CH 196

Raider hunting

***---***

The rioters who were dragged out of the pit were tied up and collected in one place.

The surface was charred black, and the wet group was shivering with the cold at the end of the year.

The Bakkenheim garrison members led by the Captain, Vanel-san had arrived, so I decided to hand over the rioters.

"I am Augusto Volzard, the eldest son of the Lord of Volzard. These guys were detained because they committed unfair violence against the people of Marburg. Along with taking strict measures, we will demand compensation from those who have been harmed."

"I am Garrison Captain Vanel. I apologize for the inconvenience."

"According to the victims, there are also those who have committed murder. I want a strict investigation and punishment."

"Ha!! As you will."

It's easy to forget because I've been in contact with Klaus-san and Beatriche on a regular basis, but there's a difference in social status in this world.

Upon hearing that they would be punished, the detained rioters began to struggle.

"It's different, we were just collecting suspicious guys, and we just fought back because the other side attacked."

"That's right, for us to protect ourselves ..."

"Don't make disgraceful excuses!"

Augusto-san yelled at the rioters who were trying to escape punishment.

"Once you showed your clear intentions to attack me, you won't be able to complain even if you are executed. However, if you lose this many people at once, the village will not be able to survive. If they honestly admit their sins, they will not be questioned for trying to harm me. However, if they refuse to admit their guilt, we demand Bakkenheim execute them all. Is that fine, Vanel."

"Ha!! It is certainly acceptable. Thank you for your generosity."

If everyone is executed, or only those who have committed murder are executed, it is only natural that those who are likely to be saved will begin to tell the truth.

In no time, the fat man who was leading the mob and about four other people were accused of murder.

The Captain, Vanel-san walked up to me after ordering a few of his men to question the damage.

"It looks like I've caused trouble here as well, but can you lend me a hand in subjugating the raiders?"

"Augusto-san, do you mind if I lend them a hand?"

"Of course. Either way, unless this matter is settled, it will be difficult to pass through the checkpoint. If so, lend them a hand and finish it quickly."

In order to pass the checkpoint that entered a state of dispute, it would be necessary for both Bakkenheim and Marburg to reach an agreement, and for that to happen, it would be necessary to subdue the raiders.

"Since that's what he says, let's capture them quickly, Vanel-san."

"Capture them? I will execute all the raiders."

"Eh, but, a trial ..."

"In Bakkenheim, it is forbidden to set up a residence in the Irosun Great Forest without permission. As soon as you live in the forest without permission, you will be recognized as a kind of bandit and will be subject to execution."

"Then, the people in the hideout ..."

"There are no applications for residence for that place, and in the first place, applications for residence are only accepted within the range of our patrols. Therefore, every single person will be executed."

From a Japanese point of view, it's unimaginable severity, but I guess that's how this world works.(TN:Didn't you just freaking GET OVER THIS with the bandits and thieves before? Sigh ... Also, technically I would call these guys bandits as well, but the literal translation is more 'night thieves' which sounds weird. And since they raided the village I put it as raiders.)

"So, what should I do?"

"Right, I'll ask you to suppress the sentries as we start, but if you hesitate to execute them, make sure to make them incapable of fighting."

"Then, I will make them incapable of fighting and capture them. So, what is the reward?"

"The reward is 20,000 Helts per person. It's the amount decided as a bounty for capturing bandits and thieves, but how is it?"

"It's fine. Well then, let's clean up quickly."

The number of garrison members led by Vanel-san was 47, and it seemed that about 5 people would be left behind to deal with the riots, so the number would be almost the same as the raiders.

Even so, perhaps because they saw the devastation of Lindahl, which was burned to the ground, every member of the squad had a firm expression on their face.

[ Kent-sama ... The number of guards has increased ... ]

[ Are there other lookouts aside from the four? ]

[ Yes, a place closer to the highway ... One on the Bakkenheim side, one on the Marburg side ... ]

[ Then, let's put them to sleep and capture them. ]

[ Kent-sama, sleeping pills ... We only have enough for about 20 people ... ]

[ Ah ... It's the remaining from the rescue operation. I have to replenish them next time. ]

I thought about putting all the raiders to sleep, but it became difficult due to the amount of materials.

"Vanel-san, it seems that a guard has been set up near the highway."

"What's that, they seem to be quite cautious."

"Including those guards, ten people will be put to sleep and captured. Even though they're outside the hideout, it seems like it would be a problem if they were suddenly executed."

"That's right. It's not forbidden to enter the forest itself, so please capture those who are far from the hideout."

"Yes, and I will put the executive-like people in the hideout to sleep. If the person giving the instructions is incapacitated, they won't be able to lead the counterattack."

"I see, if you do that, the main criminal can be executed as an example."

Personally, I thought it would be better to find out about the raiders' tricks and punish them, but apparently Vanel-san probably intended to gather Marburg's negative emotions and turn them towards the raiders and execute them.

[ Depending on the number of people, there will probably be public executions in Lindahl, which was burned down, Slakka, where the riot broke out, and the border with Marburg. On top of that, if they offer an apology and compensation to the Marburg side, they will be able to dress it up. ]

[ Will Marburg be satisfied with that? ]

[ It will depend on the negotiations, but if the checkpoint remains closed, it will be a big disadvantage for both territories, and people in other territories who use the checkpoint will also protest, so they will have to bury the hatchet. ]

The raiders' hideout was located on the Bakkenheim side of Slakka.

I went ahead to capture the sentries near the road, and then wait for Vanel-san and the others.

Guided by Fred, I moved to the lookouts and watched what was going on.

The man on the lookout stood in a place slightly inside the forest, keeping an eye on the road.

In his left hand he held a small cylindrical object.

[ When working in the woods ... A whistle that lets others know where they are ... ]

[ Is that something commonly used? ]

[ Yes, even if they have it ... It's not suspicious ... ]

It seemed that the whistle itself was not suspicious, but the man's behavior was suspicious because he was not wary of the forest, but the road.

It seemed that there was a sentry who was also vigilant in a place further along the highway.

[ Okay, can you please put the other one to sleep and tie him up? ]

[ Roger ... Leave it to me ... ]

I had Fred move to the other sentry, and I put sleeping pills into this sentry.

The sentry who had sleeping pills thrown directly into his stomach fell asleep without even being able to blow the whistle.

"Reinhardt, can you tie him up?"

[ As you wish ... But, if you want to capture people rather than kill them, it would be better if Kent-sama also learned how to tie them up. ]

"Uuh, understood. But, I don't have time right now, so just tie him up."

[ Leave it to me ... ]

Reinhardt put the man face down on the ground, tied his arms behind him, and tied the rope around his neck.

[ With this method of tying, if you hold this part and pull it, you can tighten his neck, so you don't have to worry about him being violent. ]

"I see ... This is how the knights tie people up."

Reinhardt used yet another rope to restrain his legs.

[ If you carry them around like this, if you let them walk, you only have to untie the ropes on their legs. ]

"I see ... There are various ways to tie them up."

While I was talking to Reinhardt, Fred returned with another sentry who was put to sleep and tied up tightly.

Vanel-san and the others arrived shortly after, so I decided to tie the sentries to a tree.

In the Devil's Forest, they would become food for Goblins, but there was no need to worry in the Irosun Great Forest.

No, but an Ogre appeared yesterday, so I wonder if it's really okay.

As our group entered the forest, I went ahead and put the sentries to sleep.

Each lookout was placed in a place with a good view, such as on a large rock, where the undergrowth was cut off, or on the opposite side of a stream.

Two raiders were stationed at the lookout, which was camouflaged with grass and branches, one person kept watch and the other could take turns at any time, so they were always ready to send the news.

Bows and arrows were also placed at the lookout post, and it was thought that they were prepared to launch a preemptive attack on the enemy.

A glove and a small jar with a lid were placed near the quiver.

[ I guess they'll use it for poison arrows. ]

[ Are the contents of the jar poisonous? ]

[ Perhaps, the poison collected from frogs and snakes is used against monsters, but it is not used to kill edible prey. ]

[ That means the poison won't be removed even if you cook it, right? ]

[ That's right. It is applied to arrows and knife blades to defeat Ogres and Orcs, but the powerful poison is dangerous if it so much as comes into contact with the skin, and the effect will fade if exposed to the air for a long time, so care must be taken when handling it. ]

"Maa, I won't let them use it this time."(TN:Kent suddenly speaks out loud here, what.)

In cooperation with Fred and the Kobolds, I put them to sleep and tied them up.

I could see Vanel-san and the others advancing through the forest, so I waved a white cloth to let them know that the lookout was taken care of.

The other side also waved back at me, so I went to go take control of the hideout.

The hideout, which was created by digging a horizontal hole in a small hill, was more solid than I had expected.

The passage from the entrance made in the shadow of a large rock turned 90 degrees to the right after going straight about 5 meters, and then turned 90 degrees to the left after about 5 meters.

Moreover, there was a hidden room behind the wall of that passage, and it was made so that a spear could be stuck out from there.

The hole through which the spear stuck out was also covered with a thin layer of soil, making it impossible to see where the spear was located from the passage side.

[ Uwaa, that's a really serious precaution. These guys must have disliked not being in complete control, right? ]

[ That's right, if you go through the passage without knowing anything, you'll be severely damaged. ]

The passageway led to a hall, but at the entrance there was a plank with spears sprouting out from it like a suspended ceiling.

[ It feels like it's full of traps. ]

[ That's right. If there is such a mechanism, there must be  a secret passage prepared. ]

[ The secret passage is ... The depths ... ]

According to Fred, another secret passageway had been built, leading from the raider bosses' room to the outside world.

The exit of the secret passage had a door planted with grass, so it was completely invisible from the outside.

In the hall, the raiders were sitting in a circle and drinking, and in the corner of the hall, women who looked to have been kidnapped were gathered.

[ The bosses are ... In the back room ... ]

[ Guide me there. ]

There were three men and three women in the bosses' room.

A carpet was laid out in the room, and a fire magic tool was lit.

The women, who seemed to be a little older than me, looked like they had already been violated by the men, and had dead fish eyes, and were limp.

[ Kent-sama ... The garrison members are coming soon ... ]

[ Fred, take control of the guys in the hidden room in the corridor, and Reinhardt, please take care of the guys here. I'll deal with the suspended ceiling. ]

[ As you wish. ]

I left the three in the bosses' room to Reinhardt and returned to the hall.

Twenty-odd men continued to drink without knowing that they were being attacked by the garrison members.

Vanel-san and the others stepped in along with the sound of hasty footsteps.

"Bastard raiders, prepare yourselves!"

"Damn, what are the guards doing! Hey, drop it!"

When the man at the end of the room cut the rope, the spear-filled ceiling fell, but I put out a shield of darkness and swallowed it into the shadow space.

When I erased the shield of darkness, I saw only a rope hanging from the ceiling.

In the meantime, the guards who stepped in unharmed mercilessly wielded swords and spears, turning the raiders into a bloodbath.

The raiders were subjugated without any means to do anything, and it only took a moment until they fell silent.

The sight of someone being killed with edged weapons was shocking, and at the same time, it reminded me of the moment when Takagi-san almost killed me, and I started sweating badly.

[ Kent-sama, are you okay? ]

[ Yeah, somehow ... I didn't feel it when Nero and Zeta-tachi exterminated the bandits, but seeing people kill people is a bit ... ]

Vanel-san stepped into the bosses' room, so I decided to move there.

The raider bosses were put to sleep by Reinhardt and tied up tightly.

For the women who were thought to have been kidnapped, the ropes that had restrained them were cut and blankets were given to them.

"Vanel-san, thank you for your hard work."

"Nn? Kent-kun, where are you?"

"Yes, I will come out now."

I put out a shield of darkness a little away from Vanel-san and went out.

"These guys seem to be the executives. Just like the sentries, they were tied up after being given sleeping pills."

"I see, thanks to you we were able to annihilate them without resistance."

"It's fine. There's a hidden room behind the entrance passage, and the people who were hiding there have been put to sleep and tied up."

"What, really?"

"Yeah, it looks like they were going to attack the intruders with spears from behind."

"It seems that something was set up on the ceiling too ... Was that you as well?"

"Yes, I sent it to the shadow space."

"No ... We've been taken care of from start to finish. After that, I have to make them confess their identities and ask them the reason for these uniforms."

At the end of Vanel-san's line of sight, what seemed to be a soldier's uniform was thrown off.

"This, is it the Marburg uniform?"

"At first glance, it looks like that, but I can't say for sure unless I ask someone in Marburg whether it's real or not."

"If it's genuine, was it stolen, or was it something they diverted, in any case, they were trying to pin the blame on Marburg."

"I guess that's true, but these guys themselves might be soldiers of Marburg. When I think about it, I'm glad I was able to capture them alive."

If they were simple thieves, it might end with annihilation, but this time it developed into a conflict with Marburg, so it was still necessary to investigate.

I asked them to write down the reward payment for a total of 16 people, including 10 sentries, 3 people who were in the hidden room, and 3 people who seemed to be executives.

If I submitted this document to the guild, the reward would be transferred to my account.

Leaving Vanel-san and the others who were still searching the hideout, I decided to return to Slakka a little earlier, and was asked to report to the guards and the guild who remained after the riot.

After returning to Slakka, it seemed that the Marburg people who had been forcibly gathered were released and returned to the inn.

Regarding the money, most of it seemed to have been returned, but the problem was the murdered bodyguards.

In addition to the carriage of the Dukas Company, which I rescued from the Ogre attack yesterday, there were two other carriages occupied by travelers from Marburg, each of them had an adventurer as their guard, but those three were killed.(TN:RIP Jarre.)

I heard that the Bakkenheim Guild had offered to recruit adventurers to protect them, but it seemed that the event's event caused them to carry distrust, and it seemed that adventurers who belonged to Bakkenheim could not be trusted.

For this reason, the three carriages were escorted by the Bakkenheim garrison members to the checkpoint, and it was decided that adventurers would be hired as escorts in Marburg's territory.

When I heard about that from the staff of the guild, Racole-san of the Dukas Company called out to me.

"Kent-san, yesterday and today, thank you very much for helping us when we were in danger."

"We were just talking about that right now, but you really did a tremendous job."

Racole-san also seemed to have been hit, and his left cheek was bluish-black and swollen.

"Can I see it a moment?"

"No, at this level ... Oh, this is ..."

I put my hand on Racole-san's cheek and cast healing magic.

"If the pain remains, you won't feel better. This is a service."

"No, I'm sorry. The pain ... Oh, the swelling is gone. Excuse me, but how many attributes of magic can you use, Kent-san? Yesterday you were using wind-attribute magic, but just now you used light-attribute magic. Besides ..."

"Ah ... That situation, its a trade secret ..."

"Indeed, it's like that. Umm ... I apologize for the impolite question, but is Kent-san employed by either Family? If you are not employed by either Family, then at Dukas Company ..."

"I'm sorry. I have decided to make Volzard my base, so I have no intention of going to Marburg."

"Is that so ... Does that mean that you are under the patronage of the Volzard Family?"

"Yes, it's fine to think that way. The city of Volzard really took care of me when I was in trouble, and it's still taking care of me, and I think it's the place where I am needed the most."

"Is that so ... If you have talent like Kent-san, you won't be short of money, and if you have such circumstances, it can't be helped."

Lucile-chan, who was treated yesterday, seemed to have regained her energy, but now she was frightened due to the riots.

Lucile-chan's mother didn't seem to be very strong, so they wanted me to treat her if possible.

Racole-san asked me if they could make a nomination request through the guild, and I was asked about my achievements in healing magic, whether they could receive treatment if they went to Volzard, etc., I was told that they would like me to stop by if I ever went to Marburg as they would like to thank me.

In any case, I was currently in the middle of escorting the Volzard Family, and I couldn't extend my journey to Marburg, so I explained the situation and was able to decline.

After all the problems had been sorted out, I have been asked by Master Reese to travel around the country, and I'd like to go to Marburg once.

At that time, if the timing was right, it might be a good idea to visit the Dukas Company.