The captured enemy soldiers were bound, and the mages were gagged, blindfolded, and had their ears plugged, after which Mile used magic to extract their consciousness. It wouldn't matter if a few fewer were available for interrogation; safety was the top priority.
Initially, the enemy soldiers insisted they were bandits, but since the rules for prisoners of war wouldn't apply to them, they were told that after torture, they would either be hanged or forced into a life of hard labor in the mines as criminal slaves, with no chance of returning home through political deals. If their identities were discovered, their families and those around them would be notified that they were "extremely wicked people who committed theft in a foreign country," which greatly disturbed them.
After examining their belongings, while there was no decisive evidence, the money in the pouches was from the Alba Empire, and the inscriptions on their weapons were from famous workshops in the Alba Empire, which almost confirmed the identity of the mastermind. If these were modern Earth infiltrators, they wouldn't carry such items, but in this world, such details were often overlooked. Besides, even with some circumstantial evidence, they could simply deny it, saying, "I don't know anything about it," or "It's a setup and a false accusation."
Therefore, no country would go to such lengths to frame the empire, as Bart argued.
"So, who should we negotiate with?"
After a moment, one man stepped forward.
"...It's me."
He was the squad leader who had survived severe injuries but was still alive thanks to Mile's healing magic. His ribs and right arm were broken, and his side was still bleeding, though the bleeding had been stopped. He was well enough to speak.
"So, it's really okay to handle you as bandits? You'll lose all the honor and pride of being soldiers and end up as mine slaves, and your families might even be informed of this?"
"Y-You're being unfair!"
"Huh? What are you talking about? You said, 'We are bandits,' right?"
"Gr..."
The commander, looking regretful and at a loss for words, was helped by Pauline.
"I have a good idea! We can inform your homeland and the surrounding countries that, 'All the members of the illegal trade disruption unit from the Alba Empire have honestly confessed and received fifty gold coins each as a reward.' This way, you'll be recognized as soldiers who followed orders and risked their lives, and your families will be proud."
"N-N..."
The commander was speechless. If such rumors were spread, he would be treated as a traitor in his homeland, and his family, relatives, and friends would suffer unimaginable consequences.
"Those who truly confess can be told, 'This is the legacy of a man who didn't speak even under torture. He was a fine man, so we are sending this to his family.' We can secretly contact the family later and help them leave the country. After that, they can serve as military advisors in our country, or join the military, become hunters, or go to other countries. There are many options."
"N-N..."
"That's a good idea. We'll treat them as soldiers of the empire. After all, they are just bandits, so no real families will suffer. We just need a reason to accuse the empire. If they confess, it will be for the reward and their safety. It's a good thing you're not real soldiers with families in the empire!"
"N-N..."
Pauline spoke on the assumption that they were empire soldiers, while Bart maintained the stance that they were just bandits. Their conversation didn't align, but the meaning was clear. The commander turned pale, and the other prisoners were restless.
"Do we really need so many prisoners? We can keep those who cooperate and dispose of those who don't. Later, we can say that the ones who talked did it all and received a large sum of money to go to another country."
Pauline's words were met with silence, from both enemies and allies.
"S-Sure, we can reduce the number a bit..."
Bart's response was somewhat hesitant.
"W-Wait! That's not how you treat prisoners..."
"Prisoners? You're not soldiers but bandits, and not just any bandits, but ones who kill surrendered merchants, breaking all conventions. Besides, you didn't surrender. The last five only said, 'We'll drop our weapons, don't kill us,' not a conditional surrender. We won't kill those five, but we keep our promises, unlike you."
"..."
As the commander was speechless, a voice rose from the soldiers.
"No! I don't want to! I didn't become a soldier to be killed as a bandit!
This mission is clearly a treaty violation, right? Everyone knows that, right?
I'm willing to risk my life to protect my homeland and family. That's why I became a soldier. I didn't work hard to break treaties, massacre civilians, and be executed as a bandit!
Besides, if this continues, my family will be treated as the wife and children of a traitor, abused, and possibly killed. Is that what the country has done for us?"
"..."
Surprisingly, the commander didn't shout or deny it. The soldiers and the commander all bowed their heads in silence.
"...I don't want to either."
"Me too..."
"The empire has betrayed us. There's no reason to stick around anymore..."
The ease with which things progressed surprised the caravan party.
(Pauline should try not to turn the enemy...)
Thinking this, Mile glanced sideways to see Reina and Maevys with similar expressions, as if they were thinking the same thing. They were a well-matched party.
Once a few had defected, there was no point in the others trying to hold out. The truth would eventually come out, and those who didn't talk would bear all the blame and face execution or mine labor.
"I'll talk!"
"Me too!"
"Me too!"
The soldiers defected one after another, and finally, the commander joined them. In the end, all but the unconscious mages agreed to testify. The traitors who would be publicly announced would be the six who died. It was unfortunate for their families, but since they "refused to defect and tried to kill the caravan members until the end," there was no need to consider them further.
The interrogation continued until morning, gathering information on the Alba Empire's political situation, financial state, the reasons for their aggressive actions, the existence of merchants who transport supplies, and other details. Even if they had to repeat it in the capital, it was important to gather as much information as possible, as there was a risk of being silenced at some point.
According to the commander, there were no informants in Amros, but it was unclear if this could be trusted, and there was a possibility that he was unaware.
In the morning, the mages regained consciousness. The earplugs were removed, and the commander explained the previous night's events. The mages agreed, but since they couldn't be disarmed, they were kept gagged and blindfolded. They couldn't cast spells without incantations, and with their eyes covered, they couldn't cast spells effectively. They were constantly watched to prevent them from cutting their ropes. They were only allowed to drink water under strict supervision for a few seconds.
The prisoners were not given food. Humans can survive for a few days without food. Moreover, it was strange for a caravan that was only a day away from its destination to provide food for nearly twice as many prisoners. Especially since the arrival was delayed by a day...
The caravan members thought Mile's storage might have enough food, but they didn't want to free the prisoners' hands and give them a chance to counterattack, nor did they want to reveal Mile's abilities to the prisoners who would be interrogated multiple times.
So, only the caravan members ate. The guards were hungry because they had barely eaten lunch and skipped dinner the previous day.
Mile pretended to unload from the wagon and took out meat, fruit, and firewood from the item box. Reina started the fire, Maevys cut the food, and Pauline prepared warm drinks. They were, as always, a convenient group.
Around noon, a hunter on horseback passed by, heading from Amros to the capital. He seemed to nod in their direction as he passed.
"...Probably a messenger hired by Fergus. Another one will probably come soon."
As Bart predicted, another horse appeared and passed by.
"One to the guild and one to the palace. After that, it will be a mix of conspicuous and inconspicuous methods. Fast but conspicuous, slow but inconspicuous, and something in between. With three types, at least one will get through."
It would be a significant expense, but it was necessary. Besides, they would receive a reward and additional funds for expenses.
Around noon, over twenty horsemen arrived, half from the Hunter's Guild and half from the lord's army.
"Good job!"
A man in his forties dismounted from the lead horse and greeted them with a smile.
"I'm Connelly from the Amros lord's army. We were worried when the caravan didn't arrive. We couldn't find the bandits, and we were at a loss. This news was a relief! Our lord is usually stingy, but he's generous with those who achieve results. You can expect a reward!"
It seemed they weren't trying to steal credit, and Bart was relieved. Sometimes, there were such people...
Next, an elderly man approached.
"I'm the Guild Master of the Amros branch of the Hunter's Guild. Good job. There's no specific bounty, but there's a reward for bandit extermination. You can expect it! Also, 70% of the proceeds from selling the criminals as slaves go to those who captured them.
The escort wagon will arrive by evening. We'll depart in the morning. The food is on the wagon, so you can relax. There's even wine. We'll stand guard, so you can drink and rest."
Cheers rose from the back, from the "Flame Wolves." It was probably for the reward or the wine...
They probably hadn't been able to earn much recently and hadn't had a chance to drink.
"Thank you... By the way, I need to explain something..."
Bart then explained the situation in detail.
The rest of the day passed uneventfully. The escort wagon arrived in the late afternoon, and the "Flame Wolves" enjoyed the food and drinks, while the "Dragon Breath" only had food. Despite the presence of the lord's army and other hunters, they weren't foolish enough to get drunk. The "Red Vow" members, except for Pauline, were adults, but they only had a little wine with their meals.
The caravan members, who hadn't slept the previous night, went to bed immediately. The "Dragon Breath" took turns standing watch. The "Red Vow" members, with Mile's "barrier magic and automatic alarm magic," set up tents and slept together. There was no "Japanese bedtime story" tonight.
The next day, they ate the breakfast provided by the escort team and set off immediately. The bodies of the soldiers and the seven bandits were also loaded.
No bandits would dare attack this force, and the heavily loaded caravan moved slowly, arriving in Amros by late afternoon without incident.
They headed to the lord's army facility, where the prisoners were restrained. The restraint was more like house arrest, with the commander and one surviving senior non-commissioned officer in separate rooms, and the others divided into groups to prevent collusion. They were considered defectors, but there was a risk they might try to escape if given the chance.
After handing over the prisoners, they went to the Hunter's Guild to hand over the bandits, with the settlement to be made the next day, and then proceeded to the final destination with the merchants' wagons.
"We've been waiting for you! It's a relief to see you arrive safely."
This was the place where the merchants' clients would take the cargo.
"As agreed, we'll sell at the usual price. So, you should..."
"We understand. We'll sell at the usual price without raising it."
The merchants lightly touched their right fists to their left chests, probably a form of oath.
"Actually, we have more goods than just the agreed items. Would you like to buy them?"