Chapter 230: Bandit Scouts Arrive
The group of seven samurai silently walked towards their lodging.
Meanwhile, the black-haired, red-eyed girl wearing a military uniform looked at Shirou. She seemed to sense his thoughts, and a look of disagreement appeared in her eyes, yet when her gaze focused on the man, it revealed admiration.
"Shirou, are you worrying about those meaningless things again? It cannot be changed; it's a fact that humanity will create as long as it exists. The truth is that only a limited portion of people have talent and can generate value for society, and this portion, while bringing about good influence, can also bring about bad influence.
Whether you want to change this era or realize your own ideals, you must properly lead that portion of people. Yes, a man like you is not suitable to be their role model.
But you can be their spiritual pillar, the ideal existence they yearn for in their hearts. You can establish moral standards and subtly guide them forward," the black-haired, red-eyed girl walked up to Shirou and said with a smile.
"No, I'm not the type to lead others, let alone become a spiritual pillar," Shirou denied. The remaining consciousness of Muramasa within him seemed to be gradually reviving, protesting the girl's argument. He had never thought of changing other people's minds or telling others what was right. Ultimately, he couldn't give them anything; all he could do was protect the world they inhabited.
The black-haired, red-eyed girl continued, "No, the key is whether one is willing to do it. In fact, most people cannot see their own future, feel no motivation to strive in reality, cannot discern where their talents lie, and certainly won't nurture or explore them. Therefore, a person who can persistently work towards a goal is truly remarkable. If that goal is grand enough, then the person pursuing it will also appear very dazzling.
Yes! I can assert here, Shirou! You, holding such an ideal, are very dazzling!"
Shirou was slightly surprised by the girl's words, his face reddened slightly, and he scratched his cheek with his finger, saying, "Thank you. Up until now, people around me have only found this aspect of me troublesome."
"Yes, it is indeed troublesome... Shirou, your self-sacrificing spirit is too strong; you easily overlook your own interests for others," the black-haired, red-eyed girl drew out her words and said with a smile, though what she was thinking was: 'That's why I'm not going to let you continue like this. A dazzling gem should just be kept by my side for viewing; I won't let you go out again...'
Shirou retorted, "I've already reflected on that problem. But there are some things that, if I don't do them, others will give up on. Precisely because of this, I must do them."
"In this battle, everyone has their own reasons, but even if it were unconditional, you would stay to help the people here, even if you were alone," the black-haired, red-eyed girl stated pointedly.
"That's why I'm trying hard to find companions; aren't I acting together with everyone this time?" Shirou countered.
The girl clapped her hands and suggested: "Exactly, that's the point. Then Shirou, you can try to solve things with a different mindset in the future! Instead of achieving it alone, you form a team, recruit members, and let everyone strive to realize your ideal. That way, your ideal might just be realized."
"No, you can't just casually drag people into something so unknown and arduous. Besides, everyone has a life they want to live," Shirou shook his head.
"No, the ordinary majority, if they don't have a leader to guide and motivate them, will only live in a state of confusion, clinging to rotten old ideas.
Not thinking, not changing, only wanting to maintain the security of the status quo will only make things worse. Even if we take one step back and say that war ends and peace is achieved, people who are content with the status quo will not experience true happiness in their lives.
Peasants will always be peasants, and samurai will always be samurai. Their descendants will also have unvarying lives, a fated destiny that will be like stagnant water, completely devoid of excitement. Such a life is truly boring; they might as well just die!"
The black-haired, red-eyed girl spread her arms and said forcefully: "Be it plunder or invasion, that is not a sacrifice, but the necessary path to sublimation! Survival of the fittest; only those who stand out from heavy competition, those who can withstand setbacks and blows, can become great figures who rule a region and have a voice in this world."
"No, Nobu, I don't want to do things like that. Furthermore, reaching that level is not enough. A castle built by one person will collapse when that person leaves. Change must happen from a more fundamental place," Shirou shook his head.
"But! You can do it, even if it's meaningless. But worrying like this is just your style, isn't it, Shirou?" the black-haired, red-eyed girl said with a dazzling sheen in a 'gentle' tone. No, it was more like the doting tone one would use for one's own possession.
However, Shirou was currently deep in thought and didn't notice this.
When the group exited the small alley, walked past the village road, and reached the straight path leading to their lodging, they saw Hajime talking to two farmers holding woodcutting axes, looking very nervous.
Hajime spotted Shirou and the others from afar and ran over in a panic, saying, "The bandits are here!"
"What? Where did you see them? How many people?" Shirou quickly asked.
Hajime replied, "People who went to chop wood in the mountains saw them. There are three horses tied up in the woods behind the mountain. They aren't familiar with this area, so they must have taken the main road and come from the other side, the main gate! They will arrive here soon!"
"Three people, huh? No need to worry. These are the bandits' scouts. Let's go take a look first," Shirou nodded to his companions.
The samurai, along with Hajime and the two woodcutters, went to a house near the village entrance. After telling the villagers inside to be quiet, they went to the window and observed the outside through the cracks in the wooden gate and fence.
Before long, they indeed saw three figures walking towards them. They wore clothes made of animal hides, and weapons hung from their waists—they were scouts sent by the bandit gang to gather information about the village.
As the three approached and clearly saw the greatly transformed village, they stopped. After a moment, they cautiously crept closer.
"Hahaha, it seems they were stunned by the wooden walls we put up," Tawara Touta said with a laugh.
However, when the bandits approached the entrance and peered inside to observe, everyone saw black smoke rising from the heads above their animal-hide clothes, and a single black horn sprouted from their foreheads.
"Oni... Oni!!!" The woodcutter screamed in terror and fell to the ground.
"Is this Demonization (Majin-ka)?" Shirou said in surprise.
Tawara Touta, observing the three bandits outside, interjected: "No, it's just a degraded version. A real Demon is far more terrifying than this."
"Could it be that every bandit on the mountain is a degraded Demon? If they can use any kind of sorcery, we would be very passive right now," Sōji said.
Shirou observed the bandits and said: "No, at most their bodies have been strengthened by prana. Since we also can't use magic, I believe it's the same for them."
"It's no big deal, we'll know once we test them," Tawara Touta said with an unconcerned smile.
"You're right. Since they came, we can't let them go back to report the situation here," Shirou nodded and drew his samurai sword.
At this moment, the bandits outside, having heard the noise, also retracted their heads and turned back the way they came.
"Well, since they are demons, leave them to me. From the looks of it, they are much easier to slice than a swallow," Kojiro said, standing up with his ōdachi.
"Alright, but we need to leave one alive. I'll go with you," Shirou said.
"Master, I wish you success in battle!" Yukino stood up and said.
"Mhm, they don't look particularly strong. Rest assured," Shirou patted the girl's head and said.
So the two used a ladder to climb over the village's tall wall and jumped outside. Because they had been patrolling daily, they were already familiar with the vicinity, so the two climbed up the small path on the hillside, which was covered with wildflowers and weeds. Going up this way allowed them to reach the woods a few minutes faster than the bandits.
When they arrived at the woods behind the mountain, they indeed saw three horses tied to a tree by ropes, wagging their tails and eating grass.
"Kojiro-san, you kill the first two, and the one at the very back is mine."
Kojiro nodded. The two split up, hiding in the blind spots of the large trees. They sat down, held their breath, and quietly waited for the three bandits to walk by.
Before long, a rustling sound came from behind the large trees. The three bandits were indeed running up the main road.
"Hurry up! We've been discovered."
"Yeah, and we have to rush back and report to the leader! This information is enough for us to report. But we agreed, if anyone asks, we'll say we circled the village and went back only after finding defenses on all four sides."
"That's right, let's do that! That village definitely has very professional samurai. The main gate is already heavily defended, and other places must also be hard to breach."
"Oh, okay, I understand."
The moment the three bandits arrived in front of the large trees and lifted one foot, Kojiro swung his sword directly, rising up to slash the throat of the first bandit, and then downward-sliced the chest of the second bandit.
Kojiro's swordsmanship was truly exquisite. Even a demon whose physique had been enhanced could not be his opponent as long as the blade could cut into the skin.
The bandit at the very back showed a shocked expression. Before he could even shout, Shirou grabbed his collar and slammed him onto the ground.
"Waaah!!!" Black smoke erupted from the bandit's demon horn, and his entire body burst with the gigantic strength of a Hercules, attempting to flip Shirou off of him.
At this moment, Shirou directly raised his cloth-wrapped fist and smashed it into the demon horn on the bandit's forehead.
One punch, two punches... The third punch landed, and the demonized horn on the bandit's head, which was emitting black smoke, snapped off. The bandit immediately passed out.
"It seems they really are just a bit stronger than ordinary people, far inferior to the swallow," Kojiro said with a hint of disappointment.
"No, no. These degraded demon bandits are quite a bit stronger than normal people, in terms of sheer strength. The reason you feel this way is definitely because the swallow you encountered was too strange," Shirou said.
"Yes, this level is completely manageable for the seven of us. As long as we follow the rules, four, no, five people in the village should be able to hold them off. Bandits like this are merely beasts with slightly greater strength."
"Mhm. Judging from the current situation, we are confident in dealing with these bandits in the upcoming fight," Shirou said, loosening the cloth wrapped around his hand, revealing a set of steel knuckles.
Shirou immediately used the removed cloth strips to tie the bandit's hands and, together with Kojiro, carried him back into the village.
"Master, welcome back," Yukino greeted him.
"You brought one back alive? Impressive skill," Tawara Touta said.
"The credit all goes to Kojiro this time. I was just responsible for catching the man," Shirou replied.
"No, the opponent was just too weak. I only sliced two people; Shirou subdued this one alone," Kojiro said flatly, not claiming credit.
"How was it? Are these degraded demons very strong? If they're yōkai, I wonder if the young monk's chanting can exorcise them," Hōzōin Inshun asked jokingly.
Shirou replied: "No, they're not troublesome yet. They just have great strength, but their bodies are still flesh and blood. As long as we're careful, it's fine."
After all, the strength possessed by humans, even among animals, can only be considered upper-middle at best. Even a wild man living in the jungle would at most draw with a wolf. Compared to fierce beasts like leopards, tigers, lions, bears, crocodiles, monitor lizards, and gorillas, they fall far short.
But in fact, isn't it humans who hunt the most of these animals? The ability to create tools, use tools, and hone combat skills is what makes humanity strong.
"See! I told you, even if they're demons, the samurai will help us defeat them!" Hajime chuckled and scolded the two woodcutters who stayed behind.
"Yes, yes... that's wonderful," the two woodcutters agreed submissively, then also laughed.
The village had successfully enlisted strong and reliable samurai, which was a huge relief for them.
Shirou instructed: "Hajime, there are two corpses in the woods on the mountain. Go find someone to deal with them. If they're left there, it could easily cause disease or attract wild beasts."
"Yes, I'll go arrange that right now. The two of you, come with me," Hajime happily agreed with a smile, running off with the two woodcutters. Although a living demon was terrifying, after death, it was just property that they wouldn't refuse to take. Living in this era, they were long accustomed to corpses.
"Now let's bring this captive into the house and see what information we can get from him," Shirou said to his companions.
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