Chapter 5: The Road to the Academy (4)

“Shall I carry one of them?”

As we walked, Hori glanced at one of the three men I was carrying and hesitantly asked.

“No, it would be too heavy for you.”

While I was fine due to my Baldo training, a completely unconscious person was quite heavy. Their body weight alone was over 70kg, and with their gear, it was almost 80kg. Hori’s slender arms would struggle to carry them all the way back to the campfire.

“But why did you come all this way? You could have just waited.”

“Well, I was worried that you might kill all the bandits….”

“…….”

How long has she known me to think I’m some crazed murderer from a comic? I can refrain from using Baldo a few times, but I could easily do it dozens more. As a rational person, I wouldn’t commit such a foolish act.

“You came all this way because of that? What if I mistook you for a bandit and cut you down?”

“…Even so, I had to come. There’s a chance we might get back what we lost.”

“I see.”

Was there something valuable among the items the bandits took? I couldn’t guess what it was, but given her timid nature, it must be important if Hori came all this way.

We fell into silence as we continued walking back to the campfire.

Soon, Boris appeared from the bushes with Silence, waiting by the campfire.

“H-Hori! Baronet! There you are!”

“Why did you come here instead of waiting by the campfire?”

“Well… Hori suddenly ran off, so I got worried and followed her….”

“Ah, I’m sorry, Boris. Because of me, you had to come all this way….”

“No, it’s fine! I’m just glad you’re both safe. But… what’s that in your hand, Baronet?”

“This? I captured three of them. We’ll interrogate them to find out their hideout.”

But how do you conduct an interrogation?

Should I just beat them?

Back at the campfire, we tied the bandits to a tree with ropes I had brought along. I had packed them thinking they might be useful someday, and now they finally were.

‘But… what now?’

I had captured them, but I had never tortured or interrogated anyone before.

“Has anyone here ever interrogated someone?”

A stupid question, I realized, as I asked Hori and Boris. They both shook their heads.

“I’ve made truth serums before….”

“Really?”

“Yes, my family has been studying alchemy for generations… but we don’t have the ingredients here, so it’s not possible.”

Then why mention it….

With no time to waste, I decided to wake the bandits and think of a plan afterward. These bandits probably didn’t have much loyalty to each other anyway.

“Haah….”

Standing before the tied-up bandits, I placed my hand on the hilt of my sword and took a stance.

The bandits, as if on cue, all woke up and looked at me with groggy eyes.

“H-How did you do that? You didn’t even do anything!”

“Ah, this is called mental Baldo.”

Mental Baldo was a technique I mastered when blisters on my hands from practice got so bad that I couldn’t physically draw my sword for a while. During that time, under the watchful eyes of my parents and servants, I could do nothing but imagine Baldo in my mind.

I was filled with frustration and hatred.

My weak body couldn’t keep up with the strongest technique, Baldo!!

With that hatred, I thought about Baldo over and over, and at some point, I became able to project a killing intent just by imagining Baldo.

“So… these people woke up because they felt that killing intent?”

“Yes, it’s like an animalistic instinct. Do you want me to project it onto you too?”

“N-No! It’s okay!!”

While we had that conversation, the bandits, now fully awake, glared at us with menacing expressions.

“Hey, bandit bastards, are you awake?”

“……”

The bandits said nothing, glaring at us with their mouths tightly shut.

What should I do…? I might have to resort to my Baldo negotiation skills.

As a gentleman, I spoke to them before cutting them into pieces.

“First of all… I don’t really care about your lives. Whether you survive and continue banditry elsewhere doesn’t concern me.”

That was a lie. Once I found out their hideout, I’d kill them all.

“So if you tell me where your hideout is, I’ll let you continue your banditry somewhere else.”

“…With that logic, why should you only spare us? Shouldn’t you also let our boss go?”

Oh, this bastard had a sharp question for a bandit.

I was momentarily flustered but quickly regained my composure and spoke to Bandit A.

“I promised these two people I’d get back what you stole from them. And I also want to take down your boss who supposedly uses aura.”

Bandit A glanced at the two people behind me, then scowled.

“You know those two?”

“No, I just met them today.”

“You’re risking your life for people you just met?”

“Are you overestimating yourselves or underestimating me? Do you not remember how I cut your comrades to pieces like meat in a butcher shop less than five minutes ago?”

“…Our boss is on a different level compared to us.”

“Oh, sure, I bet he is~ That’s why such a great person is leading scum like you~ But that’s my concern. Just tell me where he is.”

Bandit A, his face red with anger at my taunts, shouted in frustration.

“We don’t betray our comrades!!”

“Bullsh*t… you’re full of it.”

If only they acted as despicably as they look in gangster movies….

I was about to slowly draw my sword to demonstrate my interrogation technique when—

“You bastards!!”

Suddenly, Boris charged forward and punched Bandit A in the face.

“Because of you, my family is starving!! What nonsense are you spouting?! Spill it, now!!”

Thinking he wouldn’t be counterattacked with me here, Boris started beating Bandit A’s face furiously.

He was probably also angry about losing the cart, his lifeline. But more than that, it seemed like his pent-up rage from being exploited in this world had finally erupted.

Boris, panting heavily, didn’t stop hitting the bandit’s face.

Seeing this, Hori came out from behind me, seemingly to stop him.

“Boris!!”

“Don’t stop me—H-Hori?!”

“Hey! You, that…!!”

As soon as I heard Hori’s voice, both Boris and I thought she was going to stop him.

But we were wrong. Hori pushed Boris aside and smashed a large rock she had picked up somewhere into Bandit A’s face.

“Using a rock is more effective than just fists!! You bastards!! My dad’s research notes because of you!!”

“Huh….”

Boris, the other bandits, and I were all stunned, just watching the scene unfold.

‘…So she wasn’t trying to stop him.’

She’s bolder than I thought.

Considering she mentioned her father’s research notes, they must be some kind of heirloom. It’s only natural she’s furious about them being stolen.

“You bastards!! You damn scum!!”

Snapping out of his daze, Boris picked up another rock from the ground and joined Hori in pummeling the bandit.

‘…Seems like they had a lot of pent-up anger. But how is that guy enduring all this?’

Despite being beaten to death with rocks by both Hori and Boris, Bandit A didn’t make a sound.

It was honestly impressive, but then I realized he wasn’t enduring it—he had suffered a concussion from being hit too many times.

“Stop! Stop!! He’s already unconscious.”

Boris and Hori, who had been filled with rage, immediately stepped back like docile lambs when I shouted.

“This one’s done for.”

He had been hit in the head too many times, and it would take at least a few days for him to wake up again.

“Not that he can hear, but farewell.”

With those words, I drew my katana and separated Bandit A’s head from his body.

“Now then….”

I turned to Bandit B and C, who had been silently watching the whole scene.

“What about you two? Do you want to die keeping your loyalty, or do you want to live by betraying it?”

“……”

“……”

Bandit B and C looked at each other, seemingly trying to gauge each other’s intentions.

After a moment, they nodded to each other and spoke almost simultaneously.

“We don’t betray our comrades!!”

“I want to live!! I’ll betray all my comrades!! Even this guy next to me!! Just spare me!!”

“…Well, got one.”

As I approached Bandit B with my hand on my sword, he screamed in desperation.

“You bastard! Selling out your comrades?!”

“Shut up, you bastard!! Comrades, my ass!! I’m going to live!! I’ll sell you all out and survive!!!”

“You traitor!! Hey!! I’ll betray them too!! Just spare my life!!”

“Do we need two guides?”

“Damn…! I’ll speak first――!”

Thunk.

Another head fell.

—