Chapter 27

The day of the bandit hunt arrived.

The gathered members, besides myself, consisted of two E-rank, two D-rank, one C-rank, and one B-rank, making a total of six people.

Judging from their equipment, there were two mages, and the rest were all warriors, it seemed.

It was estimated that the number of bandits, considering the scale of the damage, was around 30 to 50.

Our numbers were significantly fewer compared to the enemy, but I vaguely remember hearing somewhere, perhaps at a tavern, that D-rank and above were considered fairly elite among adventurers.

However, I wonder if the ratio of adventurers was really like this? I don't know much about it, but from the number of requests, I feel there should be more lower-ranked adventurers.

In any case, since we had gathered, we sat around a large round table on the second floor to introduce ourselves and discuss our strategy to understand each other's combat capabilities.

Starting with the E-rank two-handed swordsman, the E-rank one-handed swordsman (who had slightly larger weapons and a smaller shield compared to Rikise), it was finally my turn.

"E-rank magic swordsman, Kaede. My magic firing speed is fairly fast, and I can fire a lot of shots, so I think I have good suppression power. Nice to meet you."

I said this while showing my sword, shield, and the staff in my hand.

A man who seemed to be a mage, who had a staff as tall as himself and was lightly armored, interrupted.

"Wait a moment, what's a magic swordsman? I've never heard of it."

"A magic swordsman is a swordsman who uses magic. I can use magic while attacking with a sword and deflecting attacks with a shield, so I use both."

"I feel it would be difficult to use magic while swinging a sword, but since you fight with that weapon, I guess it's possible. I can't even use magic while running..."

Is that how it usually works?

I feel that the suppression power might not be enough and that I might be quickly surrounded, but I wonder.

Can these issues be resolved as the rank gets higher?

Although I thought it might be rude, I appraised him and found that his MP was nearly 40. He also had three attributes: fire, water, and wind, and some magical aptitude. Even so, he seemed to be a fairly competent mage.

Thinking about it, 40 MP is enough to fire 80 rock spears. If they hit, one person could take down 80 people.

Compared to warriors who need to get close and hit with their swords, magic, which only requires a line of sight, doesn't seem to be that inferior.

"Ah, I haven't introduced myself yet. B-rank mage, Majis. My magic speed is fairly fast, and the recast time for rock spears and fireballs is a little over 2 seconds. I'll be the leader this time."

Being B-rank and able to use wind and fire means that Metal Lizards are taken down by gathering 20 people like this.

The recast time must refer to the firing speed. I've heard it's usually around 3 seconds, so he must be quite skilled.

The others continued their introductions. The other mage was D-rank, and the rest were all warriors.

They all used swords, ranging in size, but there were no spear users. I think they exist, as I've seen them in blacksmiths, but they aren't being used much.

After the introductions, Majis stood up. I hadn't heard the strategy yet, but were we about to set off?

"Well, the introductions are done, but I still don't fully understand how Kaede fights. Can you show us in the training ground?"

"Sure, no problem..."

It seems they want to see my fighting style before making a decision.

I don't want to stand out unnecessarily, but it could be a problem if something happens while fighting with teammates who don't know my capabilities. This is a necessary way to stand out.

The training ground was near the guild, surrounded by a sturdy wall, not as high as the outer wall but still quite solid.

"Try swinging your sword and casting two spells in succession. Use a spell with low consumption that won't echo."

I swung my sword and activated the shotgun magic, which consumes 5 MP and fires two shots per second, making it quite convenient.

"Is this okay?"

"W-What was that just now... You didn't slow down at all and fired two shots in about half a second..."

"Yes, that's about it. But it takes about 0.5 seconds to fire the first shot, so it's actually two shots per second."

It was indeed fast. I don't plan to save my strength or hide my abilities.

"How about your defense and MP endurance?"

"At the start of combat, I cast defensive magic all over my body. I protect vital points as needed and replenish defenses when not attacking. I can use healing magic, so minor injuries can be handled. As for MP, I can maintain this firing rate for about 10 to 20 minutes."

"...You're something else. Your MP seems unreal... And you can use attack magic while maintaining defensive magic? I feel like I'm losing confidence as a mage, but there's no doubt you'll be a valuable asset. Can you be the frontliner?"

Frontliner, huh. Standing at the front is scary, but it means I'm expected. I'll do my best.

...Since it's scary, I'll put more MP into the facial armor. A headshot leading to instant death would be a disaster.

"Sure, I can be the frontliner."

"Great, the strategy is set. The frontliners will be Kaede and the C-rank warrior..."

In the end, the C-rank warrior and I were the frontliners, followed by Majis as the main party.

The remaining two D-rank and two E-rank members formed the secondary party to secure the back entrance, about 100 meters from the main entrance, from a distance.

The specific strategy was for the frontliners to ambush and kill the guards, while Majis would simultaneously ambush the guards at the back entrance. The secondary party would then seal the back entrance with fire, and after Majis joined, the main party would attack together.

There was a high possibility that the attack would be noticed early, but with the back entrance sealed, a prolonged battle could be sustained.

Apparently, there were no issues with smoke or similar problems, as they hadn't occurred even though this method had been used before.

Considering the possibility of traps, I would act as a scout while the defensive magic was in place, and the warrior would catch up if combat broke out.

While discussing this, we reached the hideout. The exact route had been scouted by Majis and a guild member the previous day, so we didn't have to search around.

Following the plan, everyone took their positions. It seemed we hadn't been noticed yet.

On the signal, I generated four regular rock spears and aimed them at the faces and centers of gravity of the two guards.

The spears hit accurately, and the guards fell without making much noise.

It seemed to go well on the other side too, as Majis hurried over.

He was running faster than usual, probably using magic.

Majis arrived quickly, and I led the way in.

I prepared a large number of slightly smaller rock spears for the initial attack.

If bandits appeared, I planned to turn the first one into a pincushion. Armor wouldn't matter with this quantity and size; they would either be pierced or blown away.

It's important to have strong magic ready when time allows. The best weapon is one that can guarantee a kill upon first contact.

I marked the bandits with information manipulation and prepared about five rock spears. I didn't want to involve civilians.

Majis seemed to be wide-eyed, but it was too late for that.

About 30 seconds after we entered, the first bandits appeared. There were three of them, talking about something.

I presented them with the prepared rock shotguns, and they all died from severe impacts.

I quickly prepared the next spears and continued forward. The two behind me were following.

The cave was winding but had been a straight path so far. We hadn't encountered many people, considering the estimated number...

There was a door, and laughter could be heard from inside. This must be the main area.

The others followed quietly, and we decided to break the door with my magic in 10 seconds and charge in.

After I fired the spears to avoid involving civilians, the warriors would charge in, with Majis providing support from the back.

Although there was a possibility of civilians, the plan was to eliminate everyone. There was no room for consideration.

I prepared 800 rock shotguns, 200 shots × 4, each about 15 cm in diameter.

Majis seemed to be wide-eyed again but didn't say anything.

It was time. I fired 200 of the 800 spears at the door, not all at once but with a slight delay.

With a loud noise, the door was blown away, and the spears flew inside.

I charged out and fired 200 spears to the left and right at wide angles, covering the entire room.

I fired the remaining 200 spears straight ahead, and the two behind me charged in.

They prepared to attack, but something was off. It was quiet.

Observing the surroundings, I saw the bodies of about 30 bandits, all severely impacted, scattered like in a Tsukiji market.

The room was about the size of a high school classroom, but there were no signs of life. It seemed they were all dead.

Feeling a bit anticlimactic, we continued forward. We eliminated the remaining three bandits without much trouble and reached the area with fire.

Majis and I returned and joined the secondary party. No civilians were found.

"Huh? Is it over? I didn't even get to use the shotgun or the magic armor. Well, it's better that the armor wasn't needed."