NOVEL NEXT Chapter 12: Operation Begins!
The setting had changed, and after sending our report, we had arrived in the forest near Kagechi Village.
Of course, the reason we came was because the bandits we were tasked to defeat were using a cave in this forest as their hideout.
At that moment, two skinny men, who appeared to be beast tamers, were on alert near the cave, along with wolf-like and boar-like creatures they seemed to command.
As I watched the hideout from a bush at a distance, I muttered:
“…Damn it. This world sucks, the lying village chief sucks, and most of all… I suck for throwing myself into this hopeless battle.”
“What’s with the sudden self-pity? Besides… it’s not like you have no chance, right?”
Eresdia-Sama, who was hiding in a different bush, tilted her head curiously as she responded to my low-spirited remark, which made the air around us feel heavy.
I decided to show her the reality.
“Listen, right now, we’re as likely to win as someone picking a fight with a horse barehanded.”
“Then it’s a guaranteed victory. Both you and I can take on a horse, no problem. We’d win in seconds.”
“I hate this world.”
In my world, you’d just die if you picked a fight with a horse barehanded. But in this world, people can knock out a horse with one punch. The sense of reality here was completely warped.
Sighing at how messed up this world was, I shifted to a more serious tone. Eresdia-Sama noticed the change and quickly straightened her expression as well.
“Eresdia-Sama, you remember the plan, right?”
“Of course. I’m not as dumb as you.”
“Isn’t that a bit too harsh?”
Despite her snide remark, I reviewed our plan.
Originally, we had planned to rescue the village girls and then leave the rest to the reinforcements coming later. However, we learned that the bandits would raid the village in two days and then leave. Their leader, a hulking man, had apparently taunted us, saying, “Struggle all you want.”
Therefore, we had no choice but to act immediately.
If they attacked, it would likely turn into a massacre. I wasn’t so heartless that I could just ignore that.
For these reasons, we decided to completely destroy them, and came up with a certain strategy.
The plan was simple.
I would appear in front of the bandits and draw their attention. Meanwhile, Eresdia-Sama would, from a distance, bombard them and their monsters with what we called “flour bombs” — bags of flour, and bags of flour mixed with water, both thrown with enough force that they wouldn’t break until impact. As she did that, I, with my senses enhanced by magic, would take advantage of the chaos to eliminate the monsters.
We called this plan the “Sneak Attack Sticky Machine Gun Strategy.”
Apparently, this village was known for its wheat, so we had an abundant supply of flour. The flour in this world, when mixed with water, became much stickier and gooier than the flour in mine. There was no way we weren’t going to use that.
As for the roles, since I had cheat abilities and stronger regeneration, I had to be the one to take the more dangerous part. Not that I was thrilled about it.
It might sound like a sneaky move for a knight, but who would be stupid enough to charge in without a plan against a stronger enemy? I didn’t want to die, and I didn’t even want to get hurt if I could help it.
Eresdia-Sama magic bag now held 50 bags of gooey flour bombs, each the size of a handball. The bags were made of various materials we had gathered, so there was a chance some would be duds, but we prepared extra just in case.
Recalling the plan, I lightly touched the hilt of my sword at my waist, stood up quietly, and said:
“Well, I’m off.”
“Yeah, be careful. If you die, I won’t forgive you.”
Exchanging a brief conversation, I steeled myself and leapt out of the bush.
“Hey, bandits! How about having a little chat with me?”
In a single step, I closed several metres, smiling lightly as I called out to them.
“What… Who the hell are you? Do you have any idea where you are?”
One of the two beast tamers asked cautiously, keeping his monsters on standby without making any rash moves. The growling from the five wolves and five boars behind him was terrifying.
Please don’t tell me they can shoot beams from their mouths like high-level magic users. If they do, I’ll cry for real.
Although I was panicking inside, I kept my expression and demeanour calm, shrugging my shoulders in a carefree manner.
“Of course I know. This is a filthy, garbage dump for scum worse than humans, right?”
“Hey, kid—”
“Wait, brother. Don’t let him provoke you.”
“S-Sorry, brother…”
It seemed like they were brothers. I had been wondering why they looked so alike. Not that it mattered in the slightest.
I briefly focused my attention on Eresdia-Sama behind me and decided to draw out a bit more information.
“So… you two are the only beast tamers, right?”
“H-How did you know— Oh…”
“…”
Both I and the older brother turned our exasperated gazes toward the younger brother, who had let something slip. The tense atmosphere suddenly shifted to one of awkwardness, and I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for him.
“You’ve had it rough, haven’t you?”
“…Yeah, if he wasn’t my brother, I’d have punched him by now.”
Poor guy…
“In a different world, maybe we could’ve shared a drink… Shame, really.”
“Yeah… I was thinking the same. But—!”
Before the older brother could finish his sentence, several handball-sized flour bombs flew towards them at high speed.
Eresdia-Sama must have sensed the shift in the atmosphere and thrown them. Perfect timing.
The flour bombs headed straight for the two beast tamers.
*Puff!*
“Ugh! What the hell is this!?”
“Cough! Damn it… Protect us!”
“Wooof!!”
The bombs exploded in their faces, scattering flour like a smoke screen, blocking their view. But the tamer quickly commanded the wolves to attack, anticipating that I would make a move.
Exactly as planned.
As expected, the wolves slashed at the flour bags, getting covered in the sticky goo or inhaling too much flour and choking. The boars, on the other hand, started panicking, crashing into rocks and the cave, or ramming into each other and knocking themselves out.
So, monsters really do take after their masters, huh?
It was funny how well it was all working out. Eresdia’s throwing skills were incredible — on Earth, she could be the best pitcher in the world. But this was no time for jokes!
I quickly covered the lower half of my face with a cloth and muttered:
“—[Body Enhancement Up], [Full Sense Enhancement All Up].”
As I drew my sword, I activated the physical enhancement and full sense enhancement spells I had trained so hard to master. As the familiar sensation of lightness filled my body, a brilliant white-silver aura enveloped me.
With the radiant aura decorating my body like a shining armour, I raised my sword and declared:
“Let’s have a fair and square fight to the death!”
“How is this fair and square, you coward!!”
Ignoring their desperate protests, I swung my sword, glowing with the power of the silver light, aiming to take down the bandit brothers once and for all.