The Blood Shadow is a band of thieves who have defeated even the best swordsmen.
Ione is determined to defeat them, and Serina and Meena have also offered to help. I'm not too happy about it, but I don't want the three of them to get killed, so I'm going to do what I can do to help. I'm going to do everything I can, except fighting, of course.
"I understand what you're saying, but I wish you had done it when the master was here."
Fritz complains, but it's not like we've got the bandits' stronghold. We just found where they are now. As long as we don't know when Welbard will be back, we can't wait for him.
"If it looks bad, tell Ione to run."
"Yeah. I will."
Fritz immediately got his gear ready.
"Huh? Where are you going, Fritz?"
"It's kind of urgent. Billy, keep an eye on the boys until I get back."
"Oh, I got it!"
Fritz doesn't seem to count Billy as one of us. Well, he's just a kid.
We came to a back street lined with stores in the east district of the royal capital. Even though it is the royal capital, the country of Vernia is small, and there are very few people when you step into the back streets. There was a tired old man sitting on a chair behind a house, doing nothing. Beyond him, there was only a man whittling away at a wood carving on a mat.
There's dog poop on the street, and he wants someone to clean it up.
"Is this really the place?"
I asked Serina, who was waiting for me there.
"Yes, Meena confirmed their smell. She's sure."
Serina nodded.
Meena is a dog-eared beastman with a [Sharp Sense of Smell☆ Lv4]. If she says she's sure, she's sure.
"How many are there?""
Fritz asks.
"Five of them."
"That's a lot. ......"
Fritz furrows his brow. Even as a master swordsman, he might feel uneasy if he doesn't know what his opponent is capable of and there are so many of them.
"But I think I can manage it if I catch them off guard. I've seen one of the bandits with my skills, and he's only level 8, so it's no big deal."
"Not sure the others are the same, though."
I say that.
"Yeah, but I don't think the bandit look-a-like has that many levels, and shh!"
Serina signaled with her hand to wait.
There was a creaking sound from the second floor of the building she was guarding and someone came down the stairs. He yawned loudly and must have woken up from sleep. His eyes were sleepy.
I use my skills to appraise the bandit.
【Name】 Bandit E
【 Lv 】 9
【 Class 】 Bandit
【 Race 】 Human
【 Gender 】 Male
【 HP 】 52
【Description】
A member of the Blood Shadow band of thieves.
A rogue.
He is lazy and sometimes active.
Oh, I can see his level.
I couldn't see the level of the innkeeper or Serina, but since the bandit's level is lower than mine, I was able to see it?
The only difference was that he was only one level behind me, but his HP was less than half than me. He doesn't seem to be injured, so I guess this is his normal HP.
It seems that even among the same person, there is a considerable difference in class and ability.
"He's level nine."
I tell her in a quiet voice.
"Sounds good. He's not even equipped."
Serina nodded, then drew her sword and approached quietly.
"Hey, do you have a minute?"
Ione spoke to the bandit from the other side.
"Ahh? Guhaa!?
Serina slashes at him from behind, Fritz thrusts at him, and the bandit just collapses.
"It's an easy win."
Seirina laughs and winks, but that was just one of them, and she caught his off guard.
I look around, but the tired old man seems unconcerned, and the other man, the woodcarver, seems to have sensed the danger and fled. There was no sign of other.
"What do we do now?"
Fritz asks.
"The other bandits might be asleep. Let's go in."
"All right."
"Yeah."
I'll signal to Meena with my eyes that she's not going inside. She nodded.
"I'll take the lead."
Fritz tiptoed up the stairs, followed by Serina and Ione.
After a short pause, there was a shrill scream from upstairs that sounded like a bandit.
"Gyaaaa!"
"W-who the hell are you! Damn!"
"Eekkk! P-please help me, Guhaah!"
Did it work?
I can't see what's going on inside from here, so I'll have to wait.
"Watch out!"
I heard the voice of Serina.
"Kyaaa!"
"Ione! Damn it!"
O, Oi-oi, come on, did you fail?
I pull out my sword, just in case. Meena also pulled out her sword and held it in place.
Bang! There was a loud kicking sound at the door, and a large man came stomping down the stairs.
"Tch, They still have a company!"
"Hey, you still got company!"
The big man with the axe looked at me and stopped at the bottom of the stairs.
"I'm not letting you go!"
Serina also comes down from above, but she doesn't slash at him right away.