Chapter 107: Capturing the Bandits
As we traveled along the highway, two men came into view, standing in a way that blocked the road ahead. To the left, the forest loomed close to the roadside, while the opposite side was rocky, making it an ideal ambush point.
Thanks to my enhanced vision, I could see them clearly even from a kilometer away. Nil and I were moving north, well off the main road, where the wagon was barely visible.
“Stop right there!”
With my enhanced hearing, I caught the shout of the man blocking the road. We had just passed a pair of groups of three hiding by the roadside. Nil and I were positioned further back.
There was enough space to pass, but given the potential for an emergency, we couldn’t completely ignore them, so Alissa halted the wagon.
“What’s going on?”
As the wagon came to a stop, Alissa, who had been leading the way, addressed the man. …Ah, it seems the ones hiding behind are starting to make a move. I can sense a slight shift in Magic Power. Oh, it looks like Rio has noticed too. She must have cast a Force Field.
Watching from the back, I could see the overall movements clearly.
“Our companion is injured… We could really use some help,” the man said.
I see. So, they’re trying to lure us in with a feigned emergency, only to ambush us from behind.
“This way.”
The two men beckoned us while turning their backs, heading toward the forest on the left side of the road. They seemed to be signaling that they posed no threat, but the presence of others lurking nearby made them suspicious. Unless all twelve remaining were injured, their hidden positions were a dead giveaway.
Besides, there was no way I would follow them without the client’s consent, away from the person we were supposed to protect.
I mentally scolded myself, recalling what Alissa had taught me, but perhaps these men were oblivious to the common sense of guarding.
“Hey, over here! Hurry up! Time is of the essence!”
Impatient, the man turned back to shout, but Alissa was just asking Fleur for her opinion. However, it seemed that it wasn’t just these men who were getting antsy. From the forest and rocky outcrops behind us, arrows and spells came flying.
“Wait, it’s too soon!?”
Seeing this, the men hastily drew their swords and charged at us. Their coordination was terrible… But it was clear they were attacking, so we would have to respond in kind.
“Alright, Nil, let’s go. You take the other side.”
“Woof!”
As we sprang into action, the arrows and spells collided with Rio’s Force Field, bouncing harmlessly away.
“What!?”
“W-What’s happening!?”
Alissa and the others, having dismounted, advanced toward the startled foes in front of us. We quickly reached the ones who had been firing from behind, delivering swift strikes from behind before they could react. Nil also sent the enemy on the other side of the road flying. As I watched the bandit soar through the air like a character from a slapstick comedy, we regrouped with the others.
“Come out, you cowards hiding over there! We know you’re there!”
With no trouble at all, Alissa had taken down the two men and shouted toward the front. …But the others were still reluctant to show themselves. Perhaps they thought that if they waited for us to expose ourselves, they might escape.
“If you don’t come out, I’ll start casting spells!”
To make it easier for them to see, I conjured a fireball about a meter in diameter above my head and aimed it at the rocky outcrop. Next to me, Rio summoned several ice spears above her, pointing them toward the forest.
“…They’re not coming out.”
Alissa muttered, but as she said, there was no movement from the enemy. In fact, all three of them were focused on us and not paying attention to the enemy. Was that wise?
“Can they not see our magic from over there?”
I doubled the size of the fireball and raised it higher into the air for better visibility. Rio followed suit, increasing the number of ice spears and raising them above her head.
“Wait, wait!”
The men rushed out in a panic. Two emerged from the forest, and four from behind the rocks. They were poorly equipped for frontline combat, and when I counted the groaning figures sprawled on the road, it indeed added up to fourteen.
“Are you all bandits?”
“…Damn it, this isn’t what we heard!”
No one answered Fleur’s question as she stepped down from the wagon. What were they talking about? If they were bandits, getting caught would lead them to become criminal slaves. They wouldn’t dare admit it, knowing they could be killed in retaliation.
“It doesn’t matter since you attacked us… But what do you mean it’s different from what you heard?”
“Tch, we just heard rumors that you were transporting goods to be auctioned with rookie guards.”
“Rumors?”
“And what the hell is with that tamed monster and your magic? That’s cheating!”
I was at a loss for words at their indignation. Regardless, we just needed to hand over the captured bandits to the city guards. Alissa had mentioned we would receive a reward for selling them as criminal slaves.
“The sun will set soon, so let’s take everyone with us.”
“…Everyone?”
Fleur looked around, taking in the fourteen in total, including those on the ground.
“Don’t worry.”
If I used Earth Magic to create a cage, it would be no problem. With that thought, I swiftly conjured a sturdy cage capable of holding all fourteen bandits, and the raucous cries of the captured bandits fell silent.