When the Villain Joined the Knights to Avoid Doom Flags, but Somehow the Heroines Started Approaching Him - Chapter 13: Bandit Sweep

Chapter 13: Bandit Sweep

“Basically, I won’t interfere at all. Think of me as just waiting in the wings, ready to step in if things go south.”

They had traveled to a mountain a little ways from the royal capital, and these were Gram’s first words when they arrived.

He was only acting as a chaperone for this mission. It made sense that he wouldn’t step in unless something really serious happened.

“Let me explain again—our job this time is to take down the bandits who have been attacking traveling merchants. They’ve been stealing goods and selling them off on the black market.”

“…And those people are hiding out here, right?”

“Yeah, we finally tracked down their base. That’s why we’re starting the raid now.”

It was a giant, old temple ruin hidden deep in the mountain.

The structure was still mostly intact, but it felt eerily empty, as if no one had set foot there in years.

“(If they’ve got that much intel, why not just deal with the bandits already? There’s no need to use them as test material for kids…)”

“(Using them as test dummies is one thing, but if those bandits are still out here looking for food, better catch them soon, or the farmers are gonna start crying.)

With a series of annoyed glances at each other, Yulis and Iris silently shared their complaints.

It seemed that all that walking had left them pretty frustrated.

“Well, that’s the situation. From here on out, do as you see fit. Luckily, it looks like there aren’t any victims in the area so far.”

Gram, oblivious to their silent grumbling, crossed his arms and closed his eyes, making it clear he wasn’t planning to get involved any further.

He was fully in “hands-off” mode, which left Lieselotte looking a bit unsure.

However—

“Alright… let’s just get this over with.”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

“Huh!? W-Wait a minute!”

Yulis and Iris, not bothered in the slightest, left Gram behind and started walking toward the temple ruins.

“Wait, are you sure it’s okay not to plan out a strategy!? Or, like, how we’ll communicate if something happens…?”

“It’s a bit late for strategies now, don’t you think? It’s not like we’re being overconfident, but there’s only so much we can do here anyway.”

“That’s true, but… what if we get separated, and someone ends up captured? What then?”

“For this mission, worst case, the commander will step in and handle it. If he’s not following us right now, it probably means he’s got a plan for finding lost treasure underwater or something.”

“…”

Yulis remained calm and level-headed, even as Lieselotte hesitated.

Was it because he had been through tough situations before, or did he just have confidence in his own skills?

Either way, Lieselotte felt a bit embarrassed about her own hesitation and trailed behind Yulis, feeling a little down.

But—

“My belief is that the more cautious a person is, the more of a future they have.”

“Eh?”

“Wherever you go, it’s always better to move carefully. So, Lieselotte, you’re not wrong, and you don’t need to feel down about it. Having someone like you around actually makes things easier for the rest of us.”

So, don’t worry about it.

Yulis slowed his pace and gently patted Lieselotte’s head as he walked alongside her.

It was so unexpected, and the kindness caught Lieselotte off guard, making her cheeks flush red.

“Hmph… I feel like I got stuck with the short end of the stick today.”

With a clinking sound, Iris, who was walking ahead, spread out her segmented sword.

The moment they stepped inside the temple, she swung the sword, cutting into the ground as she went.

“Gyaaah!?”

“W-What’s going on!?”

“Damn it! It’s an ambush!”

The bandits who had been waiting to attack were suddenly sent flying.

Blood sprayed from those who couldn’t dodge in time, but Iris didn’t flinch; she just puffed her cheeks in annoyance.

“…Master, I expect some proper head pats after this is done. Something like a ‘Good job, Iris!’ kind of reward.”

“Alright, then hold down this area with Lieselotte.”

“Yes, sir!”

“O-Okay, got it!”

At Yulis’s words, Lieselotte drew her sword, ready for action.

In that moment, a whole crowd of rough-looking men started pouring out from inside the spacious temple.

“It’s like hitting the back of a closet and having a bunch of cockroaches crawl out. Don’t slow us down, okay, foxy lady? I need those head pats from Master.”

“I can handle myself just fine… Wait, does that mean if I do a good job, I get head pats too?”

“Ha!? You already got yours earlier! Are you being greedy? Greediness is one of those things that makes boys dislike you, you know!”

Iris’s segmented sword, fully extended, was over eight meters long.

Despite being the smallest and most delicate among them, she swung the sword fiercely at the approaching bandits, the blade singing through the air.

“Fine… I’ll just take all the rewards for myself with my solo performance!”

♦♦♦

Meanwhile—

(Oh dear, she’s really going all out, isn’t she?)

Outside the temple, Yulis could hear the sounds of the commotion from within, and he couldn’t help but give a wry smile.

(Well then, I’ll take care of my part too.)

Yulis tapped the ground with his foot.

Instantly, a blanket of white ice spread out, dropping the temperature around him in a flash.

(If they’ve got anything valuable hidden, they wouldn’t stash it in plain sight. They’ve probably got a separate spot for storing their loot.)

Yulis slammed his fist down onto the sheet of ice that had spread across the ground.

In an instant, the stone floor, which should have been solid and unbreakable, cracked wide open, and a sudden sensation of falling washed over him.

But Yulis wasn’t surprised at all.

He dropped down about the height of one floor. What appeared beneath him was a long hallway, dimly lit by torches.

“Hiding things underground, huh? It’d be nice if some cute little critters, like timid rabbits, popped out to greet me—would definitely make this a bit more exciting.”

Even as he grumbled, a smile crept onto Yulis’s face.

He continued walking down the dimly lit corridor, all by himself.