It is the early morning in the Stone City, streets are bustling with people of different races. Stone city is a part of Drag Trana Empire, an empire which is comprise of many different races which includes Elf's, Dwarf's, Giants, Demi-humans and many more.
Stone city is the one of the leading commercial city of Drag Trana Empire because of the impeccable management of Stoneo City's Mayor who is actually a dwarf. And like any dwarf, he is also famous for his exceptional craftmanship.
But currently he, who is just a ameteur in fight or in battlefield had no choice but to rely on the elite member Efresh Academy for help. The academy which known for upbringing the all powerhouses of the Efresh Nation.
Bandits organisation constant raids had crippled one of the income sources of the Stone city. So, the mayor is pretty much stressed out by this bandits problem.
" So? Is there any news from those Efresh Academy students?" While sitting in his office, the mayor press that questions towards his advisor.
"Yes Sir, It's been 1 week since those students started their mission, in this last week due to the constant patrols from the Gouda-san, Leviathan-san and Spark-san, many of the low level bandits were cuaght and interrogated. But it seems they are pretty tight-lipped. So, finding nothing! Bandits were just eliminated. Currently, they are still waiting for Wingfield-san report from his investigation who still isn't back from exploring the old bandits hideouts."
Advisor answered very calmly manner while reading through the reports in his hands. He knows that this mission could affect their city's income so he had put many people close to the inn which the Efresh Academy students are lodging on to get minute to minute status update.
"Is that so, I hope that they could find something quick and what about the missing kid?"
Mayor realeased a sigh of relief after hearing the report as there hadn't been any casualties even after some disadvantage ambushes but that also remained for only a couple of seconds as he voiced his concerns about the 5th member of the crew who is still missing since the day, the group first visited the City.
He had actually already considered that person dead in his mind but he still hopes that guy somehow come back alive. After all even though they are all pretty strong in combat as elite members of Efresh Academy but in reality they are all just kids, currently they had convinced themselves that he is just missing but if they found that he is dead, it could affect them mentally and could distract them from the mission.
"No, sir they are still no signs. He just disappeared in slums. You know already sir, we don't have much control in the slums".
Mayor released a sigh but this time it was full exhaustion and looked out of window from his office and thought to himself, 'I just wish, bandits are exterminated quickly. I am already in my 50's, I can't take this much burden. Looks like I have to go out drinking today too.'
***
Wheras, in the bustling streets of Stone city's market area, three said humans who had been exterminating the bandits for past week could be seen patrolling together. Due to stone city being a commercial city, it is not uncommon that some human kids visits stone city to check out the all famous handcrafts of Dwarfs.
But, still those three were the centre of attention for all common folks. Due to their past week's achievements, they had gained a special place in everyone's heart and are now considered city's heroes.
"Okay guys, we should stop our patrolling. Jason should have returned by now."
Sam said as he fiddled through his phone.
"I have been wondering this for quite some time but why don't Jason just report his findings with his phone? Why waste time with face to face contact?" , Kelly questioned Sam about her confusion.
"Well, there are so many kinds of abilities right! So, we can't take risk suppose there is someone who can hear even sound frequency transmitted through phones." explained by Sam to Kelly.
"Then wouldn't there is still some chance that your messages could be leak through"
The third member of the trio who is happened to be quiet from the very beginning had finally joined the conversation and also voiced his concerns.
"Ah! Don't worry, we talk in secret codes"
"Then why you couldn't you just take the full report in secret codes"
"Well, even though that guy isa monster when it comes to in combat, he is actually just a big idiot. He most probably messed up if we force him to talk secret language."
After minutes of constant walking through market, they finally reached their current base which was a luxurious inn. It was an inn granted by the City's Mayor, it was also based pretty far from the main city so they cant be disturbed during their mission. Actually that was just front , after all they are fighting a criminal organisation they is many chances they could be ambused at their base so to reduce the casualties by being near the presumed future battlezone.
All of their basic necessities are being taken care of by the City Mayor. After entering their inn, they found the first room to the door which discussion was established as their discussion room where they hold their meetings, door unlocked so Sam first check it out and found Jason sitting inside.
"So, you are back. Let's not waste time. We have to make a move quickly after all he is still missing."
Sam said and takes a seat in the one if the chairs surrounding the middle table, Kelly and Takeru also follows and sit in their respective seat.
"So, Do you have any clues regarding their current location?" Sam questioned after checking everyone has taken their seat.
"No, I didn't find any clues about that. But, I found out an important information. The old hideouts were actually the base of their's when their old leader was alive but it seems when the new leader joined, the whole organisation can gone under a major change"
Jason reported with a very serious face which he is clearly different from his usual behaviour.
"Is that so? But I don't think its weird that a organisation going some change when their leader changes." , Takeru was the who asked this time.
"I know right! But change means they recruited mercerneries and deserter knights into their ranks, and divided them into Three groups following different executives and at the top is the leader of the organisation who killed the old leader taken his usurped his position."
"Wait! Three? Since the we started to patrol the city, all bandits caught by us were actual bandits I mean if they were knights and mercenaries, we would have realised by their combat styles", Kelly Sparks who is from spark family couldn't help herself from voicing her doubts.
Spark family is also a martial arts family Wingfield family, but they are are mostly focused on kenjutsu meaning swordsmanship. It is also rumoured that their ancestor were vagabonds who travel from place to place to master their swordsmanship. Due to their devotion to swords, they mastered sword intent which was supposed to be highest peak skill a swordsman could obtained.
But rumours are just rumours, we can't trust them. After all they just use light magic to create a fake sword intents. And their knowledge of different swordsmanship is just an inheritance which is passed down to them from God of Swords.
Due to her inheritance of God of Swords , Kelly could identify the intent behind different sword styles like cautionary style of mercenary who value their own life or honorary style of knights who value their chivalry or greedy style of bandits who put focus to kill opponents without damaging the opponents gear.
So, in this week of constant patrol and extermination of low level bandits, she had deciphered that all were just some third-rate bandits.
Hearing Kelly, Sam falls in deep thought and after some contemplating he replies,
"Looks like we were just fighting one group of their, mostly likely Bandits do their raids, mercerneries do their mecernary stuff and destroy the tracks of bandits I mean whenever bandits attack, it's voluntary for mercerneries to save common citizen and at last knights are wanted so they probably hide in their base and defend it."
Sam being the intellect type and experienced war veteran who survived war in his past life when he was just a normal guy without any Leviathan inheritance already deduced the working function of the bandits organisation.
While everyone was contemplating the new information, something just clicked in Takeru's brain and he couldn't stop himself exclaiming,
"Wait! Wasn't mercerneries were the ones who reported Clyde gone missing, and that they found no traces of him in slum area where he was last scene"
"Oh shit! We were just running in their palms from the very beginning"
Hearing Takeru, others also understood the while scenario that they were actually working with enemy from the very beginning who were actually sheep's in wolf clothing.
"Sam! We have to counter attack"
Jason exclaimed and stood up from his seat.
"Calm down Jason! Just sit down for now, we have to carefully plan our next move. Don't worry about Clyde" Sam tries to calm Jason down.
"Sam! Aren't you even little bit worried about Clyde" Kelly voiced her question which occupying her mind for the past week.
Kelly knows Sam, Clyde and Jason were pretty close friends as they were pretty famous in Efresh Academy as trio who you want to avoid but since the day Clyde had been missing, Sam just assumed the leaders position which she can't object to as he had done a pretty good job but he hadn't shown a single concern for Clyde whereas Jason when he found out, he had lost his control, he going to quit his mission and was about to charged to the slums on his own. But thankfully Takeru and Sam persuade him that his mission is important if he want to save Clyde.
"Nope, well that guy knows how to survive. I can do whatever he can to survive. I can even imagine him cheating the god of death"
But Sam answer with his confident smirk change her view and she finally get it, its not he is not concerned he just believed in his friends.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Suddenly, some explosions voice transmitted sounded outside their house in panic they all rushed out the inn and readied themselves for combat. What waited for them outside is all three groups of bandits surrounding them.
"Allright , this is a day time robbery! Just handover all your goods you have with you guys quickly ortherwise we will shoot you!"
A fake husky voiced resounded from the middle of the group of bandits Organisation. It was pretty clearly that said person tried to imitate a typical bandit with husky voice but hearing the voice of the said person, everybody made way for the person.
The said person was armed in a typical bandit clothing with bandit bandana in his head who is being followed by a huge bulking bald giant as a follower but the most shocking part is the face of the said person.
"Clyde!"x3 - Takeru, Jason and Kelly couldn't help themselve from exclaiming after finding out the identity of said person.
"See, I told you! that guy for survival will do anything even it means betraying us"
Sam being the only one calm from very beginning said it with expression befitting a father who is proud of his son's achievement.
--- To be continued ---