Chapter 26
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 026
Chapter Title: The Mage and the Sinner (1)
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“Over there...”
At that moment, a middle-aged man spoke up.
He was one of the refugees.
He looked like he had something to say, so I nodded at him.
The man slowly continued.
“If you head this way, you’ll reach a village called Bigplain. That’s where we were evacuating to.”
“And you ran into the bandits on the way?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The middle-aged man replied politely.
As I’d guessed, the two groups here were indeed bandits and refugees.
Conflicts like this between them were commonplace amid the current rebellion.
“How far is the village from here?”
“About half a day on foot.”
“Close enough.”
I finished the conversation and turned back to the bandits.
The bandits, who’d been watching me warily, flinched.
They’d been full of bravado just moments ago, but now they were utterly terrified, without a trace of their earlier swagger.
They didn’t seem like seasoned bandits.
Something about them felt off.
They probably weren’t bandits to begin with. Maybe they saw the rebellion as a chance to make a quick score?
The massive uprising had shattered security in the east and parts of the adjacent central regions.
In a world where law and order were already shaky, things like this were bound to happen.
People’s eyes lit up with greed, ready to rob anyone they could.
Just like the ones in front of me now.
“What should I do with you all?”
I asked, staring at the bandits.
A few of them immediately prostrated themselves on the ground.
“Please spare us!”
“Forgive us for not recognizing your importance!”
“Please, just spare our lives...”
The bandits began begging for mercy.
Even those who’d been standing around dumbly caught on and hurriedly followed suit.
I can’t kill them all right now anyway. Better to play the magnanimous one and let them go.
I pondered as I looked down at the bandits.
I had just enough mana left for three Lightning Bolts.
I could use Ignition instead and take them out before running dry, but I doubted they’d stand there quietly burning.
They’d run or fight back desperately.
So wiping them out here wasn’t feasible.
Still... I couldn’t just let them walk away.
Not when there was something in it for me.
“Get up.”
I said flatly, as if it were only natural for them to grovel.
“I’ll let you go.”
Relief washed over the bandits’ faces.
But the conversation wasn’t over.
“On one condition.”
What I wanted from the bandits was simple...
“Hand over everything you have.”
Supplies.
Money, food, weapons—whatever they had, the more the better.
I could sell it in the village, buy what I needed, or use it for travel funds.
“Our clothes too?”
One bandit asked.
He’d stepped forward alone to speak with me, so he was probably their leader.
“Of course. Oh, you can keep your undergarments. I’m merciful, unlike you lot.”
Right after I spoke, I watched their reaction closely.
Let’s see what you do now.
They’d tried to rob the refugees and ended up getting plundered themselves.
It wouldn’t be strange if they rebelled.
I was ready to cast a spell at any moment, but thankfully, they were weaker-willed than I’d thought.
Clang.
One bandit dropped his club without hesitation.
The others followed, tossing their weapons to the ground and stripping off their clothes.
They kept stealing cautious glances our way—clearly terrified of Lightning Bolt.
Well, can’t blame them.
A bolt of lightning flashing out of nowhere, killing a comrade?
Of course they’d be scared.
Anyone would wonder when it’d be their turn.
“This is everything we have...”
Moments later, their leader said.
The bandits stood there in just shirts and pants.
True to my word, they’d kept only their undergarments and surrendered all their possessions.
“Good. Now get lost.”
“Thank you!”
The bandit leader replied swiftly.
He turned and hurried away from me.
The others scrambled after him.
They headed not toward the village, but off the road—into the forest.
They probably had a hideout hidden in the woods somewhere.
Gilbert, follow the bandits. Stay hidden.
I sent the mental command as I watched them go.
Being able to issue orders with just a thought was one of the perks of a familiar.
I’ll see this through to the end.
I had no intention of leaving loose ends.
They might come back for revenge.
Or blab about meeting a mage.
That’s why I’d sent Gilbert.
Of course, it wasn’t foolproof.
If any bandits escaped him, it’d be trouble.
Meeting a mage, then attacked by a skeleton?
Who’d they suspect first?
Me, obviously.
And if they branded me a Necromancer?
The Church might take notice.
Even so, I’d made this call because I trusted Gilbert’s abilities.
Gilbert can handle it cleanly.
Even weakened from when Master summoned him, he was still far stronger than your average undead.
Bandits in their underwear? Easy pickings.
Yeah, this is the best option.
With that settled, I turned to the refugees.
The middle-aged man who’d told me about the village expressed his gratitude.
“Thank you so much!”
The others followed his lead, thanking me profusely.
“We owe you our lives.”
“Yeah! Without you, Mage, we’d all be dead.”
“Seriously. Those guys looked like killers—their eyes were vicious.”
They were bowing and scraping because they’d seen what I could do.
Realizing that made their gratitude seem a bit performative.
But I didn’t judge them for it.
I’d have done the same in their shoes.
“You’re all headed to Bigplain too?”
“Yes. We heard it’s still safe... They say the palisade keeps the bandits out.”
I asked the group, and the middle-aged man answered on their behalf again.
He seemed to be their leader.
“Mind if I tag along?”
“Oh, we’d welcome it.”
The refugee leader replied immediately.
His expression was complicated.
A mage was scary, but traveling with one meant safety—conflicting emotions warring inside him.
“We won’t make it by tonight, will we?”
He glanced at the sky before answering.
“No. Sunset’s soon. We’ll need to find a spot to camp before dark.”
“Got it. Scout around.”
“Yes, sir!”
The middle-aged man hurried off.
That night.
I still didn’t fully trust the refugees, so I set up camp a short distance away.
Then I mentally called for Gilbert.
During the day, I’d kept him far off to avoid prying eyes, but now I didn’t need to.
And for my safety, I needed him close.
Gilbert. Come to me quietly.
A few minutes after the order, he appeared behind me.
He’d approached without making a sound, as instructed.
Put this on.
I gave him a cloak from the bandits’ loot—the least ragged one.
With the hood up, in the darkness, it’d be hard to tell if he was man or undead.
A minimal precaution.
Stand watch. Tap my shoulder if anything approaches. Got it?
I assigned Gilbert to night watch, then closed my eyes.
The undead’s blind loyalty was a huge comfort.
Knowing he’d guard me let me relax more than being alone.
Tension eased, sleep came quickly, and I drifted off.
And then...
Tap tap.
Nngh?
I woke to someone touching my shoulder.
What was it? Then it hit me.
Gilbert’s orders.
Him waking me meant something was coming.
What is it?
I stayed still, pretending to sleep, and listened.
Soon, footsteps rustled nearby—not far from where I lay.
Gilbert, hide behind the tree.
First, I ordered him to conceal himself.
Then I pondered who might be visiting me at night.
Not the Silent Compliance Order.
Their knights were professionals.
If they wanted me dead, they wouldn’t pick a bright moonlit night.
And if it were them, they wouldn’t creep so cautiously.
They’d charge straight in, subdue Gilbert easily, slit my throat.
I’d have died without even feeling it.
Bottom line: not them.
Which made it all the more confusing.
No idea who it could be.
The daytime bandits were already dead by Gilbert’s blade, so not them.
Wait, maybe their comrades coming for revenge? Nah, doesn’t feel right.
Realizing it wasn’t a knight calmed my racing heart a bit.
My first thought: retaliation.
But that didn’t hold up.
No evidence I’d killed them—how would comrades even know to find me?
Besides, common bandits weren’t the loyal type to avenge their own.
Other possibilities flickered through my mind, but I couldn’t dwell forever.
The night visitors were closing in steadily.
Time to prepare for a fight.
Luckily, not many of them.
From the footsteps, three or four at most.
Manageable.
Strike first. With Gilbert, it’ll be easy.
As I planned, the visitors finally stepped into the moonlight.