Confirming none of his men had noticed, the Bandit Boss turned and fled.
“Idiots! Can’t even buy me a little time!? ”“Taking him out? It’s not that easy! Anyone daring enough to chase us into the jungle can’t be weak. Even if they’re not as strong as us, we’d never finish them off quickly. By then, we’d be surrounded by other adventurers before we could land a hit!”“You fools can at least be useful for something. As long as you hold that person off, I’ll still have a chance to escape.”
The bandits continued onward, following the Boss’s orders to ambush the signal-sender. Little did they know, the leader they trusted had already slipped away—his figure fading into the forest......
“Here they come......”
Hulim Heyerar had watched their every move, ready to face them.
“Found them! Over here——!”
A bandit spotted Hulim first and shouted.
But when they got a clear look at her, the bandits froze collectively.
“What the...... It’s just a kid!? ”“Boss, why’s it a kid——”
Stunned, they instinctively turned to ask the Boss—only to find his spot empty.
“B-boss? Where did he go?”
The bandits exchanged confused glances, completely baffled by his sudden disappearance.
“......”
Hulim looked at the disoriented bandits and spoke up:
“Finished discussing? Forget your Boss. He abandoned you halfway—you’re just bait to slow us down.”
“What did you say, you brat! Daring to insult our Boss!?”
“......”
Instead of believing the truth, the bandits flew into a rage at her words.
“We’ll take care of you first, then find the Boss!”
They raised their weapons and charged at Hulim.
She lifted her wand calmly.
Which spell to use? A Tier 3 Fire Spell would leave too obvious traces—anyone could tell its rank. Wind Magic was subtler, but the lingering wind elements would still reveal its type. She wasn’t sure how much Alec and the others knew about her, but given their connection to her father, she decided to be cautious.
Then she settled on one......
“【???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????】”
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Hulim chanted the incantation quickly. Bright, holy white light gathered around her.
“Huh?! There’s something off about this kid......”
The bandits sensed danger mid-chant, but it was too late!
“——Radiant Flash!”
Blinding white light illuminated the surrounding forest. Thin, blade-like white light spread outward in a ring, slicing through the bandits’ waists in an instant.
Less than two seconds later,
Thud! Thud! Thud......
All the bandits collapsed to the ground.
“One left......”
Hulim didn’t spare the fallen bandits a glance. She turned sharply in one direction—through the Wind Messenger Bird’s shared vision, she saw a single bandit fleeing desperately......
......
“Dammit! Those fools couldn’t hold them off for even a minute!? ”
The Bandit Boss, tightly bound in ropes, roared in frustration.
“Be quiet!”
Alec slapped him hard across the face. The Boss’s right cheek swelled visibly, and he finally settled down.
“Move! Walk on your own!”
Threatened by the sword pressed to his neck, the Boss lost all his arrogance. He was forced to trudge toward the camp under the adventurers’ escort.
When the adventurers and their captive reappeared at the camp, cheers erupted from those cleaning up the battlefield—celebrating their flawless victory.
......
“Hey, Hulim, I’ve been curious about something.”
By the campfire that night, Anjie voiced the question on everyone’s mind.
“You said you didn’t see the spy’s face. So how did you know who it was?”
The rest of Hunting Fangs shared her curiosity.
Hulim had identified the spy from the start, which is why their plan had gone so smoothly. If the spy had been among the adventurers or caravan leaders, such a large-scale trap would have been impossible.
Hulim set down her roasted meat and glanced toward the area where the bandits were being held. There, the middle-aged woman—the spy—was locked up with the others.
The adventurers had found her easily in the nearby jungle. She was still alive, but her eyes were empty, like a corpse. She’d surrendered without resistance.
As for how Hulim had identified her without seeing her face—it all dated back to the start of the journey......
Back then, even though the elderly lady in the cart had acted suspiciously by offering her biscuits, Hulim had never doubted her. The biscuits were indeed a specialty from a distant region.
Moreover, poisoning people with biscuits in a caravan like this would have been suicidal—she would have been caught immediately.
After all, both the caravan and adventurers brought their own food; none would accept her biscuits.
Hulim had refused mainly to avoid striking up a conversation—she wanted a peaceful trip! Of course, caution had played a small part too......
While the elderly lady was innocent, the middle-aged woman’s words had caught Hulim’s attention.
She’d claimed to be a simple farmer’s wife, but she’d looked nothing like one. Hulim had seen farmers on the Heyerar family’s fief—they carried the scent of soil and hard labor, which was completely absent from her. She’d seemed more like a traveling merchant.
Most importantly, she’d said her sister’s business had prospered and invited her to invest. Her straightforward description had made it sound like a joyous occasion, and the elderly lady had congratulated her.
Yet Hulim had seen no joy in her eyes—only deep anxiety and fear......
Originally, Hulim hadn’t cared about the middle-aged woman’s true identity. She’d had no interest in prying into a stranger’s secrets—until the bandit attack......
So even though she hadn’t seen the spy’s face in the jungle, the spy’s height had matched the middle-aged woman’s perfectly. Instantly, Hulim had realized—the spy was her fellow passenger!
......
Ps：I’m still at it—everyone enjoy this chapter for now! I’m typing away at the next one. I promised double happiness for the weekend, so double happiness it is—I’m keeping my promise!!……^_^
