Reincarnated as an Instructor in an Adult Game

Chapter 95: If I Can Protect With All My Might....

I was running along Third Street, out of breath.

I stopped at a distance where the bakery was almost visible, put one hand against the wall, and began regulating my rough breathing.

Sweat was pouring out of my body and it felt gross, but this wasn’t the time to complain about that.

While catching my breath, I observed the bakery in the distance and saw no customers entering the shop.

The time was around 2 PM, which was strange — at this hour there should be quite a few customers.

The bakery run by Rinaar’s family is quite popular, famous enough that adventurers from Suzuya talk about it.

The proximity to First Street, the factory district, might also be helping.

That’s exactly why it was strange that no customers were entering at this time.

Once my breathing had settled, I recalled Rinaar’s words and entered the back alley.

...She said they would be sold, right?

If it’s selling, they would probably choose kidnapping rather than assault.

If the merchandise gets damaged, it might not sell for a high price.

Human trafficking is prohibited in the kingdom, and I’ve never heard rumors of it happening here.

But if they’re going to sell her, they probably won’t inflict injuries.

Even if injured, they probably won’t cause permanent damage.

I hid myself while peeking into the back alley wide enough for one carriage and saw a single carriage stopped at the bakery’s back entrance.

It was a cheap carriage used for transporting cargo or travel.

The moment I peeked in, the carriage started moving toward me.

I jumped out from the back alley; the horses were startled and the carriage stopped.

A man around my age driving the carriage was manipulating the reins to calm the horses.

I muttered quietly to Sharle to check the cargo area, and she responded by gently stroking my cheek as a signal.

The driving man looked at me with a panicked expression and froze. I was also slightly surprised when I saw the man.

He was the man who runs a bakery near Suzuya.

His bakery was doing fairly well, and I had purchased from him at Suzuya several times.

I had heard rumors that he recently had a child...

"...What are you doing?"

"R-Raide? No, I was asked to transport some cargo..."

When I took one step closer to the man who smiled in a flustered way, I exuded a wary atmosphere.

I wiped the sweat flowing from my forehead with one arm, ready to fight at any moment.

And while making sure he didn’t notice, I readied myself and gradually approached.

"You were asked by another baker like yourself?"

"Y-yeah! They said they needed extra hands!"

"...But the husband should have been there, right?"

"No... I heard he was out..."

"Oh...?"

The man grew wary as I closed the distance little by little and his expression became desperate.

Even though there were other shops in the back alley, there were no people around, and I felt several gazes watching from behind.

...Do you think I haven’t noticed? Hide your presence at least, you idiot.

I cursed in my heart without showing it on my face and had approached close enough to touch the horses.

Suddenly, shouts from several men rose from the cargo area, and the man turned around in surprise.

I took that as a signal and dashed forward, jumping onto the driver’s seat from the side and punching the man hard in the cheek.

"Gubu!?"

"You stay quiet in the back!"

I grabbed the man by the collar and threw him forcefully into the cargo area, quickly grabbed the reins, and started driving the carriage.

As I increased speed, figures started emerging from hiding just like I had done.

But water magic flew from the cargo area and stopped them.

The figures hit by the water magic were blown away and slammed into the wall, motionless.

It was probably Sharle’s magic; the power was quite impressive.

While manipulating the reins, I passed the blown-away figures and confirmed them with a sideways glance.

Simply put, they were rough-looking men, but their attire looked decent.

I continued increasing speed to get out onto the main street, and water magic flew every time a figure appeared.

When the flow of people on the main street came into view, I heard a man’s voice from the cargo area, apparently having noticed.

"What are you doing!? Stop the carriage!"

"Shut up!"

"It’s for my family!!"

"I told you to shut up!"

I raised my voice toward the cargo area and burst out onto the main street.

The moment I burst out, I manipulated the reins while avoiding startled passersby and gradually slowed down.

I broke into a cold sweat on my back, being careful not to involve anyone while hurrying to stop.

Fortunately, I didn’t involve any people, and on the stopped driver’s seat I let out a big sigh of relief.

Then, perhaps because Sharle removed it, the white cloth covering the cargo area came off and fell to the side, making the inside fully visible.

At the sound of the cloth falling, I turned around and checked the cargo area with a stern face.

In the cargo area, two rough-looking men lay bleeding and motionless, and beside them lay a woman who resembled Rinaar.

The chests of the two bleeding men weren’t moving, but I could confirm the woman’s chest was quietly rising and falling.

After confirming that the woman who seemed to be Rinaar’s mother was alive, I let out an even bigger sigh and got down from the driver’s seat.

I loudly asked the gathering crowd to call the guards and, while glancing sideways at the man crouching and trembling in the cargo area, checked on the woman’s condition.

The woman showed no signs of having her clothes removed, and at a glance she had no visible injuries.

Seeing her quietly sleeping, she was probably drugged.

The man who had been crouching and trembling suddenly looked up vigorously, glared at me with a face full of anger, and grabbed my collar.

I didn’t resist and met eyes with the man whose mouth was bleeding, letting him do as he pleased without looking away.

"Because of you! Because of you, my family is in danger!!"

"..."

"I just had a child!! You wouldn’t understand, would you!?"

"..."

"To someone without children, uguh!?"

"...That’s enough."

I punched the man in the cheek, grabbed his collar, and dragged him out of the cargo area.

While suppressing the boiling anger in my gut, I shook the man with both hands still gripping his collar.

Because I don’t have children...? What the hell does that mean?

I have never forgotten the feeling or resolve to protect something precious!

While shaking the man, I spoke in a quietly angry voice.

"Did you... consult with the kingdom? With the guards?"

"Th-that’s..."

"With your family?"

"...I didn’t."

"Why... Why? Why didn’t you consult anyone? You say I wouldn’t understand? You didn’t do anything you should have... You took the worst possible action. What exactly do you want me to understand!?"

The man looked away from me and spoke hesitantly.

Because he’s the breadwinner of the family, male pride, a father’s dignity — the man continued muttering such words.

I threw the man forcefully to the ground, looked down at him with a glare, and confirmed with a sideways glance that guards were pushing through the crowd and approaching.

When the guards hurriedly ran over to me, I pointed to the back alley where I had run with the carriage and explained the situation.

As the guards were about to take the dejected man away, I glared at the man and spoke quietly to the guards.

"There’s a possibility that this man’s family is being held hostage or monitored. Please hurry to his house, okay? ...There’s a newborn child."

At my words, the man looked up in surprise. The guards hurriedly asked the man for his home’s location and gave instructions to the surrounding soldiers.

Telling them through someone else’s words would probably lighten his punishment somewhat.

Not for the man’s sake, but for his wife and child waiting at home.

Several soldiers ran off, I looked away from the man, and princess-carried the woman out of the cargo area.

Carrying the woman, I went to the man’s side, glared at him, and spoke.

"When protecting something precious, something as small as dignity... isn’t needed. Even if you’re looked down on, even if you look unreliable... If you can protect with all your might, that’s enough."

At my words, the man lowered his face. I looked away and started walking toward the academy.

I don’t intend to deny male dignity; I just want to say not to use it in the wrong place.

Pride too — it often becomes one’s support.

But if used wrongly, it leads to terrible things, just like with this man.

I glanced once at the woman’s face and headed to the academy at a quick pace without letting my guard down.

I don’t think they’ll chase this far, but just in case I stay alert.

With the single-minded desire to let Rinaar see her soon, I head for the academy.

While heading there, I mutter quietly to Sharle.

"Thanks for the help, Sharle."

"No, I’m glad I could help."

"Yeah... Really."

I finally smiled and looked at the woman’s face.

"Mommyyyy!!"

"Ah, Rinaar. Thank goodness... I’m so glad you’re safe!"

In the headmistress’s office, Rinaar and her mother hugged each other tightly, crying with joy at each other’s safety.

I once stepped out of the room, wiped my upper body with the cloth Erika had given me, and changed clothes.

I was soaked in sweat and felt gross, and honestly didn’t want to dirty the headmistress’s office.

When I changed and entered, Erika and Croana were watching the mother and daughter with warm eyes.

I heard from Erika that Fia and Lea had gone to check on the safety of the lovers just in case.

Erika noticed me entering the room and smiled. I returned the smile and looked at Rinaar and her mother.