CH 19

Bandit Extermination (2)

— Afterwards, the 2 men.

Out of the 14 bandits, 12 have already been killed.

I click my tongue at having missed the other 2 men.

Now that I’ve shown my capabilities as a sniper, as much as possible, I want to kill them here. It would be troublesome if they share this information with their comrades who aren’t here right now.

— They’re running towards where Mize and the others are.

Such bad luck. The bandits were probably just trying to get away from me. It’s probably a complete coincidence that Mize, their target, is where they’re headed to.

It would be troublesome to give them time to contact the rest of their group.

Using the close-quarters combat magic <Rage>, I gradually close the distance between me and the bandits.

“Damn it, don’t look down on me!”

One of the bandits stopped running away and began to fight back.

The man activated <Rage> and swung his sword sharply. A cleave came from the right, followed by an upward cut from the left, both of which I evaded with minimal movements, and in the next moment, he delivered a thrust.

As one would expect, unlike the students at the academy, these men were accustomed to fighting.

I read the attacker’s movements and took a step back.

In a split second, the ground I stepped on began to swell.

— It was a trap.

As I felt the strange sensation at the soles of my feet, I jumped back as far as I could.

Immediately after, a lightning bolt struck my original position.

“Tch, you avoided it.”

The other bandit, who was a short distance away, clicked his tongue.

Apparently, he had set up that trap while running.

That must have been the same type of magic as the <Bomb Trap> I used.

Fixed-point installation magic is often used for traps. But even though it is invisible to the eyes, it is possible to determine its location by observing the residue of magic power.

However, this residue isn’t something that can be sensed unconsciously.

Only by sharpening your concentration to the limit can you sense it.

I exhale briefly and increase the output of <Rage>.

As my senses sharpen, I can sense the location of other traps elsewhere.

— <Bullet>

While pointing my finger at an enemy, I fire a mass of magic power.

The bandit avoided it instinctively. But losing his composure, he stumbled over a tree root by his feet and was knocked down for a moment.

An opportunity– I kick the ground hard and approach the man who’s lost his footing.

But, at that moment.

The other man flanked me and attacked from the side.

A sword flashes. Apparently, this man is skilled at close combat.

It was a skilful display of swordsmanship, mixed with numerous feints. Even more impressive was the fact that he could achieve such a fluid level of swordsmanship on uneven ground.

While admiring the man’s skill, I leave the range of his blade.

“You’re getting desperate. Let me guess, we’re getting closer then?”

The bandit asks while holding up his sword.

Her Royal Highness, Princess Michelliaze is close by, isn’t she?— I won’t answer that question.

While we continued to glare at each other, I created a dagger with <Fixation> and threw it at a tree around 5 metres away.

Immediately afterwards, the tree that was struck by the dagger violently exploded.

“An explosion!?”

“Damn it, so there were still some set up!?”

It was one of the traps that I set up between the time I left Mize and the time I went to the sniping point.

Although it was unavoidable, there have been several explosions since a while ago. The sound and vibrations from those are probably being felt by Mize and the others. So, before they approach this place out of curiosity, I have to exterminate the bandits right now.

It’s frustrating to deal with such a large number of enemies with only a few cards up my sleeves.

But right now, I don’t have the leeway to think about anything else.

Trees were scattered into wooden debris, and a dust cloud rose.

Then, I disappeared in the midst of that smoke.

“He’s obscuring our sight again– blow it away with wind!”

“Yeah!”

The dust cloud that rose up was blown away in all directions by the sudden appearance of a wind blast.

I don’t know the exact magic that was used, but it seems that wind magic was used to clear the dust.

But it’s a bit too late.

The bandit’s back was against a single tree– and I was behind it.

— <Flash Blade>

While he stopped to watch his surroundings, I swung the sharpened blade at the man’s neck.

The transparent blade, which was difficult to see, severed through the tree’s trunk and the man’s head.

“Eh–”

The man whose neck was severed from behind let out a feeble voice.

His head fell down and rolled by his feet with a dull sound.

“Catch.”

I kick the fallen tree at the remaining man.

The tree flew like a bullet for 3 metres, and the man avoided it with his face twisted in frustration.

— There.

He ran to a good position.

I immediately use <Fixation> to create another dagger, which I then throw into the bushes diagonally to my left.

The dagger cut a string that was hidden in the bushes, and the trap that was set activated.

“Wha!?”

A noose made of string tied up the man’s feet.

The man tries to break free from his restraints by scratching at the vegetation, but it was already too late. The man was hung upside-down from a tree.

It’s known as a “Kukuri trap”.

This technique is normally used for hunting animals, but it works on humans as well.

“I-impossible! I didn’t sense any magic!”

“It’s just a normal piece of string, after all.”

We’ve both set fixed-point installed traps for each other.

That’s why the man must have been wary of magical traps. But– I don’t solely rely on magic.

“This is the result of only relying on magic.”

“D-damn it!”

A single bullet pierced through the head of the frustrated man.

◆

After defeating the bandit, I sat on the ground for a while to catch my breath.

— As expected, I was tired.

The difference in our numbers was stark. As someone who specializes in assassinations and surprise attacks, I am not used to fighting against groups of people. I lack destructive power, so frankly, I find one-on-many combat situations to be difficult.

After wiping off my sweat and regaining my composure, I miniaturize my black cloak and place it in my pocket.

It’s been around 30 minutes since I’ve left Mize and the others. It should be around time to head back.

I searched for the three and called out to them.

“My bad, I’m late–”

“Tweight! We need to get out of here now!”

Gran says as he sees me, while looking panicked.

As I was wondering about what he told me so abruptly, Elysia and Mize, who were standing by the side, explain with sombre looks.

“There’s been some explosions going off around here for a while now. There might be some high-ranking Demonic Beasts rampaging.”

“I-if we get caught up in the middle of it, we’ll be in trouble, so we need to leave quickly!”

I see, so that’s how they interpreted it.

How convenient. This battle had drained my strength more than I had expected. I would like to return to the Royal Capital to rest.

“I don’t mind leaving, but what about the commission?”

“It’s too bad, but we’ll have to give up on it. If only we were able to collect a few more, we would have completed the commission…”

Elysia says while looking down.

It seems like they weren’t able to collect the required amount of Sharp Rabbit claws.

“In the meantime, I have some souvenirs for you guys.”

It’s a good thing I got these just in case.

While thinking that, I pulled something out of my pocket.

“3 Sharp Rabbits’ worth of claws. Is that enough?”

After I took a break, I saw some Sharp Rabbits before meeting up with the three of them, so I hunted them.

I was going to turn those in for cash privately later if they weren’t needed…but apparently that would no longer be necessary. The three of them looked at the Sharp Rabbit claws with expressions that were half surprised, and half delighted.

“Way to go, Tweight!!” (Gran)

“As expected, this was a great help.” (Elysia)

“T-thank you very much!!” (Mize)

The three of them bow in unison.

As for me, I was glad to be able to contribute to the commission that we all received…but I still feel bad because it felt very hypocritical of me to do so. If there were no explosions in the first place, the four of us would have been able to gather the Sharp Rabbits’ claws as planned.

As my face looked like I had swallowed a bitter pill, the three of them looked at my curiously.

“If we’re going to leave, we’d best do it as soon as possible.”

“Yes…sorry about this Tweight, you’ve just come from a long trip and now you’ll have to go back.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s best to put our safety first from now on.”

We’re still beginners.

This level of timidity is just right for now.

As the four of us head to the Royal Capital, I think about the attack earlier.

The group of bandits may be a larger organization than anticipated. Another attack on the same level would prove to be troublesome.

— As expected, it would be difficult to handle similar attacks by myself.

I’ve been somewhat aware of this for some time, but this latest attack has convinced me.

— I need reinforcements.

Author’s Note:

We’ve almost reached the 100000-point mark!

Thank you, dear readers, for your support!

I’ll continue to do my best!

Translator’s Note:

A Kukuri Trap is a type of snare that, when activated, catches the prey, and dangles them by the legs.