One elf and over a dozen bandits. One stood atop the rubble and the others looked at her, shock and confusion in their faces. Some were still groggy, standing up ever so slowly and focusing their attention on the young lady before them.
The sudden collapse of the cave's wall was too sudden and so was the appearance of the silver-haired elf. Most of the bandits were squinting their eyes, trying to get their eyes used to the bright shimmer of sunlight.
No, actually, there was still another figure present in the scene. He was now covering his face with one of his hands, seemingly having a headache as he shook his head, still bewildered by the sudden actions of his beloved fiancée.
"Haah... Yuna..." ［Grey］
There were many things on his mind, but all he could muster to say was a single word and a sigh. He knew that Yuna gets impulsive when it comes to the silliest of matters, but never did he think she would immediately blast the cave open,
Well, it was also because of her sudden actions that things got a lot easier for them. Grey was also able to make a few speculations about the bandits, his eyes swimming left and right as he appraised all of them.
"The hell... I was just drinking my beer... Who the hell is disturbing us?!"
"An elf? What the hell is she doing here?"
"Was she the one who destroyed the cave's walls?"
Like Giornes said, there were less than 20 of them, but unlike the information he gave to them, there weren't just E-rankers and below. There is one D-ranker present and a handful of E-rankers and F-rankers in the cave.
No matter how you looked at it, they weren't just normal bandits, but quite the strong ones. With the mismatched information before them, one could only assume why no adventurer came back alive from the quest they've taken.
"Are those questions even important?! She's an adventurer, you f*cking morons! Grab your weapons quickly and prepare to capture her!"
The bandits were all confused, but in a quick moment, the disorderly bunch soon snapped back to reality, most of them sobering up from the drinks they had and taking up arms, raising their blades and preparing their bows.
"The morons who already have your weapons, attack her!"
While the others went and grabbed their weapons, the others raised their swords and spears and charged towards the young lady. They were still confused about what's going on, and were simply following their leader's orders.
And despite the fact that several bandits were charging before her, she didn't move an inch and simply analyzed their strength from how fast they were moving and how they wielded their weapons, eyes cold as glacial ice as she did.
『Grey... Let me take care of this alone.』 ［Yuna］
『... Sure... Not like you'll listen to me anyway... Go ham, Milady.』 ［Grey］
Yuna breathed, heaved a deep inhale and focused her eyes on the enemies before her, everything seeming to slow down as her eyes glimmered a sharp and dangerous glint. An even sharper glint was the shimmer of her deadly daggers.
"What are you standing there for, you b*tch?!"
"You disturbed our party! Die!"
Shouted the small fries and soon-to-be corpses as they pounced towards the young lady. They were already at point-blank range, swinging their swords and thrusting their spears without mercy, still a little drunk from their merry celebration.
Their weapons pierced the young ladyー or so their wishes. But before they knew it, she was already gone from their sight and vanished into thin air. It was as if she was just a mirage, her whole existence nothing but a fleeting lie.
"Huh? Where did that w*nch goー"
The next moment she appeared, she was already in front of the bandits' leader, one of her feet touching the ground and the other raised up, lunging towards the scum's face, the shadow of death looming over the latter.
The kick connected, and the boots dented in the man's face. There was blood and broken teeth that came out. Before the bandit scum could even understand what was happening blasted towards the rear walls, body flying faster than an arrow.
CRASSSHHHHHHH THUD THUD THUD
A loud echo rang throughout the cave, the man falling helplessly towards the ground after receiving Yuna's kick. There was a subtle thud echoing soon after, and silence then looming in the air, a D-ranker taken care of in an instant.
"That's one down... 15 more to go." ［Yuna］
Her cold voice echoed in the and the blue glimmer of her eyes pierced the bandits. Many were confused about what happened, frozen in shock as they watched the motionless body of their leader now down on the ground.
"You bastards! Don't just stand there! Attack her! Archers, aim for the head!"
Fortunately for the bandits, they still had a capable vice-leader, instructing them as soon as their leader was down and raising up morale. They once again charged towards Yuna, the mages and archers preparing their attacks.
Yet like before, Yuna still stood still and observed the situation. She marked all the location of the bandits, and took note of the positions of the mages and the archers, a torrent of arrows and spells coming her way.
"How disappointing..." ［Yuna］
There was no need to panic. All Yuna did was wave her hand and invisible blades came out of nowhere and sliced up all the arrows rushing towards her. The spells were also nothing different, diced without resistance all the same.
"This is for our leader! Die, you useless b*tch!"
"Kekeke! See how I'll mess your pretty face up!"
The bandits came after the spells and arrows, seemingly using a blindfolding tactic. It would have definitely worked against a single enemy had it been a normal situation, but unfortunately for them, there was nothing normal about the elf before them.
"Too noisy." ［Yuna］
Like the spells and arrows before them, Yuna remained still. She brandished her daggers at unimaginable speeds, not a single glimmer to be seen as her blade cut through the air, only a sharp sparkle by the tip of her daggers.
There was no pain nor wes there agony. Before they even noticed, their heads had already been cut and their lives were already severed. They only knew that they suddenly lost strength, their bodies dulling down by the moment.
The bandits could no longer raise their swords and they all fell towards the ground. The unnoticeable wounds were now painted head, their heads rolling in the ground and blood gushing forth like a fountain from their decapitated bodies.
FWOOOSHHHH
Another bunch of arrows came from the rear, finishing the chain of attacks as its goal, but they couldn't even scratch the young lady. She simply caught them by her hands and threw them back even faster than before, darting like lightning bolts.
The arrows didn't even take a second to reach, piercing the skulls of their owners at breakneck speed. They bore a hole without mercy, three more figures falling towards the ground, their flames of life extinguished in a passing instant.
"Wha... What the hell just happened..."
Silence once again loomed in the air, and fear started to creep into the bandits' hearts the moment they realized the situation they were in. Almost half of their men were taken down before they knew it, their lives next on the line.
"M-Monster! She's a monster! We're gonna die!"
"Run for your lives! Don't let her catch you!"
"Dammit! Who said being a bandit was easy?! Curse you!"
However, they realized far too late. Panic ran rampant throughout the whole cave in an instant, the bandits running around like scared chickens as they scurried away for their dear lives. There was no camaraderie to be seen, everyone wanting to escape.
Unfortunately for them, they were no different from those who already died. One tried to escape and climb up the pile of rubble, but his head was soon decapitated from his body, a silent figure appearing before them soon after.
"That's 9... And that's 10 and 11..." ［Yuna］
The very same figure quickly disappeared, then appearing by the right side once again. Two more lives were devoured by the bloodthirsty demoness, only a silver glimmer shimmering in their eyes before their heads were cut off.
"How many of you are left again? There should be 5, right?" ［Yuna］
Said the young lady, brewing even more fear and panic in the hearts of the bandits and making them realize just what kind of hell they put themselves into. Tears then formed in the corner of their eyes, their bodies trembling ever so evidently.
As if he didn't learn his lesson, one of the scared bandits tried to run away, frantically climbing up the pile of rubble and reaching out for the forest. But all he grasped was the taste of death, his vision rolling around as his head flew off from his body,
"P-Please have mercy! Please spare us!"
"Th-That's right! We promise to live honest livesー"
There were also some who kneeled to the ground and begged for their lives to be spared, but Yuna didn't spare them a second glance. She simply swiped her hands and off with their heads, only two more bandits remaining.
They have already taken so many lives, and so, they should have prepared for theirs to be taken as well. There was no need to show guilt or mercy to such contemptible people who are even worse than beasts. They must be eradicated.
"Haah... How pathetic..." ［Grey］
The remaining two tried to fight back with whatever they could muster, but their fates were not any different from the rest of their band. They were all sent to the afterlife to meet their creator, silence soon swallowing the cave once more.
It was still unclear to Grey whether there was heaven or hell in Merusia, but if there ever is, there was only one place such wicked and atrocious souls could go. They don't deserve any sort of mercy, and should be rightfully punished.
"That sure was quick." ［Grey］
"Don't worry. I made sure to leave one alive." ［Yuna］
"I know, I know... You did a good job, My Dear." ［Grey］
Said Grey as he patted the head of the young lady. She may look fine after killing the bandits, but they were still people. There was still a bit of discomfort in her heart for taking their lives, even though it wasn't the first time.
It's not that Yuna was weak, her mentality and values were just a little different than Grey's. She won't be having nightmares about it, but she'll be surely thinking about it for quite some time. He needed to comfort her, even by a little bit.
"Mou... Grey, I'm not a child anymore, you know..." ［Yuna］
"Hahaha. I know, I know. I'm just praising my adorable but deadly fiancée. Is there something wrong with doing that?" ［Grey］
"Mou... Why did you have to include 'deadly'? If you're going to praise me, at least do it all the way. Geez, you dummy." ［Yuna］
Thankfully, it doesn't take much to cheer up and comfort the young lady. All Grey had to do was pat her head and give her compliments, and she was happy as can be, her ears flapping up and down as she enjoyed her little reward.
It would have been a cute and romantic scene, unfortunately, there was too much blood and decapitated heads rolling around. Well, not that anyone could judge them anyway. The two were simply too absurd to be judged by common sense.
Fortunately enough, though Yuna did go through a rampage, she still left one of the bandits alive. His face may have been dented in by Yuna's powerful kick, but he was still breathing. That was more than enough for the two of them.
"Now then, let's start the interrogations, shall we?" ［Grey］
A little bit of healing and a little bit of threatening, Grey and Yuna extracted information out of the bandit leader and made him confess about his crimes. And as expected, the greedy merchant, Giornes, was involved.
He was the one who hired all the bandits to destroy Palma bridge, gave them the full schedule of the guards' shift, and supplied them with food and equipment. Everything was his plan in order to siphon money out of the merchants.
Grey could have easily extracted all such information using his "Eyes of Destiny" but they still needed to secure someone who would testify against Giornes. The leader of the bandits was perfect for the job.
"Th... Then... Will I be spared...?"
Asked the bandit leader, yet there were no answers. Grey and Yuna simply gave him a vague smile and made shivers run down her spine. The young lady was especially smiley when she cracked her knuckles and readied herself.
There was no warning whatsoever. Yuna's fist suddenly bolted towards the bandit leader's face and dent it in once again. More blood was spilled and more teeth were broken. The bandits leader was sent unconscious, once more.
"That's for delaying my honey and maple syrup." ［Yuna］
Had he not been needed as a witness, we would have met his friends in the afterlife. Unfortunately, Grey and Yuna still needs, and he gets to live another day. It was a shame, but there was nothing they could do about it.
"Now then... Let's give our friend a quick visit, shall we?" ［Grey］
There was no time to waste to dilly-dally. Yuna soon froze the cave with massive chunks of ice to preserve the scene. There were a lot of ways to go about it, but it was the best Grey and Yuna could think of.
As for the unconscious bandit leader, he got carried by one of the familiars, swaying left and right as they ran through the forest. It didn't take too long before they reached town at such incredible speeds.
...
CLINK CLINK CLANG CLANG KASHING KASHING
Silver, gold, and precious gemstones shone ever so brilliantly, moving in a wave and disappearing all of the sudden. There was only a dim light and they started to glow dim, vanishing soon after as if they never existed.
A fat and greedy pig rummaged through his vault, panic traced on his face as he took the most valuable items, storing them in his storage ring and making sure he took them away with him, hoarding as if there was no tomorrow.
No, actually, there really was no tomorrow. There was no time to waste and there was no time to dilly-dally. With Grey and Yuna taking the quest, it was only a matter of time before he gets caught. It would be game over by then.
'Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! Why is this happening?!' ［Giornes］
He was just enjoying his life and extorting from the people. The plan to destroy the bridge and take charge of its repair was a brilliant one, the precious coins of gold and silver pouring into his pockets everyday as if there was no end to it.
He tasked the bandits to destroy the bridge, and whenever the merchants gave him money to repair it, he overcharged them. He also paid the workers less and bought cheap and substandard materials, playing all sides like useless fools.
When adventurers came, he made sure to fool them as much as he could, giving them both true and false information. He made sure to divert the string ones away from the hideout, and lure the weak ones for the kill.
It was all going perfectly, not a single person questioning him. Money poured into his pocket, and he even surpassed the amount Silver-ranked merchants could earn. It was a prosperous time for a scumbag like him.
'Why?! Of all people, why them?!' ［Giornes］
And when he thought everything was going smoothly, unexpected variables suddenly came to play. The mere appearance of two youths thwarted his plans and everything is now in ruins, everything going awry.
If he ever wants to escape with all the riches he has intact, he needs to move as fast as he can and take as much as he can. He needs to do so before Grey and Yuna return from the quest and take him out for good.
He may have paid the bandits, but they were scum just like him. They aren't loyal to him, so there is a massive probability that they'll betray him one way or another. It would be better if the two just killed them on the spot.
'Tsk! I should have bought a better storage ring!' ［Giornes］
It didn't take too long before he stored his valuables. With the limit of his storage ring, he could only store about half of the things he bought using the money extorted from the merchants, and most were left behind.
It was a shame, but his life was more important than mere gold and accessories. All he could do was grit his teeth and clench his fists before giving up. He soon heaved a lengthy sigh and let go of his greed for once.
"Dammit... I'll be back for you..." ［Giornes］
Said the greedy pig as he held the handle of the door of his vault room. It was a hidden room which doesn't only contain treasure but an escape route as well. As long as he moves discreetly, there should be no one to spot him.
The man quickly looked at the vault doors and sealed it with illusion magic once again. At the same time, he took the secret room and walked inside the dark and narrow runnel, only a magic lantern lighting his way before him.
"This damn tunnel! Why is it so narrow?!" ［Giornes］
He grumbled and raged as he walked, face filled with frustration after everything that happened which wasn't in his plans. He continued to tread the dark and narrow path, taking some breaks for his fat ass to rest and catch his break.
He continued such a trend and before long, he finally arrived at the end. There was a ladder leading towards a trapdoor, and all he had to do was climb it. As soon as he opened the trapdoor, he was out in a deserted alley, not a single person in sight.
"Hah! Those damn fools! Let's see if they can still catch me!" ［Giornes］
Pride and arrogance was painted on his face as he heaved a sigh of relief. With how far he already is, there was only a slim chance he would get caught. All he needed to do was head to the carriage and make his escapeー
"Now then, where is that... carr... iage..." ［Giornes］
... Or at least, he was supposed to. But rather than a carriage, what greeted him were two youths, a pair of puppies, a beaten up bandit leader, a handful of soldiers, and a large number of angry merchants ready to beat him up.
"Mister Giornes, let's have a quick talk, shall we?" ［Yuna］
Yuna was smiling, but her eyes were definitely terrifying. A single glance was all it took and the greedy pig merchant could tell he would be in a hell of beating the moment he got caught. Fear erupted in the depths of his heart.
"G-G-Get away from me! Save meー Urkk!" ［Giornes］
The greedy merchant tried to run away, but before he could, a painful projectile struck him from behind. And no, it wasn't Grey nor Yuna. It wasn't even magic in the first place. It was a heavy wooden slipper thrown by one of the angry merchants.
"You damn pig! I'm going to make you pay for delaying my business!"
"My daughter's birthday was yesterday! You made me miss it, you bastard!"
"Get me a pair of scissors! I'm going to castrate this motherf*cker!"
As it seems, the merchants are even angrier than Yuna. Their reasons were also more understandable than hers, each and every single one of them wanting to beat him up for disrupting their business and delaying their important matters.
Not even the soldiers could stop them from going on a rampage, all of them throwing their fists towards the greedy pig. Even the old woman who could barely walk with her cane was beating him up with her cane. She was furious.
"You know what, Grey... I don't think I should beat him up for now..." ［Yuna］
"Yeah. I also think that's a good idea..." ［Grey］
Just like that, the whole case was solved and everything returned to normal. Grey and Yuna also repaired the bridge and even reinforced it with magic, allowing the carriages to cross once more and the route to move along again.
As a sign of gratitude, they were given all sorts of gifts by the merchant, ranging from money, to sweets, to spices, and even some little trinkets. Yuna was especially from receiving honey and maple syrup, smiling ever so brightly.
After turning in and processing the quest, they then headed back home with the use of gates and had their rest. That afternoon, they cooked cinnamon-honey pancakes and topped it with butter, honey, and maple syrup. A super sweet delight.
"Mmn～! This is so deliciouc～! Honey and Maple Syrup really is the best!" ［Yuna］
"Yuna, that's too much..." ［Grey］
"Isn't it fine? It's not like we'll eat like this everyday, anyway." ［Yuna］
"Haah... Forget it... Just do what you want..." ［Grey］
As one would expect, Yuna's sweet tooth had struck once again. She was pouring a copious amount of honey and maple syrup in her pancakes. It was as if she hadn't had them for several years when she just last ate it yesterday. Grey could only sigh.
And while Yuna was doing so, a sudden thought came to Grey's mind. He hasn't had the chance to ask about it since they've been so busy all day, and seeing how Yuna is enjoying herself, it seems like she had almost forgotten about it.
"Yuna, can I ask you something?" ［Grey］
"Hm? Go ahead." ［Yuna］
"Umm... Well... What's the deal with the lingeries?" ［Grey］
PFFF COUGH COUGH COUGH
The question was so sudden, Yuna almost coughed her pancakes out from surprise. Grey hurriedly gave her water to drink and clear her throat, traces of panic evident on the young lady's face, frantically drinking the glass of water,
And Grey was right, Yuna had almost forgotten about it. She quickly turned her head to the couch where she left the shopping bag, and surely enough, it seemed like a certain someone had taken a quick peek.
"D... Di... Did you see...?" ［Yuna］
She asked, and Grey could only nod in silence. In a short moment, the young lady's face was slowly dyed red all the way to the tip of her pointy ears. There were tears forming on the corner of her eyes, looking as if she was about to cry.
Well, she wasn't the only one who was embarrassed. So was Grey. Never did he think that Yuna would be so bold to buy such things, and though he was happy, he couldn't help but be flustered at the sudden appearance of such undergarments.
"Uuu... Grey, you dummy..." ［Yuna］
CHAPTER 396 END