Gradually, the soldiers under Jhon's command began to encircle the walls protecting the area. So far, the situation seemed surprisingly calm. Honestly, I couldn't determine the exact reason, but I noticed a shortage of guards on the walls, and those who were there seemed to be asleep.
Anyway, I had no reason to complain. The negligence of the bandits was in our favor, indicating that in a surprise attack, they would be unprepared and disorganized, which could lead us to victory. However, this situation also inspired me to consider a more stealthy approach.
Nevertheless, it was evident that the weapons would generate considerable noise when fired. This led me to make a mental note to consider creating some kind of suppressor device for the guns in the future. Despite this, the situation still favored us, perhaps allowing us to complete our mission more quickly than initially expected.
Currently, we found ourselves dismounted from the horses, moving carefully among the bushes surrounding the area. The bushes provided us with natural cover, and I quickly understood why Jhon had chosen this route. As we arrived at a spot that seemed ideal, Jhon and the other soldier who accompanied us paused. In sync with them, I stopped and awaited Jhon's next words.
"It seems they are incredibly relaxed, perhaps not considering the possibility of being defeated as long as they stay behind these walls"
Jhon commented while observing two sleeping bandits in the wall section where we were positioned. Just as Jhon mentioned, they seemed to have no fear of losing a battle, as they were relaxed enough to sleep during their watch. While pondering this, another thought crossed my mind.
"Jhon, wait a moment. If we attack now, the bandits might create a commotion, right? And what if they start using the residents as hostages?"
Upon hearing my question, Jhon gave a slight smile and nodded, saying.
"Well observed, exactly as you said. The bandits have no scruples and will resort to any means to escape. That's why I infiltrated some soldiers before we got here. All the residents should have been alerted and will be indoors, with their doors and windows locked"
Listening to Jhon's words, I began to wonder when exactly this had been organized, as I had not noticed such a move at any point. Furthermore, a persistent doubt arose in my mind, what if some resident was collaborating with the bandits? If that were true, our plan could have been intentionally leaked. However, I chose not to mention this concern for now.
As far as we can tell, it doesn't seem like our plan has leaked or anything of the sort. I would doubt these bandits would be so at ease if that had happened. Moreover, I suppose Jhon must have implemented some measure to prevent this situation from occurring, or at least that's what I preferred to believe.
"In any case, let's take advantage of the edge we have. With the bandits asleep, we can quietly neutralize them once we're on the walls. Up there, we'll have a much clearer view of the situation. Besides, we can't linger too long; we don't want the bandits to become suspicious due to the absence of activity in the streets"
In saying this, John directed his gaze at me, to which I responded with a nod of my head, agreeing with his words. Then, cautiously, John, the soldier, and I approached the walls. While I wondered how we planned to climb, John suddenly pulled out a rope from his armor and threw it upward. The walls had points where the ropes could be fastened, and as I had imagined, the rope caught onto one of these parts, providing us with the opportunity to scale them.
Carefully climbing, the soldier reached the top of the wall first. Next, I began my ascent, while John remained below, monitoring the surroundings. As soon as I completed my climb, I looked down and noticed that John was also climbing. Within a few brief seconds, we were all gathered at the highest point of the wall.
The two guards still remained deeply asleep, as if the situation was completely under control. Casting a glance at John, I nodded my head. Upon realizing my signal, John began to move carefully towards one of the bandits, while the soldier who accompanied us approached the other.
With care, John and the soldier retrieved pieces of cloth they both carried with them. Then, small bottles became visible in their hands as they lightly moistened the fabric. Then, in coordinated movements, John and the soldier covered the mouths and noses of the two guards. Of course, this sudden gesture awakened them, causing both to wake up, looking around with expressions of panic and desperation.
Unfortunately, it was too late. In a matter of seconds, the two bandits ceased their resistance attempts and fainted. What John and the soldier had employed was a remedy obtained from a flower that, when inhaled, induced intense drowsiness symptoms. In spaced doses, as in this case, it eventually resulted in unconsciousness.
"Finished"
John said. Upon hearing John's words, I swept my gaze across the top of the wall and observed that the other soldiers were following the same procedure we had executed seconds ago. Each of the bandits was now unconscious. Next, we tied ropes around their waists and, carefully, began to lower them. As I mentioned earlier, we had no intention of taking the lives of the bandits.
Although they could be considered true misfortunes, whose deaths would not be lamented, I decided it would be wiser to use them as labor to work for my benefit. Of course, they would not receive any compensation, but I believed this alternative was more humane than simply taking their lives.
When we finished the process of bringing down all the bandits, I observed the area that was once under their control. Just as John had predicted, the streets were practically deserted. The few people still walking there seemed to be men, presumably bandits. It seemed that John's plan had been a success, allowing us to move on to the second phase of our plan.