Chapter 100: Fake Bandits
Chapter 100: Fake Bandits
Interrogating this bandit leader wannabe is easy. He answered all my questions without hesitation. He must be afraid of getting killed by me.
I asked him about why they tried to attack mages who were about to breakthrough.
His answer is that because his leader told them to. He doesn't know why, but he suspected that this is a job given by someone, and the leader was paid handsomely by doing this.
I asked him about the person who paid the bandit leader to attack mages, and he doesn't know who they are. So I asked how many people is attacking today.
The total number of the bandits reached a hundred, but the numbers of bandit who attacked today was just thirty. Does that mean there are seventy more bandits in case the first wave failed?
He answered honestly and told me that in case the first wave haven't returned after an hour, the rest of the bandits will attack. Including the leader.
My guess is that either the one who paid the bandit leader, or the bandit leader himself is a part of the cult. Or maybe both of them are.
Since the bandit leader might be a member of the cult, there's a chance that some of the bandits are also members of the cult.
Doesn't matter, I'll make sure all of us will survive.
I turn my back toward the one I interrogated, and he thinks that his live is saved. Thinking so, he tried to attack me from behind. Not knowing that I can see behind me.
Before his magic is activated, I turned my body toward him and pierced my spear straight through his heart.
"Aa… I don't wanna die…" he said on his last breath.
"Me neither. That's why I have to kill you."
After killing him, I threw his body down the cliff along with his four friends.
Now then, let's inform the others.
I tapped the buckle of my belt and called Sonia.
"Sonia, mission report!"
"Yes, sir! The shack is still safe. No one reached there yet. Angela is still trying to breakthrough, and I don't know about Victoria."
"She will be fine. I have something I want you to tell the others."
I told them about the numbers of the attackers. The first wave has thirty people, five of them are already dead so there's just twenty five more to go. Then if after one hour no one returned, the rest of the bandits will attack.
"And what are you going to do, Roy?"
"I'll get behind them and kill everyone hopefully. I'll try to make sure that no info about us get out to the mastermind."
"Alright, then. Good luck!"
Sonia disappear to inform the others.
I have told Sonia to tell the others to kill everyone to make sure that the bandit's reinforcement won't come earlier. If any one of them returned to tell the others before one hour mark, the second wave will come earlier.
I told Sonia to tell Victoria to kill the leftovers enemies who tried to escape. She's not a mage so she has no area of effect attacks, but if the enemies are spread out when they're trying to escape, I'm sure she can handle them.
As for what I am going to do, I will go far to the back of the bandits. Even behind the main force.
With my Divine Vision, it was quite easy to hide from the enemies' sight. I ran deeper into the enemy's main force without anyone noticing.
Finally, I can see the main force. Surprisingly, they are much more organized than a normal bandit group.
Although none of them wear uniform, I feel like they are too disciplined to be a bandit group.
I think they are fake bandits. The real ones were the first thirty attackers while the rest were probably the cult's private soldiers or maybe the governor's.
Now that I'm here, first thing to do is make sure that none of them able to escape. But how? This place is too open to block them all from escaping.
Yup. We're totally lacking in numbers. We only have five people not counting the one who's trying to breakthrough and the ghost. Maybe I should have agreed to ask reinforcement from the guild.
No. Just because they are reinforcement from the guild doesn't mean that we can trust them. If only at least we have Kron or anyone from the Orc Emperor subjugation to help us, I can have more options.
But now, I'm all alone. I have to thinks of a way to kill everyone here. If I let just one of them leave alive, they will inform the mastermind about us. At least if everyone is killed, the real mastermind behind the attack won't know who we are.
Wait! The guild is protecting Daniel and the others! If one of the enemy is a hunter, they will know that the guild is protecting someone. Then if we return unharmed, they will know about our identities in the end! Either by waiting for us at the guild, or from the identities of the people the guild protecting.
This is a difficult situation.
Or maybe not!
The only reason I want to stay in Melk is because I want to graduate. But that's not important at all!
I do want to be a doctor again, but that's not what I want the most. I just want to survive!
So what if I ended up going to school again or having to be a classmate with other students younger than me? I have experienced it once and I don't mind doing it again.
I'm a shameless person who made Shameless Survival Arts. Why should I be ashamed to be different? And with my knowledge, I can pass the exam easily and get my license faster.
The only things left for me is the Introductory School graduation degree. I think I'll just go to school next year again in Cassau. Or maybe, hopefully, I can find someone to bribe and get my degree without finishing school? I could just ask Albert later. Maybe he could make me a medical license as well.
Now that I'm no longer have any attachment in Melk, I have more options.
Although I have decided to leave Melk, I will still try to hide my face. I don't need her to transform into Ninja again since I just need to cover my face with cloth.
I looked for a place I can hide and call Sonia and told her to tell me once all the enemies are killed.
Sonia then disappear again. Now I have to find a good place to eavesdrop the leader of this group if possible.
Since I encounter the five bandits, it has just been fifteen minutes. Which means it will be about forty minute left until the main force attacked.
Good thing that they are hiding in a forest. I can just hide above the trees.
I jumped from tree to tree while checking on the enemy. Then I found something caught my eye.
There is a cage with only one person inside. The cage was pulled by horses just like carriages. Is the one inside that cage their enemy?
The person inside the cage is a woman. She seems to be arguing with a man in front of the cage. Maybe he's the leader of the group?
I tried to get closer to them without anyone noticing and listen to their argument.
"You are far too powerful to be with that party. What is your real identity?!"
"I'm just a hunter! And I'm teaching them about hunter's job! Release me! I have no connection other than that with them! Why do you want to kill mages who were about to breakthrough anyway?"
Seems like before us, these groups attacked another party who has someone that's about to breakthrough as well. And because she's more powerful than the other in her party, these bandit wannabe tried to question her.
"It's none of your business. Don't forget that you're just a prisoner here. With that collar on you, should I release you here among men who desired your body?"
"Ugh!"
That collar she's wearing is something I knew of. It's Magic Restriction Collar. Anyone who wears that collar, won't be able to use magic. Her chance of escaping from here with that collar is zero.
Then someone come and said something to the man.
"Captain! The bandits haven't returned after twenty minutes! We heard sound of magic casted from that area so they should be still fighting."
"Let them be. We will move in forty minutes. And don't call me Captain! We're pretending to be bandits here so call me boss!"
"Alright boss!"
Captain he says… then they are really from private army. And they really pretending to be bandits.
"You're not bandits? Who are you people?!"
"You don't need to know. Just tell me about yourself. If you don't, we have no choice but to bring you to our master."
"I'm just a hunter!"
"Someone as strong as you is just D-rank hunter? That's not possible. You must be some spy working for someone. Tell me who your boss is?"
"No one! I'm a hunter so I have no boss!"
"So stubborn. We will just bring you to our master after this mission is over. It's getting dark already. I hope we can finish this one before the sun disappear, but knowing how weak the bandits are, that's seems impossible. At least we will rest before we attack this next target. They seem to be stronger than average mages if they still fighting."
Then the man went to rest somewhere else.
I also leave that area and hide.
Soon, Sonia appear and told me that the first wave is over. All the enemies are killed and the girls only had slight injuries. Another good news is Angela has breakthrough in her ice element magic. Which means she's already an Intermediate level ice mage.
Although she has finished breakthrough, doesn't mean that these people will stop attacking. So I summon Victoria for preparation before I make my move.
"Sonia. Tell everyone to rest first. I will make my move after they started to advance. If I move too soon they will have rooms to escape. But once they get closer to the girls, then I will start my attack from the back of the enemy."
"Alright. What will you do while waiting?"
"I think I will have a nice chat with a pretty girl."