Ep.1 - Escape (1)
Ep.1 - Escape (1)
The bandit leader wore a tense expression I had never seen on her before.
The gravity and grim resolve on her face made it clear just how dire the situation was,
but come to think of it, wasn't this an opportunity handed right to me?
If a battle broke out and things descended into chaos, it might give me a perfect chance to escape.
So...
"Save."
[Save point set!]
Alright.
Save done, and now...
I'll just watch how things unfold and bolt the moment I see an opening!
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"Philmark, give up! The time has finally come to halt your wicked deeds, you bitch! You're already nothing but a rat in a trap, so throw down your weapons and surrender quietly."
Neva, one of the most elite knights in the Kingdom of Albator, and her loyal subordinates were stationed in front of the bandits' hideout entrance.
They glared at the hideout entrance with fierce hostility, and judging by the way they looked, they seemed to harbor a deep grudge against the Philmark Bandit Troop.
"If you do not surrender, you will all be summarily executed. We have no preference whether we bring your heads attached or detached, so if you value your lives at all, throw down your weapons and crawl out this instant!"
Neva in particular stared at the entrance with an even more terrifying, murderous expression.
As for the bad blood between her and Philmark, let's save that story for another time. For now, we should focus on how Neva cornered Philmark with a brilliant stratagem of her own.
Pinpointing Philmark's hideout, then waiting until they let their guard down before charging in suddenly — the simplest and yet most difficult of strategies!
Seizing a moment when Philmark, with her exceptional tracking skills and intuition, had let her guard down was no easy feat, but
perhaps because Philmark was ill or something, she failed to notice them at all, which allowed them to drive the situation to this point.
Striking when the enemy is ailing is also a valid tactic, so there's nothing to criticize. What room for criticism could there be in the righteous task of capturing bandits who mock the world?
'At last, the day has come to plunge my sword into that bandit bitch's heart! Heaven watches over me, and it is clear the blessing of Alleta, goddess of battle, envelops me.'
The lifelong wish she had held would soon be granted.
Future generations would remember this day and sing of Neva's achievements and Philmark's demise!
"Commander. Those bitches inside are picking up weapons and preparing for battle. What should we do?"
"They're only around five or six bandits, but as you've all experienced, those bitches are quite strong. However, we have overwhelming numbers and plenty of supplies... we'll maintain our formation here and wait. Aim the crossbows and stand by."
"Aren't we going in ourselves? I want to take those scumbags' heads right now...!"
"Do not rush. Time is on our side anyway. Besides, that's their hideout; if we barge in recklessly, we might get caught in traps. Shake off your impatience, Jein."
"Ugh... Yes. I'm sorry. I almost messed things up by letting my emotions get the better of me."
"Forget it. It's not your fault. I'm itching with anticipation for the great achievement ahead too..."
The two looked back at the hideout entrance.
That gap, which looked more like a narrow crack than an entrance, was concealed by a potent perception-masking spell that made it hard to notice, but to knights who had already seen through its nature, such magic was useless.
"Everyone, attention! We will stand by here until those bandit bitches walk out on their own. Burn hwamacho in front of the entrance and push the smoke inside."
Hwamacho was a flower classified as a toxic herb due to the severe poison in its petals and stems. The sticky smoke produced when burning it caused intense pain merely by touching the skin, and if it entered the nose or eyes, it delivered unimaginable agony. It was often used for torture and other similar purposes.
Of course, the Philmark bandits had resistance to most toxins and wouldn't suffer much, but Neva burned the hwamacho to contaminate their food and water!
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However, the one man who wasn't a member of the Philmark Bandit Troop was fully exposed to the horrific pain.
"Delin!"
"Kek, kehek! Keuek..."
Fuck!
I can't breathe...!
Pain several times worse than chemical warfare gas seared my skin, the recesses of my lungs, and the inside of my nostrils.
Tears, snot, and drool smeared across my face, I gasped for air, thrashing in the bandit leader's arms, but the only thing I found while searching for fresh air and water to wash it all away was the bandit leader's embrace.
"Boss! This is no time to worry about him! The hwamacho smoke contaminated the food and water, so it's all ruined...!"
"Euk! Ehek! Kehuk..."
Yeah, just...!
Just let me go outside!
I'm going to die at this rate...!
"They even blocked the back hole, so the only way out is the front... what do we do?"
"Why don't we just use the man as a hostage and hold out? Those bastards are knights, so they can't lay hands on a civilian! And a noble at that...!! We'll tell them if they don't back off right now, we'll kill him!"
"...No. They'll never give up on us. Having a hostage might buy us a little time, but in the end, staying here will just mean getting caught eventually."
The bandit leader wracked her brain for a moment, then made up her mind.
"Here's what we'll do. First, we'll use Delin as a hostage to break through the encirclement. The moment we reach the stream, we split up and run. That self-righteous bitch Neva will come after the one with the hostage, so I'll take Delin and draw her attention. You guys shake off the other low-ranked knights and escape."
"Um... but who's Delin?"
"...I'm talking about this guy."
The bandit women looked at their leader with worried eyes.
"Boss, will you be okay...? Last time you fought that bitch...!"
The leader pressed her eye covered by the eyepatch for a moment. There must be a story there.
But now's no time to worry about that kind of story!
"Hek, heo-euk... heuk... kek, kee-euk..."
Fucking hurts...
Just knock me out, please...
"Let's start right away. Everyone grab your weapons, and only bring what's important. Lie low for about three months, and when things quiet down, meet at the [Bam Dalbit] tavern."
"Yes, Boss!"
"Boss, you take care, too...!"
Fuck...
Save me...
——————————————————
At the hideout entrance.
The two factions, having finished their preparations, gathered near the small crack and raised their voices at each other.
Philmark was the first to speak.
"Neva! You've brought another bunch of vermin who can't even hold a sword properly. The stench of greenhorns is overwhelming, I can't stand it!"
Neva responded.
"You filthy bandit scum... Looks like I'll have to poke out your other eye to set you straight? Since you've got nothing in your sights anyway, it won't make much difference if I gouge out both of them, will it?"
"Hah. Seeing you all come with such a big posse, it looks like you got pretty scared, huh? You remembered the time I told you that next time, I'd shove a dagger up your cunt, not your belly! Just look at you, all prepared and shit! Guess a virgin little bitch who's never even had a finger up there really treasures her cunt, huh? Ahahaha!"
"...You vulgar shit. Unbelievable...!"
It seemed the righteous knight commander simply couldn't match the foul-mouthed flair of the bandit leader who'd lived a rough life.
Neva's face flushed bright red, and her subordinates watched her expression carefully.
Neva looked ready to explode at any moment, clenching her molars tight and holding back, when Philmark threw in another remark.
"Oh, but what to do? It's not just us in the hideout — we also have a noble young lord we've been holding for ransom! Looks like he's about to pass out from all that hwamacho you've been blasting. If he were a commoner, maybe it wouldn't matter, but he's a high-born young lord — can you really treat him this roughly?"
"...What?"
Neva seemed momentarily flustered by the word 'hostage,' but soon sneered at Philmark and retorted.
"...A lie, you dim-witted bitch. Cornered as you are, you're just flailing in desperation. If you'd really taken a hostage for ransom, you would have already been making all sorts of outrageous demands by now. I can see right through your tricks — your ruin is at hand!"
One of the bandit women shot back at that sneer.
"Our boss is the one who lost an eye, so why can't the great knight see straight? This is ridiculous! Here, take a look!"
What nonsense...
Were they trying to create a distraction and run?
No. That was absolutely impossible.
Already dozens of crossbows were aimed at the entrance; if Neva so much as twitched a finger, they'd turn the place into a pincushion in an instant...
Could it really be...?
"..."
"..."
"...?"
"..."
..?
All the knights, who had expected them to show something, were momentarily confused.
Nothing came out of the hideout; all they could hear was some kind of scuffle and voices among the bandit women and Philmark.
"What?"
"H-hold on a minute!"
"Captain...! They said they'd never shoot! Why suddenly...!"
"No! What if...! What if!"
What were they doing?
"W-wait! We really do have a hostage...! He's even a young lord from a high family in the Holy Kingdom!"
"You expect me to believe that? Everyone, prepare to fire!"
At Neva's command, the crossbows aimed at the entrance.
But...
"Kheuk.. hrgh... Wait! Wait...! Wait a moment... cough..."
From inside, a man's voice truly rang out!
"What...?"
"Commander! What do we do?"
"Don't be fooled, everyone! It's the same old bandit trick! At best, they're using voice mimicry to prolong their miserable lives..."
"Khehok, khek... khehek..."
At last, a delicate-looking man, coughing from the hwamacho smoke, stuck his face out toward the entrance.
"...??"
'It's real...?'