Episode 4

**"A Son, a Fight, a Journey, and Bandits"** (息子と、喧嘩と、旅と、野盗, *Musuko to, Kenka to, Tabi to, Yatō*?) is the 4th episode of In the Land of Leadale anime series. It aired on January 26, 2022.

## Synopsis

After rekindling her relationship with her children, Cayna takes a trip with the caravan to the northern part of the land where they're ambushed by bandits.

## Summary

Kartatz, Mai-Mai, and Skargo meet together in Skargo's office who was in a broody and foul mood. They discuss the matter involving their mother Cayna's isolation in a barrier. During this conversation, Skargo comes to realize why she hit him was because of how deplorable his appearance was to her. Hence, Skargo changes his outfit to a primary white outfit and hopes to meet with his mother to rectify his prior mistake. With Mai-Mai growing irritable, Kartatz leaves the room to allow Mai-Mai to beat up Skargo and decides to visit his mom. On his way, Kartatz finds her eating some skewered meat at a stall and being offered some wonders if he and his siblings were right to worry about her.

Later, the two sit on a bench and talk; Cayna learns that the man who barged into his room was Skargo and figures she should change his personality, but Kartatz admonishes the thought due to his position as High-Priest. Cayna then realizes her faulty judgment and apologizes to Kartatz. Afterward, the two visit Skargo and Mai-Mai who are still brawling, and Cayna decides to stop it with an explosive potion. Once two have calmed down, Cayna apologizes to both Mai-Mai and Skargo making them flustered. Continuing with her apology, Cayna notes her failure as a parent and, in turn, her children apologize to her. With that out of the way, Cayna says she has something to discuss with Skargo and Mai-Mai. Taking the hint to leave, Kartatz briskly leaves the scene, and Cayna reprimands the two for their brawl from earlier.

Afterward in the inn, Elineh visits Cayna to inform her that his caravan has business in the northern part of the land, Helshper. Elineh offers to hire her as a bodyguard for the trip because of the dangerous route that one must take to reach their destination. Apparently, bandits have been attacking people on the route after taking refuge in a nearby ruin. Not having much to do, Cayna decides to tag along.

On the day of the trip, Mai-Mai, Kartatz, and Lonti see Cayna off, while Skargo couldn't due to an important meeting he had to attend. Before she leaves, Mai-Mai asks her mom to deliver a message to someone named Caerick for her. He's a shop owner who runs the Sakaiya in Helshper. On route to their destination, they reach the Ejidd River where the bridge that helped cross it was broken due to a flood, which is why they hired Cayna to help them. Instead of using a levitation spell, Cayna uses a spell that allows the caravans to cross over the river. However, before the last caravan could cross it's attacked by a monster and one of the caravan horses is lost in the process. Lacking another horse to pull the wagon, Cayna summons her Centaur and Cerberus familiars. On the other hand, the caravan riders refuse to allow the two to help them pull the wagons as they'll frighten the other horses. Also, both the Centaur and Cerebus would rather be packing horses than wagon pullers. So, Cayna summons a Crimson Pig named Li'l P to pull the wagon and they continue forth. Along the way, the trees warn Cayna about some danger ahead. Before the checkpoint is reached, the caravan is ambushed by bandits to which the Cerebus named Cerberwoof and the Centaur named Heigl briskly deal with most of the bandits. Although distraught, the head bandit attacks Cayna with a fireball, but she manages to dispel it and returns fire with an ice arrow which kills the Bandit. Despite killing the bandit, Cayna feels remorse for killing someone for the first time.

Making camp someplace, Cayna and the others sit by the campfire and talk about their bandit encounter. Cayna also appraises the staff and learns that it can cast seven more spells and it should sell for a tidy profit. However, Elineh wants nothing to do with it and would rather give it to Arbiter who shares the same opinion as Elineh. Cayna then offers to create a new one with thirty shots, but the two of them refuse.

## Characters

* Cayna
* Key
* Skargo
* Kartatz
* Mai-Mai
* Lonti Arbalest
* Elineh
* Arbiter
* Agaido
* Kenison
* Caerick
* Cerberwoof
* Heigl

## Trivia

* Apparently, Skargo and Mai Mai have such destructive arguments that they have to magically reinforce and soundproof their offices; just to keep their buildings unaffected.
	+ Proof: a simple exploding potion barely did anything; the room was still neat.
* Cayna is having to deal with the moral consequences of taking a life; it's entirely foreign to her to be so uncaring that she took a life, even in self-defense. So it makes sense that her group has ZERO clue that she is dealing with the horrible realization.