Became a tyrant of defense games - Episode 190
◈ 190. [Side Story] Bandit King (2)
So, we were taken to the den of the bandit king Kuilan and his subordinates..
“Yay ho~!”
“It's a party-!”
……Just like Kuilan said, I'm having a great time..
Wild animal meat is being grilled over a large campfire among the wild vegetables..
They say they succeeded in hunting reindeer and wild boar and are grilling a large barbecue..
In some pirate cartoon, 'It's a party!' As if they are playing and playing, the bandits are also playing happily around the campfire..
we?
After being captured, we are tied up in a huddle and watching the campfire..
The body and forearms were wrapped and tied with rope, but the area below the elbows was usable, and grilled meat was placed in front of us..
We each chewed our own meat while blankly watching the bandits singing and dancing..
The leader knight muttered, looking like he had given up..
“It's delicious..”
“okay?”
“Better than Elise’s cooking..”
“That's right, I guess…….”
I looked around while chewing the meat, which had a spicy smell but had a wild flavor in its own way..
Wild vegetables… … You might say that. It would be more appropriate to call it a village..
I wonder if this number of people live together in such a rugged mountain..
Among the 100 or so villagers, there are about 30 who seemed capable of fighting who attacked us earlier, and the rest were just as blood-skinned... … They just look poor.
No matter how you look at it, they are refugees..
thud!
At that time, Kuilan came and sat in front of me. In his hand is a large bottle of alcohol..
“Are there any inconveniences, customers??”
Kuilan, who took a swig from the bottle, lifted both his lips and smiled..
He certainly looks quite young, but perhaps because of his actions, the way he speaks, and the fact that he is a bandit leader, he feels like an old man..
I shook the piece of wild boar bone in my hand..
“Thank you for even serving meat to us hostages..”
“Hahaha! It was nothing! Anyway, I've robbed them of all their wealth and I'm planning on receiving a ransom, but I'll give them more than just meat.!”
uh? That's what I heard. This is a business where we are losing money..
Not only did he speak, but Kuilan also ordered his men to refill the plates in front of us with meat..
I didn't hesitate and ate it comfortably. Kuilan laughed cheerfully as he saw me like that..
“How can you be so calm in a situation like this! You are very bold. I guess all the rumors I heard about His Highness the Third Prince were all in vain..”
“You don't know people until you meet them in person.?”
“Hahaha! That's so true!”
I grinned at Kuilan, who was hitting his knees and laughing..
“I didn't know he was like this until I met him in person. Kuilan.”
Kuilan's eyes widened..
“Did I tell you my name??”
“I am the lord of Crossroads. How can you not know about Kuilan, the bandit king of the south?.”
Actually, I just know it because I played the game..
“Bandit King Kuilan. He is a vicious bandit who persistently targets only the people of the empire and has gained notoriety in the southern part of the continent over the past 10 years..”
“…….”
“However, the only people they prey on are the people of the empire, and they actually help out war refugees from other countries.?”
I looked at the villagers whose skin and bones were close to each other..
There were people living like this near Crossroads?.
“From the empire's point of view, they are just bandits that must be subdued. For refugees living in hiding, there is righteousness that helps them... … That's you. Kuilan.”
“…….”
Kuilan laughed helplessly at my words as if it were absurd..
“Righteous enemy? They say I'm called a righteous enemy?”
“You've done things called that?”
“I don't have enough time to do something like that. All I'm doing is wandering around looking for someone I can rob, and end up in a refugee village..”
Kuilan looked around at the poorly built refugee village..
“We provide them with daily bread and money, and these poor people provide us with a place to sleep and shelter. Well, after going around like this for about ten years, we somehow ended up in a symbiotic relationship..”
“…….”
“Because the empire destroyed more than one country. There are many refugee villages in remote areas beyond the reach of these imperial laws..”
I clicked my tongue..
“If you are a citizen of a country that the empire has subjugated, there will be a legal way for you to become an imperial citizen.?”
“I don't really believe that that road will work in such a remote area, Your Majesty.?”
Kuilan had a sneer on his lips..
“There are thousands of people who cannot live in the imperial territory..”
“…….”
“The country they originally lived in burned down, and they were discriminated against and persecuted within the empire... … It's hell no matter where you go anyway. Since I have nowhere to go, I'm pushed to the edge of this cliff..”
Kuilan gulped down his drink and laughed, wiping his lips..
“This time, I robbed a big guy like you, so I guess I'll have to take all the people here and move... … It must be worth that much, right? I have very high expectations for your ransom, Your Highness..”
“It's my ransom…….”
“I'll be sending someone to Crossroads in a few days. Once we negotiate and receive the money, we will release it immediately. Just wait here until then. Since you are precious, I will provide you with as much convenience as possible..”
I laughed bitterly..
“I hope you don't ask too much, Kuilan..”
I don't know exactly how much my ransom will be, but…….
……The more my colleagues think of me, the harder it will be for you to afford it..
***
The night deepened.
The campfire went out, the food disappeared, and the villagers who were excited about the long-awaited feast, the bandits who were happy about the large number of casualties, and the imperial soldiers who had been taken hostage all fell asleep..
“…….”
Kuilan continued to swallow his drink as he looked down at the darkened village..
In his mind, the face of Ash, with whom he had been talking a moment ago, was flashing..
‘Did I touch too big a deal??’
From the moment he made eye contact with Ash, Kuilan's spine was trembling with tension..
Even though it was only a group of bandits, it was Kuilan who reigned as its leader and eluded the imperial army's pursuit for 10 years..
He thought he was not smart, but he prided himself on having excellent sense..
It didn't smell good. It was so ominous.
“Tsk.”
It's been a while since I asked about the number of cases, but the other person is a prince.…….
But what should I do?.
The prince's group had already been messed with, and his own situation was even worse. I needed money and supplies that could be borrowed immediately..
‘Anyway, this is the southernmost tip of the continent. It is a change within a change..’
What is there to know whether the other person is a prince or something? Anyway, this is the end of the world, where neither the imperial family nor the goddess cares..
Just do what you normally do, loot, hold hostage, and charge money. And if you run away cleanly, everything will be resolved..
If you just take the money and return the prince safely, the imperial army will not risk their lives to come after you..
Trying to think like that, Kuilan lay down and fell asleep like the rest of his subordinates..
It is more than a day away from Crossroads, and this village is far from the kidnapping site. It will be difficult to find this place.
Even if a rescue force comes, there will be time to spare. I guess I can spend tonight in peace..
‘Because I've always been lucky... … It'll be okay this time too.’
Thinking like that, Kuilan slowly fell asleep..
that was a mistake.
***
“…….”
A building in the corner of a village.
It's a bit chilly, but I'm assigned a bed, and as I sit on it, I'm lost in thought..
I thought about escaping while taking advantage of the exciting atmosphere, but the look in the eyes of the bandits standing guard was fierce. As expected from the bandit king, the military was closely guarded..
It would be impossible to run away while tied up like this, let's just wait for the rescue team to come.…….
Thinking like that, I'm going to lie down comfortably and go to sleep.,
puck! Powok!
A dull sound was heard outside..
“huh?”
When I looked out of the building to see what was going on, I made eye contact with Evangeline, who was carefully placing the two bandits she had just defeated on the ground..
“…….”
“…….”
It was our first reunion in almost a month, and when we met in a place like this, both Evangeline and I stiffened for a moment..
Immediately after, Evangeline's green eyes filled with tears..
“I'm a senior~!”
wobble!
And then he hugs me right away. I was freaked out.
“Wow!!”
“Wow. I'm a senior.”
“Ooh, are you crying? I'm crying?”
No, I like tearful reunions too! What I really want to cry about right now is me and my group! You were kidnapped!
“Wow!.”
“Yeah, yeah. Evangeline. It's nice to see you after a long time.”
I tried to comfort Evangeline, who was in tears..
Were you that worried about me being kidnapped? To be honest, I feel a little happy that you reacted like this.?
However, the focus was slightly different..
“Hehehehe, I’m a senior. help.”
Evangeline muttered, wiping away tears. what? I broke into a cold sweat..
“Uh, huh? Isn't it your job to help??”
I was kidnapped? Look, it's still tied up like this.?
“While you were away, Uncle Lucas, Sister Juju, Brother Damien, everyone.…….”
Sniff! said Evangeline, swallowing her snot and sniffling..
“Everything tasted good.!”
“……?”
It tastes good?
Trustworthy colleagues? entire?
“Everyone was getting more and more strange because the senior wasn't around, and now it's very... … Tori… … Because it has become…….”
“Yes……?”
“Now you will know when you see it. Everyone came to save you..”
After crying a little, Evangeline seemed to have calmed down and took a breath and released me from the chains..
I asked as Evangeline and I came out of the building..
“But how did you come here right away? Not even half a day has passed since I sent the request for help..”
“We heard that our senior was coming, so we were all coming out to meet him. We were also camping, and Elise came asking for help.…….”
That's how it happened.
“But how did you find this village? It must have been difficult to search because it was quite far from the place of kidnapping..”
“that is…….”
Evangeline sighed heavily..
“You'll find out soon.”
“……?”
Anyway, Evangeline and I escaped the building and moved to rescue the rest of the kidnapped group..
Junior arrived there first and was untying the soldiers..
“ah.”
Junior looked back at me with a bright complexion..
“It's been a while, Your Royal Highness.!”
“uh… … okay. It's been a while…….”
I pointed to the things hanging around Junior's body..
“That again... … What?”
Junior had a packed lunch box full of food and cups full of drinks. Even now she has spinach in her mouth, munching on it..
“After suffering from hemoptysis, I came up with a solution..”
Then, he picked up the bottle of tomato juice hanging from his waist and took a sip..
“If you vomit a lot of blood, shouldn't you make that much??”
“…….”
“So, I decided to eat foods that are said to be good for anemia for 24 hours. If we do this, we will produce more blood than we spit out, so maintain the status quo with plus or minus. Hehe, after all, I’m smart.…….”
No, what… … I don’t think it’s completely wrong, but… … is not it? Am I right? is not it?
At that time, Evangeline, who was looking at Junior, shook her head slightly..
“Juju unnie’s cute painting is on the cute side..”
“ah… … That's cute……?”
“The other two are in really bad condition... … oh!”
At that time, the bandit guard who spotted us appeared to be blowing his horn. But before we can react,
Whisper - Puck!
The arrow flew and shattered the horn..
“Wow?!
The moment the horn was broken, a shock wave spread in all directions, and the fallen guard fainted..
Only one person is capable of such high-precision sniping..
I was so happy that I looked in the direction the arrow had come from. Damian! my trigger!
“Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk…….”
And there,
Covered with something black aura... … For some reason, I could see Damian chuckling an unpleasant laugh. Hey……?
Damian muttered while holding the crossbow in one hand and the Black Queen, a magic gun in the other..
“These eyes... … I can see the dark clearly…….”
No, why did he suddenly fall ill with middle school disease??!
What on earth is happening?!
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