Well, after we went a little far with the delegationâs carriage from Mathrica, the royal capital of the first visited kingdom, Dalisson Kingdom, I transported a.k.a ătransferredă ăBig Lorryă (I named it because itâs sad to call it ăRVă forever) and rode it together with Sabine-chan and Colette-chan.
Of course, I placed Big Lorry up ahead just like what I did last time and disguised it as having been there for a long time. Though, I was criticized by the Earl as itâs too careless and suspicious about how come it wasnât stolen.
He thought for a little while and reach to a conclusion that instead of going ahead and leaving the delegation party behind, we need to travel together with them.
And thus, we had been following them from the back. The reason being is that it would be tiring for us if weâre at the front and need to constantly check our behind so that we are not separated from them.
Well, itâs also bad for the horses to breathe the exhaust gas too, though.
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And my irritation turns worse because of this very slow driving.
If itâs this slow, the spark plug will overheat!!
WellâŚ, itâs because I was being emotional earlier, though.
I was a little worried about the main unit and cannot help but accompanying themâŚâŚ
When I consulted with the Earl, he also has the same concern, so, yeahâŚ, I will have to accompany them for a couple of days.
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After continuing this slow drive for a while, we parked Big Lorry on the side of the road and unwind ourselves. I realized that our stress will be considerably reduced if we catch up with the main unit just before they disappear from view.
âŚâŚis what I had thought, but right now, the bored Sabine-chan and Colette-chan are staying in the back and have started playing Dragon Quest 3.
UGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!
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Two days later, after leaving the royal capital.
At last, the thing that I have been waiting for has come. No, itâs not a happy thing at all, though.
Yup, we are being attacked by bandits.\n
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A band of around 25~26 bandits who suddenly appeared in front at a location that has a short line of sight, much like the foot of this rocky mountain. The road ahead is blocked with carriages that were carefully turned sideways so that the prey cannot break through.
As it has already been a while after our temporary halt and the main unit is not that far from us, we immediately start to catch up and join the main unit that had been stopped. And then, 14~15 bandits appeared from behind us and we got trapped in both sides.
Although the rear is not blocked by carriages, itâs difficult to turn a carriage around where thereâs no space for sheltering nor turning back. Thereâs also no benefit on doing it either.
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The right side of the main road is a steep rocky mountain, and although the left side is a little vacant, the ground is rough and rocky with large and small crags jutting out, so itâs not a place that a carriage can escape to. In conclusion, itâs impossible to break off and run away.
And then, the bandits start coming towards us slowly.
Thatâs right, the bandits that seems a bit strange.
When I said strange is thatâŚ, they have matching leather combat boots, well-kept swords, and properly shaved beard but somehow wearing shabby clothes.
They still keep the pace unconsciously regardless of the fact that they are walking in a scattered manner. The number of people is about 40 in total, just enough to form a platoon of a kingdomâs troops.
(Mitsuha & Sabine) ăăAah~âŚăă
I donât know whether Colette-chan understood it or not, but me and Sabine-chan sighed together.
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And I turned on one of several micro switches that were attached to the shift lever.
(Mitsuha)Â ăAa~, the suspicious bandits over there, stop right there! If you donât stop, itâs going to be unpleasant, you know!ă
Yup, itâs a microphone switch that is connected to an external speaker equipped on the Big Lorry.
(Colette)Â ăMitsuha, there are no such thing as unsuspicious bandits, though?ă
Colette-chan said so, but no, I donât mean it literally ăsuspiciousă. It means ăitâs too suspicious to even call them banditsă.
Then, I did a continuous transfer in just a few milliseconds, and brought the equipment for Sabine-chan and Colette-chan. Of course, mine too.
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The ăbanditsă kept coming closer without even heeding my warning.
Yup, they are ăbanditsă, alright.
According to the rules of this world, we could now establish a legitimate self-defense as they have ignored the warning and are approaching a delegation from foreign kingdom.
(Mitsuha)Â ăOkay then, letâs do it. Colette-chan and I will take the ones who are in front meanwhile I will leave the rear to you, Sabine-chan. Leave them incapacitated instead of killing them as much as possible. And lastly, donât let anyone get away.ă
(Sabine)Â ăUnderstood.ă\n(Colette)Â ăLeave it to me!ă
The two of them gave a reliable reply.
Yup, thatâs because these twoâs skill with the gun is above mine, you seeâŚ
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Damn it!
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The horse-riding escorts and the ones who had jumped out of the carriage stood in front of the main unit, but thereâs too much of a difference between their numbers.
If they really are bandits, the escorts who were chosen to be the bodyguards for the delegation will need to fight to a certain extent until the other side have judged that ăthis wonât be goodă and escape.
But of course, Iâm aware that the escorts are not stupid.
That is, we understood that the enemies are ăfake banditsă.
The escorts have a grim look.
I moved Big Lorry a bit and skewed against the main road. With this, we could shoot the bandits from the left and right windows. This is also to get rid of the main unitâs carriages and escorts from our line of fire.
And the first one was from me.
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*Paan!*
(Bandit)Â ăGYAAAAAAAA!ă
Yup, just like what I aimed at, it hit his thigh.
The accuracy is good as I shot it while placing the gun barrel on the window frame. Easy-peasy.
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The bandits stopped moving, and listened to the exhorting voice from their command-, no no, their leader.
(Commander Leader) ăThat thing will take time to do its next attack! If we approach in that meantime, they can only attack once or twice only! Their aim will also go amiss if they become flustered! Letâs go, charge!ă
*Paan!*
(Commander Leader) ăGYAAAA!ă
The second shot was from Colette-chan. Yup, itâs a common sense to aim for their commander.
 \n\nIt was me that shot at full auto, but I didnât particularly aim at the bandits. I just mowed down right in front of the bandits feet.
However, that was intentional as it was extremely easy to put it in their mind and it will be unlikely for them to doubt that this time I could shoot their body instead of their legs.
(TL Note: Aww⌠I thought we also have a Rena hereâŚ)
And I switched on the microphone again.
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(Mitsuha)Â ăAll of you, throw away your weapons on the spot and walk slowly with your hands up. If you make a strange move or try to run away, you will get shot.
And then, after we handed you over to Her Highness Princess Remia, your identity will be checked and you will be beheaded as bandits who had attacked a delegation from another kingdom. Your corpse then will be exposed at the central plaza and we will capture and investigate your family, relatives, friends and others, who are also doubted as partners in crime.
However, if you are only soldiers who had obeyed the commands from your superior, of course, the responsibility would then be transferred to the superior and everyone would not be blamed for it. If he escapes or resists, it will be instantly regarded as a confession from him that heâs a conspirator, a traitor, and a shameful piece of garbage who escaped from his enemies and abandoned his comrades, and he also should be dumped from his enemy and his allies as heâs just a despicable being.ă
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The bandits were frozen in place.
The leader, or should I say, the commander who acted as the bandit leader, is stiffened while currently sitting on the ground because of his injured leg and could not let out any voice.
And while we handled the bandits who are in front, the sound of Sabine-chanâs gunshot should have echoed in the back if she was shooting in the same manner according to her own situation. However, right now the rear is also silent just like the bandits right here.
Is it because the speakerâs voice can also be obviously heard from the back too?
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While all of them were frozen in place, the ones who were at the hindmost, were starting to move back little by little so that no one noticed.
And when a certain man tried to run away at once.
*Paan!*
A bullet hit his right shoulder, and the man somersaulted and fell down