After capturing all the outlaws, we prepared to return to my territory. John dispatched one of the soldiers toward Solaris to inform that we had successfully retaken the city. While we were gathering all the bandits, I was surprised to discover that among them was someone who had once been a knight of Storne.
The revelation itself came from John, who, though he didn't immediately recognize by face, ended up identifying the former knight in a brief sword duel they had. Honestly, it made me question how much training someone needs to identify someone after a brief sword clash.
After that, our return proceeded smoothly, without any noteworthy problems. The only interesting topic that came up during the journey was the soldiers' comments on the weapons, stating that they were incredibly easy and practical to use.
Furthermore, the reason we managed to subdue almost all the bandits was the use of rubber bullets. While these bullets aren't lethal, they cause pain and, if accurately aimed, can seriously injure a person. Therefore, overall, most of the bandits preferred to surrender after receiving two or three shots from these bullets.
I could see that these bandits didn't display enough determination to risk their lives in a battle or similar situation. They seemed to be the type who intimidate the weaker ones and surrender to the stronger ones. Of course, there were exceptions, some of them didn't think that way, but unfortunately, they ended up dead.
With all these thoughts in mind, we continued to advance toward my territory. As the night approached, we prepared a resting place. It's important to mention that the soldiers took turns to watch over the bandits during the night, preventing any incidents. The next morning, we continued our journey as soon as we woke up.
Not long after, we could already see my territory in the distance. It's worth noting that the distance between my territory and the village the bandits had occupied wasn't very large, taking only a few hours by horse to cover it.
"Take them to the cells and please explain to them what will happen from here on"
This was my first instruction as soon as we returned. The soldier nodded in agreement, and then he and a few other soldiers began escorting the bandits to the prison. Since I had already explained the procedure to them, I wasn't particularly worried about this part.
In any case, it's practically impossible for a single person to manage such an extensive territory alone. That's why I have several people working under my supervision in different positions. Overall, I don't handle all the affairs that occur in the territory. However, most requests or requests still require my approval.
"I'm glad everything went well. Thanks to your weapons, we were able to deal with all the bandits much faster than expected. I must say I definitely wouldn't want to be on the enemy's side if we had to go to war"
While several thoughts crossed my mind, Jhon's voice from my side caught my attention. I discreetly glanced at him and noticed he was watching me closely. Hearing his words, I simply shrugged.
"Let's hope we never need this at all. Wars never bring anything good, people die, families lose their loved ones"
Upon hearing my words, Jhon turned his gaze forward, as if pondering them. It didn't take long for his response to come, almost like a murmur.
"You're right. I could never see the sense in wars, even after participating in so many of them"
Murmured Jhon, agreeing with a reflective tone in his voice. In fact, I had asked myself the same question about the meaning of wars in my past life while reading a book on the subject. From there, I delved into various topics related to wars, finding the most varied answers to this question.
"I think if everyone truly understood the meaning of war, they wouldn't even consider starting one, to be honest"
My words came out so softly that I wasn't sure if Jhon had heard them. In truth, I wasn't saying this specifically to him or to anyone else, these words flowed naturally from my mouth before I even realized it.
"Hahaha, as always, your words are mature. It would be great if everyone thought that way, but until that happens, we still need people like me"
Jhon replied with a smile, aware of the cruel reality that permeates our world. He then bid farewell and returned to Solaris with the other knights who had accompanied him. The weapons used were all returned since there were no immediate plans to use them again.
However, this incident highlighted the effectiveness of the weapons, which was not entirely negative. Although I wasn't anticipating the outbreak of a war soon, it's always better to be prepared than unprepared.
With that thought in mind, I headed towards my mansion. As soon as I arrived home, I was greeted by Anna, my parents, and Emi. After a brief conversation, we all made our way to the living room, where I recounted what had happened while I was away. Naturally, I chose to omit some parts that I considered unnecessary, as there was no reason to mention them.
In the dining room, as we enjoyed our meal, Emi's voice suddenly broke the silence.
"By the way, a letter from Liam arrived right after you left"
Emi's words caught my attention, I wasn't expecting a letter, let alone one from Liam, so I was curious about its content.
"Thank you for letting me know; I'll read it after dinner"
I said. Hearing my response, Emi shook her head.
"I think it would be better if you read it now; it seems to be related to the incident that happened while we were in Crystal"
She said as she slid a letter across the table. I nodded and picked up the letter, opening it and reading its contents. Basically, Liam mentioned that he had some business in Belfri and asked if I would like to accompany him. Furthermore, he planned to meet someone who claimed to have seen the hooded men still in Belfri.