## Chapter 350 – Kim Kat and the Forty Bandits
The journey began.
Each adventurer, burdened with their packs, marched on in silence with utterly gloomy expressions. They said everyone was E-rank except for one, but judging by their fierce auras and gazes, it seemed that more than half were killers with some kind of reputation.
Adventurer ranks depend on skill, but promotion requires achievements.
Rank signifies trust.
Even if they were E-rank, the fact that they readily accepted a request to go kill meant there was no doubt about their combat abilities. There was a martial artist and two female adventurers, but they didn’t seem to pose any problems.
“From now on, we will move to the place where the bandits attacked!”
The merchant leading the way directed us.
He looked pathetic without even a common mount, and his sword at his waist seemed to emanate hatred. It seemed he intended to fight himself if he encountered the bandits.
—Admirable.
His determination to spend his money on revenge was above all progressive. Instead of rebuilding with the remaining money, the merchant willingly opened his wallet for a thorough reprisal.
Truly a macho spirit.
In a turbulent world, only those who combine such boldness and ruthlessness can make big money. But it would be troublesome if he died, so I hope he stays behind when we fight. He had entrusted his current budget to the guild.
A D-rank adventurer wearing a hood walked beside the merchant, and we would receive his help in tracking the bandits. The two were looking at a map and whispering something.
“Tell me how long it will take to get there!”
I, Winia, and Elise were walking at the rear of the group. Since we were moving anyway, I was curious when we would arrive. When I shouted that to the front, the merchant replied.
“If we maintain this speed, we will arrive in the afternoon!”
A bit far.
The walking speed was quite fast, but it wasn’t a problem.
I have always been a walker, Elise is stronger than me, and Winia is a skilled magician, so her basic physical strength is above average.
Other magicians don’t seem to be like that, but Winia is good and strong in many ways. Still, I win in pure strength.
“Darkie. Carry me.”
As we were walking and chatting, Winia said, as if wanting some skinship. I had no choice but to carry her.
“Get on right now.”
Even carrying Winia on my back wasn’t particularly difficult. I could feel that my physical abilities had dramatically increased due to mana and training.
“…Your marital harmony is truly wonderful. I’m glad above all else.”
Elise said, seeing that.
“Hehe, right?”
“As the Saintess, you are devout, brave, and above all, righteous, so I think it’s only natural.”
“Yes, it’s very natural.”
The name of the Heavenly Demon is never light.
“What? Darkie is devout and righteous?”
Winia, who was on my back, said as I was talking to Elise.
“Brave, I understand, but devout and righteous? What nonsense is that?”
“Winia. There are hardly any people in this world as devout and righteous as I am. Do you still not know me that well?”
“If Darkie is devout and righteous, then this world is wrong. I love Darkie a lot, but you have to speak properly.”
I agreed that this world was wrong, but I couldn’t agree with Winia’s words.
“Don’t know. Then what do you like about me?”
“Everything.”
“Hawaa. Me too!”
We walked along, looking around and chatting simply like that. The road was still clear. We hadn’t come very far from Isvant, so there wasn’t much of a problem.
In the first place, there were ten people with murderous intent, so there wouldn’t be any particular danger.
“By the way, Sister. Are those bandits related to those heretics back then?”
While walking, Winia spoke to Elise.
“It’s not certain. However, there are several suspicious circumstances, so I suggested it with the intention of investigating with the Saintess.”
“Really? Well, heretics and bandits are the same anyway. They’re like monsters. We can just kill them all.”
That’s right.
“That’s right, Winia. You’re a magician after all.”
“As expected of a magician who pursues knowledge. I can feel scholarship and insight in your short words.”
“What did I say to get this reaction?”
Thief = Robber = Heretic = Bandit are almost synonyms. They only differ in name, but they all encompass the same concept.
For a simple example, if a thief steals my property, the compensation can be received from a bandit or a heretic. Similarly, if a heretic commits a crime, a bandit can be punished for the same crime, and a robber killing someone is an act of propagating an illegal religion.
This is the teaching of Fusion Confucianism.
“Our Sister seems to think the same way as Darkie, who is her friend.”
Elise and I have a lot in common.
Elise shook her head at those words.
“Don’t say that. I am a weak being who cannot even be compared to the Saintess.”
“No, Elise. I can’t agree with that. We are Divine Friends. We share ideologies and justice! You are never weak! Your service to the world has not disappeared!”
“I, I see! I am grateful that you say so!”
“I’m going crazy. Darkie, please refrain from acting up.”
When will Winia agree with Fusion Confucianism?
As we continued to march, it became lunchtime before we knew it.
“Let’s take a break here!”
When the merchant shouted, the adventurers began to settle down appropriately.
“Darkie, wasn’t I heavy?”
As I slowly put her down, Winia said, as if enjoying herself.
“You were lighter than a feather, so you weren’t heavy.”
“Hehe. Really? Am I really that light?”
Winia, who has a huge difference between her underbust and overbust measurements, cannot be compared to a feather, even as a joke. If that were a feather, there would be no birds flying in this world.
“Of course. Where else is there a woman lighter than you?”
“Darkie says such pretty things. Oh my, you’re so kind.”
“Hehe, then let’s rest too. Elise, let’s eat.”
“Understood.”
The subjugation team, each taking a seat in a suitable place, took a break while guarding the surroundings and taking out the food they had brought. Some quickly ate and lay down to sleep, while others picked and ate tree fruits.
—Swish, swish.
One martial artist was punching a tree, as if thinking of training in his spare time. But does that guy not know me?
Anyway, we also took out and shared some jerky, crackers, and a small amount of dried fruit.
“The speed is faster than expected, so we will soon arrive at the attack point. Bandits may be hiding nearby, but if a battle breaks out, I hope you will fight properly, as per the original contract.”
I heard the merchant say while eating.
We followed along to earn money, so there’s no way we would run away. According to the contract, we would receive the money when we returned. Running away would be a unilateral breach of contract, and in that case, we would not receive wages.
“You’re also D-rank.”
After finishing my meal and stretching my limbs using the Siljeong Kwonbeop to loosen up, a middle-aged man wearing a hood approached. He was the D-rank adventurer.
“Kat. And you?”
When I lowered my voice like Copsen and revealed my name, he also revealed his name and offered a handshake. A hand wearing black gloves. He had three short swords hanging from his waist, slightly shorter than a typical one-handed sword.
A slightly maniacal armament.
“Lactos. I think I’ve seen you at the guild a few times.”
“Hehe, with that eye-catching hair color. Do you have any business?”
“It’s nothing much, I just wanted to say hello because you seem like the most reliable person when a battle breaks out.”
“I think the same of you. I look forward to working with you.”
After a brief greeting, he went back to the merchant. The merchant immediately took out a map and whispered something with Lactos. As a key member of the guild, the D-rank was guaranteed to have that much trust and skill. He was probably trustworthy. He had been living and working diligently in Isvant for several years.
When the break was over, the subjugation team started off again, trudging along.
There were no stragglers.
We were able to reach our destination smoothly.
“Stop! This is it!”
—Sreung.
—Sreung.
The adventurers, who immediately drew their weapons, gathered among themselves, guarded the surroundings, and hid themselves. I also hid behind a tree, covering Winia with my body, and looked around with Elise.
“There are traces of the carriage being destroyed.”
“Yes. I see it.”
As Elise said, the wreckage of the destroyed carriage was scattered everywhere. They were roughly pushed to the sides of the road, probably because other carriages had been passing by and pushed them aside because they were in the way.
What kind of public morals do these bastards have?
If you’re going to clean up, clean it up properly. Why are you leaving it like this?
“Seeing the carriage smashed to this extent, it seems the bandits are hopeless. I can’t forgive them unless I smash them all like this carriage.”
“That’s right. The time of judgment is near. It is urgent to heal the merchant’s wounded heart with their blood.”
It’s malicious in that they deliberately destroyed it.
“…It doesn’t seem like there are any bandits nearby.”
At the merchant’s words, the adventurers, who had been hiding in a scattered manner, came back onto the road.
“Then we will start tracking from now on. If we encounter bandits, you will be paid 70 coppers each as per the original contract, so I hope you will kill them all.”
“Don’t worry.”
“Of course, that’s what I’m thinking.”
“I understand, so let’s start.”
The adventurers, each throwing out a word, left the road and entered the mountain with the merchant and Lactos, whom I had greeted earlier, leading the way.
They must be planning to start tracking from here.
Looking at it earlier, it seemed they had also investigated other attack incidents. They seemed to be judging that the bandits were somewhere around here. Well, the longer they dragged it out, the more labor costs would continue to be incurred, so they would find them diligently on their own. They came to take revenge.
—Swish, swish!
—Sashak!
While climbing the mountain, such sounds suddenly came from the surroundings. There was no need to measure anything further. The adventurers immediately jumped and went to the place where the sound came from.
Could they have appeared!
For some reason, I felt like I could feel an ominous energy!
Elise raised her flail like lightning.
“There!”
The martial artist, who shouted enthusiastically, sprinted and kicked the bush where the sound was presumed to have come from. Fortunately, that bastard was the fastest.
Then,
—Techyaaaaaa!!!
A scream erupted.
Judging by the sound, it’s a gremlin.
What the fuck.
“…It’s a gremlin.”
I thought it was a bandit, but it’s just a monster.
The brief happening ended with the brutal massacre of the gremlin family, which had given us false hope. I didn’t use my hands. The adventurers, who were already tired from climbing the mountain, had already stabbed them to relieve their stress.
In that way, we continued our search while dealing with the monsters we encountered. Time passed without any major problems.
“Saintess. The sun is setting.”
“We should stop the search here and prepare for camping.”
“Darkie, you brought a blanket, right?”
“Of course.”
Before we knew it, the sky was dyed orange.
“We will now prepare for camping. And we will decide on the night watch, so pair up in twos.”
The adventurers buzzed at those words, but soon calmed down. They just had to pair up with the people they had exchanged a few words with while marching.
Winia and Elise paired up, and I, who had been alienated, spoke to an adventurer and paired up. It seemed that the night watch was being rotated in about five tables. We decided on the order and prepared for bivouac.
—Rummage, rummage.
Bivouacking in the mountains was like everyday life for the adventurers, so everyone skillfully took their places and cut down branches to make a place to spend the day. I also made a suitable place and handed Winia the blanket.
“Darkie, you have to protect me well. A few guys were glancing at my chest earlier.”
“What kind of fucking bastards are they?”
I have no choice but to kill them all.
“Hehe. Just protect me well.”
“I’ll have to stay up all night.”
“Winia-nim. Don’t worry.”
We spent the day taking turns on night watch like that.
It was the next morning that we found the bandits.
—Phat!
“That bastard is running away!”
“Catch him!”
