The East Continent Branch Office, belonging to the 408th Branch.
There were three investigation units ordered to search for Dark Tribe members.
“Headquarters, this is Hound (Doc One), Leader. No apparent traces found in the southwesterly direction. I want to know the investigation status of the other units, over.”
“Code Hound (Doc One). Communication is poor. Please repeat, over.”
A garbled response came back, indicating they couldn’t understand the message.
Once more, this time the message was delivered slowly.
“Code Hound (Doc One), Understood. Loyal Hound (Doc Two) and Beloved Hound (Doc Three)’s investigation progress is also at a standstill. Please direct your search eyes further west, over.”
“Hound (Doc One), Understood. Communication ends.”
The Hound (Doc One) Leader cut off the long-range magic communication.
He sent a Mato to the Hound (Doc One) unit members.
“This is Hound (Doc One) Leader, to all members. This is Hound (Doc One) Leader, to all members. I heard the investigation status of the other units from Headquarters. We will move west from now on. I repeat. Hound (Doc One) will be heading west from now on. Over.”
“< < < Hound (Doc One) Leader, order understood. We, 1, 2, and 3, will head west from now on. Communication ends. > > >”
The Hound (Doc One) Leader headed west, hearing the sound of branches swaying in the surroundings.
Before him lay a mountain range.
“Climbing mountains is for vacations, isn’t it?”
He grumbled as he activated his Optical Camouflage and pushed through the bushes.
Monsters, even invisible ones, would attack based on Magic Sense and Detection.
However, medium-sized or larger monsters had a slower reaction to invisible prey after corporealization.
During that brief moment of sluggishness, he struck with a blade that vibrated continuously with ultra-vibration.
“Gaaah?!”
There was no resistance from fur, flesh, or bone.
The blade severed everything in its path. The cut surface was smooth.
It was immediately clear how abnormally sharp the blade was.
The entire unit could wield such a blade. The other two units were also equipped with the same.
If there were anyone in the East Continent with such equipment.
It could only be arms and armor from a Dungeon created by the Demon King.
Even a king of a country could not force a blacksmith to create such items, no matter how much power and wealth they used.
“
“What is it, 1? Over.”
“
“… A battle on our route? Detour… then the meal would be bland. Alright. 1, how about escorting the caravan? Over.”
“
“Hooh, an excellent escort. I’m surprised they’d be hired by a caravan heading this way. Over.”
They were definitely transporting smuggled or prohibited goods.
Even if they weren’t told the contents.
Traveling for days in such a deep forest.
Being attacked by monsters and humans with no help coming.
It was surprising there were multiple guards confident in their skills and willing to take such risks.
“Alright, everyone halt. We’ll observe for a while. Communication ends.”
Moving to a location where they could clearly see the fight between the caravan’s guards and the bandits.
Not overestimating Optical Camouflage, they watched from a spot out of range of stray arrows.
“Haaah! Tch, no matter how much I slash, they don’t seem to decrease.”
“Don’t say that!? I was startled by the initial surprise attack. But these guys are farmer rejects fighting for their next meal.”
“Gyaaaaa—!”
The captain and vice-captain on guard duty conversed while cutting down bandits.
The other guards, sustaining minor injuries and wary of arrows, cut down the bandits before them.
“Damn it—!! Retreat—!! You guys, retreat!! These guys are too strong. Let’s get back to our nests!”
“Boss!? Help… Gyaaaa”
“Are you the boss!? I’ll carve the recompens efor attacking us onto your body.”
“Guh.”
The boss was not allowed to retreat by one of the guards.
One clash, two clashes, the blades met.
They had slightly better weapons than the other bandits.
Even when struck by a guard’s blade, it didn’t chip immediately, but it was clear that eventually, it would chip and break.
“Someone help me—!? Shoot arrows at this guy!”
“Useless! The archers were dealt with first.”
“Gufu. This!”
Because his timing for pulling his arm was a step too late, the boss sustained an injury that hindered his weapon swing.
Wincing and favoring his dominant hand, he didn’t want to fight the guard before him.
Even if he tried to escape, the guards were faster.
(I miscalculated…)
It had been a while since they encountered such a large prey (the caravan).
They struck with their full combat power, and then intended to force their way through with sheer numbers.
The initial surprise attack had been successful, which was good.
Who would have thought his subordinates would be so useless…
He should have used them as meat shields or decoys, kept them in reserve.
Is this place… and then!
“Guhah!”
“I have defeated your boss—!”
The boss’s head was severed.
From then on, the attacking bandits lost their cohesion.
The second-in-command and right-hand man shouted orders to calm them down, but the low-ranking bandits tried to escape as they pleased.
The caravan guards, without hesitation, cut into the defenseless backs of the fleeing bandits.
“Gyaaaaa… Help meee…”
The bandits left behind their last words, blaming the boss and the lord, saying they were just forced to follow orders. They were cut and stabbed by the guards in parts of their bodies not protected by their armor.
After confirming the caravan’s damage.
They collected the personal belongings and spoils of war of the deceased.
“That took unnecessary time.”
“We’re ahead of schedule. We should arrive at the city as planned.”
The caravan’s organizer and the guard captain exchanged brief words.
The caravan urged their horses toward their destination.
Despite the rough terrain, the caravan headed for the mountain range’s secret paths.
“This is Hound (Doc One) Leader, to all members. We will attack the caravan from behind. Over.”
“<1, Understood.>”
“<2, Understood.>”
“<3, Understood.>”
“
“
“
Hound (Doc One) launched a surprise attack from behind on the caravan, which was an obstacle to their Dark Tribe search mission.
The invisible assassins, four in number, wielding blades that could cut anything, were annihilated without a chance to retaliate.
“Bandit survivor… Gyaaaa”
“What the! Where is the enemy… Gyaaaa”
“Gather! Behind the carts! Prepare for interception… Woooah!”
“Abandon the cargo and run—!! The enemy is nowhere to be seen. We are outnumbered. Protect the employers at least—”
“Yes!”
The merchants cut the leather straps connecting the horses to the carts with their personal daggers and weapons dropped by the guards near their feet.
Heehee!
“The horses—!!!”
Their only means of escape, the horses, were killed by the unknown enemy, and one of them had a leg cut off.
“What the hell—!!! What is this situation… Gyaaaa”
The last survivor also fell to the ground before the invisible enemy.
“Optical Camouflage off.”
” ” ” Optical Camouflage off. ” ” ”
The Hound (Doc One) unit pilfered food from the caravan’s cargo and set fire to the cargo and surrounding bushes.
“This way, even if by some chance there are any surviving bandits. Our information will not leak. Now, we will resume our search for the Dark Tribe. Formation: Echelon on both wings.”
” ” ” Understood. ” ” ”
Only a few kilometers (on a straight line on the map) to the hidden village where McGillis and the others were.
The invisible blades approached.
