"Nefamiti, lead a hundred men to the east circle around the camp, hide inside the forest until the signal is given." I whispered.
Nefamiti raised his hand a hundred or so men following after him, that looks like a few more than a hundred but, we don't have captains yet.
"Marsh, bring your archer unit up into the thicket to the west, a group of a hundred men will be put under your command to protect the archer unit."
"Yes, sir." March replied quickly, yet another haphazard group of men splitting off taking a good vantage point on a small slope to the west of the camp.
The remaining force of one hundred fifty men stayed with me, "Get in charging position." I ordered.
Immediately the spears came down, each man lining up tightly packed in one beside the others, a sloppy spear wall at best.
Waiting for a few breaths I looked through the woods at Marsh and nodded who then fired the first arrow, followed by a volley of others.
"Intruders! Raiders!" Screams rose instantly through the camp as they turned their attention towards the east where Marsh continued to concentrate fire, trading arrows with the enemy.
Looking to the east I nodded, Nefamiti advanced bringing his men forward silently, the bandits completely focused on Marsh and his men unaware of Nefamiti approaching.
"Behind us!" Suddenly one man screamed, probably hearing the clinking of Nefamiti's units armor as they got close but it was too late, Nefamiti had cut off their escape route to the north and west while a spear wall laiden with archers sat in the woods to the east.
"Advance." I said looking at the bandits running towards us, standing up from the brush the men raised a war cry running forward around me and impaling the bandits who attempted to escape.
Instantly any semblance of morale collapsed as the remaining bandits either laid down their arms surrendering or launched into a suicidal charge killing a few of our men.
"Slaughter any who do not surrender, let it be known that bandits will not be tolerated in the Durlivan territory." I said lightly cutting down an escaping bandit.
At my words yet another volley of arrows fell killing several tens more men.
Of the near two hundred bandits only twenty surrendered in time to survive.
"Agashi..." Nefamiti picked up a sword off one of the corpses, "This is fine metal, a bandit group couldn't possibly have this kind of thing without some sort of sponsor, especially not out here where even the garrison doesn't have such fine equipment."
"Their bows are also of fine quality, if it weren't for us already being accustomed to our current bows i'd want to switch them out, the strings are fine and even the arrows are well made." Marsh chimmed in pulling back a bow string, a crisp twang companying his release.
"I see, so they are being funded by someone, I think I know who it might be too." I replied, "We wiped out the syndicates from the city and have been cracking down heavily on their business, so while they can't act directly they will instead fund these kinds of people."
Picking up a sword I turned to the men, ten had died in the fighting with many wounded, pointing at the dead I spoke, "The sword in my hand is a fine blade, much too fine for bandits, I believe that the slave guilds from other empires and kingdoms are funding these bandits since I have killed their Duke Loktre and made a zero tolerance policy here in Durlivan."
Explaining things out clearly the men immediately burned with extreme anger cursing heavily.
"After taking our people as slaves, killing our families and throwing us into starvation and poverty, they still dare to do this to us now that we fight back! They must be exterminated once and for all lest this kind of plague spread once more!" Nefamiti shouted passionately raising a battle cry.
"Destroy the slave guilds! Take back our lives! Protect our happiness!" I yelled raising the head of a bandit on my sword.
After this the men's morale shot up as they burned for revenge. The camps that followed were each much smaller than the first, the amount of men, equipment and loot varrying yet all of them without fail had equipment unbefitting of bandits.
Only their lack of training stopped them from being a real threat.
"This is a war, not fought for political interest and gain, but fought for the very right to exist, a fight between we the people of Durlivan and these scum who take our families and ruin our lives!" Inbetween camps many discussions like these could be heard running rampant through the ranks as anger held firm and the desire for annihilation of the plague called bandits intensified.
Like savage beasts they killed anything that moved in front of them, their anger making up for their lack of skill and overpowering their opponents wills.
Within the day all ten camps were wiped out only requiring a single period to rest inbetween.
"We return tomorrow!" I shouted, "Make camp!"
Back at the first camp site atop of the slope the soldiers made camp, the archers setting up in the tree's around the camp acting as unseen watchmen.
The sounds of arrows whistling through the night sounded out several times as bandits and scouts would come close several times through the night, either getting killed by arrow fire or followed by scouts within the army exposing several more bandit bases.
Morning came quickly, with one hundred fifty gold coins worth of loot in tow as well as eighty prisoners the men marched in high spirits.
At the entrance of the city a crowd had gathered awaiting the arrival of the recruits turned soldiers.
Once more names were called out, and cheering as well as boasting rang through the streets but so too did cries of grief when those few dead arrived carried by their brothers, their loves ones grief stricken.
"War is always horrible, but these young men died for a cause they each believed in, the destruction of those that had forced the ones they love into poverty and took away their hope, they each wished for a better Durlivan and laid down their lives for this, for that I am proud to have lead them and swear that the direct family of any soldier who dies for Durlivan will be taken care of for three month's following their deaths." I said in the plaza gathering the attention of both those grieving and those celebrating, "I am proud to be called a man of Durlivan."
Looking over the dead I bowed my head causing a gasp to run through the crowd, "There is no greater honor than to lay down ones life for what they believe in, and their is no greater blessing as a ruler than to lead men who would die for such a noble cause."
Silence. Both grieving and celebrating took several moments of silence over the bodies of the fallen.
I have not known you for a long time, but you all died under my command and I bear the responsibility for leading you into combat no matter whether you all died happily for what you believe or died in anguish. Thank you.
"We will hold funerals tonight, during this day you may take the dead with you to grieve." I said leaving a moment later.
"When you each come to the barracks you will be given your wages as well as your bonus'." Nefamiti took over quickly shouting over the crowd who had been enveloped in a somber air.
I arrived at the estate not long after, "Alias, make arrangments for the prisoner's to be integrated into the farming corps."
"Right away." Alias replied giving out orders quickly, several guards walking behind him.
"Agashi?" Shion said looking at me weirdly, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, few men died." I replied taking Shion into a hug.
"I see." Shion replied pushing me away looking into my eyes, "It's good only a few men died."
"Yes... it's good." I replied coldly, "Many more would die if we hadn't gone out to exterminate them, those bandits also seem to be funded by the outside syndicates and guilds from Rekarsus Empire and Kendogan Empire, their equipment is much too good to be mere bandits."
"You should bath, you reek of blood." Shion said going back to her work.
Maybe she's upset that I'm not showing more emotion?
Leaving the city alone I arrived at a stream coming down from the mountain. My body has grown rapidly since arriving here huh. I have a six pack but aren't those unhealthy? Maybe I should eat more.
Hum... These are a lot of scars. Where do they keep finding the space to add more?
"Human....?" Spinning around at the voice I found nothing, am I hearing things?
"Human..... hurt...." another voice? Grabbing my swords I stood tall looking around. Were they saying 'Human' ? Are they not human? Are there non humans? Well there are gods so there could.... Crunch.... be!