And so, we finally stood before the Thief Master.
There was no combat, nor was there any tension. That was only natural, considering we were simply there to deliver a product.
I gave them a quick glimpse to confirm the contents, but I never allowed them to touch. I wouldn't let a mere mob get close. Just as the owner should be the first to sit in a new car delivered by a dealer, the Thief Master deserved to be the first to lay hands on his purchase.
Now then.
I opened the crate once more to reveal the cat beastman inside. Miti-chan looked the part perfectly, her face pale with terror as she shed tears of genuine fright. Seeing her, the Thief Master let out a vulgar, "Hee-hee," laugh.
Acting with great reverence, as if handling fragile glassware, I supported Miti-chan and helped her stand up out of the box—and right then, "oops," the rope binding her feet just happened to come loose!
Miti-chan didn't miss her chance!
She took off running barefoot, heading straight for the cave's exit!
"Ah! This is a bandit hideout! It’s useless to run, you know!" I shouted with faux alarm.
"My apologies. I shall catch her at once," Mahariku added smoothly.
"Nah, it’s fine, it’s fine. I’ll catch her myself," the Thief Master countered.
With a greasy smirk on his face, the Thief Master watched Miti-chan stumble away. "It’s fine, it’s fine. Keh-keh-keh," he chuckled, though I wasn't entirely sure what he found so amusing. He began to follow her on foot.
It looked like a desperate, futile escape. She moved slowly, playing up the act as if her feet were injured.
However, whenever the subordinates tried to grab her with smirks on their faces, she somehow managed to slip through their fingers, rolling across the ground with exaggerated effort as she scrambled toward the exit.
"Helb! Someone, helb me!"
"Whoops, ah-la-la! She got past us!"
"No! Noooo!"
The bandits were in a playful mood, acting as if they had tried to stop her but weren't being serious. It was a "go on, run, run; alright Boss, we’ll leave the rest to you" kind of atmosphere. They were essentially playing the role of hounds in a hunt orchestrated by a nobleman.
Contrasting their leisure was Miti-chan’s utterly desperate, miserable flight.
The Thief Master undoubtedly felt a surge of superiority mixed with pity at the sight. That was precisely why he told his men, "Hey, don't you guys lay a hand on her," as he pursued her at a walking pace.
Miti-chan finally tripped and collapsed just as she cleared the cave.
"Hel... p..."
"Hey now, you're so scared you're leaking, aren't you?"
The Thief Master caught up at his leisure.
"Heh-heh-heh. Just be a good girl. You can't run away."
"N-Nooooooo—!!!!!"
And there it was. That was the signal. Everyone, please look at the top of the cave.
A massive rock enveloped in pale blue flames came crashing down! And yes, that scream was also meant to mask the crack of a sniper rifle!
"What!?"
The Thief Master noticed the shot a second too late!
He tried to scramble away, but Miti-chan was already gripping him with a literal death throw.
"Wait, heavy—let go, you b—"
"Why don't you just die? Bleeeh!"
Where had the sobbing, pathetic girl from a moment ago gone? It had all been a farce, of course. With a cheerful smile as if nothing had happened, Miti-chan pinned the Thief Master firmly to the ground.
By the way, that "leaking" from earlier? It was actually because she was a slime. She had used a skill she’d likely learned from predating a spider-type monster, aptly named "Sticky," to thoroughly immobilize him.
However, this was the Thief Master. He actually managed to slip out of the Sticky Pee Slime by instantly kicking off his boots!
"Ah."
But his upper body was still held fast by Miti-chan—or rather, Miti-chan's split body. And the spot where he tried to plant his bare feet to push off was coated in an even more powerful adhesive. The immobilization wasn't just sufficient; it was absolute.
"Ah-ha. You can't run away anymore, can you?"
"Hie... you monster—"
Crunch!! With a single, devastating impact, the Thief Master was crushed into nothingness. Boom! He was reduced to a mere stain in a crater, along with Miti-chan.
Well, Miti-chan would just revive from the stain later. Being a slime was convenient like that.
"Wow, it really happened exactly as Mahariku-san said it would..." I muttered.
"Kyaa! Oh no! The Thief Master is dead!" Mahariku suddenly shrieked, shifting gears. "You lot, it’s dangerous out here! Hide in the back of the cave, now!!"
"Wha—!? What!?"
Crack! The sharp report of a gun echoed through the air.
"It’s bad! Hurry!! Move!! You don't want to die, do you!? Dig in and prepare for an ambush inside the cave!"
"A-Ah! Right!"
"Move it...!?"
Mahariku-san barked orders at the remaining bandits, herding them into the cave. Confused and panicked, the bandits followed her instructions blindly and retreated inside.
"The enemy is going to snipe us! Use the prisoners as shields!!" she screamed. "There are still surviving merchants, aren't there? Drag them out here and use them as meat shields, quickly!"
"Wait, why—"
Crack! Another shot rang out, and this time a projectile punched a jagged hole right into the cave's entrance.
"Even the corpses will do, just bring everything you have! If you have hostages, the enemy won't be able to touch us! Hurry, unless you want to die right here!?"
"!? Y-Yes, Ma'am!!"
"Right away!!"
And there we go.
The merchants who were still alive after being captured, the people who had been tormented—the prisoners were finally brought out. I noticed a particularly good-looking boy among them. He’d clearly been used as a substitute for a woman... my, uh, condolences.
"Leave the outside to me! Just make sure your defenses are solid inside the cave!"
"Yeah!"
"We're counting on you!!"
With those shouts, the bandits vanished into the depths of the cave.
Perfect.
"Wow, it really happened exactly as Mahariku-san said it would..." I repeated, slightly in awe.
"What are you standing around for, Tria? The job isn't over yet. Here, take this Poison Molotov Cocktail."
"Uwaah."
"Ufufu. I made sure to dispose of all their antidotes in the confusion, so this will finish them in one go."
And that was that. A total sweep.
I tossed the Poison Molotov Cocktail Penpen had crafted into the cave.
"Mahariku-cha~n, can I eat the people inside later?"
"Hmm, I need to keep at least some proof of their destruction, so only a little bit."
With a squelch, the crushed Miti-chan revived herself. This was a split body without a Halo, and while her main body was with Alto, she could still perform predation here.
Wait, where did the Thief Master's corpse go? Ah, it got mixed in and she accidentally ate the whole thing? I see.
...And so, in just about an hour, the Thief Master's hideout was completely annihilated.
The survivors were safely secured. It was a perfect suppression.