Volume 1 Chapter 6 Raid On The Hideout
After a while, the sun set, and the surroundings became completely dark. The light coming from the big house also disappeared after a short wait, and it seemed like the bandits had quieted down and fallen asleep. The sky was cloudy, and the moon and stars were hardly visible, making it difficult to see each other's presence.
"Is it about time? Al, let's go."
"Huh?"
He unintentionally let out a silly voice. There were more than ten bandits. He thought they would just observe during the night and not do anything. However, Barbara calmly started checking her weapon. She took something out of her belt pouch and gave it a light swing. Then, the egg-sized stone in her palm began to glow faintly.
"This is a light magic tool. It's more convenient than lanterns or torches. Plus, it has a cover that lets you adjust the brightness and direction of the light. If you just use a torch, you'll be visible from far away. So, how long are you going to just sit there? We're going to deal with the bandits. Can you use spells like sleep or paralysis? How many people can you target at once?"
Seeing this, Al understood what was happening. He slowly stood up.
"Are we really going to do this? First of all, we don't even know if all of them are bandits, right? There's a chance they're just people who unknowingly let bandits stay at their house. Are we going to kill them without question?"
"You're right; I want to be sure. Near the capital, we should check. But this is the border. We don't have that luxury. If we just sit here, the bandits will escape. Then, more people will suffer. You might not believe my words, but that's the reality."
Barbara answered with a wry smile. Alfred let out a big sigh in response. He had heard that in the borderlands, battles with the barbarians were fierce, and sometimes there was no consideration for the captured humans. This seemed to be one of those situations.
"I understand. If that's the case, I can use the spell called Slow. It should reduce movement and reaction speed by about 30%. It can affect up to 3 targets. Also, if we're going to attack, how about using the Sensory Boost spell instead of light?"
Saying this, he moved his hand to his eyes and opened and closed them quickly to demonstrate.
"Sensory Boost spell? That's the one you've been using to feel the vibrations while walking, right? How much of a boost can it give? First of all, isn't enhancement magic only for the caster?"
Barbara tilted her head, but Al lightly shook his head.
"Let's give it a try. If you accept it without resisting, it will be fine. Okay?"
Barbara pouted a little in dissatisfaction, but after being urged to accept, she reluctantly nodded.
'Sensory Boost'──Enhanced Vision, Night Sight, Enhanced Touch
As he cast the spell and touched Barbara's face, her vision suddenly brightened. In disbelief, she looked around. The surroundings should still be dark, but it felt to her as if they were illuminated by a full moon.
"What is this? Everything suddenly got brighter? No, wait, is this the effect of magic?"
"That's right. Please turn off the light from the magic tool. You won't need it."
She followed the instructions and turned off the light from the magic tool. The surroundings should have returned to darkness, but she could still see a bit thanks to the faint moonlight.
"This is amazing. If I can see this well in the dark or inside buildings, I can attack without them knowing."
Barbara said, impressed. If they entered the building, the only light would probably be from the remaining fire in the fireplace. Still, it would be better than seeing nothing at all. They could take down the enemy without them realizing what was happening.
"It's pretty good, right? But there's a small downside. If you suddenly look at a really bright light, you might not be able to see for a while, so be careful. It's especially dangerous if the enemy has a magician."
"Got it. How long does it last?"
"Well, about an hour, I think."
"Understood. We can see them, but they can't see us. This is going to be an easy job. Let's get it done quickly."
Barbara, in a good mood, pulled out a knife with one hand and signaled to move out. Al shrugged lightly and nodded as if to say he understood.
* * *
The first place Al and the others headed to was the church. They figured there were probably only 2 bandits, so they could quietly take care of it. They approached the back entrance quietly, one of the two exits.
The door wasn't locked. They listened carefully, but even Al's enhanced hearing only picked up sounds like soft breathing. With Barbara in the lead, they quietly opened the door and entered.
Inside the back entrance was a large room filled with empty boxes and junk left lying around. The first thing they noticed was a stale smell, like the body odor of wild animals.
As they looked around the room, they quickly figured out where the bad smell was coming from. On one side of the room, there were several wooden cages, and in one of them, 2 human-like figures were huddled together, half-buried in straw, sleeping.
Since they were in a cage, they probably weren't part of the bandits' gang. These were likely hostages that the bandits had captured, maybe negotiating for ransom. This confirmed that the people living here were definitely not good. They wanted to rescue them, but if they made contact now, they would just be a burden... It seemed Barbara and Al were thinking the same thing. They exchanged glances and nodded, slowly backing away from the spot. Then they quietly closed the door again.
The two took a deep breath and refocused their determination. There were still more than ten bandits in the building.
This building was the most impressive house in the village. It was a 2-story stone structure, with several small windows, all of which were covered by wooden shutters.
Al remembered his family's home, which was the lord of the village. The appearance was similar, and it wasn't too far from the area. The layout was probably quite similar too. There were 2 entrances: the main front door and a side door for servants. The first floor likely had a large living room with a big fireplace for cooking, a place for washing dishes, a storage room for food, and rooms for the servants. The second floor probably had a study, a master bedroom, and a guest room. There might even be a basement storage area.
Barbara first secured the front door with a rope so it couldn't be easily opened from the inside. After that, she moved to the side door and whispered in Al's ear while holding his shoulder.
"With this Sensory Boost, I can handle everything by myself. You just need to stay nearby. But if anyone tries to escape, take care of them. The Slow spell is only if you have the time. Other spells too. Is that okay?"
It seemed like she planned to take care of everything alone, making sure no one could escape. This was a fight in a small house. If she got in trouble, it would just be a hassle, and if they came out one by one, she could manage with Magic Missile.
Al nodded slightly. After she smiled, she turned toward the entrance, took a deep breath, and lifted her leg high. Then she kicked the door with all her strength.
With a loud crack, the door, which must have been weak, broke and fell over. Dust flew up everywhere. Inside was dark and looked like a storage room. There were doors in front and to the right, and a staircase going down to the left. Barbara opened the door in front without hesitation.
It was the living room. Right away, there was a fireplace with some embers still glowing. In front of it was a table, and around it were 4 men who looked drunk, sleeping on chairs and the floor. To the left was a staircase going up, and in front was the entrance. It should have made a lot of noise, but the 4 men didn't seem to wake up. Barbara approached and casually used her knife to finish them off one by one.
Meanwhile, Al stayed in the storage room, listening carefully. Thanks to the Sensory Boost spell, his night vision and hearing were enhanced. He could hear breathing and sounds not only from the room Barbara went into but also from the room behind the door to the right and from upstairs.
'Illusion'──Sound Illusion
"Three bandits are in 2 rooms on the second floor, 2 in one room and the rest in the other. There are also 5 in the room to the right here. It seems both groups are awake."
A small voice whispered this in Barbara's ear, just loud enough for her to hear. Of course, the voice was created by Al's Illusion spell. He controlled where the sound came from and how loud it was to make it just right.
She glanced at him and nodded, understanding, then headed for the stairs. Seeing this, Al sighed. She probably thought she was stronger on the second floor, but what would she does if they came out of the room to the right?
He moved a wooden box nearby to block the door on the right and then shifted closer to the exit.
In front of the exit, Al stood quietly, ready. For a while, all he could hear from the first-floor room were voices that sounded like they were discussing something. After a bit, he heard sounds of a struggle from the second floor, along with groans and screams from men, but soon it went quiet. This happened twice, and then Barbara came down the stairs, covered in blood but without a single injury.
"The upstairs is taken care of. How about down here?"
She asked cheerfully, still on guard. Al pointed to the wooden box he had used as a barrier with his chin.
"Did you really just keep watch?"
Her voice sounded genuinely surprised. Did she think he would burst into the room with 5 bandits and take them all out?
"I'm a magician, you know. I'll leave the hand-to-hand fighting to you."
Al replied firmly. With a sigh, Barbara kicked the wooden box out of the way and opened the door.
"I give up! Please don't kill me!"
The men's voices, sounding like they were about to cry, were heard almost at the same time.
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