Chapter 8: To the Elf Village – 05
“Souji, are you aware of what’s happening?”
Miss Sfenia spoke in a low voice while keeping her gaze forward.
“Yes, it seems like someone has been watching us for a while now.”
“What? Are there thieves? I can’t smell anything… Are they using some kind of scent concealment?”
Larni twitched her nose. Seeing Freinir’s anxious expression, I reassured her, “If we handle it like usual, we should be fine.”
“I’ll dismount now. If they attack, please take care of it.”
Miss Hofena got off the pack, and I stored the pack in my Item Box.
Now, how will they approach us? Since we are adventurers, they won’t take their time to block our path and intimidate us. They might set traps or attack from a distance… I know that dealing with humans can be more troublesome than monsters.
“Oh, Souji, there’s a strange smell. It might be some kind of drug.”
Larni’s words clicked in my mind. So that’s what it is.
“Freinir, can you cast Purification and Barrier at the same time?”
“I can do it, I’m on it.”
I wanted to avoid showing off our Dual Magic skill, but this wasn’t the time to hesitate.
“Sfenia, stop. Everyone hold your breath until Freinir casts her magic.”
“I’m casting now.”
In about ten seconds, Freinir unleashed her magic. I knew Purification would eliminate the poison. With a Barrier in place, no new toxins should enter. Larni twitched her nose and nodded.
“Hmm, the smell is gone, so it seems fine. It’s probably a paralysis drug. It reminds me of what was used in slave hunts back in the day.”
“I see. Thanks to you and Freinir, we should be able to prevent it.”
As I praised the two of them, I turned my gaze toward the direction where I sensed the presence. Miss Sfenia was also aiming her bow in the same direction.
“I didn’t expect them to use drugs. They are likely organized thieves. There might be some washed-up adventurers among them. Stay alert.”
“Understood. If it comes to combat, Freinir, please set up a Barrier to protect yourself and Miss Hofena within your limits.”
“Yes, Souji. I’ll keep it ready at all times.”
I considered using Divine Attribute to weaken them, but against humans, it might backfire. It’s still too early for Freinir to take a life, so I’ll have her focus on defense.
After a while, I sensed about twenty humans approaching with my Presence Detection. I could see three of them remaining in the forest while a group of men emerged from the woods. The fact that they were all wearing light armor indicated they were not just ordinary bandits.
At first glance, the three at the front looked like washed-up adventurers. Each of them wielded oversized swords that ordinary people couldn’t handle. The ones lingering behind were likely the snipers.
“Sfenia, can you target the three in the forest?”
“No problem. I’ll take them out as soon as I know their identities.”
“Thank you. Leave the close combat to me and Larni.”
It was my first encounter with human opponents, but strangely, I felt calm, perhaps due to my skills. I had confirmed with the guild that legally, bandits are treated the same as monsters. The only question left was how capable these washed-up adventurers were, but they didn’t seem to be D-Rank at first glance.
“Larni, prioritize the three at the front. You understand?”
“Yeah, they’re washed-up adventurers. They look weak, so it should be fine.”
As we readied ourselves, the bandits stopped about twenty meters away, likely realizing we weren’t paralyzed.
“Hey, the drug isn’t working, is it?”
“Looks like they might have Paralysis Resistance… But it’s unlikely all of them have it.”
“So, was it a bluff? Either way, aside from that old man, there are only good catches here. Plus, one of them is a high elf; we can’t let them escape.”
“Looks like there are four adventurers. The kid seems weak, so we should manage somehow.”
They continued to chatter among themselves as they closed in on us.
“Who are you? If you come any closer, I will shoot.”
In response to Miss Sfenia’s challenge, they grinned and replied.
“You can tell just by looking. We’re what you call slave hunters. If you surrender quietly, we’ll spare everyone except that old man. It’s just business for us.”
“So, you’re bandits who have sullied your hands with illegal activities. In that case, I see no need for restraint.”
Suddenly, Miss Sfenia released an arrow. The arrow left a trail of light and vanished into the depths of the forest. At the same time, one presence disappeared from my detection.
“This damn elf shot one of ours! Everyone, attack!”
The three at the front charged at us. I raised my shield and stepped forward. Should I wait to see how they act? No, it’s better to strike first.
In an instant, I made my decision and swung my mace in a horizontal arc. Although they were still out of reach, I unleashed a Shockwave.
“Gah!?”
Five or six of them, including the three at the front, were sent flying. They were certainly left with significant damage. It was clear that ordinary bandits would have perished from such an attack.
“Gotcha!”
Larni dashed forward with Swift Run, swiftly decapitating two of the washed-up adventurers. Her merciless assault made it clear that she was indeed accustomed to combat against humans.
One of the remaining bandits attempted to rise, but my mace struck him on the head, ending his struggle. Without knowing what skills they possessed, I couldn’t afford to hold back.
At that moment, a third arrow of light flew, and it seemed the forest sniper was also eliminated.
“In an instant!? Run!”
The remaining bandits were all ordinary humans, so naturally, their only option was to flee.
“Don’t let them escape!”
Miss Sfenia’s cold voice rang out behind them, and at the same time, an arrow pierced one of their backs.
“Understood!”
Larni used Swift Run to take down the remaining bandits. It’s a rule never to let a single one escape when dealing with bandits, but I still felt a resistance to striking down fleeing opponents. It was pitiful, but I would eventually grow accustomed to it.
When it was all over, it had happened in the blink of an eye, just like usual. When I turned around, Miss Hofena was blinking in surprise, while Freinir stood beside her, looking pale. Scenes of killing and being killed aren’t exactly commonplace, even in this world. Especially for Freinir, who was once a noble lady and a saint of the church. The shock from witnessing the battle was undoubtedly immense.
“Freinir, it’s okay now.”
As I called out to her, Freinir released the Barrier and hurried over to me. Unable to contain herself, she hugged me tightly.
“It was your first time seeing something like this, wasn’t it, Freirin? It’s understandable to be shocked.”
Miss Hofena approached, watching Freinir with gentle eyes.
Sfenia and Larni returned after examining the bandits’ corpses.
“They indeed had powdered paralysis poison. They also possessed a full set of tools for capturing, so it seems the slave hunting was not a lie.”
“They remind me of those who came to our village long ago. They must be part of a larger organization.”
“Is it common for such people to roam around in this country?”
In response to my question, Sfenia answered.
“This area is close to the border. In fact, this country treats beastmen and elves relatively well.”
“So, they must have come from another country?”
“Yes. It’s said that the neighboring Mecalinan maintains its national structure through slavery, and their dialect had some of that accent.”
“Should we have kept one alive to interrogate?”
“That would only lead to a tail-cutting situation, so it’s better to eliminate them all.”
Sfenia’s expression remained unchanged. It seemed this was a well-known secret in the area. However, I never expected to touch upon such a delicate international issue in a place like this.
“By the way, Souji, you seem to possess a very rare skill. To blow away washed-up adventurers like that, you certainly don’t seem like an E-Rank.”
“And Freinir and Larni both seem to have powers that far exceed E-Rank. I’m quite intrigued.”
“I mentioned before that I’ve been fortunate in several ways… Your archery skills are impressive as well, Sfenia. Hitting a target that’s hard to see is no small feat.”
“I have several skills aimed in that direction. However, they are insufficient for taking down higher-tier monsters. At this rate, I’ll only reach C-Rank.”
A shadow crossed Sfenia’s beautiful face. It seemed that the skills one could acquire indeed determined the upper limit of their rank.
“How should we handle the bandit corpses? Should we gather them and burn them?”
“Time is of the essence, but we can’t leave them here, so that’s the only option. Ideally, we should bring at least the washed-up adventurers to the guild for examination.”
“Shall we strip anything useful from them?”
Larni casually added this, causing Freinir to make a complicated expression.
“I think we can fit the corpses into my Item Box, so let’s take them all. We can dispose of them once we reach the village.”
When I said this, Sfenia’s eyes widened.
“You can carry all of these? I’ve heard that if they’re too heavy, you can’t transport them.”
“I believe it should be fine.”
Even though I wasn’t particularly keen on the idea, I tossed all the corpses into my Item Box. I was surprised at myself for thinking it was a hassle to deal with the bodies being separated into torso and head… I shouldn’t have been able to face such a sight in my previous life.
Once everything was stored, I felt a drain on my stamina, but it seemed manageable. In fact, it might even serve as good training.
When I returned with a calm expression, Sfenia looked at me with a slightly meaningful gaze.
“I feel like your party is already at least C-Rank. As Larni said, you’re a party seeking power.”
No, I’m still inexperienced, and I doubt we’re even at C-Rank yet…
It goes without saying that Larni was secretly giving me a thumbs-up.