𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐬
“Just as you say, this is indeed strange.”
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Barbassa muttered as he turned over the body of a hobgoblin rolling on the ground.
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“Why does a mere bandit have such equipment?”
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The hobgoblin was wearing a full plate armor made of steel.
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The sword in his hand was well-used, but it was clear from its construction that it was not cheap.
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Not just the hobgoblin, all the bandits were wearing disproportionately equipped.
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“And this demon, they are probably mage mercenaries.”
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Barbassa continued the conversation while checking the motionless demon.
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“If they targeted me, they are either exiled demons, or they accepted a request to kill me. Either way, I can’t imagine that mere bandits could hire mercenaries. There must be someone behind this. I should have kept one alive and captured it. . .”
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Barbassa frowned regretfully as Luke checked the bandits’ equipment next to him.
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“It’s strange. Why do they have such equipment?”
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“As I said earlier, probably someone has become the financier of these bandits.”
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“That’s possible, but their equipment is strange. Look at this.”
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Luke stood up and pointed at the body of the bandit.
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“This sword was made in the demon realm, but the armor is made in the Arrogas Kingdom. Over there, the weapon is from the Arrogas Kingdom and the armor is from the demon realm. In other words, they are using equipment from both the demon and human races.”
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“I see. . .”
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Barbassa’s eyes widened slightly.
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It seemed that he had realized what Luke was trying to say.
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“Luke, what do you mean? Is that something serious?”
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Alma and Kiel looked puzzled.
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“Weapons and armor are strictly regulated for import and export. Especially between humans and demons, there is almost no circulation. Yet, these bandits were using both.”
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“Does that mean. . . these guys were connected with the human race?”
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Kiel gasped in surprise.
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“Or both the demon and human races. And someone who can arrange this much equipment. I’m not familiar with the equipment of the demon realm, but the one from the Arrogas Kingdom is not just any equipment, it’s the same quality as the ones officially deployed in the military.”
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“This one is genuine military equipment. Either it was illegally diverted, or someone related to the military is behind it.”
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Barbassa frowned as he examined the body.
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“Anyway, it seems that this is not just a problem of one side. It’s not just about making money, I feel like there are other motives at work. We need to investigate more. . .”
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“Anyway, with this, the original goal of subjugating the bandits has been achieved.”
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Without waiting for Luke’s talk, Barbassa stood up and pointed to the frozen river.
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“As promised, I will release you here. The other side of that river is the country of the human race, you should cross while it’s frozen. Don’t worry, I will release the ship and crew you were on as soon as I return.”
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“Huh? No. . . I mean, yes, that was the promise, but. . .”
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Luke’s eyes widened at Barbassa’s sudden change.
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“What’s the matter? You were so eager to go home. You guys are free now, so if you’re done, why don’t you leave? This is not your country.”
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“Huh?! What’s that!”
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Kiel raises her eyes and approaches Barbassa.
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“After making us work so hard, you tell us to go home when we’re done? Just because you’re a big shot in the demon world, that doesn’t mean you can do that!”
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“I don’t care about your calculations. I’m just fulfilling my promise. You guys were uninvited guests in the first place, so I’d appreciate it if you could go home without any hassle.”
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However, Barbassa’s arrogant attitude remains unchanged.
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“. . .Understood. Then, I’ll take my leave.”
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Luke, who had a surprised look on his face, finally bowed his head slightly and turned on his heel, urging Alma and Kiel to follow him.
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“Wait, Luke! What’s going on? Why are you listening to that guy! If we don’t hit him once, he’ll keep looking down on us!”
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“Well, let’s go home for now. Kiel has been away from the island for a while, so I think it’s better to go home sooner rather than later.”
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“Uh. . . well, that’s true, but. . .”
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Kiel reluctantly agrees, but she still seems unconvinced.
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“Luke.”
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Barbassa stops Luke, who is about to cross the river.
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“I don’t like to owe people. I’ll repay you in due course, but for now, I’ll give you some advice in return for your earlier help. Be careful of the worm in the lion’s body.”
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“. . .What do you mean. . .”
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“I’ve said what I needed to say. The rest is up to you to figure out. Well, knowing you, I think you have a hunch.”
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Barbassa unilaterally says this and turns on his heel, giving orders to the extermination team.
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“Gather as much evidence as you can. Let’s get rid of all the pus in our territory at this opportunity.”
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◆
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“What’s with him! He’s really annoying!”
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Kiel walks down the mountain path with a clear look of anger.
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“At least say thank you to Luke! He saved your life!”
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“Well, he’s probably busy.”
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“Hey, doesn’t Barbassa know something? I felt like he deliberately avoided what Luke was trying to say.”
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Alma whispers to Luke as they walk side by side.
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“Probably. The fact that he stopped me there means he didn’t want me to say it out loud yet.”
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Luke nods slightly and continues to talk while looking ahead.
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“What bothers me more is why he let us go here. Maybe he took that attitude to get us to go home right away.”
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“So~o~? Isn’t it just that he said that to annoy us?”
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Kiel clicks her tongue in disbelief.
