Arisugawa managed to fend off the attack. What was the reason the bandits kidnapped people?
He knew it was a foolish question. But he asked it, thinking that perhaps a way out could be found.
“Haa, we don’t do cowardly things like kidnapping people in the first place.”
“Eh? Is that so? Then why…”
“Well, we do steal sometimes, but not in a flashy way.”
The female bandit glanced at the boss.
“Ah, we do steal, but we made a living by hunting and selling meat and fur. But recently, we’ve been driven out of our territory by thugs.”
“Thugs? But you guys can fight, can’t you?”
“Normally, yes. But recently, they’ve been getting unusually strong.”
The other companions had also fallen silent without anyone noticing.
“Thugs?”
“The Forest Orcs.”
The woman spoke again.
“Forest Orcs aren’t bad people to begin with; they are rather friendly. Although some have strayed from the path. We don’t know why they’re gaining strength, but it seems Dark Orcs are behind them.”
According to their story, the bandit group, driven from their territory, had no choice but to resort to kidnapping to survive. He didn’t understand what Forest Orcs or Dark Orcs were, but it seemed Dark Orcs were an evil race that wielded magic.
I released the kidnapped Harpies and persuaded them to return the supplies. After that, I returned to the village and informed the villagers about the situation, requesting their support for the bandit group that had been driven from their territory.
