Central Continent.
The King is the top of the country, but he thinks the nobles below are just for show.
Even if there are pronouncements (royal commands), they are ineffective.
Powerful nobles stand shoulder to shoulder with the King,
while secretly stealing and reducing the vassals of their own factions, engaged in a power struggle.
The technological level is, well, superior to the East Continent where I am?
A farmer’s kid can write.
They even have plant paper. And their magic is Life Magic.
They have enough Possessed Magic Power to increase its power and divert it to attacks.
However, in a few months, I will reach the same level.
“Children are born with abundant Magic Power.”
All that’s left is the spirit of daily improvement.
I go back and forth with Space Magic in a day trip.
The three Knights, along with some who learned Mimicry, were sent in.
They were ordered to broadly investigate the internal situation.
I nicely took care of the Source of Information.
“Rumor has it a mysterious Bandits have appeared. Soon a Subjugation Force will be dispatched by the Adventurer’s Guild and the nobles’ private soldiers.”
“It’s okay.”
“We’ll set a trap for them.”
“Leave it to us.”
They are very reliable, but is it acceptable for them not to assign me any of their Source of Information women?
” ” “We are truly sorry.” ” ”
They were dismissed with instructions to be more careful next time.
Disguised as a Traveler, I’m picking up village girls again today!
Looks, funds, presents – as a memento of meeting them.
Picking up girls initially causes wariness, but once they realize they can get something for free, they are easily led to a secluded place.
I push them down, say goodbye if I think they’ll come back, and if they try to call for help, I use my Possession Ability to make them compliant and leave.
*Rustle, rustle, rustle*
On this day, I was unfortunately seen by someone.
I tracked them down with Magic Sense.
Their family, and the Adults who heard their story.
I knocked them unconscious with a mental magic spell, 〈Sleep〉.
Using my Possession Ability, I framed the witness as a villain.
From the shadows, I watched as they were lectured and scorned one after another with words like, “How could you do such a thing,” and “Unbelievable,” before fleeing. I chuckled.
“Secrets are secrets because no one talks about them, heh heh heh.”
Rayos walks along the unpaved road to the west, heading to the next place.
The three Demon Knights and new soldiers eagerly await the arrival of the subjugation force.
Starting with pitfalls,
they set up insidious traps in the forest to lure them out.
Instant death is not the goal, but rather broken bones and flesh wounds. When they try to help the injured, they are *assaulted*.
From the rapid fire of magic guns, they inject arrows coated with poison.
” ” “Hurry up~♪ Your hell is here~♪” ” ”
At first, it was just a few passersby on less-traveled roads.
Adventurers who came for requests to gather medicinal herbs and materials.
They were overwhelmed by numbers.
Now, they are dealing with a force that can be called a subjugation army.
My arms are itching, they thought.
The three of them urged the soldiers not to misplace the traps and ambushes.
Several days later.
The long-awaited subjugation force, about 100 strong, marches in formation down the road.
“They’re here.”
“Let’s proceed as planned.”
“Ah. And don’t lay a hand on the women for His Majesty, you two.”
” ” “We know.” ” ”
“Well then,” they begin their actions.
To draw out the target Bandits, the subjugation force
uses small platoons to scout a wide *range*.
Each unit is defeated individually.
If they are attacked, they use a signal whistle to call surrounding platoons.
“Are the Bandits here yet?”
“No, not yet.”
The Captain commanding the nobles’ private soldiers frequently asks his副官 if there are any Bandits or if anything else has happened.
After a break,
the searched *range* is marked on a map.
“Where can the Bandits hide?”
“Here, here, and here.”
“Is it possible to lure the Bandits onto the plain with a *company*?”
“It’s possible, though there will be casualties.”
A *company* of about 20 men is dispatched to a place where the Bandits can hide.
The cavalry unit, mounted, will charge as soon as the Bandits appear on the plain.
…
Not a single *company* appears.
“Could they have all been wiped out?”
“No, that’s unlikely. We’ve put fast runners in every unit. They wouldn’t be unable to blow their whistles while escaping.”
“Then why haven’t they appeared?”
“Either there were no Bandits, or they were trapped.”
Indeed, being trapped would fit the narrative.
They head to where the missing *companies* are, one by one.
The cavalry unit waits, unable to proceed.
*Rustling, rustling*
The subjugation force, on high alert, enters the forest.
They are welcomed by the three Demon Knights.
“Enemy attack! Enemy attack!”
“Ambush in the forest! Unknown if they are Bandits!”
Two clashes of force.
However, the subjugation force cannot even get close as they intended.
They are on the defensive against the traps and ambushes.
Even when they retreat to the plain, they are outflanked.
They form a defensive formation, like turtles protecting each other with shields.
“Are the enemy’s arrows endless!?”
“Lower your heads! Shields! Protect the Captain!”
Waaah, waaah.
As dusk falls,
the attack stops.
An eerie silence.
Is moving playing into the enemy’s hands? Or have they run out of ammunition?
“…It’s now or never…”
“Captain, to take such a gamble…”
The subjugation force prepares to make camp, but they rotate shifts for *breaks* within the shield formation.
A signal whistle is blown to the cavalry unit waiting on the plain.
The cavalry unit, upon receiving the signal, retreats to the town.
The three Demon Knights are in the forest.
The subjugation force camps and rests in the forest. No movement. The attack resumes after the morning sun rises.
The reason is to reliably secure the women.
“I didn’t expect so many men.”
“Since they can use magic, there should be more women too.”
“To fulfill the promise with His Majesty, it must be morning.”
They cannot attack unless the distinction between men and women is clear.
For that reason, the subjugation force survives for half a day,
and the battle is decided around noon.
” ” “Gather the women!” ” ”
“Ooooh!”
Although there are dead soldiers,
the subjugation force is annihilated. It is a victory.
Soldiers and women are sent to the meeting place with Rayos.
“Ooooh, well done.”
” ” “Yes.” ” ”
” ……… ”
Rayos first savors the women,
and then holds a grand banquet with the Knights.
The subjugation force is annihilated.
The cavalry unit, noticing the main body’s absence, scouts and discovers the truth.
The noble and the Guild Master are greatly surprised.
“My private soldiers… my private soldiers…”
“Adventurers… Adventurers…”
Their available combat power is lost.
This is synonymous with a decline in power.
The noble faces the danger of being conquered by neighboring nobles.
The Guild Master faces the danger of being usurped by the sub-master.
The power dynamic shifted because Rayos and his group did not act, so the new noble who gained territory will be targeted next.
The new Guild Master urgently needs to secure *newcomer* adventurers, but their life is not threatened.
“Guaaaaaahh”
“No one wants to join a department where many Adventurers died… We need some kind of bonus… Damn it.”
They regret not becoming the Guild Master, with no turning back.
While thinking they want to start over as staff in another department,
they receive a *document* reporting that the new ruler, the noble, has died in battle.
