This chapter is much longer than the usual bunch, so hope you all enjoy.
Big thanks to Qinlongfei for beta reading this chapter and providing important feedback about certain points.
With that said, let's get this chapter started !
They left almost immediately after Thomas and the fat man...dealt with the dog woman. They left after a short exchange Thomas had with the fat man that Malty hadn't been paying attention to, not like she felt like she could say much at the moment after what she'd seen him do. As if her mouth had been sewn shut from what she had witnessed and watched him do. It's not the first time she's seen him do that and she doubts it will be the last.
They were given a filorial to ride with to their destination and some supplies to go along with it, Malty quietly climbed onto the back as Thomas and the fat man exchanged a few parting words, which ended with Thomas showing the fat man his middle finger before they rode off at a decent speed, Malty clutching Thomas's back to avoid falling off from the speed of the fast filorial.
Malty didn't breathe a word about what she had seen Thomas do to that woman the entire ride there. Nor does she tell him about the very strange feeling in her stomach that she can't quite describe after seeing what she saw either.
She doesn't know how long they ride for, Malty wasn't really paying attention but it felt like hours as they rode by on the road, before eventually taking a path that led into the forest. Malty didn't have time to admire the beauty of the large and thick forest as they were riding fast, but eventually she felt the filorial come to a full stop.
As they stopped, Malty could get a good look at her surroundings and see that they were in a small clearing in the forest, the trees were so tall and close that there were shadows everywhere she looked even though it was only midday. But what really caught her eye was the fort, okay maybe it wasn't actually a fort but it looked like a mini-fort. It was around medium sized, made out of a mix of stone and wood, it even had one of those cool watchtowers in the corner right like the ones they had back home.
" Well kid...welcome to our new permanent hideout " Thomas said as he got down from the filorial, helping Malty get down as well. " Its an old guard outpost that was abandoned years ago, it doesn't appear on any maps and its fairly isolated, so we should be good to stay here "
" Nobody will find us here...?" Malty asked, looking up to Thomas.
" Nobody. Don't worry kid, we won't have to deal with knight patrols or shadows on our trail for a while at least " Thomas gave her a small smile, before grabbing the filorial's by the reins " Come on, let's get inside and get set up."
Malty nodded as she grabbed her backpack off the filorial and followed him inside their new brand new hideaway. The gate was already open and the portcullis was raised, which allowed them to enter normally.
The next few hours passed by rather quickly with Thomas helping Malty settle into one of the rooms that was bigger than normal with some nice furniture like a bed, table and dresser. Thomas took a room close to hers in case anything happened. The outpost was so dusty and there even some scary rats that scared Malty a little when she first saw them. Thomas did promise that they would clean up tomorrow.
It was nearing dinner time that Thomas helped show Malty to where the fort's kitchen was, and while it was still a bit dusty, it had a kind of homey atmosphere to it all with a fireplace that made Malty feel a little homesick, but that feeling quickly disappeared as Thomas started preparing dinner.
Malty was dead silent as she watched Thomas prepare dinner, the image of Thomas...doing that to the dog woman was still fresh in her mind. He didn't seem the least bit concerned or unnerved by what he had just done, as if it didn't even matter to him.
Eventually, Malty's inquisitive nature won out.
" Thomas ?" Malty found the nerve to speak up.
" Yeah kid ?" He replied, not even turning back to face her. Still focusing on cutting vegetables.
" What did you...do to that woman that was in the sack ?" Malty said vaguely. At that question, Thomas visibly stiffened as if he was caught in a lie and didn't know what to say.
" I...me and Rabier took care of business. That's all. " Thomas resumed cutting, before letting out a sigh " The deal I made with Rabier for this hideout is that I was to capture that woman and bring her back to him alive..."
Malty pondered for a moment whether she should tell him what she had seen him do...what she had seen him do multiple times as a matter of fact, but she always felt there was never a right time to bring it up.
Instead she chooses to ask a different question.
" Did she...deserve her fate, Thomas ?" Malty asked quietly, more out of curiosity about what he would say than anything.
" Deserve ?" Thomas responded, sounding more at the question confused than anything. He turned back to face her, and his expression was one of firm resolution as he gave his answer.
" Without a single doubt in my mind: Yes, Malty. She absolutely did deserve it " Thomas answered coldly " That and a hell of a lot more, but I was pressed for time "
Malty rubs her hands together nervously, as she continues " D-Do you think that...maybe whatever happened to her was too harsh ?"
" Harsh ? That 'woman' was a piece of sentient human garbage Malty, she was a bandit " Thomas said harshly turning to her, spitting the word 'bandit' like venom " You know what she was doing when I caught her ? She had just razed a village with her band of brigands and scumbags, killed all the men, put the kids heads on pikes and took the women as...toys. She was a monster in her own right and would have killed more innocents without so much as a second thought if I didn't get to her "
Malty felt a chill run down her spine as Thomas described in detail what the crimes of the dog woman were. She felt herself horrified just thinking about all of it and felt sick in her stomach a little.
" And when I did catch her, do you want to know what she said when I asked her why she killed all those people ? She laughed in my face, and said she did it because it was fun, that it was what THEY deserved for getting in her way " Thomas said with poison in his tone, directed at the dog woman but Malty still flinched from it " She showed zero remorse or reflections for her actions, her only 'regret' is that she got caught and was being punished for her crimes "
" Why should I show mercy, sympathy and kindness to the scum of the world who had none when they hurt people a lot less deserving than them ? " Thomas asked and Malty didn't have a good answer.
" Do you still think I was being too 'harsh' kid ?" Thomas said, looking directly at her.
Malty merely shook her head, but she was still thinking about what Thomas had said.
Thomas seemed to tell that she still wasn't convinced and approached her, placing the knife on the counter gently.
" Here's a lesson for life Malty, never give bandits or your enemies an inch and show no mercy. They don't deserve it, none of them do and they won't show you any either... " Thomas said firmly, but there is a distance and hardness in his eyes " A painful death is what they all deserve...do you understand kid ?"
Malty was silent for a moment, contemplating everything Thomas had just said. The dog woman's screams and face of agony still fresh in her mind, the strange feeling she's had since then still there.
" Yes, Thomas...I understand..." Malty said simply.
" Good. Very good..." Thomas said simply as he resumed his work cooking dinner for the both of them.
Dinner was a quiet affair with not much else being said between them, a quiet understanding having been
As Malty laid down in her new bed, looking up at the ceiling of her room in the darkness and still thinking about what she had seen earlier today. But now she knows everything the dog woman had done.
The screams of the dog woman echoed in her mind...the sounds of her pleas, begging and cries of mercy...the sound of flesh being torn-
Mein understands that the strange sensation she's been feeling so far...was a curious joy she still can't fully describe or understand. She still doesn't even know why she's feeling like this.
Thomas was right though...wasn't he ?
Chapter 45: Corrupting Innocence
The Bow Hero was quick to start planning for their assault on the bandit hideout that Eclair's scouts had managed to uncover, which was only about a few hours away from Silver Keep by carriage. This honestly surprised Mein that a bandit group had the balls to set up their hideout so close to the famed Fortress of Light, bandits were notorious as gutless cowards who fled at mere sight of a superior foe.
The bandits were either incompetent, overconfident in their fighting strength or drew the short-end of the straw when it came to deciding where they could establish their base. Maybe all three. Whatever the case may be, it at least made their job easier to attack them after they viciously attempted to strike at them under the cover of night. A little bit of payback was in order.
Eclair sadly could not personally come with them for obvious reasons of her being the commanding lady of the Keep, but fortunately that mouse knight from earlier, Lucatiel offered to come with them along with a small squad of knights to provide additional support. It wasn't much, but every blade on their side counts and with two Legendary Heroes( And one unofficial heretical Agent) those bandits do not stand a chance.
And an added bonus Eclair included: Access to Silver Keep's armory. Mein's favorite place out of any well-stocked fort.
Mein had quickly called the other members of the Bow Hero's party, and their own to come to the armory to take their pick of whatever weapons they may need. Maybe they could find something for Raphtalia's size while they were here ?
" If you heroes and your parties are going out to face the Hound Lord's men, than please take whatever you must from the armory...but um...please do not take everything " Eclair explained warning them not to completely clean out the armory, as she escorted them there. Mein took it under advisement as they were led into the armory.
The armory of Silver Keep was in much better condition than Mein expected, better than most of the Keep by comparison which probably wasn't saying much. There were some other knights there taking inventory of all the weapons who bowed in respect at the sight of their mistress entering with the heroes and their parties in tow.
Mein was briefly mesmerized by all the weapons and armor that were there, sure some of it looked a bit disorganized but that did nothing to detract from the beauty of it all. There were swords neatly stacked upon plaques, armor perfectly standing still in all their glory, a good chunk of the weapons and armor were even made out of pure silver which merely added to the mystique feeling of the room.
" Alright everybody, hurry up and take whatever you might need. We're leaving soon " Itsuki announced loudly breaking her train of thought. Many of them nodded and immediately went about checking if they needed anything. The Bow Hero obviously going for the silver bows lined up against one of the walls, while her darling Naofumi
Rufus whistled " Damn, so this is the famous Silver Keep armory...they got some nice pieces here..." Rufus said as he eyed some silver swords.
" Yeah, shame they don't have any good gauntlets or anything " Nina grumbled a bit that they didn't have anything for her method of fighting.
Some were clearly more enthusiastic than others, melee types such as Ake, Audrey and Rufus were like kids in a bakery and they were told they could take any of the sweet treats they wanted. While the ones who were more magic-centered users were less than interested in the grand selection of weapons that were open to them, Welst looked more busy reading his book, though Clarissa was eyeing some of the short swords that were available for taking.
" Slayer, you should consider taking some of the weapons here. They could be useful against the bandits that are high-level " Alice advised her old mentor who was admittedly looking at the selection of weapons.
Though after a minute, Slayer shook his head " Alice, you know my rule, never take gear that is-"
" Too good or useful that it can be used against other adventurers if bandits manage to kill us and capture our equipment, yes Slayer we still remember that lesson " Clarissa said with a roll of her eyes as she grabbed a silver sword and handed it off to Slayer " A non-magical silver sword isn't going to do the bandits much good even if they do manage to take it, but you may need the extra damage to kill some of the bigger ones "
Slayer looked at the silver sword in his hand for a moment, before quietly taking it. Alice and Clarissa looking awfully smug for doing so.
Mein took a good look at the weapons on display, there were some fine pieces here, daggers,longswords, battleaxes, greatswords and so on made out of the finest ores uncle Uther could afford to buy. But Mein wondered whether she really needed anything, she had grown accustomed and used to her current sword that she got from Erhard. It was made out of mithril, the same material as her Silver Huntress armor for its lightweight but durability against both physical and magical attacks.
Out of curiosity she took one of the silver swords off the wall, and gave it a good test swing. It felt right to swing, good for thrusting and slashing, but she wasn't sure about its weight so much. And she was willing to bet that its stats were weaker than her mithril sword.
Ultimately she ended up putting the silver sword back on its stand, before grabbing a silver dagger out of curiosity.
" Need anything Mein ?" Naofumi asked as he picked up and copied a shield made out of pure silver.
" No, I think I'm good with my current sword and equipment. Maybe I'll take a dagger or two " Mein shrugged as she pocketed the knife. Always good to have a spare blade to stab someone with.
" Hey Itsuki, they have some crossbows composed of silver made materials " Armina called out from the other end of the room, grabbing Mein's attention and Naofumi's. The crossbow was made out of a mix of wooden and silver metal, it wasn't especially big so it was a normal sized crossbow.
" Thanks Armina " Itsuki took the crossbow off of his spearwoman and held in his hand-
Before his Legendary Bow turned into an exact copy of the crossbow Armina had given Itsuki.
What the hell ?
" Decent attack rating, but not much else of note..." Itsuki surmised, likely looking at the stats of the weapon.
" Wait a second, you can copy crossbows !?" Naofumi shouted in surprise.
Itsuki was caught off guard by Naofumi's shout since he hadn't expected to be watched. But he turned his attention to them " Yeah, it surprised me the first time I saw it happen to. I was checking out some crossbows in a blacksmith's shop and the option to copy them came up...I guess it does have 'bow' in the name so maybe our Legendary Weapons have a broad definition of what it considers to be the same 'type' of weapon maybe ? " Itsuki explained in detail, as he looked at his newly copied crossbow with interest " Makes me wonder what else I can copy...or what my bow considers as 'bow' "
" That's interesting..." Naofumi said in wonder
The Bow Hero can copy crossbows...what can the other heroes copy or unlock that is in line with their Legendary Weapons 'types' ?
Something to keep in mind for later she supposes.
As she continued looking over at the silver weaponry, she couldn't help but notice Raphtalia was doing the same, glancing about at all of the short swords, daggers and longswords. Not with childish amazement...but rather the critical eye of someone looking for a good blade.
Mein subtly nudged Naofumi over to look at the young raccoon girl as she reached out and ran her hand across one of the blades that laid on the rack. The Shield Hero looking similarly confused to the princess in disguise, as he coughed to get Raphtalia's attention.
" Um Raphtalia...what are you doing ?" Naofumi asked awkwardly as they watched her pick up a dagger with her single functioning arm.
" I'm...picking a weapon out for myself ?" Raphtalia asked in similar confusion " We're going after the people who attacked us...I need a weapon to protect myself after I lost the rapier back in that cave..."
Mein and Naofumi looked back at Raphtalia, as her expression turned to one of concern.
" I'm coming with you and Big sister Mein right...right ?" Raphtalia asked meekly.
The two 'adults' of the group looked at each other for a moment, both wondering the same thing: Were they really going to bring Raphtalia to assault a bandit hideout ? When she only has one functioning arm, no real combat experience and with too many witnesses around that she can't use either her transformation magic or the powers granted by Mein's Arcane Bond ?
Mein didn't quite consider herself the epitome of what a responsible adult should be, but the answer here seemed obvious. And from the look in Naofumi's eyes, he was likely thinking the exact same thing.
" No Raphtalia, we are not bringing you along for this mission " Mein said firmly, deciding to spare Naofumi the pain of being the 'bad' guy here.
" B-But why ?" Raphtalia asked weakly that just made both Mein and Naofumi feel terrible.
For multiple reasons that would feel too cruel to list out.
Mein let out a sigh as she knelled down to Raphtalia's level " Please don't take this personally Raphtalia...but you're still young and lack any combat experience " Mein said as gently as she could trying to explain in a way Raphtalia could understand.
" B-But...Filo and Jun are coming along with you, right ? And they are even younger than me !" Raphtalia pointed to the bird and dragon girl.
Mein looked at the bird brat and her darling Jun, who were busy admiring some of the silver weaponry and how shiny it was as if they were in a hypnotic trance. It was easy to forget that both of them were less than a month old...but-
" Raphtalia's got a bit of a point there, it feels hypocritical to leave her behind if we also don't leave Filo and Jun too. All three of them are just kids " Naofumi agreed with Raphtalia's point.
" Technically speaking, I'm not sure Filo or Jun would really qualify as either a demi-human or human by strict definition since they are both hatched from monster eggs and can merely assume a more human form but... that's beside the point ! " Mein own rambling delayed her from her own point " Filo and Jun both can use their monster form to protect themselves and well..."
Mein trailed off and didn't say it outright, but they all got the message she was trying to say. That Raphtalia still wasn't ready for this kind of work.
" When...will I be ready to help ?" Raphtalia looked saddened by that, clearly disappointed by Mein's firm stance on this.
" You will be Raphtalia...I promise, but jumping headfirst into a mission is never a good solution to this problem " Mein knows how hypocritical she sounds. She started helping Thomas with his missions back when she was even younger than Raphtalia is now.
But she can't stand the idea of seeing her little raccoon get hurt. Not again.
" I promise that when we come back, I'll train you how to sneak and where the best spot to stab a man in the neck is " Mein said to cheer her up.
" Yeah...what Mein said...but maybe not that last part " Naofumi agreed with her almost completely.
Raphtalia didn't respond but merely nodded in understanding, and Mein hoped that meant she truly did understand why they were doing this.
She really needs to work on this girl's self-confidence when they get back. For now, they have bandits to kill.
The trip to the bandit hideout was shorter than she expected all things considered, with the Shield Hero's party riding in their own carriage and the Bow's riding in theirs, while Lucatiel and her small squad of knights followed them riding a mix of filorial and raptor steeds. The filorials and raptors the knights rode were surprisingly much better behaved and didn't fight with each other like Filo and Jun did, perhaps they were trained better so they could work together in battle ? She may need to ask them about it later.
As they neared their destination, Slayer eventually instructed them to leave their carriages and steads behind, citing that if the bandits had rabbitmen or sentries on watch for wayward travellers or merchants, they would be able to alert the rest back at base. Lucatiel left a few knights to keep watch over their transport and steads, Filo and Jun included as Mein didn't trust the bird brat to be capable of stealth, so the rest of the main attack force proceeded to the hideout covered by the tall forest trees. All of them instructed by their head bandit hunter to take care as they moved and make as little sound as possible, his gaze lingering on Naofumi and the Silver knights reasonably for their metal armor.
Mein was somewhat amazed someone like Slayer could even move around quietly in metal armor like that.
Mein would feel a lot better on the high ground, moving from tree branch to tree branch like a free bird, but she decided it was safer to stay with the main group to avoid being split up.
After a few minutes of walking, they stopped and gathered around in a circle, based on the directions Lucatiel gave, Mein was willing to guess that the base wasn't too far from here.
" The bandit hideout is a fort just a little ways up head " Lucatiel explained in hush whispered as they all leaned in close to listen " We already did a bit of scouting when we discovered it last night "
" What do their defenses look like ?" Alice asked.
" The defenses of the fort hold up but their security is subpar at best, they only have a few archers at most keeping watch on the walls and we didn't spot any rabbitmen either " Lucatiel gave the details of the bandits defenses " Though the real problem we're going to have is getting into the fort itself, its stone walls make it difficult to climb them without being spotted and the gate is blocked by portcullis that can only be lifted from the top of the walls "
" If its made out of wood, I can probably just blast it open with a fire spell " Clarissa added with a shrug.
" Metal, I'm afraid " Lucatiel shook her head to Clarissa's disappointment.
" Even if it wasn't, blasting open the gate could cause the bandits to flee when they see a losing battle, they can still use those mounts they chased us with yesterday to make a run for it " Nina commented.
" Adding to that...we have another problem as well, and that is capturing the bandit leader of this group alive for interrogation " Itsuki said firmly " They likely know where the Hound Lord is, so we'll need them alive to interrogate, so we can't go running in there if we don't even know what the bastard looks like "
" What do you recommend, Slayer ?" Alice asked her former mentor.
" We have the numbers and power needed to kill all of the bandits...but Itsuki is correct, we need to figure out who the leader is first so we can avoid killing them to find out more " Slayer concurred " We also need to cut off their means of escape by taking out their mounts as well "
Need to take out their means of escape while identifying the bandit leader...
" Anybody have any suggestions ?" Rufus asked out loud to the rest of them.
Nobody gave any right away, much to Mein's personal annoyance.
This is going to fall on me, isn't it ?
Mein internally let out a sigh as she spoke up " I can go sneak into the fort, interrogate one of the bandits there and find out what our target looks like. Along with eliminating the mounts and opening the gate for you all "
Naofumi looked surprised at this, but at the same time in disagreement " Mein, you can't be serious, its way too dangerous sneaking into that fort all by yourself, and what if you get captured ? We would have no way of knowing "
" We may not have a choice Naofumi, this could be our best chance at finding out where the Hound Lord is and we can't afford to lose this target " Mein argued right back, standing firm.
Itsuki stepped in between the two to stop the argument from escalating " I can see Naofumi's point...but Mein is right, we need to figure out the identity of the bandit leader before we attack "
" Easy for you to say, its not your companion going into the literal wolf's den on her own " Naofumi snarked, giving a dirty look towards the Bow Hero.
" You're right...which is why she won't be going in alone, I'll go with her and keep her safe " Itsuki said to the surprise of the rest of them " I have skills that can turn me invisible and mask my presence, that should be enough for Mein and I to infiltrate the fort, and ID the boss in charge there. We'll also take out their mounts at the same time to cut off any means of escape "
Naofumi looked like he wanted to argue a bit more, but was stopped by Mein putting her hand on his shoulder.
" Its alright Naofumi, I'll have the Bow Hero watching my back. I promise to come back safe..." Mein reassured him.
Naofumi looked like he was going to argue more, but stopped himself, knowing a losing fight when he saw it.
" Just promise me, you'll keep her safe Itsuki " Naofumi turned to the Bow Hero.
" I can take care of myself just fine Naofumi " Mein patted him on the shoulder as she said that.
" Hey, you heard the lady. I've just learned not to question it at this point " Itsuki shrugged with a smirk as he looked at Armina, who cheekily turned away.
" Alright, so here's the plan: Itsuki and Mein will infiltrate the fort to identify the bandit leader, eliminate their mounts and open the gates for us, the rest of us will surround the fort to ensure none of the bandits escape " Slayer laid out the plan clearly for them all.
" When we open the gates to the fort, the rest of you storm in when I shoot a flare up into the sky to signal the attack. Just be ready to run in swinging " Mein added.
Slayer nodded " The Shield, Alice's party and ours will rush to attack the bandits, using their confusion and surprise to our advantage "
" What about me and my squad Sir Slayer ?" Lucatiel asked.
Slayer stared at the mouse knight and her squad of demi-humans for a moment, Mein couldn't quite figure out if he was unsure of what he wanted Lucatiel's squad to do...or if he was struggling to decide if he could trust them. But if his body language was anything to go by, she was willing to bet on the latter...
"...Your squad will watch the perimeter of the fort and make sure none escape the fort alive " Slayer said firmly after a moment of hesitation.
Mein could see the logic behind Slayer's decision, he doesn't want to be fighting alongside the demi-humans or wants them watching their backs at the risk they turn traitor against them. So the best option was to essentially put them on perimeter control to avoid wasting their numbers in this fight.
" Just make sure that none of those animals that try to flee escape...we will know " Slayer said, his voice steady but his tone clearly menacing.
" Y-Yes sir !" Lucatiel nodded.
" Slayer giving orders and working with demi-humans, never thought I'd see the day..." Rufus joked." Well except that one time we defended the farm from those demi-human bandits-"
" Rufus, not now " Nina chided her lover before he could tell any of his stories.
" I'd call it an improvement " Clarissa shrugged.
" Ignoring that...anybody have any questions ?" Alice asked out loud to them all.
" What are we waiting for ?" Itsuki smirked as he stood up " Be ready to attack when we give the signal, come on Mein, let's do this "
" Just try to keep up Bow Hero " Mein said with a smirk.
The Bow Hero and the Agent of the Outsider in disguise took cover behind some tall trees as they quietly approached the fort under the cover of the forest. They had the benefit of being invisible due to Alice casting a Zweit level hiding spell on them to render them invisible, but better safe than sorry, because the priestess did warn that the spell would only last them a few minutes at most. Interestingly enough, Mein could still 'see' Itsuki for lack of a better word or at least the outline of him under the guise of magic.
Hopefully those few minutes would be all they need.
Mein peaked her head out of cover to survey the situation, she could see two...no three sentries up on the western wall, there also appears to be a small stone overhang with wooden wall most likely used for cover during rain. They can use that for cover or to hide bodies.
Abandoned forts like these were quite common across Melromarc, relics of the Great War between Melromarc and Silvelt, used by both sides as command bases and outposts. Left behind to the whims of nature to slowly decay due to their dark history or because it would take too much resources to properly man and maintain. A favorite of bandits she hears due to them typically having decently good defenses and space.
Its such a shame their security is shit. Oh well, makes their job easier.
" Three sentries on the wall..." Mein whispered.
" And they are not paying much attention...just wait until they-"
Mein could see the same as Itsuki, two of the guards disappeared from sight, most likely wandering off to another area altogether.
" Let's move. Stay close " Itsuki muttered as he held his bow close " Silent Hunter..."
Mein wasn't sure what that skill did, but as they moved quickly towards the wall, Mein couldn't hear any of her own footsteps even though she was practically jogging towards the wall with Itsuki. She wasn't sure whether that was the result of the Hiding spell Alice casted on them to turn them invisible or the skill Itsuki just used, but she didn't have time to ponder on it as they quickly hugged the wall with their backs.
Itsuki took a deep breath as he aimed his bow up at one of the stone barriers at the very top of the wall " Rope Arrow "
Sure enough, an arrow with a rope tied to it shot out and managed to imbed itself into the stone. Itsuki giving a good pull on it to ensure its strength, before he turned back to her " You go up first Mein, I'm not sure it'll hold both our weight. You go up first and keep us covered, make sure nobody sees us "
Mein resisted the urge to ask him if he was calling her fat, before quietly climbing the rope with a firm grip and scaling the wall with her feet. She quickly got to the top of the wall and very subtly as she could peaked her head up the wall.
And as the Outsider would have it, there was just one single guard that had just walked past her and into the cover of that small makeshift guard station with the stone overhang and wooden wall.
Not the best spot for interrogation but I'll take it.
Mein climbed onto the wall, still covered by the Hiding spell and Itsuki quickly climbed up after her, as they quietly snuck up on the lonely guard.
Before Mein quickly put her hand over his mouth to stop him from screaming, as they shoved him into the shadowy cover of the stone overhang to have a little chat. The bandit that was a cat demi-human tried to resist...but Mein was way stronger and was able to easily overpower him. By this point, the hiding spell had worn off and they were visible.
Good. It wouldn't be as fun if they couldn't be seen by their interrogatee.
It was at that moment that Mein realized that the bandit she had under threat was dressed in metal armor, not rusty or dinky armor either, but it looked properly maintained and almost clean. All the previous bandits their group encountered mainly used studded leather or at most whatever cheap metal armor they could pull off dead adventurers and strapped to their bodies. The armor this bandit was wearing looked almost professional.
Something wasn't right here.
Mein didn't have time to think about it, as she took out her new silver dagger and held it against his crotch. That immediately silenced any attempted shouts of anger he may have had, as she held him up against the wooden wall.
" Scream. And I take your tongue, than your balls before your friends can come running " Mein said threateningly.
The pathetic cat demi-human whimpered in fear, but she kept a firm hand over his mouth to keep him quiet.
" Me and my friend are going to ask some simple questions, lie to me and I'll skip straight to cutting your dick off " Mein spoke in a low, venomously sweet tone as she talked about castrating him, which merely added to the fear factor " Nod if you understand..."
The bandit quickly nodded, clearly in fear of her ending his manhood completely.
" Good. Now first question: What is the name of your leader and what does he look like ?" Mein slowly lowered her hand from his mouth to allow him to speak, but was sure to keep edging a blade towards his trousers to keep the fear factor there.
" E-E-Erwin...his name is Erwin and he's a wolf demi-human "
" Be more specific. Any distinguishing features ?" Itsuki inquired.
" H-H-He um...oh god, please don't cut my-"
" Speak clearly or I will..."
" He...he has a really bad cut across his right eye. Impossible to miss...but you'll never get to him, he's stronger than you could ever imagine " The bandit tried to put on a brave front but quickly withered under their collective glares.
" Maybe... but thank you for you time " Mein said coldly " Goodbye "
" NO WAI-"
Mein slit his throat and watched as he tried in vain to stop the bleeding, but all that resulted was him bloodying his hands as he bled to death, his body eventually becoming still.
The princess in disguise turned back to Itsuki, wondering what his reaction would be.
To her surprise the Bow Hero's expression was one of neutrality and brief satisfaction as he turned away " Good job "
Good job ? That's a new one...or at least one I haven't heard in a while.
" Now hide the body quickly, I think his two friends are coming back " Itsuki said weirdly calm about all this.
But Mein almost freaked out at that sudden warning and she frantically searched for a place to hide the body, but found there was no convenient closet or pantry to stuff a body into. In her panic, she just flung the dead body over the wall, hoping the shadow casted by it would cover it. She didn't quite account for the audible 'splat !' the body would make.
Itsuki immediately gave her an expression that just said: ' What the fuck Mein ?'
But they didn't have time to argue about it, as the two of them quickly hung off the wall to prevent from being spotted by the two bandits that came back around.
" Hey did you hear that ? Pretty sure, I heard something fall just now " One of the bandits say to his buddy.
" Probably just a monster or something...hey where the fuck did Blake go ?" The other bandit said " That idiot was just right here..."
They are going to find the body. We need to take them out.
Mein turned to Itsuki and the two locked the eyes, they both knew what they had to do. Mein nodded and Itsuki returned it in kind.
When Mein heard the two bandits pass them on the wall, the Bow Hero and the Agent quickly climbed back up. Mein grabbed the first bandit and tackled him to the ground, repeatedly stabbing in the throat so he couldn't scream as he quickly did. His partner didn't get much of a chance to scream either, as Itsuki tackled in a similar fashion...but without a blade in hand, he had to resort to hand-to-hand. As he very precisely grabbed the bandit's mouth to stop him from screaming and his head-
Before snapping it in a single move without a word.
Mein allowed herself to be briefly impressed before the two quickly hid the bodies, throwing them over the wall in a similar that they did their friend.
With the west wall sentries down, Mein was finally free to survey the inner fort. It wasn't really anything special and it was accurate to the scouting report given, there were several bandits down in the main courtyard, mostly just doing some basic sparring and such. Some were sharpening long stakes that were likely going to be planted into the ground in front of the main gate.
But the real point of interest in the main courtyard were the several filorial's that were near what looked to be a makeshift stable hastily made out of whatever wood the bandits could steal or get their hands on.
Perfect. Now we just need to find the perfect opportunity to take out the filorial's and then we can-
" HEY ! WHAT THE FUCK !? "
Mein turned and saw that there was in fact a third bandit that was patrolling the western wall, his shout surprising the both of them.
Oh fuck.
" Wind Arrow !"
Mein's moment of shock was broken when an arrow made out of wind pierced the bandit who had spotted straight through the chest, leaving a gaping hole where his heart was.
" Mein ! Hit the filorials now !" Itsuki ordered and Mein knew that
The bandits in the courtyard seemed to be catching wind of what was going on and would likely be making their way up here soon.
Not if she has anything to say about that.
" Zweit Fire Arrows ! Zweit Fireball !" Mein aimed her hand at and let out a fast swarm of fire arrows that landed clean hits on the filorial's mounts and the stables, setting them on fire and making them scream out in agony as they ran around on fire before dying. The bandits clearly caught off guard by the several screaming on fire filorial's.
" Shining Arrow ! Thunder Shot ! " Itsuki shot out two arrows towards the bandits down below, one to blind them, the other to electrocute to death the poor bastards who were blinded.
" That should keep them busy for a while, but we need to get the gate open !" Itsuki shouted.
Mein was about to reply when she heard shouting come from the opposite wall, turning just in time to see arrows and fireballs coming their way !
"Duck !" Mein pulled the Bow Hero down quickly just before the arrows and fireballs could connect. They both could see that the long ranged fire had come from the opposite walls, what looked like a mix of archers and mages shooting at them.
" Son of a...Meteor Shot !" The Bow Hero released a powerful arrow made out of pure energy that tore right through the center ranks of the archers, demolishing where it had hit and killing anything in its path, it also left their opponents disorganized " I'll keep you covered, just get that damn gate open !"
" Got it !" Mein immediately started running for gate control...only to be stopped when she saw a whole squad of bandits on the walls, coming straight for her ! All of them were in a straight, she could easily tear through them with Windblast, if it weren't for the fact that Bow Hero was present.
Damnit ! I don't have time for this...
" Bow Hero ! Hit them hard !" Mein shouted as she ran straight at the bandits-
Before jumping from the west wall to the south gate wall, due to the distance between them not being that far that it allowed Mein to easily clear the distance even without Blink.
" Charge Arrow !"
Mein briefly looked back just in time to see an arrow transform into a pair of ethereal goat horns...that proceeded to just absolutely tear through the bandits, not quite killing them but knocking them off the walls, but there were more coming and they were going to need help if they were going to take them on.
She had just about reach the gate control, a big and heavy wheel that most likely controlled the gate.
She was just about to reach for it if not for the three bandits blocking her path. Two wielding a sword and axe, while the last one wielded a bow. Easy pickings.
Or at least they would have been if it weren't for the fact that these bastards were wearing armor, not just stolen monster leather either. Metal armor just like those earlier guards they killed.
The two of the melee weapon wielding demi-human bandits immediately charged at with war cries.
" DIE YOU DAMN MAN-ANIMAL !"
The one with the axe attempted to take a swing, which she easily ducked under before driving her blade directly into his face, she quickly pulled him close as the archer shot arrows at her and used their dead comrade's body to block the arrows thanks to his metal armor. Mein grabbed his handaxe and pushed his dead body into the other one with the sword, stopping him from attacking her right away.
She dodged another arrow sent her way, before she threw the handaxe directly at the archer...scoring a clean hit in the head that split the front of the archer's head open.
" Fast Fireball !" Mein threw a fireball that lit the last bandit on the fire, making him scream out in pain and agony as he was quite literally cooked alive in his armor.
Mein didn't waste another minute as she went for the gate wheel and started turning it as fast as she could, turning the heavy wheel as if her life depended on it until she could feel the wheel could not go any higher.
Wait a second, does she actually need to hold this gate open or what ?
Her thoughts were interrupted she heard another belated war cry, turning around just in time to see another bandit coming at her with a spear !
Well, that's convenient.
She easily sidestepped the attack, before kicking the bandit straight in the nuts, making him double over in pain. She quickly grabbed him by the back of the head and shoved his body in between the wheel to keep it open.
" Watch your back !" Mein said sarcastically as she dropped the heavy wheel onto him.
" AAAHHHH !" The bandit screamed as pressure was put on his spine.
Mein ignored him as she quickly ran out to see Itsuki still holding his own against the bandits...but more had already come out of the fort. And Mein could spot a particular wolf demi-human with a scar across his eye barking orders at rest of them to mobilize.
Erwin !
" Zweit Flare !" Without a second thought, Mein pointed her hand towards the sky and shot up a bright purple flare that she hoped was seen.
Almost immediately after that flare went up, Mein could hear the distinct sound of multiple footsteps running up the gate. Mein watched as Naofumi, Titan Storm, Slayer and the rest party joined in on the fight. The bandits shocked by the sudden appearance of the new group that suddenly appeared out of nowhere just made them panic even more.
The princess in disguise smirked as she jumped down from the wall and doing a roll to break her fall to rejoin Naofumi and the others.
" What took you so long ?!" Ake shouted at her as they ran in to engage the bandits.
" Got sidetracked, the bandit leader is a wolf demi-human with a scar across his right eye ! The wolf demi with the scar on his right eye !" Mein shouted repeatedly to make sure they all heard her.
" Understood " Slayer nodded.
They all charged at the disorganized bandits and confused bandits, blasting spells and tearing them apart.
" KILL ALL OF THESE BASTARDS ! SEND THEM TO HELL !" Erwin shouted in an attempt to get his group organized but it was too late by that point, they had already started capitalizing on their confusion.
" Zweit Fireball !"
" Zweit Dark Slash !"
" Zweit Hellfire !"
Clarissa, Alice and Welst weren't holding back in the slightest as they sent out multiple fire, dark and aqua spells that quite literally tore through the enemy ranks as if they were paper. Regardless of their metal armor and weapons, they didn't stand much of a chance.
" Bring it on you sorry bastards! I'll send you all to hell !" Audrey looked like he was having the time of his life, swinging his silver battleaxe from side to side as if they were wheat and himself the farmer.
Rufus and Nina were working hand in hand, as they laid down a barrage of kicks and slashes that took out a good chunk of the bandits.
" Fast Fireballs ! Fast Thunderbolt !"
" Air Shield Shield !" Naofumi summoned an air strike shield to protect them from the spellfire from the surviving mages on the eastern wall, before they were quickly dispatched by arrows from Itsuki.
" Shield Prison ! Change Shield ! Bee Needle Paralysis Shield !" Naofumi entrapped a few bandits before hitting them with the paralysis combo, taking them out of the fight.
Mein for her part was focused on capturing the bandit Erwin, focusing on the real prize of this mission. The pathetic wolf was hanging at the very back of the group, not even bothering trying to attack them despite being the head of this big group.
" Get out of my way !" Mein shouted as she decapitated a bandit with a single slash of her sword, charging straight for the leader. Dodging a spear attack, grabbing the shaft of the spear, stabbing the user in the eyes to make them scream in pain before tossing the spear with all her strength and it landed straight into the face of another bandit.
Mein locked eyes with the bandit leader Erwin for a brief moment.
And Mein could practically taste his fear. It tasted good.
Erwin stumbled back, clearly ready to flee " Everybody fall back into the fort ! Fall back and-"
" Paralyzing Shot !"
Before the pathetic bandit Erwin could flee further into the fort, an arrow similar to the one that shot Filo last night hit him in the back, causing him to drop to the ground twitching from the skill.
Well that's a bit disappointing.
Unfortunately, more than a few of his lackies got the message and started fleeing into the fort, perhaps to make a sort of last stand against them or perhaps they believe they have the advantage there ? Whatever the case, they can't afford to let up, not when they still have them on the run.
" I'm going after them !" Mein shouted to Naofumi.
" I'm coming with ! The rest of you, mop up the rest of these bastards !" Itsuki ordered as he followed her.
" Backstab !" Mein sent a sword blossoming through the chest of a bandit from behind, using her assassin skill for extra damage.
The two found themselves at a crossroads with two paths, Mein looked at the Bow Hero expectedly.
" You go right, I go left ?" Mein suggested.
" Sounds good to me. Watch your back out there " Itsuki warned, before she ran off.
Mein quickly went about clearing the rooms of the fort, it honestly wasn't that big and frankly, these bandits weren't the most skilled lot.
" AAAAHHH-URHK !" The bandit who tried to attack gurgled and choked on his own blood as Mein slashed his throat open.
" Fast Fireball !" Mein threw a ball of fire towards some of the bigger bandits that she couldn't bother to stab or get in close with.
Mein calmly walked away from the burning bodies she left behind.
As she moved through the stone hallways of the fort, Mein was starting to notice that her pouch was starting to beat erratically, something she hadn't noticed before.
The Heart. Runes are nearby in this fort
Mein took the Heart out of the pouch, checking her surroundings to make sure she was totally alone. She ascended up the staircase where she could feel the heart start beating faster and faster she went up the stairs and-
" DIE !"
Mein cursed internally as she barely ducked in time to avoid an axe slash that would have decapitated her.
" Fast Fire Arrows !" Mein shot out a swarm of fire arrows that ignited the poor bandit that tried to strike at her as she ascended to the second level of the fort, practically feeling the heart guiding her to her location.
She eventually stopped at a door, activating Dark Vision to confirm that there were no traps or ambushes on the other side, before entering. Mein found herself in what looked to be the captain's quarters or rather that bandit leader's quarters if the above average furniture, table, bed and such were any indication.
But the real prize of her interest were what was on the table: Runes. Several of them.
" Oh baby, I didn't know it was my birthday..." Mein smiled like a school girl in a candy store.
There were 5 runes in total and a couple of bonecharms too...as much as she wanted to pocket both the runes and the bonecharms, she knew she needed to leave at least a bit of evidence of this bandit group's use of black magic. She decided to only take the runes, storing them safely in her Inventory for later use.
She figured she already got all the bastards within the fort, now she just needs to regroup with Itsuki and then they can get to the interrogation...
Mein went back down the way she came in, using Dark Vision to make sure she didn't miss any bandits. Though when she arrived back at the entrance the Bow Hero was not there waiting for her.
Strange. I thought he would have cleared out his side already.
Not wanting to leave the Bow Hero's fate to chance, Mein started running down the path that Itsuki went to make sure he was safe. She was not going to have the death of a hero on her watch that mother will likely try to blame on her.
It wasn't hard figuring out where Itsuki was going...she just had to follow the trail of dead bandits and bloody footprints.
After a few minutes of running, following dead bandit corpses and figuring out where the Bow Hero was going exactly...Mein found herself descending down into the fort. But Mein wondered what she would find down here ?
And then she spotted the Bow Hero...standing still as a statue in front of an open door, his eyes dead-set straight ahead. His face almost looking pale.
Mein approached the Bow Hero, confused at what exactly he was staring at " Itsuki, what are you doing here ? The others are outside and-"
The words died in Mein's throat...as her nose was assaulted by a swath of disgusting smells that made her gag and want to throw up. The room smelled of piss, shit, vomit and gods know what else.
" Mein...stay back, you don't want to see this " Itsuki warned, but it was too late.
Mein had already peered inside the room and gasped at what she had seen...
Women. Several women as a matter of fact, chained to the wall like pieces of meat...bruises, burns, cuts and clear signs of torture on their bodies...buckets in the corner of the room that Mein didn't even want to know what was inside of...and hanging on the far end of the wall were whips, belts and fire pokers.
Mein held her hand over her mouth, needing every last bit of control in her body to avoid throwing up.
Don't throw up, don't throw up, don't throw up, don't show weakness...
Thomas told me about this already... that this is what bandits do to their victims...but this is the first time I've actually seen it up close and personal.
As if her feet suddenly started moving on her own, she entered the room, doing her best to ignore the churning in her stomach. A build up of something...familiar.
Some of the women flinched at the sound of her footsteps, while others...didn't react at all. Like they didn't even care.
Mein walked up to one of the chained up women and gently lifted her head up to look into her eyes...
Her eyes are dead. The life has been completely drained out of her...she is broken beyond repair.
She was still breathing but she was dead.
Thomas also told her about this, when victims have gone through so much abuse...they eventually just shut down mentally to protect themselves.
Mein couldn't explain why...but she felt a strange sensation wash over her as she looked at each of these women. Broken, tortured and abused just for the sadistic pleasure and ego stroking of these pathetic bandits. Something she has not felt in a long time.
A feeling she hasn't felt since what happened to Thomas all those years ago.
It was rare that Mein felt rage on another person's behalf...no, it wasn't quite anger. Or murderous intent.
It was vengeance.
" Mein ! Itsuki ! Are you down here ?"
Mein heard voices coming towards them as she exited the room, turning to see Alice and her group running down to greet them.
" We were worried when you ran into the fort, we managed to capture the rest of the bandits outside and-"
Alice was cut off when Mein pushed past her to get to the stairs, she could hear Itsuki following right after her.
" Take care of the victims...we have work to do " Mein said, her voice cold as ice as she went back up.
They don't deserve a sliver of mercy. None of them do.
Thomas was right as usual.
Naofumi's POV
The few remaining bandits were quick to surrender when their numbers started dropping and Naofumi was once again up to use his Rope Shield to secure them all. It was coming in handy a lot more than Naofumi previously predicted it would, he did not expect an actual shield made out of ropes to be this useful.
They had all the prisoners on their knees and in the middle of the courtyard, all of them giving them dirty looks and glares.
" Wolf demi with scar across his eye...yup, this piece of shit right here " Ake held the leader's head up to get a good look at him.
" Get the fuck off of me you bastards ! When I get out of this, I'm gonna tear you to shreds !" The wolf spat curses and looked at all of them, attempting to bite at Ake's hand who quickly pulled back.
" Good luck at doing that asshole " Ake retorted.
" Let me out of these binds and I'll make you whimper like a bitch ! "
" Save your breath asswipe " Ake glared down at the bandit.
" Sir Naofumi, we made sure to maintain the perimeter per Slayer's orders and are certain that none of the bandits escaped " Lucatiel gave her report.
" Good. Mein and Itsuki went in to clear out the rest of the bandits, but they haven't returned yet. Alice and her team went in just now to check on them but..." Naofumi trailed off as he saw his companion and Itsuki exit the fort.
" Mein ! You're back, where did you-"
To the Shield Hero's surprise, his redhead companion didn't even acknowledge him...in fact she strolled right past him as if he wasn't even there.
He hadn't even noticed that Mein and Itsuki were walking much faster than normal-
Naofumi could barely react in time as he watched Mein swung her foot right into the face of the bandit leader, much to the shock of everyone.
Alright, I'm just going to say it flat out with the opening flashback of this chapter, Thomas really wasn't a good guy. He was kind to Malty, yes but his teachings were...really f*cked up and messed Malty up in ways he never even knew. And as you can see with the ending of this chapter, it still affects her to this day.
One of the themes of this 'Bandit Arc' is the corruption of innocence and I think this flashback delivers that theme quite well. And its not just Malty you are going to see get 'corrupted' over the course of this story.
Well with that cryptic note, let's answer some reviews, shall we ?
To EXCUBITORE:
Honestly that probably would have been a much better idea, might actually have Itsuki and Mein go into Rabier city again later to try and flush out the spy. Thanks for the idea !
:)
To Caspian123:
Malty's true identity probably isn't going to be discovered by Naofumi for a long while, because unlike in Qin's story, my Malty has the training and skills to pull off the whole adventurer act much better. So if Naofumi does arrive at a certain deduction...its not going to be what you think.
Fair enough on the 'garden breed' bit. But yeah, the real point of that fight was to show that Filo acting like a complete violent brat who gets away with everything is not going to fly in this story. So there are real and immediate consequences for her actions.
To jmwilliamsart:
Thank you so much for your kind words ! Yeah, one of my biggest gripes with Rotsh is how a lot of the characters are 1-dimensional caricatures that only exist to make Bitchassfumi look better by comparison or act as his cheerleaders. Hence why I gave Malty an actual soul in this story and legitimate reasons for why she is, what she is today.
We're definitely going to be seeing some Malty x Naofumi pretty soon, so stay tuned ! As for how Naofumi's going to handle Piggy...well, that's a spoiler.
:P
With all that said, I will see you all in the next one.
Angel out.