บท 22: Moonlit Assault
The sun slowly climbed in the sky, and although it was still some time before noon, Wolf's patience had nearly run out.
Feeling helpless while waiting for results always tormented Wolf, like an insect crawling inside his clothes that he couldn't reach to scratch.
"Boss! Captain Igor is back!"
One of the men who had been waiting outside came running in with the news.
At that moment, there was no other news that could have pleased Wolf more.
"Good! Very good!"
Unable to wait for Igor to enter, Wolf strode out of the cave and met the bloodied Igor face-to-face at the entrance.
"Igor?! How did you get hurt?!"
Wolf was quite surprised. In his astonishment, the experienced bandit leader had many thoughts running through his mind.
(Damn, were there traps in Ira Village?)
(Damn that traitor Fuchs...!)
(No, I need to quickly withdraw the group. I don't know if Igor has been followed by the enemy...)
"Boss, I... I'm fine. This... isn't my blood. It's... the blood of that kid from Ira Village."
It was only after Igor's explanation that Wolf realized there hadn't been any ambushes or traps. It was just that the young man from Ira Village had put up a fierce struggle before his death, leaving Igor covered in blood.
"Ah... Anyway, as long as you're alright. Did you properly dispose of the kid's body?" Wolf asked, a bit embarrassed, thankful that he hadn't voiced his earlier concerns.
"It's taken care of. It won't be... discovered."
"Mm... Right, what about the treasure in the underground cave? Why did you come back empty-handed?"
As soon as Wolf was sure that everything was fine, his focus immediately shifted to the treasure.
"The treasure... There were too many boxes… I couldn't… carry them all back… by myself."
Igor's slow speech always made Wolf impatient. After hearing Igor's explanation, Wolf sighed. He complained in his heart that Igor was good at everything except for being too straightforward and hard to use. In this situation, even if he couldn't bring all the treasure back, couldn't he have brought at least a portion of it?
"Alright, but did you remember the location of the treasure?"
"Yes, I marked... the way back."
Wolf nodded, acknowledging that Igor wasn't entirely foolish.
"Boss, I'll take... a few brothers now... and move the treasure back."
Honest Igor was prepared to head back out without even changing his clothes. Wolf thought for a moment and stopped him.
"Hold on, don't go yet."
Wolf walked up to Igor and patted him on the shoulder.
"Go rest for a while. You need to clean up the blood on you; it stinks... There's no rush with the treasure. We'll deal with it when everyone moves out tonight."
"…Understood."
Although Wolf said this, his real concern was not trusting Igor to handle the treasure alone. He worried Igor's subordinates might not be clean, and Igor himself was relatively careless. Additionally, obtaining a large amount of wealth beforehand would negatively affect the morale before attacking the village at night. Once the bandits had money, they would certainly be less willing to risk their lives. Only poverty could motivate them.
Now that he knew Ira Village was safe, he could retrieve the treasure while attacking the village at night.
With this thought, a huge weight was lifted off Wolf's chest, and his mood lightened considerably... However, there was still a small issue to be resolved.
"Come here."
Wolf called two of his trusted subordinates and whispered to them to go to Luka Village immediately. After seeing Fuchs, they were to seize an opportunity to kill him when he was alone, and dispose of the body cleanly without letting anyone else see it.
(Don't blame me, Fuchs. It's not that I don't value our old friendship, but if I let you live, I won't be able to sleep at night...)
·
As the sun set and darkness fell, under Wolf's leadership, the Red Cloud Bandits quietly emerged from their hidden cave and headed towards Ira Forest.
Under the moonlight, the bandits moved stealthily through the woods and mountains. About two hours later, the Red Cloud Bandits reached the depths of Ira Forest.
"Igor, we must be nearing 'that place,' correct?"
"Yes... indeed."
"Very well."
Wolf ordered the entire band to hold their position and remain still. Anyone who dared to abandon their post would be executed without mercy. Then, he chose five clever and obedient men from among his subordinates, calling upon Igor to lead the way as they ventured forth in a small group to secure Fuchs' treasure.
Guided by the moonlight, Igor traced the markers through the forest and eventually arrived at the entrance of the underground cavern. The surrounding area was dense with bushes and highly concealed, making it an ideal hiding place for treasure.
"We have arrived, Boss."
Wolf nodded in anticipation, eager to see just how much wealth Fuchs had amassed.
"Alright... you, you, and you - the three of you, come with me."
"Igor, you and the others stand guard here. If anything happens, signal me as usual."
"Understood."
Wolf selected three strong bandits to accompany him into the underground cavern. Once inside, the moonlight could no longer penetrate the darkness, rendering the space pitch black. Gritting his teeth, Wolf indulged in a luxury, activating a "Universal Stone" to illuminate their path.
With the cavern now lit, Wolf discovered that the passageway inside was quite spacious. He marveled at Fuchs' ability to find such a location, acknowledging that the scout's exploratory capabilities were indeed extraordinary.
(What a pity, Fuchs. The wealth you've spent a lifetime saving will now be effortlessly seized by me.)
Excitement quickened Wolf's pace. He relished the thrill of plundering and taking lives for wealth, and it was at the moment of "harvest" that he felt an irresistible tingling sensation in his scalp.
"Damn, it's sweltering in this cavern. Didn't summer just begin?"
Before long, Wolf and his men were drenched in sweat, the temperature within the underground cavern unusually high. But as they had already come this far, Wolf could not be bothered with the heat – the treasure was all that mattered!
Five minutes later, they reached the deepest part of the cavern, where five large wooden chests lay in silence.
(To think there are so many... Fuchs truly was a miser!)
Unable to conceal the grin spreading across his face, an exhilarated Wolf strode forward and opened a chest. With a creak, it swung open, revealing...
"How can it be empty?!"
Wolf's expression froze. Without a second thought, he hastily opened the remaining four chests, only to find that they, too, were empty!
"Damn it!"
Enraged, Wolf violently kicked over a chest, the fury rendering him somewhat dizzy.
Recalling Igor's report earlier in the day, Wolf instantly realized he had been duped by Igor! But how could the ever-honest Igor deceive him? However, it was also unlikely that Igor would have returned without verifying the contents of the chests.
(Wait a minute... could it be Fuchs? Did he not go to Luca Village but instead arrive here ahead of us?!)
Wolf remembered that his handling of Fuchs had been flawed. He immediately led his men back the way they came, deciding that action was needed regardless.
However, after only a few steps, one of Wolf's men suddenly collapsed.
"What's going on? How can you fall like that? Get up now!"
Wolf assumed his subordinate had merely tripped on the uneven ground. But when another man fell as well, he realized that something was amiss.
"...You actually lasted fifteen minutes. You have quite impressive constitutions."
A familiar voice drifted from nearby. Wolf looked up to see a vaguely recognizable figure standing on the path leading to the exit, holding what appeared to be a jar in his hand.
(Damn it, we've been ambushed!)
Wolf's years of experience helped him to suppress his anger at that moment. He urged his last remaining man to charge with him toward the shadowy figure. However, after only a couple of steps, their legs gave way, and they both tumbled to the ground, overwhelmed by nausea and a suffocating tightness in their chests.
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