone except me. Not merchant company people, not escorts, not even Red Sword. Keep the door locked and don’t respond to anyone.”
“…Alright.”
Lizzy answered.
But Dorothy said nothing.
When Juhwan turned slightly to look, the child had already fallen asleep.
“She hasn’t slept properly at night. She must have been scared.”
But perhaps after being held in his arms, she finally felt safe enough to sleep.
Daddy is strong.
Daddy’s arms are safe.
If he could give her that feeling, then he was happy.
When Juhwan tightened the arm holding Dorothy, Lizzy stretched her arm over him and gently touched Dorothy’s hair.
“I said this before, but please be careful. Please put your safety first.”
“....”
It seemed he had failed to reassure Lizzy.
Instead, he was only making her more anxious.
Juhwan hugged his wife tightly to comfort her, then slowly drifted into shallow sleep.
But contrary to expectations, there was no bandit attack that night.
Even late into the night—
and until dawn approached—
nothing happened.
If they waited just a little longer, morning would come.
For several days now, attacks had never happened at this hour.
The tension slowly left the shoulders of the people who had remained on edge the entire time.
Juhwan never left the area around his wagon.
He stayed nearby, constantly watching all directions.
Then, just before dawn—
at the darkest hour of the night—
the guards’ attention loosened slightly.
The positions of some people around the merchant company wagons shifted a little.
Someone nearby seemed to have gone to relieve himself.
Rustling footsteps could be heard.
Soon after, the sound of urine hitting the ground echoed quietly.
At that moment—
someone lit a torch near the merchant company wagons.
It was fairly far from Juhwan.
Among the many Miller Company wagons lined up together, it was near the front.
With the sound of flames flaring up, part of the darkness became bright.
Juhwan could not tell who had lit the torch.
Several people were standing near the wagons, spaced apart.
But it seemed no one had seen the person’s face when the torch was lit.
If they had, they would have called out the name.
While people looked around in confusion, someone spoke:
“Dawn is close, so why suddenly light a fire—”
Before the sentence could finish—
the man collapsed.
A sudden gust of wind made the torch shake violently.
Under the flickering torchlight, the figure swallowed by darkness could be seen faintly.
An arrow was embedded in the fallen man’s head.
“Bandits! Bandits!”
Someone shouted, and people grabbed their weapons.
But with heavy thudding sounds, arrows flew in and pierced people.
Flaming arrows flew through the air.
They were not aimed at the wagons.
The oil-soaked arrows landed around the area instead of hitting the wagons, dimly lighting the surroundings
