Chapter 35 - Cap 35: Eliminating Bandits Part 1

After checking the girls' statuses I join everyone to discuss my plan, I have already thought of a general plan but I need to discuss the details together with the girls before putting everything into practice, I ask Érica to use her telepathy spell because of Ibuki who is still learning the common language.

Ding!

<[ Telepathic link format with a member of the Érica party ]>

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<[ Telepathic link format with party member Diana ]>

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<[ Telepathic link format with party member Ibuki ]>

"(The master was amazing, he knew exactly the questions to ask, but master, I have a question, why did you keep asking me and Diana to take turns asking the questions?)" (Érica)

"(That was for the prisoner not to focus on one person, with him I try to change his focus between you two and keep watching me that I didn't say anything but he was afraid he didn't have time to think about lies.)" (me)

"(I didn't understand master, but it seems that you thought of everything.)" (Diana)

"(I understood master, what you said makes a lot of sense, but why didn't you ask anything.)" (Érica)

"(As he was scared of me he instinctively had me in his field of vision all the time, making just you two ask, he had to take that focus off of him on me to look at you which made your fear increase and for him being desperate he didn't have time to invent anything, but he could still hide some important information so I chose specific questions for him to answer.)" (me)

"(The master is very smart indeed.)" (Érica)

"(I didn't understand, but the important thing is that thanks to the master we have all the information we need.)" (Diana)

"(What shall we do now master?)" (Diana)

"(I have formulated a general plan but I have to discuss the details with you and separate your roles in the plan.)" (me)

"(It looks like there are two rooms in the cave where they hide, the first is where they meet and the last is all their treasure.)" (me)

"(What we're going to do is get behind the tree where the lookout is in his blind spot, I'll do that.)" (me)

"(Then we'll wait covertly for the change of lookouts to get one more alone, and it'll be with you Diana or with me depending on the situation, okay?)" (me)

"(Yes master, I will have no problem with mere thieves.)" (Diana)

"(I believe only the four thieves who will be responsible for surveillance.)" (me)

"(And the master thought it right, Dwarves are known to be clumsy with their legs and slow, they would be terrible at surveillance jobs.)" (Érica)

"(And Tiger Man-Beasts are known to be impatient, and a melee fighter type wouldn't be able to sit around for hours.)" (Diana)

"(So I want to get these two alive to help Ibuki evolve, I'm sure the one in the tree I can get alive, and you Diana?)" (me)

"(I won't have any problem if I can get behind him before he knows it.)" (Diana)

"(I trust you Diana.)" (me)

"(I will do to earn your trust in me, master.)" (Diana)

"(Thank you for thinking about me master, when I evolve I will train so I can be more useful to the master.)" (Ibuki)

"(Don't worry about it Ibuki.)" (me)

"(What about the others inside the master cave?)" (Érica)

"(Let's lure them out, I'll throw dry twigs and my line before setting fire to the cave, with the smoke they'll be forced out.)" (me)

"(The moment you leave I want Erica to kill a human and Diana I want you to use your swords to cut off one of the Tiger Beast-Man's legs.)" (me)

"(I can master.)" (Érica)

"(The smoke will cloud his sense of smell and vision so it will be easy to ambush him and cut off his master leg.)" (Diana)

"(The other two, I'll kill a human with one blow in the ambush and on the Dwarf we'll fight him just me and Diana, is everything alright with the plan?)" (me)

"(The master's plan is perfect, I don't see any flaws.)" (Diana)

"(The master's plan is brilliant, it took into account those that would be easier to eliminate and how to reduce the risk of the strongest, the master is a genius in tactics.)" (Érica)

The truth is that with so many years of planning stories and events for games and with so much study in historical warfare tactics as a reference I'm pretty good at making plans, but there's a flaw, I can't improvise well if the plan doesn't go the way it does. I thought since I have no real experience, so I hope it works out.

"(Master, what about the bandit chief?)" (Érica)

"(This one will be more complicated, I plan to stay in their cave and ambush him when he comes back.)" (me)

"(This plan will be put into practice later this afternoon.)" (me)

"(We'll leave before nightfall to get there when it's already dark, let's take advantage of the darkness of night to ambush the lookout and put the rest of the plan into effect.)" (me)

"(Ibuki you will stay in front of the cave a little away but still good in view, this will make them focus their attention on you as soon as they leave the cave while Diana and I attack from the sides and Érica attacks from the top of the tree with your magic, did everyone understand?)" (me)

"(Yes master)" (Érica)

"(Yes, I will do my best master.)" (Diana)

"(I will always obey the master.)" (Ibuki)

"(Let's all get ready, you can end Telepathy now Érica.)" (me)

"(Yes master.)" (Érica)

Ding!

<[ Telepathic link disabled with party members ]>

After finishing the planning meeting, we went to the room where the girls had just finished arranging their equipment.

"Do you have any equipment that fits my little body?" (me)

"Unfortunately not master, but we have a knife and short swords for you." (Diana)

"Just give me the knife, I'll use it in the plan today." (me)

Diana gives me her knife and I watch the two of them take off their normal clothes we found in the ruins to wear the adventurous clothes that have the better defense, I was shocked for a second that they changed without caring about me here like it was normal, I hastily cover my eyes with my hands as I peek through my fingers.

"Why are you changing clothes in front of me." (me)

"I swore allegiance to the master, not to anything I would hide from the master, if the master wants to see it I don't mind." (Diana)

"We adventurers are not ashamed of our bodies, especially with our group members." (Diana)

"During combat with monsters or bandits it is normal for clothes to tear, adventurers are not so childish to not control themselves in dangerous places just because they were attracted to the body of someone in their group." (Diana)

"I don't care about any of this, I'll just let the master see me naked, I'm the master's slave, both my body and my soul belong to the master, I would be happy to do anything with the master." (Érica)

"Stop playing you two, put on your gear, and get ready." (me)

After this shameful situation, everyone is ready, I go to the cave and get meat for everyone, and then I'll roast it for us to eat.

We keep going over the plan until late afternoon, now that it's close to time to leave I go into the cave and go to the prisoner and use [ Weak Paralyzing Poison Secretion: 5 ] on him enough so he can't move until tomorrow.

Ding!

<[ Your skill leveled up Weak Paralyzing Poison Secretion: 5 > 6 ] ]>

I go back outside and talk to the girls we're leaving.

"They are ready?" (me)

The three nodded to show they were ready.

"So let's go." (me)

We go into the forest and head towards the direction the prisoner pointed and I'm using [ Detect Weak Presence: 4 ] along the way to dodge the monsters along the way.

Ding!

<[ Your skill leveled up [ Detect Weak Presence: 5 > 6 ] ]>

During the trip I asked Diana about the strength and way of fighting thieves is usually and she replied.

"Thieves have neither experience nor technique, most of them are normal people or failed adventurers who go into crime." (Diana)

"Compared to my strength the four humans must be two or three times weaker than me and the Dwarf and Tiger Beast Man must have a strength equal to mine at best." (Diana)

It took us more than two hours to get close to the cave, when we were close it was already night, instead of going to the cave, we went around to stay away from the tree with the lookout.

We go in a direction that won't be visible from that tree and stop at a bush to hide for the time being.

"Be prepared." (me)

We take a few minutes looking for the lookout's exact position, as soon as I find him I wave the girls over and move closer behind him.