Michael and the company walked their feet on the earths of the Vagoth Forest. They tracked the trail towards the nearest road guided by the image pictured by a Clairvoyance above the sky.
They decided to walk the path with their feet although they can easily get teleport directly inside the city walls. They would get interrogated if they didn’t pass one of the city gates.
Since they are inside the continent’s third largest forest, monsters popped up frequently as they walked further. Although not as dangerous as the Great Forest of Darkness, Vagoth Forest still considered as danger zone by normal means.
The area where they arrived at was where B-ranked monsters lurking around. Certainly hazardous to explore and not suitable for everyone who’s not combat type.
But the group casually waltzed through the forest and effortlessly slew any hostile sentient along there way. Not only they gained a grain amount of EXP, monster parts also filling there subspace that they could exchange for hefty sum.
They proceed further from the heart and walked towards the shallow parts of the forest. A matter of around three hours, the tetrad finally saw the unpaved highway after the sea of trees.
“We’ll be following this road by foot from now on.” Said Michael. “We will reach the capital by a few hours of walking. Let’s put our set our restrictions and wear our disguise from here.”
After the girls nodded upon Michael’s statement, the four marched their way to the capital.
Since this road leads to the continent’s capital, the road is quite wide, around four lanes by Earth’s standards. The part of the highway the four trailed off wasn’t paved yet since the distance was way too far from the city. Muddy path surely occurs when after the rain.
“…Stop. I heard clanks of metals.” Marching for a few minutes, Lucy, who walked in front, raised a fist. “I detected multiple people clustered in an area. Seems like a group of bandits currently ambushing a carriage a kilometer ahead.”
Being the rogue of their party, Lucy has the highest sensing capabilities. She used Omnidirectional Perception to perceive what’s happening. The egos can still use their cheat skills as long as no one noticed them casting the skill.
“Oh! An isekai cliché! It a good opportunity, isn’t it?”
“Indeed. We can use this chance to gain connections.” Gabrielle nodded in agreement with Uriel.
Helping people makes them owe one a favor. Which might lead of having a good relationship between the two party. If they’re lucky, they might hook up a big fish.
“What’s your waiting for? Let’s go.”
After Michael’s command, the group then casted Warp to teleport themselves fifty meters away from the scene.
◆◇◆
Around twenty ruffian-looking men besieging a pair of splendid carriages flanked by four panicking horses. Six escorts desperately trying to defend the rear carriage, which was occupied by an important person.
“We have to protect the Young Lady no matter what!” A middle-aged man in armor shouted his lungs to his subordinates.
“Yes, Sir Van!” Yelled the five of the remaining knights as they are clashing their swords with the bandits.
Their numbers of escorts are originally nine, but the three magic casters already fulfilling their duties. In battles, balance numbers of roles is crucial.
Sometimes, mages took the most important role like attacks at distance or healing and supporting the team. That’s why the bandits prioritized the mages first upon ambush.
Individually, the escorts are around Level 200, while their leader named Van stepped the Level 300 realm. Only two of the bandits reached Level 200 and only got the upperhand due to their overwhelming numbers. The bandits only have five loses out of twenty-six with three of them lost their lives by Van’s mithrill longsword.
“Your struggling is futile. Surrender now while you’re still alive.” Said the bald, bulky bandit leader. .
“Hmph! Even if we surrender now, you will still kill us as soon as you get what you want. I’ll rather died fighting than betraying my Liege!” Steeled Van.
(Whatever the thing wanted from us, I won’t let them do as they please.)
“Then I will grant your wish. Kill them.”
“Okay, bos—” the grunt suddenly stopped his mouth and turned his head around. “Hey, boss! Something’s coming!” He warned.
“I thought there’s no one around?!”
“They’re just four! And looks young!”
“Whoever they are. Stop them!”
Some of the bandits noticed the sudden approach of the new opponents. The leader change the previous order and made his cronies attack the intruders instead.
(Reinforcements?)
As Van thought that to himself, two of the intruders, both women, stayed twenty meters from the scene. The woman in crimson hood raise its ebony staff and a large ball of fire flew out of it engulfing two of the charging bandits in blaze.
“Aahhhh!!! I’m burning!!!”
“H-help me!!! Put it out!!!”
The two shouted in agony as they feel the flames burning their skin. It’s only a matter of seconds before the two collapsed as a coal. Seeing the ball of flames, a bandit immediately recognized the situation.
“A magic user! Step ba—”
But before he finished talking, one of the two rushing raised a finger and the bandit’s head went flying in the air. Not only him, but the two two behind already lost its head.
“A-ahh. W-what just happened? What did you did?!” The bandit leader blurted.
The bandits feel dumbfounded thinking what caused the decapitation. But Van caught a little glimpse of what really happened.
(Thread?)
According to his vision, thin lines flew fast towards the bandits’ neck and cleanly beheaded them. But that kind of feature requires indefinite amount of practice to master. Judging how young the woman is, Van couldn’t fathom how she’s able to do it.
Another Fireball flew along the road again and swallowed two more bandits. Seeing that discord in the bandits, he swing his sword at one of the bandits at manage to kill it quickly.
“Attack them while they are still distracted!”
As he raised his blood-drenched sword, the other knights slashed their own blades and fight back against the dazed bandits.