"Our base…" Harwin paused for a moment. He was always sharp, so he understood that this Baron Fitzroy was clearly planning to rob them. He would likely lose most of his accumulated wealth if he revealed the location. In that case, his retirement plan would go up in smoke.
His gang, the Scarlet Serpents, has a hidden vault where they store their wealth. The vault is secured by a complex mechanism that requires six keys to unlock—each key held by the gang leader and the five lieutenants. Only with all of them present can the vault be opened. Forcing it open would trigger a deadly trap: an explosive rigged to destroy not only the vault's contents but also anyone attempting to bypass the locks.
If Harwin reveals the vault's location or details, it will most likely destroy his and other gang members' accumulated wealth, regardless of whether the baron can find a way around the keys.
But his hesitation lasted only for a second before he started speaking again.
"Our base is close to Ravenport, my lord. I can guide you," he said, then detailed the situation regarding the six keys and the explosives; he didn't believe the knights would die by the explosion, so there was no point in hiding it. Even if he lost all his wealth, it was better than dying. The best he could do now was to please the baron and maybe get out of the situation alive without being sent to forced labor camps.
It should be noted that although the kingdom tolerated the existence of bandits, once caught, they were forced to work in the mines until death.
Bandits are inherently weak compared to noble forces; they have no knights among them, as no knight would ever work for them, no matter how much they offered. The cultivation method for knights is a tightly guarded secret known only to the nobility. Throughout history, there have been rare instances when bandits managed to uncover this secret, but without exception, they were swiftly hunted down and executed. The nobles maintain a strict line—bandits gaining access to knight cultivation methods is an unbreakable taboo, a red line they will never allow to be crossed.
"Great," Baron Fitzroy nodded with a smile. As for the explosives, he had many smart and strong people working for him; surely they could think of something.
Then he ordered, "Take them all away and interrogate them separately."
"My lord!" Lucan said.
Leo looked at him with curiosity. "Sir Lucan, what is it?"
"The bandit leader has been cooperative so far. Look at this diamond," Lucan said, stepping forward and presenting a giant diamond. "He offered it to my lord the moment we met."
Leo's eyes brightened. "Isabella would like it," he thought. The diamond was likely worth hundreds of gold coins. Upon realizing its value, Leo reconsidered gifting it. He decided it would be better saved for a special occasion rather than being given away for no reason.
He quickly took the diamond, smiled at Harwin, and said, "Your gift is much appreciated. Take him to a guest room and treat him respectfully!" Leo ordered.
Harwin, the bandit chief, had come here to rob him, but Leo didn't hold it against him. So far, the man had shown himself to be capable and cooperative. With this diamond, Leo didn't mind giving him a guest room. Compared to the value of the diamond, a room was nothing. Of course, Leo would never trust the man. He only trusted his own summoned troops. Everyone else was treated with caution.
"I wish there were summoned girls, too," Leo sighed. Unfortunately, all his summoned cards so far had been males; there was no female soldier.
"Maybe I should consider romantic relationships with men," he glanced at Sir Lucan and considered it seriously. There were many advantages, such as absolute trust and not needing to give many gifts. However, after a brief consideration, Leo dismissed the idea. After all, sexual orientation is primarily determined at birth. While Leo wasn't entirely against same-sex relationships, he still preferred women.
Sir Lucan noticed his lord looking at him strangely and subconsciously shrank his neck. As a seasoned warrior, he had keen senses and had felt Leo's gaze, even though his head was bowed; the gaze was strange, different from before, giving him a creepy feeling, making his hair stand on its end.
Harwin bowed and said, "My lord, thank you,"
"Sir Lucan, accompany Harwin," Leo ordered.
"Yes, my lord!" Lucan responded and left with Harwin.
...
In a relatively luxurious room, two men sat across from each other. One had a powerful physique, and the other had a short beard and an ordinary yet muscular figure.
"Sir Lucan, there are 10 big bandit groups in the kingdom. They are:
The Black Talons The Iron Fang Brotherhood The Scarlet Serpents The Ravenclaw Marauders The Blood Moon Brigands The Grim Wolves The Shadowblade Outlaws The Thornridge Reavers The Vulture's Claw The Crimson Raiders
I'm part of the Scarlet Serpents. We have a total of 400 members. As a lieutenant, I directly command 30 men," Harwin explained.
"Our structure is set up so that each lieutenant has a lot of autonomy. We each have a territory to rob, and as long as we pay the boss's share, we can do as we please in our territory. Our gang is essentially a union of five smaller gangs."
Sir Lucan nodded and asked, "Are the rumors about nobles being connected to bandits true?" This question came from Leo, instructed telepathically.
Harwin nodded. "Absolutely. Each of the ten big bandit gangs has direct or indirect connections with the kingdom's nobles. For example, our gang is related to the famous Darnell family. The Black Talons are closely connected with Viscount Fairwind, and the Crimson Raiders are closely linked to Duke Crowley of Emberfall City. Bandit gangs without noble support don't last long."
Lucan transmitted Harwin's words to Leo.
...
Leo thought, "This complicates things. If I destroy the bandit gangs, I'll likely anger the nobles. Though they won't openly oppose me, who knows what schemes they'll plot beneath the surface?" He considered it carefully. "But I need money," he reminded himself and instructed Lucan to continue the questioning.
...
Lucan asked, "Are there nobles who oppose using and supporting bandits?"
Harwin, who knew more than most bandits, replied, "There are a few. Duke Hightower has long opposed it and even tried putting it to a vote in the House of Lords to criminalize nobles who support dark forces, such as us bandits. But it's been blocked. Many others have tried too, but there are just as many nobles who benefit from the dark side of things and block any attempt to criminalize it every time."
"And the king? Does the royal family support this?" Lucan asked.
"The king has remained neutral. The crown prince is also neutral, while the second son, Count Victor Kingsley, opposes the practice. Many nobles on the dark side are worried that if Count Kingsley inherits the throne due to the crown prince's poor health, he'll push for changes to the law," Harwin explained.
Lucan sipped his orange juice, then asked, "What do the nobles use the bandits for?"
Harwin took a sip of his drink before answering. "The dark forces handle whatever the nobles find too shameful to do themselves—smuggling drugs, slaves, forbidden goods, and even black magic materials like human organs. Bandit gangs are a training ground. Talented bandits often get the chance to enter darker businesses. The smuggling groups, for example, aren't directly part of our gang, but their members come from us. So while we officially have 400 men, our network runs much deeper, including slavery and drug divisions that are well-hidden."
Lucan transmitted this information to Leo.
...
"As expected, the nobles are the root of all problems!" Leo sighed. This knowledge made him waver in his plan to loot bandit dens. It would draw too much attention. "It's not worth it," he concluded, canceling the plan. Instead, Leo began considering a new, more profitable path.
"I'm also a noble. Even as a baron, I'm qualified to support a bandit gang under me. There's a lot of money in robbery and other criminal endeavors. In the future, I'll keep summoning troops without a plausible explanation for where they come from. If I run a bandit gang, at least I'll have an excuse," he thought.
...
Lucan asked Harwin, "Which gangs were part of the planned raid on my lord?"
Harwin listed them:
The Iron Fang Brotherhood The Scarlet Serpents The Ravenclaw Marauders The Vulture's Claw The Grim Wolves
"I called all of them to join the raid, but only these five responded." Harwin continued, honestly telling the truth.
"Did the nobles behind them approve of the attack?" Lucan asked.
Harwin shrugged. "I don't know. When I planned the raid, I assumed the lord was weak and an easy target. No noble asked me to do it."
"Why did you think they would tolerate an attack on a noble like Baron Fitzroy?" Lucan inquired.
"No offense, but our lord is very unpopular. Count Kingsley has been mocking him in noble circles, calling him a coward. The only noble we dared consider attacking was our lord because even the count, who would most likely end up inheriting the throne, mocks him." said Harwin.
"But my lord is still a noble. This breaks the taboo of not attacking nobles!" Lucan said.
Harwin shook his head. "Sir Lucan, over the years, I've observed the inner workings of nobles. They're not the far-sighted men and women you think they are. If they look down on someone, they won't send troops to support him. But I may be wrong. The attack never happened, so we'll never know for sure."
Lucan said, "My lord plans to hire you as a consultant. Do you agree?"
Harwin thought for a moment. "It would be an honor."
Lucan nodded. "Now, tell me about the other five gangs—details of their size, strength, and other relevant information."
Harwin began explaining everything, holding nothing back.