Chapter 141: The Army Marches In!
Chapter 141: The Army Marches In!
Beside the carriage stood two men: one a merchant, the other a driver and porter.
The merchant was still trembling from the close call. He had heard rumors of bandits in the area but didn't want to spend the money to hire a mage as a bodyguard. Now, he almost lost everything, including his life and his entire fortune.
The driver was equally shaken. Working for a miserly boss was the pits, and he had nearly been killed by the bandits.
"Mr. Bania, should we leave?"
"Wait a moment. The mage must have done this; let's wait for him to come over."
Bania's hands were trembling, but his eyes gleamed with shrewdness. A bodyguard was about to appear, and he wasn't about to let this opportunity slip away.
They waited for a while, and suddenly, a gray figure darted out of the forest, landing abruptly in front of them. It was a wolfman, his amber eyes fixed on them, and his sharp teeth glinting in the sunlight.
Bania's legs nearly gave out from fear.
Fortunately, the wolfman spoke: "Who are you?"
Bania heaved a sigh of relief. If he could talk, he must be a mage who had transformed into a wolfman:
"Sir Mage, we are merchants passing through on our way to Onibas. We almost fell victim to these bandits. Thank you for your help! Is there anything we can do for you?"
His destination didn't concern Bania, but Rod nodded: "If it's convenient, could you help tie these bandits up?"
The driver was about to step forward but was stopped by Bania:
"I see you don't have any rope. I happen to have some, 30 meters long, for just 600 J!"
"Mr. Bania!" The driver's eyes nearly popped out. In such a dangerous situation, he was still trying to sell rope? How greedy could a person be!
Rod gave Bania a surprised look. A real opportunist, still thinking about making a profit in this situation. But from his perspective, it was a bit annoying.
"No need." Rod, still in wolfman form, kicked away the bandits' weapons one by one before reverting to his human form to tie them up.
He used their own belt straps as rope.
"Get out of here while you can. Don't be a hindrance."
Rod's tone wasn't as friendly. Dealing with people like Bania was the most troublesome.
If they encountered more danger, he would feel irritated for saving them, but letting them die would weigh on his conscience.
It was better to get rid of them quickly.
But Bania didn't want to leave just yet. What if there were more bandits ahead?
"Sir Mage, please don't misunderstand. I can give you the rope for free."
Bania spoke with enthusiasm, "You'll need to take these bandits to the town hall, right? I suggest you travel with us. Not only will I give you the rope, but you can also ride in our carriage."
Free was often the most expensive, and Rod could easily guess that Bania was trying to get a free bodyguard.
Rod declined, "Thank you, but I have other matters to attend to. I don't want to trouble you."
Bania quickly added, "We can wait! And besides..."
This guy was impossible to reason with. If words didn't work, money would have to do.
While tying up the bandits, Rod said:
"Mr. Bania, short-term bodyguard services typically cost between 2,000 to 10,000 J. For someone carrying a large amount of goods and taking a dangerous route, the price would be higher.
Moreover, mages like me and my companions, who can take out more than ten enemies in an instant, aren't easy to come by. Do you think it's that simple to hire someone like us?"
That's exactly why Bania wanted a free ride! Especially since Rod had a companion.
Unfortunately, the price... Bania hesitated for a moment, "I apologize for the inconvenience. We'll be on our way."
The bandits had already been dealt with, so they probably wouldn't encounter another group. Without a bodyguard, they would have to manage on their own.
The carriage driver was thinking about making a run for it. He didn't know much about the market, but he conservatively estimated that the profit from this cargo would be enough to hire a dozen or so mages and still come out ahead.
This Mr. Banya was really a man who valued money over his life. Next time, he had to find a more cowardly boss.
Rod tied up the ten men one by one, then picked out the one who looked the most scared and dragged him to a slightly secluded spot to splash water on his face to wake him up.
"Who are you! Let me go, or our boss—"
A two-headed wolf snarled and bared its teeth in front of him, making him quickly shut up.
"Tell me how many of you there are, if any of you are mages, and if there are any hidden paths, traps, or secret escape routes on the mountain."
"Like I'd tell you that!"
"Fine, then you're lunch for the wolf. They haven't had lunch yet." Rod waved his hand, and the two-headed wolf licked his cheeks from both sides, drooling.
The bandit swallowed hard, feeling the hot breath of the wolf on his face. "I, I'll talk."
"Think twice about lying. I'll wake up the others to confirm, and if you lie, I'll have the wolf bite off your hand."
Rod didn't know much about interrogation techniques, but he had heard of something called the prisoner's dilemma. He wasn't sure if this was the same thing, but it seemed to work.
The bandit finally cooperated, spilling everything about the situation on the mountain.
Better to go to jail than be fed to the wolves.
After getting the information, Rod knocked the bandit out again and woke up another one to ask the same questions. He repeated this a few times, ensuring the answers were consistent before returning to Alzack and Bisca.
These two were reliable, holding their guns with precision—one keeping an eye on Rod's direction and the other on the surroundings.
"How did it go?" Alzack asked, noticing Rod's serious expression.
"The numbers match what we knew. Their leader can use a very destructive spell, and there are a few traps along the way..." Rod paused.
Bisca grew alert. "What is it?"
"A swift crab fell into a pit, but it's not a big issue." Since his vision didn't disappear, Rod knew the swift crab was still alive. "The bandits might have been alerted, so let's prepare for a quick battle to prevent them from running away."
"I'm ready." Alzack looked at Rod. "Can you handle the magic?"
Alzack remembered that Rod had used a lot of magic today, both receiving and summoning, and was currently maintaining several summoned creatures: stone beetles, shadow wolves, sharpbeaks, and a swift crab.
Rod replied, "I should be fine for twenty minutes. I can withdraw a few if needed. Ideally, I won't have to do much myself."
Alzack and Bisca exchanged a glance and said in unison:
"You've done enough."
"Leave the rest to us."
Despite this, Rod still planned to provide as much information as possible before the battle.
He sent a stone beetle with Bisca to her sniper position and followed Alzack with two stone beetles, carefully navigating around the traps to approach the bandit camp.
The bandit camp wasn't large, with a wooden house in the center and a few scattered huts around it. A row of wooden fences surrounded the perimeter, and two arrow towers stood at the entrance.
With a few soft thuds, the bandits dozing at the entrance and the sentries on the arrow towers fell to the ground, hit by Bisca's shots.
Rod had already moved to the back, ready to block the bandits' escape routes.
Alzack loaded a high-explosive round and fired, blasting open the gate.
The camp erupted into chaos, with bandits shouting:
"Attack!"
"Dammit, who is it?"
"Boss! The army is here!"
(End of Chapter)
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