Chapter 26 - Bandit Subjugation
I received a report that there was no one near the entrance, and it was safe to approach.
“My slimes told me that there and no other guards near the entrance except these two. Tell your subordinates to create a formation that doesn't leave rooms for escape." (Fell)
Nost nodded, raised the index and middle fingers of his right hand, and pointed them towards the cave entrance. The soldiers approached the cave entrance without making noise and then besieged it.
Is that a hand sign of some kind? For some reason, my slimes also keep nodding while talking among themselves. Maybe they're planning something, too.
"I will send my slimes in now. You guys take care of the bandits who try to run away through the entrance." (Fell)
"Yes. I understand." (Nost)
I ordered my slimes to go into the cave and neutralized the bandits inside.
My slimes seem very enthusiastic. Do they like fighting that much? Even though I've strengthened the mop, it doesn't seem I will get my turn this time.
Few minutes later, some screams could be heard from inside the cave.
"It's them again!!!"
"Shit! The fire doesn't work!!!"
"Little girls are scaryyyyy!!!"
Some of the bandits tried to escape through the cave entrance, but the soldiers apprehended them without difficulty. The screams stopped before long, and I received a message from my slimes that the other party had surrendered.
"All the bandits seem to have surrendered. Now what?" (Fell)
"That's surprisingly fast…. No, perhaps the bandits have realized that they didn't stand a chance against the slimes. For the time being, please tell the slimes to bring the bandits outside after disarming them." (Nost)
"Got it." (Fell)
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Few minutes later, my slimes came out while dragging all the bandits who had fell unconscious. However, there was a single person who came out walking on his own, with his hands behind his head.
That's the fake soldier who talked to me at the adventurer guild, right? He doesn't act like a bandit who just got caught, though.
"Didn’t you say the slimes are weak against fire?"
“Yes, I did. If you throw them into a magma pool, they will burn out." (Fell)
Hearing than, my slimes trembled.
No, wait, I won't do such a thing, so don't worry.
Nost took the man’s guild card and then confirmed something.
“Are you the leader of this bandit group?” (Nost)
“Whatever are you talking about?”
"How did you forge your guild card? I've confirmed it, but there's no criminal record in it." (Nost)
"I'm just a pitiful adventurer who got caught by the bandits."
I want to punch his grinning face. He seems to be confident that he can get away from us using such excuses. To begin with, can guild cards be forged? If you don't have guild card, does this mean your criminal conducts won't be recorded?
"Ron, can guild cards be forged?" (Fell)
"I don't know. Magic is not my area of expertise." (Ron)
How do the guild cards work anyway? I'm curious.
“Look, release me, I ’m not a bandit.”
"What happens in this case?" (Fell)
"Even if he is suspicious, since his criminal record is clear, he can't be treated as one of the bandits. However, he pretended to be a soldier and took the bandits from the adventurer guild's prison, he is definitely a guilty...." (Nost)
"Hey, come on dude. Don't go deciding that I’m guilty!"
It's getting tedious. I wish I could just use my fist to make him confess.
"Do you know how the guild card works?" (Fell)
"Let's see.... guild card is a kind of analytical magic tool to read the information of the registered person. You can also record information on the card itself, such as subjugation log or request completion history. Then again, the criminal record itself is not recorded information, but analyzed information of the guild card's owner." (Nost)
I see. In other words, there's a possibility that this is a guild card of another person with the same name.... No, having the same name is something impossible.
"Fell-san, are you perhaps thinking that this is a guild card of another person with the same name? I don't know about the demon world, but in this world, two individuals couldn't have the same name at the same time." (Nost)
"I know. You're talking about the World's Rules, right? It's also the same in the demon world. I just wondered if it was really his guild card." (Fell)
"The card emits light when you channel your magical power into it. It’s red light if it's not your guild card, blue light if it's your guild card, and yellow light if it's a guild card of your relative. I've confirmed that this guild card worked properly…. Hey, do it once more!" (Nost)
"~kaay!!!"
The guild card emitted blue light, which means it’s really his guild card.
"Isn't this enough? I'm telling you that I'm not one of them."
Nost seemed to be at lost. He turned his attention at me. His eyes were asking if there was something I could do in this situation.
"Okay. Let me take a better look at him." (Fell)
"You will make me blush~"
"Shut up!" (Fell)
I said so while releasing a killing intent towards the man.
I'm hungry. The village is two hours walking from this place, I don't have spare time to be wasted on this guy.
From what I can see, his name matches with the name listed on the guild card. I guess the analytical magic didn't work on him.... no, rather than didn't work, it seems the results of analytical magic were tampered in some way or another.
The information displayed by the guild card's analytical magic was wrong. After all, I can clearly see he has a long criminal record. The question is; how did he do that? In any case, let’s take a closer look.
Found it! His bracelet has a camouflage effect attached to it. His other equipment has no such effects. This must be the bracelet that tampered with the result of analytical magic.
Yup, it's simple then. Just take off his bracelet.
"Take off your bracelet!" (Fell)
"What!?"
The man's grinning face immediately changed into a surprised face, and then turned into a threatening look.
"What do you mean?" (Nost)
"That bracelet is camouflaging his information. Take it off and you will see that his criminal record isn't clean." (Fell)
"Really!? Okay, take off his bracelet!" (Nost)
Two soldiers approached the man to take off the bracelet.
"Oh, be careful. He has two knives hidden inside his sleeves." (Fell)
"Shit!!!"
Hearing my warning, everyone at that place turned his attention at me with eyes wide open. The man recovered first, and then used this chance to break through the siege and run away.
"Damn, after him!" (Nost)
Nost immediately ordered his subordinates to go after he man. However, the man was fast runner and the distance between them kept getting wider.
"Well, it can’t be helped. Leave him to me." (Fell)
He won't be able to escape as long as he is within my field of vision.
I teleported myself to the man’s side using space magic, and then hooked his foot using mine. The man tumbled hard.
"Ugh!"
The man took the knives out of his sleeve as he rolled away. Holding knife in each hand, he then stood up staggeringly.
"Fvcker!!!"
The man brandished his knives skillfully as he aimed at my vital points. I wouldn't get hurt even if the knives hit. However, since they could still damage my clothes, I dodged all of his attacks.
"Why. Can't. I. Hit. You!?"
The man desperately tried to connect his attacks. He combined them with feints, changed his grips, and various other things. However, none of them worked because his movements were too slow in my eyes.
"You are just too slow. I've given you a chance to attack first. Next is my turn!" (Fell)
I took the mop out of the subspace.
Don’t worry. This will be over in an instant.
I teleported myself to the man's side again, and swept his legs from behind using the mop I brought. The man fell flat on his back. Not wasting the chance, I thrust the mop towards his neck.
"Gyaah!?"
I was planning to stop before it hit, but out of reflex, the man raised his arms in front of his neck in a defense position. Both his arms were broken as a result.
That was not my fault, okay? Having a good reflex doesn't always bring good....
In any case, I think it's safe because he is not dead. His arms are broken, but it's all his own fault. Let's remove his bracelet for the time being.
"Fell-san, are you okay!?" (Nost)
Nost who finally caught up, called out to me.
"I'm fine. I've removed the bracelet, so tie him up. You should be able to see his real criminal record now." (Fell)
Nost immediately checked the man's guild card again.
"Various information came out from his criminal record. It's certainly different from earlier. He can be detained as a criminal with this." (Nost)
"Then, please take care of the rest. I will also leave his bracelet with you." (Fell)
"Thank you very much. I don't know what this bracelet is, but I'll keep it as evidence. I'll need to look into this separately." (Nost)
"Okay. Let's go back. I'm hungry." (Fell)
If you miss breakfast even once, the amount of food you can eat in your lifetime will decrease.
"I'm sorry. I need to investigate the cave a little more. Please wait here for a while." (Nost)
Curse you, bandits! I will eat your share of breakfast, too.