Night had completely fallen.
As Colombo, the bandit leader, left the lord's castle and strolled through the streets, he was in high spirits.
The deal, which he had considered something of a gamble, had been a resounding success. He had secured a massive advance payment and, though conditional, a stepping stone to a higher station.
His men would sing his praises, and even more bandits would flock to join his ranks.
And Colombo was more than willing to share his gains with them.
He was greedy, but not stingy.
He knew that the money he spent would return to him in the form of even greater power.
Order a lavish feast that covers the tables at the grandest establishment in the city. Prepare enough liquor to keep flowing even after everyone has collapsed in a drunken stupor. Spend a joyous night with beautiful women.
Colombo genuinely intended to do just that.
At least, until he saw his hideout, which had been turned into a complete wreck.
The thick scent of blood and the foul stench of entrails filled the space.
Tables and chairs had been caught in the crossfire, few remaining intact. Bloodstains flowed freely over the walls, floor, and ceiling without distinction.
Amidst the carnage, the corpses of the brutally slain bandits greeted their comrades.
"What in the world…"
"Urp!"
The men who had accompanied Colombo to the castle turned deathly pale.
Some of them retched.
They were bandits.
And not just petty thieves who preyed on passersby, but a pack of robbers who swung their blades to steal lives, property, and dignity.
They had seen plenty of gruesome deaths and had created such scenes themselves many times over.
And as is often the case with villains, they never imagined they would suffer the same fate.
The scene before them utterly shattered the Colombo bandit group's baseless confidence.
The faces of their dead comrades, stained with terror, pain, and despair, seemed to be proof that they too would soon meet the same end.
"What kind of bastards dared…!"
Colombo ground his teeth.
Not a single shred of the pride and joy that had graced his face moments ago remained; it was now twisted like a demon's.
"They're… they're all wiped out. There are no survivors."
"These sons of bitches, they even went through and finished off the ones who were already unable to fight! Vicious bastards!"
"Boss! The basement is empty! All the slaves we had in there are gone!"
Colombo listened to the successive reports in silence.
At his feet lay the body of Vesparo, the Colombo bandit group's second-in-command.
Colombo's gaze fixed on Vesparo's face.
Unlike the other bandits, whose faces were all contorted in agony, Vesparo's was relatively peaceful.
It wasn't that his suffering had been less than the others, but rather that his expression was one of resignation, as if he had accepted that the inevitable had finally come.
Colombo didn't like that.
Lifting Vesparo's body, Colombo spoke.
"Ves, Ves. Oh, Vesparo. My diligent and timid friend. What were you thinking in your final moments? Don't tell me you died peacefully, thinking foolish thoughts like your karma had finally caught up to you, or that you were at last paying for your sins?"
Colombo's grip on Vesparo's shoulder tightened.
Thick veins bulged on his skin, and his voice trembled with raw emotion.
"No, that's not it. There's no such thing as karma in this world. There's no such thing as paying for your sins! That's just an illusion created by those in high places, those who have stolen and extorted on a scale we bandits can't even compare to! When they take something, it's their rightful due, but when we lowly folk take something, it's a crime, an evil deed! So they, the noble ones, must punish us! It's all nonsense they made up to justify themselves! Why can't you see that, you foolish friend!"
Tears streamed down Colombo's face.
His men, though startled to see their leader cry for the first time, were moved, their own eyes turning red.
Colombo rose to his feet, drew the curved sword from his hip, and shouted.
"Gather all the surviving comrades! And find out what happened here, what kind of bastards did this! If they took all the slaves from this place, there must have been witnesses! Find them, and we will avenge our comrades!"
At his desperate cry, the surviving men responded in unison.
"Yes, Boss!"
*
After finishing your grand undertaking, you made your way to the Black Boar Inn.
You had initially planned to return to your usual lodging, but with the significant increase in your party's numbers, the old place was no longer sufficient.
The innkeeper, who had been in the middle of cleaning up the corpses of the Colombo bandits who had dropped dead on the first floor, froze upon seeing you again. However, after you handed him a heavy leather pouch, he willingly accepted you as a guest.
Since all the previous 'guests' had become 'things that used to be guests,' there were plenty of vacant rooms anyway.
Not long after, Dorothea came to find you.
You tilted your head.
[The 'Tin Knight' expresses surprise, wondering how she knew you were here!]
Dorothea replied nonchalantly.
"Whose mana do you think is moving you? It's no great feat to find my own mana. More importantly, what in the world have you been doing? It seems you've been on quite the rampage."
As Dorothea stared at you with a look of disbelief, you puffed out your chest and answered proudly.
[The 'Tin Knight' insists that you only killed scum whose deaths wouldn't tarnish your reputation!]
"That's not what I asked."
Though Dorothea's sharp gaze was fixed on you, it was Ronnie, standing beside you, who began to stammer out an excuse.
"I-I'm sorry. It's my fault for not looking after the Knight properly, which led to this commotion. But if it weren't for the Knight, neither I nor the others would have made it out safely. We wouldn't have been able to rescue these captured subjects, either."
A low murmur spread through the room.
As if to prove Ronnie's words, the Black Boar Inn was teeming with the slaves you had rescued from the bandits' hideout.
"Mommyyy."
"Yes, yes…! I'm so glad you're safe. So glad you're safe!"
"Patricia! Oh, dear God! I never thought I'd see you again!"
"Jack, your left hand… what happened to it?!"
"It's fine, this is nothing. It's a miracle we're both alive."
Those who had successfully reunited with their lost families were busy embracing each other and shedding tears.
The smiles on their lips proved that their tears were of joy, not of sorrow and grief.
"H-Have you seen my little sister? Her name is Mary, a girl with braided brown hair."
"…That girl was captured in the same cart as me. But she came down with a high fever on the way here… and couldn't hold on. No matter how much we pleaded with them, they wouldn't even give her a proper drink of water, let alone medicine."
"Ah, ahh…! Those bastards! Those inhuman scumbags! I should have killed them more painfully, more brutally!"
Of course, not everyone was so fortunate.
Many had died from wounds sustained during their capture, while others had collapsed, unable to endure the forced march. A not-insignificant number had been sold off immediately upon arriving in Albert City, as the bandits found it difficult to 'store' them all in their hideout.
Watching the scene with a pained expression, Ronnie desperately tried to form her words.
"If the Knight hadn't moved so swiftly and decisively, far more people would have met a tragic end. Ah, of course, it was also a great help that the witch enabled us to enter the city right away. Thanks to both of your graces, we received immense help. So please, I ask that you do not fight amongst yourselves."
She defended you, then, perhaps thinking Dorothea would be offended if she only praised you, she praised Dorothea as well. The result of her back-and-forth was a muddled excuse that was neither here nor there.
For all her earnestness, her eloquence was lacking, but Dorothea merely looked a little sullen and didn't press you any further.
Instead, Dorothea said this:
"You should prepare to send these people back to your domain as quickly as possible. It would be best to start now and move out the moment the gates open tomorrow."
Ronnie looked bewildered.
Her eyes kept darting toward you, as if she were thinking, 'Why are these people in such a hurry?'
Of course, it seemed the experience she'd gained from working with you hadn't completely vanished, as instead of simply saying 'no,' Ronnie first asked for a reason.
"Why is that?"
"You raided the bandits' hideout, didn't you? The nights in this city are quite bright. Shops that would have long since closed elsewhere are still lit up and doing business, and there are a fair number of people on the streets. Do you really think not a single one of them saw what you did? How long do you think it will take for the returning bandit leader to get the news and storm this place?"
Ronnie's mouth fell shut.
Destroy the enemy's base, rescue the slaves, and that's the end of it.
She was once again reminded that things were never that simple.
Their enemy was still out there, and she didn't even know the location of the 'young lady' she was supposed to rescue.
Time was still not on their side.
However, as you saw it, the current situation wasn't all that bad.
[The 'Tin Knight' argues that if you know the enemy is coming, you should just attack them first!]
Dorothea stared at you.
"…You seem to have run wild. You've used up a fair bit of mana, too. If you fight again in this state, you might shut down from fuel shortage."
[The 'Tin Knight' says that Dorothea can just recharge you!]
"Mana isn't free. Why should I, when it's not necessary for my own protection?"
It was a cold reply, but you answered with confidence.
[The 'Tin Knight' claims that since you've done this much, there's no way Dorothea has just been sitting around doing nothing!]
Dorothea paused.
She looked at you with narrowed eyes, then the corners of her mouth curled up.
"A mere familiar dares to test its master's abilities? How cheeky."
[The 'Tin Knight' retorts that there was no condition in the contract about observing etiquette!]
"But there was a condition about providing protection in exchange for mana. And yet, you've hardly done anything in the way of protection, have you?"
[The 'Tin Knight' asserts that the best defense is to annihilate the attacker!]
"That's a ridiculous stretch, but… well, I like it this time."
Dorothea turned her gaze from you to Ronnie.
"I take back what I just said. It's not my job to lead a group of people anyway, so you decide what to do with them. If I were to give some advice, I'd at least post a night watch. The leader aside, the grunts might still try to attack."
"…What are you planning to do?"
"Go make some money. I need to participate in an auction, so I have to fill my wallet. Oh, and I have news about your young lady, but I'll tell you when I get back."
"What? P-Please, wait a moment! Is the young lady safe?!"
"I said I'll tell you later. Don't follow me, you'll be in the way. Just wait."
After her one-sided declaration, Dorothea walked away.
You followed behind her.
[The 'Tin Knight' asks if this battle will be the end of the fight with the bandits!]
"Who knows until we try? Probably, if things go according to plan. But why do you ask?"
[The 'Tin Knight' says that fighting the same guys three times is enough!]
"So you do have preferences. I thought you were just a maniac who was happy as long as you could fight."
[The 'Tin Knight' complains that while fighting a lot is good, repeating similar patterns gets boring!]
You continued walking, exchanging idle chatter.
You had walked this path once before, so there was no chance of getting lost.
Someone who looked like a member of the bandit group spotted you and was seen running off in a hurry.
The further you went, the more eyes you felt on you.
And a short while later.
Arriving at your destination, you came face to face with a man who was glaring at you with bloodshot eyes.
"—To think you'd crawl here on your own two feet. Did you come to beg for forgiveness?"
You felt the urge to respond with a cool line, but then you remembered that your opponent wouldn't be able to hear you anyway.
Dorothea whispered to you.
"I'll hold off the grunts, so just bring me the leader's head. Time limit: 10 seconds. Can you do it? If you can't, say so now. We'll switch to Plan B."
It was an excellent provocation.
Instead of words, you drew your sword.
As if in response, the surrounding bandits raised their weapons.
The bandit leader, his eyes flashing wildly, aimed his curved sword at you.
A limited-time boss battle had begun.