Chapter 109
Chapter 109
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: Roughly Isekai's Greatest Smut 109
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Everyone's gathered."
We moved to the village hall, guided by the villagers.
The village chief and I sat facing each other in the representative seats.
Behind the chief, villagers who knew something about the bandits—summoned for this—stood with anxious faces, watching us.
They must have been thinking all sorts of things.
If they figured we might suffer the same fate as the kingdom's soldiers, they'd naturally be worried.
But I couldn't afford to show anxiety myself.
I took a deep breath and began.
"As you know, we're hero candidates from Melbrit.
We've come to catch the bandits. My name is Decal."
The village chief bowed his head deeply.
"Thank you for tending to our sick. We're at a loss for how to repay this kindness...
We're truly sorry we couldn't even offer a proper welcome."
"It's fine.
We prefer a smooth resolution over a welcome. Information on the bandits.
Anything at all, even the smallest details—please share."
"Of course. We'll cooperate as much as we can."
"I heard the bandits took alcohol, food, and women. Could you tell us about that situation?"
"At first, they just grabbed whatever they saw.
They took any women they found—married, single, with kids or not—and swept up goods put out for sale.
Later, they set a schedule and ordered us to prepare women for their leader by then..."
"Did you prepare them?"
"Yes... They threatened to kill everyone they'd captured if we didn't, so we had no choice..."
The chief's voice trembled.
I waited silently, then continued with questions.
To gauge the bandits' scale.
Putting the incidents together, it was clear they weren't acting strategically.
They ravaged the village for indulgence.
Eventually, even that got tedious, so they demanded prepared women.
Resistance meant death, and captured women were raped.
The village had ground to a complete halt.
Kepa could no longer function as a village.
"Do you know anything about their hideout?"
"The bandits' base is in the forest."
"In the forest?"
"Yes... They're remnants from the northern front. They swelled their ranks by stealing army supplies near there.
They absorbed deserters one by one, and before long, they became a large bandit group with over thirty men."
They hit military supplies?
And they hadn't been crushed yet?
Maybe because the kingdom focused on raising regular hero candidates with more XP than soldiers?
Either way, this was valuable info.
I couldn't underestimate each bandit.
These weren't starving peasants—they were once soldiers who'd fought the Demon King's army. They'd be battle-hardened.
"Got it.
Next question. Anyone here is fine.
Truth is, we're tracking a red soulstone."
"Red soulstone...?"
Everyone exchanged glances and murmured.
"Stia. Explain."
Stia nodded slightly and stepped forward.
"The red soulstone is a remnant of the Demon King. An extremely dangerous and unstable substance.
We suspect one of the bandits has absorbed it.
Does this ring any bells?"
Snap.
As soon as Stia finished, I snapped my fingers, hypnotizing everyone in the hall.
"You will answer the hero candidates' questions truthfully."
Clap.
I clapped to wake my companions and the villagers.
"Come to think of it..."
One villager spoke up.
"During the first raid, there was this one guy who seemed weirdly excited."
"Yes. Those exposed to the Demon King's soul go berserk and act irrationally.
Could you elaborate?"
Stia pressed, and the villager groaned, rummaging through memories.
"...Yeah. Looking back, he was definitely off.
All the bandits were hyped, but his eyes were bloodshot, and his speech was slurred.
Like a monster. Even the other bandits avoided him."
"..."
Good. Eyewitness info secured.
"Anyone else see someone like that?"
"I think I did. He was on horseback, scar on his face."
"Me too..."
Collecting testimonies carefully, it seemed two bandits had absorbed red soulstones.
"Was a soulstone ever brought into the village?
Any idea where the bandits got it...?"
"No clue. Soulstones are handled in the holy city. Nothing to do with our village...
Maybe from the northern front. Lots of stray monsters there.
The holy city mostly leaves it alone—aid comes rarely."
"..."
So,
They caught and absorbed a monster with a red soulstone?
If that's right, this mission's way too dangerous. Someone that skilled absorbing a red soulstone would be even stronger.
But no conclusions yet.
No info on red soulstones.
I didn't even know what the northern front was.
Just guessing it was a frontline against monsters and humans.
My speculation lacked basis.
Time to hear others' thoughts.
"Got it.
That's all for today.
Act as usual, everyone. Don't tip off the bandits."
"Yes, understood."
"When's the next handover?"
"The day after tomorrow, midnight."
"..."
Better to catch them when they come slithering in.
Than storming their base.
If we could pinpoint and raid it precisely, even better.
If red soulstone absorbers lose rationality,
The transport crew would be normal.
Hypnotize them.
"We'll figure out a plan.
Prepare as scheduled for now. Keep the bandits from suspecting."
"Yes, understood.
You must be tired. We'll prepare lodging."
"Thank you."
That night, we accepted the villagers' hospitality.
A lavish meal, and the village's best accommodations.
We split into two rooms: guys' room for me and Aba, ladies' for the rest.
Then we all gathered in the guys' room.
To sort through today's info.
Everyone had changed out of uniforms into casual clothes, sitting on beds.
"Stia. What do you think?"
"It's tougher than expected. Might be beyond us."
Stia started with a cool assessment of reality.
"Northern front soldiers have tons of combat experience, high average levels.
Thirty-plus forming a bandit group? Tough enough already.
And with red soulstone absorbers? Way too disadvantaged."
Aba nodded.
"Better to investigate and head back.
Explain to Melbrit—they'll send a higher team."
"So you're giving up?"
Diana snapped irritably.
"We're Melbrit hero candidates. Can't just pick easy jobs.
People here need help, opponents are vile bandits.
Ex-soldiers turned crooks? Even more infuriating. A few crazies and we bail?"
"Red soulstones don't just wreck mind and body."
Stia suppressed emotion, murmuring quietly.
"...Humans possessed by the Demon King's soul walk on with dozens of blades in them, unfazed.
They ignore any magic. Can't drop them like that. If one charges and we don't unite...
Someone dies for sure. Throat ripped, eyes gouged..."
"...How do you know so well?"
Diana asked, and Stia replied with a hollow, detached expression.
"My father. He touched a red soulstone."
"What? You said he died in the war?"
"That was a lie. House Harpe fell under suspicion as Demon King kin.
Truth is, he couldn't even stand... I saw it all. My resolve for this mission's different. But I know the risks."
"..."
Everyone froze, faces grave.
Knowing the villagers' plight made quitting hard to say.
Naturally, it was my turn.
"Too early to quit. No harm in brainstorming. Let's discuss.
If we hit that thirty-man bandit group..."
"Yeah. Sorry... Spilled unasked stuff, ruined the mood."
"Thanks to you, they know red soulstones' true danger."
"...Yeah."
"How many bandits to pick up the village tribute?"
"Hm?"
My sudden question stumped them.
Stia spoke first.
"Seven.
Including porters and watchers, at least seven."
"Right.
What if we neutralize those seven beforehand, zero damage to us?"
"Neutralize for sure...?"
"Without a scratch on our side."
"Ah!"
Karen's eyes widened at me.
"Oppa’s su...—"
I covered Karen's mouth.
"Su?"
"What's su?"
Releasing, Karen blushed embarrassed.
"...Nothing."
"..."
Diana eyed me suspiciously.
"Got some effective method you can't tell us?"
"...That it?"
The two women stared curiously.
"Hm..."
Perfect.
Could gloss over hypnosis details.
"Yeah.
But knowing puts everyone at risk. Understand."
"...Karen knows."
Stia muttered wistfully.
"What if we subdue the transport bandits, extract their info?"
"Info? Decal, you can do that?"
Stia asked wide-eyed.
"Hypothetically.
Success and failure cases. Both."
"...This is the success case, right?"
"Yeah. Say we capture clean—torture, bribe, whatever.
Get base info, ambushes, guards—all of it.
Then what?"
"..."
Stia concluded quickly.
"Doable.
Intel flips their numbers advantage.
Hit during unarmed downtime, wipe 'em out."
"That's the success scenario."
Diana grumbled.
"Impossible anyway. Feed us bad intel, disrupt.
Or one escapes during capture, alarms all, razes village...
Totally plausible."
"That's failure."
"Worst case, street fight with mounted bandits.
I could take 'em, but you lot? No way."
Diana snorted.
Biased, but valid.
Mages can hit mounts easy, swordsmen not.
But I'm a hypnotist.
Capture bandits, extract info.
Perfectly. Beyond.
Problem: convey to allies accurately.
Hypnotize to believe? No.
That's not me.
Unless for hot sex.
"Attacking now's reckless. Agree?"
"Obviously. Situation changed since carriage talk.
Confirmed numbers mean charging blind's worst option."
"Thanks for explaining, Diana."
"Hmph. If you pushed charge, it'd be major disappointment."
"Contact when they come for women and booze."
Plan formed before lodging.
Just my lifelong gig.
No pity for bandit scum.