Laojun was deep in thought after receiving a report from the Quinta known as Liber.
(...It seems these thieves were not the work of the Unifilar remnants after all.)
Liber had successfully tracked the bandits all the way to their hideout.
(However, they don't seem to be entirely unrelated, either.)
Laojun suspected that the small-class golem used by the thieves had likely been provided to them by those very remnants.
(Now then, capturing them would be a simple matter, but...)
Laojun considered what the most effective course of action would be.
＊ ＊ ＊
"What? Say that again."
"Yes, Captain Rush. We just received a letter sent under the name 'Nostalgia.' It states that the bandits' hideout is in the forest between Alban and Shipu."
Shipu was a village located on the highway extending southwest from the capital of Alban toward the Celuroa Kingdom. It sat roughly eighteen kilometers from the city.
An expansive forest stretched along the path, a rare sight so close to the capital.
"There is a woodcutter's hut in the western part of that forest, which is reportedly their hideout. It should be easy to identify, as they have a black-painted hot air balloon nearby."
As Vice-captain Relamy Northland delivered the report, Pascoe Rush wore a somewhat bittersweet smile.
"...I see. I'm grateful for the tip, but it’s a bit of a shame."
Pascoe voiced his honest feelings—he had hoped they could resolve the matter entirely on their own.
"Yes, I feel the same. However..."
"I know. The peace and safety of the citizens must always come first."
"Yes, sir!"
Following their brief exchange, Pascoe Rush summoned his squad.
"Listen up! We’re heading toward Shipu immediately. Our objective is to capture the thieves who have been terrorizing the royal capital. I know it’s a lot to ask of those who just finished the night shift, but I need you to give your all for the sake of the people."
With that, twenty men, including Pascoe, departed from the capital.
The march was conducted under strict orders to remain silent. They wore leather armor instead of metal to minimize noise and avoid detection.
The distance to Shipu was roughly eighteen kilometers; since the hideout was at the midpoint, they had a nine-kilometer journey ahead of them.
Pascoe and his men reached the halfway point in just under three hours. He immediately deployed scouts. Two small, agile squad members slipped into the western forest.
Upon closer inspection, they found clear signs of passage—footprints left by several individuals. After thirty minutes of searching the woods, they found it.
(Hey, isn't this it?)
(Yeah, no mistake.)
The two spoke in hushed tones, using a technique that involved speaking with only breath to avoid vibrating their vocal cords.
In the middle of the forest sat a small meadow, home to a modest woodcutter's hut. Tucked behind the building, they spotted what looked like a black-painted hot air balloon. The scouts were certain.
They retreated quickly but cautiously. Compared to their careful search on the way in, the return trip took only fifteen minutes.
"Good work. All right, once we reach the edge of the clearing, we’ll encircle the area and close in all at once."
After outlining the strategy, Pascoe led his twenty men into the forest, following the path the scouts had just verified.
Since the forest was close to a metropolitan area, it was fortunately devoid of large, dangerous animals. Only small birds and squirrel-like creatures inhabited the trees. Pascoe reflected that this likely made it an ideal spot for a hideout.
They moved with extreme caution to avoid detection, taking twenty minutes to reach the edge of the clearing. At Pascoe's signal, his subordinates dispersed to surround the meadow as planned.
(All right... go!)
Once he judged the encirclement complete, Pascoe raised his right hand and swung it forward, signaling the start of the raid.
The squad charged in total silence. Two men broke off to secure the black hot air balloon, cutting off any hope of escape.
The remaining seventeen, Pascoe included, closed in on the hut. Relamy was the only one who did not join the direct assault, remaining on standby in the rear to provide support.
While they didn't shout, they no longer made any effort to hide their presence. The sound of crushing grass and snapping twigs alerted those inside.
Four men emerged from the woodcutter's hut—two swordsmen and two spearmen. They were reasonably skilled, but they were still just bandits. They had no chance of winning a head-on battle against seventeen disciplined soldiers.
However, the bandits had a golem.
Despite being only eighty centimeters tall, its strength exceeded that of a grown man, and its speed was exceptional.
"Gwah!"
"Gyah!"
The golem’s low-profile attacks were difficult to parry, and it was equally hard for the soldiers to land a hit on such a small target. Three men were struck in the legs and collapsed.
Even so, the numerical advantage of seventeen against four was insurmountable. Although five of Pascoe's men were injured, they successfully apprehended the four bandits. The small golem was eventually neutralized after being subjected to a concentrated barrage of attacks that left it heavily damaged.
"We... we did it," Pascoe panted, catching his breath. "Good work, everyone. What’s the casualty count?"
"Five seriously injured, three light... no, make that four."
The soldier corrected himself upon seeing that Pascoe had also sustained a wound.
"Is Relamy Northland safe?"
As the vice-captain and healer had been positioned in the rear, he was unharmed.
"I’m right here, Captain!"
"Good. Start treating the seriously injured first."
"Understood!"
Relamy Northland was capable of using the mid-level surgical healing magic Recover. This spell could mend deep lacerations, severe bruising, and even bone fractures.
"Recover!"
"Vice-captain, thank you!"
"Recover!"
"I feel much better now, Vice-captain!"
Since the serious injuries consisted only of simple fractures and cuts, the Recover spell handled them with ease. Relamy then used his remaining strength to tend to those with minor wounds.
"Recover!"
"Thanks, Relamy."
Pascoe offered his gratitude as his own wound was closed.
"It’s nothing, Captain. This is my role, after all," Relamy replied with a bashful note in his voice.
"Now then..."
Pascoe turned his attention to the bound thieves. None of them appeared to have injuries requiring immediate medical attention. He ordered two scouts to search the hut, just in case any accomplices were hiding inside.
Being a small building, the search took only two minutes.
"Reporting, Captain! The interior is clear. We found two boxes filled with gold coins, along with two swords and two spears—likely spares. We also found four sets of pitch-black clothing, which we believe they used for their night raids. Other than a bit of food, water, and four blankets, there’s nothing else."
"I see."
Pascoe nodded and conducted a personal sweep of the hut. It was tiny, with no place for anything to be hidden. He even checked the floor for trapdoors, but found nothing.
"All right. Divide the loot among yourselves. We’re heading back."
"Sir!"
With that, the thieves who had been plundering the capital of the Klein Kingdom were finally brought to justice.
However...
"...Hmm. This is smashed so badly it barely has its original shape. I doubt we’ll be able to analyze much from this."
When Pascoe made his report and handed over the remains of the small golem, his superior looked at the wreckage with disappointment.
"I apologize, sir."
"No, don’t worry about it. You did a magnificent job, Rush."
"Thank you, sir. It was entirely thanks to the hard work of my subordinates."
Pascoe Rush had truly grown into a fine captain.