Desert City Baidu (2)

The people waiting in line recoiled in terror at the bandits' raid and pressed themselves tight against the city walls.

Whether they were veterans of this sort of thing or some kind of manual on how to act when bandits appeared had been circulating, the crowd moved with surprising coordination for people thrown into chaos.

Once the line had flattened itself against the wall, soldiers poured out from inside, took their place, and began forming ranks. Shield-bearers stepped to the front; spearmen and archers filled in behind them.

"What should we do?"

"Hmm... pfft."

I took one look at Kanisia's face and burst out laughing. She'd asked me what we should do, but her expression was screaming that she wanted to fight.

"Wh-what's so funny?"

"Nothing."

She must have realized I'd read her mind, because her face went red. Had her parents raised a saint? She couldn't hide a thought if her life depended on it.

"Let's fight. Who knows? If we help take down the bandits, they might let us straight through the gates."

"Yeah? Hell yes!"

Grinning from ear to ear, Kanisia grabbed the spear slung across her back. Abraham beside her hefted his massive square shield, and Aquaril drew her sword as well.

Let's see... not many of them worth worrying about.

I checked the status windows of the bandits charging our way. Nobody dangerous. Five of them were riding giant scorpions. The strongest was only 3-star; the other four were 2-star. The ones on foot, who hadn't scored a scorpion, were all ordinary people.

Even the strongest of them was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the same rank as us, but his stats, class level — everything — came in lower than Kanisia's across the board.

Wait. Come to think of it...

When I'd first met Kanisia, I'd been far weaker than her. Even fighting together, Aquaril and I hadn't been able to beat her. But after the level-up event, the tables had turned.

Kanisia had gained two levels fighting the Givry Family, but she was still only level 46. I was level 58. Aquaril was 50. Level wasn't everything, of course — but the thought that I'd surpassed her left me with a strange, lingering feeling.

"Alright. Let's go."

"Yeah! You're dead, you bandit bastards!"

Aquaril and I, Kanisia and Abraham — we charged ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠straight at the bandit pack.

"It's dangerous!"

"Come back!"

Soldiers shouted after us from behind. We ignored them and kept running. The distance between us and the bandits shrank fast.

"You arrogant little shits! Defy the Desert Scorpion Gang and you die! I'll kill every last one of you!"

"Scorpion's a great source of protein, you know!"

"Die!"

I leapt high and came down on one of the scorpion-riders. He swung his sword at me; I thrust my shield forward and deflected it easily.

"Gah!"

I shoved him off the scorpion with raw force.

"Kyaaaaaah—!"

The giant scorpion stabbed its tail at me in a blur, trying to protect its master. I didn't need to block it.

Shhk—!

"Kieeeeeek—!"

Aquaril had severed the tail. The scorpion's carapace was plenty hard, but it couldn't stop a blade charged with mana.

Then, her face utterly blank, Aquaril put on a scorpion-dismantling show.

The speed of her sword was almost too fast to follow. She cut the tail. She cut the legs. Last, she sheared off both pincers, leaving the scorpion completely immobilized.

"N-no!"

"Oh, it'll work! You're a pig — so go ahead and croak, pig!"

"Aaaagh!"

I swung my sword, keeping the pun alive, and took his head off in a single stroke.

"Diiie!"

"Uwaaah!"

"I'd rather not kill civilians... but you came here to kill people, so I guess you die too."

The regular bandits charged at me, trying to take me down.

Temptation.

"Wha—?!"

"M-my body is moving on its own!"

The moment the skill took hold, every weapon the bandits were holding snapped toward me at once.

"Aaaaah! What's happening?!"

"Huh?"

Even the weapons of the bandits attacking Kanisia, a good ten meters away, got pulled in. The bandits thought their bodies were moving on their own — but it wasn't their bodies. It was their weapons.

Did the range go up when the skill leveled?

Temptation's range had never been this long. Leveling it must have expanded the area of effect. Good news. That meant the ground I could cover had gotten wider.

The concept I'd settled on for "Alan" was a tank who protected his allies. The stat boosts from Uroboros's Avatar and the effects of Temptation were a perfect fit for the role. Getting hit with swords still scared the shit out of me... but what choice did I have? If I wanted even a scrap of efficiency, I had to grow into a tank whether I liked it or not.

"Hup!"

Weapons came flying at me like they'd been yanked by a magnet. The bandits who still wouldn't let go of theirs came tumbling along for the ride. I sucked in a deep breath and eased back. Clang-clang-clang! I caught the weapons on my shield and swept my sword through the hands still gripping them.

"Aaaagh!"

"My hand!"

I stepped back again, blocked with the shield, swung the sword. Another chorus of screams.

"Master, I shall assist you."

"AAAAAGH!"

Having finished off another giant scorpion and its rider, Aquaril came to help. She was a Fairy even more specialized in trash-mob slaughter than I was. Bandit screams rang across the battlefield; their blood sprayed across the sand.

"Haaaaah!"

"Not a single hair upon my Master's head shall be touched!"

Kanisia and Abraham were holding their own just fine. Abraham planted himself in front with his shield, absorbing every attack that came their way, while Kanisia tore through the enemy from behind him, spear whirling.

"Nngh! You fucking bitch! I'll cut off your limbs and feed you to the scorpions—"

Thnk-thnk-thnk-thnk—!

"Ghk?!"

"Swing your weapon instead of your mouth, you moron."

"Kyaaaaah...!"

A Master charged at Kanisia and got skewered by a hail of mana spears from every direction, dying on the spot. The giant scorpion paid the price for serving a stupid master and died with him.

Like wolves falling on a flock of sheep, we slaughtered the bandits.

"What the hell are you standing around for?! All units, advance! Attack the bandits!"

"Uwaaaaaaah—!"

Our performance must have gotten their blood up. The soldiers who'd been holding formation at the gate charged as one.

"Tsk."

I clicked my tongue at the sight of the charging soldiers. From where I stood, they were just planting their spoons in a meal we'd already cooked. They'd sat there watching while we fought, and now that we'd seized the momentum they came running. I didn't like it one bit.

"R-run!"

"Uwaaaaagh!"

That was enough for the surviving bandits. They broke and fled. The strongest of them — the 3-star Master — whipped his giant scorpion and bolted fastest of all.

"Ah... I needed to catch that bastard."

Missed the one with the most experience. A little disappointing, but whatever. Once we started hunting the bandits in earnest, we'd run into him again soon enough.

"Stand up straight, you pieces of shit!"

"We're sorry! Please spare us!"

"Shut up!"

The soldiers who'd come charging in, panting, started binding the bandits who hadn't been able to run — the ones who were wounded but still alive.

These sons of bitches...

I didn't like the look of that either. Those were our bandits. The soldiers hadn't done a damn thing. And now they were tying them up like they'd been the ones to take them down. It felt like they were looking right through us.

Hah... this is some bullshit, but I'll swallow it.

I couldn't say anything about it. The ruler of Baidu was so far above me I couldn't even think about picking a fight.

"Are you unharmed, Master?"

"Yeah. You're not hurt either, right?"

"No, Master."

"Ugh... if I'd known it was gonna be like this I wouldn't have fought. I thought swinging my spear around would feel refreshing, but I'm just hotter..."

Aquaril was sweating too, but Kanisia looked like she'd taken a full shower in her own sweat. A filthy, lewd smell rolled off her!

Then a man walked up to us and addressed me.

"Thank you for your assistance in driving off the bandits."

Assistance in driving off the bandits? Is this bastard joking?

Like I said — we were the ones who'd driven them off. And this arrogant prick was thanking us for our "assistance." I could smell the shitty intent to swallow our credit whole.

"Don't mention it. And you are?"

I didn't let the dislike show. This guy was a servant in a high minister's house — the kind you don't pick a fight with.

"Ah, forgive the late introduction. I am Bilbo Natangka, supervisor of Baidu's South Gate."

Bilbo Natangka. I'll remember that, you son of a bitch.

Someday I'd come back here, ridiculously strong. And I was going to be a complete asshole to this guy.

If this had been a game instead of reality, that kind of message probably would have popped up.

"I see. A pleasure. I'm Alan Han. This is my companion, Kanisia Lora, and these two are our Fairies — Aquaril and Abraham."

I introduced the party to Bilbo. Kanisia, dying of the heat, gave a halfhearted wave.

"I see. More than that, your skill is remarkable. These fellows are the Desert Scorpion Gang — quite infamous bandits — and you brought them down so easily..."

"It was nothing. But, Natangka."

"Yes?"

"My companion is in pretty rough shape. Would it be possible for us to enter Baidu immediately?"

As I spoke, I glanced at the bandits the soldiers had bound. This was the same guy who'd already tried to swallow our credit when he first opened his mouth — he'd catch the meaning of that look instantly.

And just as I'd expected, he let out a hearty laugh and nodded.

"Of course. You'll still need to go through identity verification, naturally. It won't take long."

"Of course. I appreciate the consideration."

"I'm the one who should be thanking you. If you hadn't stepped in, my soldiers ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠would have been badly hurt."

I hadn't said it out loud, but I'd offered him the credit for capturing the bandits in exchange for a fast-pass through the gates. And Bilbo had accepted.

"This way, please. I'll escort you myself."

I'd handed him the credit for a song, so Bilbo was all smiles as he led us inside.

"Hey, you bastard! Who the hell do you think you are, cutting in line?! I was here first!"

"Don't give me that shit! I've been waiting here since ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠yesterday!"

People were arguing behind us. Now that the bandits had been cleaned up, the soldiers were lining everyone back up. And once a line got disrupted, of course someone was going to try to cut.

We didn't need to wait in any line. Under Bilbo's escort, we walked straight into Baidu.

We showed our identification, stated our purpose for visiting Baidu, sat through a few precautionary notices, and stepped back outside. We headed straight for the best hotel in the city.

"Hey, isn't this way too expensive? Do you even have the money?"

"Don't worry about it. We're only staying here for today anyway. Tomorrow we'll move to a cheap place. We've been living in a wagon for ten days. Let's at least spend one night somewhere actually nice."

"Hnn... ah, screw it! Fine!"

Kanisia had looked tense at the lavish exterior, but she folded under my persuasion and nodded.

Honestly, I had enough money to stay at this hotel until we cleared the entire Chapter 4 story. But most of that money had been the Blood Wealth King's fortune, so I couldn't. For the record, Kanisia thought Palos's Bird was the one who'd looted the Blood Wealth King's estate. If I started throwing money around in front of her, the arrow of suspicion might swing my way. I had to be careful.

"See you in a bit."

"Yeah. An oasis hot spring... I am so ready for this!"

We booked two rooms, agreed to meet back down on the first floor later, and went to our rooms. One of the hotel's amenities was an oasis hot spring, and of course we were going to try it. Kanisia was practically vibrating with excitement.

"Aquaril."

"Yes, Mas— kyah?!"

The moment we stepped into the room together, I shoved her forward. Caught completely off guard, she stumbled and went down on all fours.

"Sorry, Aquaril. I'm in a real hurry right now."

"Master... haah?!"

Riiip—!

I yanked her pants down along with her underwear and drove my cock straight into her pussy.