Chapter 352
Chapter 352
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 352
Chapter Title: Kim Katt and the 40 Bandits
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After finishing breakfast, about an hour had passed. We were hiking up the mountain in silence when one of the adventurers spotted something ahead and shouted.
—Rustle, rustle!
Sudden, unnatural sounds echoed from that direction. It was clearly the noise of someone fleeing. I checked it out myself, and the fleeting glimpse of the runner's back looked more like a person than a monster.
A bandit!
"You bastard!"
Daring to show me your back? Unforgivable.
Wearing stolen human armor like that and then running the moment you spot the owner? It was a miracle I was still holding onto my sanity.
If they're bandits, perfect.
Capture them and interrogate.
"We have to catch them!"
—Heavenly Demon Supremacy Step.
In response to the merchant's desperate shout, I immediately unleashed my ultimate movement technique and gave chase.
—Boom!
My legs, forged from surging mana and iron-hard muscles honed to the limit, stomped the ground like lightning, propelling my body forward. It had been a while since I felt the power of my pre-Cambrian physique surging through me.
This is runner's high...!
"The other side! There are more on the other side too!"
"Chase them!"
There were fugitives on the opposite side too, but I couldn't worry about that. I kept pursuing the one darting ahead, racing along the ridgeline.
Maybe a trap? I kept my eyes peeled between the ground and trees while running with my sword at the ready. It wasn't particularly dense forest, and the ground was firm—no signs of traps.
"Hey, hey! Stop! If you're not a bandit! We're adventurers!"
He was definitely human.
I shouted out of courtesy once I realized, but he ignored me and kept running. Well, fair enough—even if he wasn't a bandit, who'd stick around with a sword coming at them?
—Thud thud thud!!
I picked up the pace a bit, and the distance closed in an instant. No surprise there. No ordinary person could outrun me in a death marathon.
"The sack grandpa's gonna catch ya!!"
"Gahhh!! What the hell are you!!"
"Kim Katt dropkick!!"
—Whoosh!
The familiar floating sensation hit as I launched into the dropkick. If he wasn't a bandit, it'd be a shame, but I had no choice—I had to subdue him first. Apologizing in my head, I swung my leg.
—Thwack!
"Gack!"
—Boom!
The dropkick landed true. He screamed, flew forward, tumbled head over heels, and slammed into a tree. I landed steadily and rushed over, pressing my blade to his neck while bellowing.
"You bastard! Are you a bandit or not? Answer me!"
Looking at him clutching his head, he was filthy and sinister from head to toe—a textbook bandit.
"You son of a bitch, what the hell do you think you're doing! Gack...!"
"Shut up with the bullshit and answer! Are you a bandit? You a bandit?!"
"W-what bandit? You crazy bastard!!! Get lost!"
Even with a blade at his throat, he was snarling—not fearless, just plain stupid. The dumb ones usually turn to banditry.
This guy's... seriously suspicious.
My doubts were multiplying.
"If you're not a bandit, why run?! Suspicious as hell!"
"Th-then of course you'd run if someone chases with a sword! Get that blade away, you idiot!"
"This guy's not listening to reason."
I'd kicked him first, sure, but refusing to cooperate even with a sword to his throat? Rage boiled up. Furious, I yanked him to his feet and twisted his arm.
"G-gah! Stop! It hurts! Hurts!"
"Quiet down. Calm yourself. I might really snap it."
A bit more pressure, and he started complying.
"Eek! Please don't!"
Finally cooperating.
I dragged him along with his arm still twisted.
"Alright. We'll check you out, and if you're not a bandit, you're free. Bear with it a sec, punk. Shit happens in life. Cooperate, yeah?"
"I told you I'm not...! I'm not a bandit!"
"We'll see after the investigation, punk."
By then, the other adventurers caught up and greeted me.
"Oh, you got him. So fast I thought you were a wolf."
"I'm pretty quick. Grew up in rough terrain, y'know."
My speed was superior, no doubt. I'd overtaken them all.
Dragging the squawking punk—who sounded like a duckling watching its mom get plucked—over to the merchant, I saw other adventurers bringing in the ones from the opposite side.
"L-let me go! I'm an adventurer!"
The dozen or so adventurers surrounding the captured men had their swords drawn.
They looked ready to show off their butchering skills—like some deranged dark cooking contest. These psycho chef-murderers.
"Why are you doing this to us? Let us go!"
Of course, they might not be bandits, as they claimed.
But this was a bandit hotspot. Guys lurking around were inherently suspicious.
The adventurers getting aggressive was natural.
"Can't we just kill these bastards?"
"Let's extract info first, then kill."
"Good idea."
The adventurers muttered as they approached, clearly gearing up for torture. The merchant crossed his arms, glaring sternly down at them in agreement.
"Wait a moment."
Elise stopped them.
"They're suspicious, true, but not confirmed bandits. Blind violence isn't right."
She was correct.
I thought we should interrogate before torturing too. One adventurer voiced doubt.
"The nun from the back, right? Your words are valid, but any other way? Circumstances point to bandits."
As Elise opened her mouth to reply, one captive freaked out again.
"I'm not a bandit! Let me go! Fuck! Untie me! I'm an adventurer! Don't do this!"
Why keep digging his own grave?
Non-cooperation here meant a beating to death.
"Shut up! Acting crazy proves you're bandits!"
"Let's kill 'em!"
The adventurers, annoyed by the idiocy, started cursing and rearing to go. Elise held them back.
"Calm down. A simple interrogation first won't hurt. Merchant, did you see these faces in the last raid?"
"...No."
"Then they're not confirmed bandits. Let me interrogate. Alright?"
"...Do it. If the nun insists, we'll give you time."
With the merchant's okay, the adventurers backed off reluctantly.
They surrounded Elise and the two suspects, guarding the perimeter while watching the interrogation.
"Bandits have been rampant nearby, so we had to rough you up for suspicious behavior. Sorry about that. If not bandits, you're free."
"..."
"..."
The two went silent at Elise's polite demeanor.
"Simple questions. Who are you?"
"...Adventurers."
"I see. Got your tags?"
"Lost 'em."
"What rank?"
"F-rank. F-rank adventurers."
"What brings you here?"
"Hunting... Fuck, I said I'm not a bandit... Nun. Please. I'm not."
The interrogation continued like that.
They seemed evasive, like they had something to hide.
No violence meant no truth. Elise probably had a plan, but the adventurers were getting impatient.
"Darkie. They look like bandits, plain as day, right?"
Winia chimed in, frustrated.
"They do, but not confirmed."
Elise stuck to principles like me—no killing on suspicion alone.
Hmm...
Guess I'll handle it.
"Elise, step aside. I'll take over. This'll drag forever."
"Understood. No worries with you, saint."
I swapped with Elise and stood before them. I stabbed my still-drawn sword into the ground and spoke threateningly.
"Hey, friends. What's your buddies' names?"
"..."
"..."
No response.
"Fuck. We're doing this 'cause of bandits, but no cooperation. No talking? Guess I'll torture ya. Starting with the legs... Elise, take off their shoes. Cold feet ain't healthy."
"C-Carter! I'm Carter!"
"I'm Dorit!"
"Good."
Bluffing works wonders on the mind.
They spilled instantly.
"So, Carter and Dorit. One question: you two know each other?"
They glanced at each other—I yanked their hair.
"Kgh!"
"No looking."
I sliced off his beard with my knife to intimidate, then continued. It worked; both answered in terror.
"N-no! Strangers!"
"Don't know him!"
Strangers, huh? What were two random dudes doing together in the mountains?
Random chat meetup?
Or hiding player info?
"Strangers? Then why together here?"
"Th-that's..."
"Coincidence! Didn't know he was here. Y-you chased, so I ran! Swear on my father's name!"
Selling out dad? Definitely bandits.
"Fine, coincidence. But F-rank adventurers, strangers, came alone? Why solo?"
Dangerous.
"Goblin hunting!"
"Kobolds for me... I'm really not a bandit! Please let go!"
"Cooperate and you're free soon, fucker. Hunting, huh? On a quest?"
They said no quest—just couldn't find a party, so solo hunting.
What a coincidence.
F-ranks ignoring bandit rumors, trekking a full day on foot alone to hunt kobolds and goblins.
And strangers, yet right next to each other—without even knowing. No gear either, despite the trek.
You'd need a backpack for that trip.
Some base nearby?
"What coincidence? Black-hair bro. Sounds like bullshit. They're bandits. Faster to break limbs and ask."
A martial artist stepped up, fed up.
I agreed.
"It's true! Pure coincidence!"
"Really! We're not bandits!"
"'We'? Strangers, but 'we'? Got buddy-buddy already?"
Silence fell.
Sigh, fuck.
Of course. No innocent wanders here, especially post-raid. Spotting them wasn't chance.
Scouts for the bandits.
I raised my palm to the merchant about to order kills, clapped once to refocus everyone, and spoke.
"Okay, we got a truth-teller and a liar here."
"Darkie? What bullshit?"
"Listen."
The angel-devil logic puzzle.
Heaven and hell doors, identical angel (truth) and devil (lies). Question them to find heaven.
Right: heaven. Wrong: hell.
"Anyway, one always truths, one always lies. We'll use that to solve this."
This'd crack the bandit case easy. Everyone perked up, listening intently.
"So, think. Interrogate to truth. Examine premises one by one."
Kim Katt's brain now at full throttle.
"To solve that puzzle..."
But.
"Fuck."
Couldn't remember.
"How'd it go again?"
Fuck, forgot.
"Forgot, damn it."
Gathering attention just to say that? Winia scowled, Elise looked puzzled. Adventurers lost interest, drawing daggers and knives.
Fuck this!
Daring to embarrass me like this!
"Fuck! Talk straight! Asura Blood Palm Strike!"
—Boom!
Furious, I impulsively smashed an Asura Blood Palm into the bandit's face.
"Gahhh!!!"
"Huuuugh!!!"
Blood sprayed with screams.
"Aaaagh!! I'll talk! I'll talk, don't hit!"
Bandit confirmed, you fucker.
Not angel-devil. Just devil-devil.
No wonder I couldn't solve it, fuck.