Chapter 60 – Bandit Subjugation (Part 3)
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Translator: SFBaka
Editor: Thor’s Stone
“I also think there would be no problems. However, that’s if Alan leads us.”
“Yes, I agree as well. If Alan wasn’t present, going for bandit subjugation tomorrow would certainly become far more difficult. Reckless, even”
“Let’s just see whether or not it’s reckless tomorrow, Cleria. I will have everyone participate tomorrow as well, so they will be able to witness our current prowess firsthand.”
“Yes, by all means. Please let us lend our assistance. Well, if possible, we would like you all to leave it to us instead, however…”
“No. It’s Shining Star that took up this quest in the first place. That just won’t do.”
“Cleria, Captain Dalshim, let’s discuss our plans in more detail tomorrow morning.”
“Understood, Alan-sama.”
Afterward, we related to everyone about how we attacked the orc settlement and hunted down the General Orc, how we took down the Blue Serpent and the fact that we were just recently all promoted to B rank. It got very lively.
“By the way, Your Highness. I have been curious about this since earlier. What are those things you have pinned on your left chests?”
“Oh, these? These are Shining Star’s official emblems. They have the insignia of a brilliantly shining star. They are great, aren’t they?”
“Yes! Such wonderful craftsmanship! Would it be possible for us all to obtain one as well?”
“Of course it is. This is the Clan’s emblem after all.”
Alan got up and headed toward our carriage. Did he perhaps make more of our emblems? But he couldn’t have made that many, could he? After a short while, he came back carrying a large sack.
“It just so happens that I made quite a lot of those emblems, Captain Dalshim. Can you please distribute these to everyone?”
“Oh! That’s wonderful! How many emblems are there in this sack?”
“I think there’s enough for everyone. I made quite a lot after all.”
“Understood. Alright, you lot! Form up into three rows!”
Three rows of expectant knights formed up in front of Dalshim immediately. Everyone looked quite excited. Some of them attached their respective emblems to the pockets of their clothes, and some pinned them to their left breasts just like us.
“Alan, just why did you make more than a hundred emblems anyway?”
“I thought the Clan’s members would increase sooner or later, so I made them in advance. I’m a man who prepares and plans ahead after all.”
How very suspicious. I feel that Alan somehow knew just how many people would arrive beforehand. It would still stand to reason if he just made extras just as he claimed, but there was no reason to purposefully bring them with us at this time.
We decided to start our preparations by daybreak, so we turned in early for the night. I had Dalshim refrain from assigning people for night watch duty as well.
“Alan and the rest’s scanning magic is very effective. They will immediately wake up if monsters approach our camp, so there is no need to keep watch at night.”
“That’s–! ……No, I understand. It shall be so then.”
Even so, Dalshim and the rest still positioned themselves around us when we slept. Well, I do understand their doubts.
The next day, after having the leftovers from last night as our breakfast, Alan gathered the commanding officers among the knights for a strategy meeting. Well, we ended up surrounded by the rest of the knights just like yesterday though.
Alan brought out a map that looked like a smaller version of the one he showed to us back at the Home.
“First, take a look at this map. According to the info I managed to obtain, the bandits have set up a lot of traps in this area. There are about twenty-seven to twenty-eight bandits manning the various traps at a given time. The remaining seven or eight bandits stay inside their hideout and stand guard over it.”
“If you have discovered their location, then why don’t you leave it to us to storm the place?”
“No. The bandits have stationed several scouts around the area. If we went at them with a great number of people, they’ll just run away and hide instead of engaging us. Of course, since we know the location of their hideout, it’s also possible to surround and corner them with our numbers, but that would take too much time. It would be better and faster to take them out all at once.”
“However…”
“Dalshim, the Clan’s leader is Alan.”
“Yes! Forgive me for stepping out of line, Alan-sama.”
“We will make use of our carriages for this assault. If we remove all of the luggage, it would be possible to fit fourteen people inside them. The ones who will board the carriages will be archers and those who know magic or are adept in defense. How many are magic casters among the knights?”
“There are seventy-five knights who are capable of casting spells. Shall we take care of the personnel selection on our end?”
“Yes, please. In addition to the carriages, please form two squads with twenty people each. It would be best for them to know magic and archery as well. If possible, they should know their way around mountainous terrain and can trek up to them without making too much noise.”
“Understood.”
“Our basic strategy is quite simple. The two 20-man squads will make a big detour over here in order to position themselves behind the bandits. Once they are in position, we will start traversing the road via the carriages. Once the bandits get baited into attacking us, we will spring the trap and pincer them with the help of the ambush squads. That’s about it.”
“How will we signal the attack?”
Alan pointed toward the sky and looked up. Everyone followed his gaze. A fireball launched out from his finger and flew upward for about thirty meters, and then burst with a loud explosion.
“”Oooh!””
“Let’s use this as the signal.”
“Just what was that spell!? …No, it’s nothing. Forgive me.”
“The ambush squads will be commanded by Sharon and Selena since both of them are proficient in scanning magic.”
“”Understood!””
“Those who cannot join with the carriage squads and ambush squads will wait just behind the highway and should rush out once the signal goes off. And that’s our strategy. Any more questions?”
Alan swept his gaze around everyone, but it looks like they don’t have anything to add. They don’t seem to have any more questions since it was quite a simple strategy.
As Dalshim and Walter organized the rest of the troops, preparations for unloading the luggage off the carriages also went underway.
We tested just how many would fit in inside one carriage after we unloaded it as well.
“Alan-sama, we have finished selecting and organizing the squads.”
The squads were lined up in orderly groups. Everyone seemed to be filled with enthusiasm for today’s operation. Alan walked around and scrutinized the newly formed squads.
“Good. Let’s begin!”
An additional twelve people boarded our carriage with us since Selena and Sharon will be acting separately.
At last, the operation has begun!
It has been four hours since we left the campsite. Our bandit subjugation mission turned out to be a lot livelier than expected. Of course, if we wanted to simply capture the bandits, us five members of the Shining Star party would be able to accomplish it without any problem. However, we decided to let everyone fight together with us this time.
These new Clan members would probably serve as the core forces for our plan of uniting the entire continent in the future. Thus we will need them to gain as much experience as possible, as well as learn to collaborate with us and grow. No, it’s actually the opposite. We would need to learn from these veterans and grow as well. However, it wasn’t necessary to put everyone’s lives in danger for the sake of training. I will ensure that no casualties will occur.
It should be about time. I stopped our carriage and got off the coachman’s seat. The ones behind me stopped as well.
“Ambush team, form your squads, and deploy immediately.”
“”Roger!””
Selena and Sharon rode on the carriages used by the ambush team. They would contact me via comms later.
The team formed into two squads immediately and headed for the mountains in two separate directions. Of course, I’ve already scouted the terrain with the drone in advance. With the girls in the lead, they would be able to reach their positions easily.
After an hour or so, Sharon and Selena informed me that they were already in position.
“Yosh. It’s about time. We’re moving out.”
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