Sennsou Wa Heiwa Sekai no Mannakade Vol.1

CHAPTER 5: LIBERA ME

It was midnight that He had met with the girl and the merchant. The moonlight that didn't reach the forest combined with the thick mist made it impossible normally to navigate through. Kuro remembered that the girl had looked healthy because he couldn't see clearly. But he could see her expression that didn't match her healthy body at all. He rethought about it and realized she must have suffered a lot of abuse that was hidden by her clothes. Scars so many to the point of breaking the innocent girl should be spotted had she just took off her clothes. At that time, Kuro didn't know the merchant was a criminal and he didn't understand Helios' law well so he couldn't do anything but let her go into the deep of the forest. But the current situation wasn't the same as before, With the revelation about his evil deeds, Kuro determined to free her once for all from the chain that binds her freedom. Kuro with determination stretched his hands toward the moon and grasped his hands as he promised to save her.

To fulfill the said promise, when morning came he asked Charlotte about the merchant identity before they left the village. He had a bad feeling about him so Kuro thought to gather more information about him before actually fighting him. Charlotte answered everything Kuro asked about the merchant past activity. Unfortunately, all of them were information that wouldn't make Kuro feared him at all. When he looked at the slave merchant as Charlotte explained to them about the charge he was given, Kuro feared him for unknown reason. The information that Charlotte gave to him was that of criminal activity that wasn't extraordinary. Charlotte admitted that she needed more time if she wanted to find more information about him as he was so careful that he erased most trace of his activity.

Few minutes after the exchanged of words, they finally ready to go. There were many people stood in formation according to their group. In front of them, the liutenant was checking who was absence. Blackfeather just stood there while looking toward the forest sometimes to check ambush. Charlotte took notes who were present one by one and delivered it to the general once it was completed. It was a full attendance so they could march anytime. With a rousing shout from the general, everyone got motivated. Blackfeather was definitely liked by everyone with how they were full of motivation. They soon marched toward the bandit base to end this once for all.

It was the same as usual inside deathmist forest. Like its name thick mist covered the forest all day. Charlotte along with many scouts released familiar to gather information about their surroundings as they carefully marched. They walked with formation that put their supply and medic team surrounded by their combat team. It was done like that because supplies and medic were important assets in a battle that they didn't know when it would be over. They couldn't move too fast to prevent being ambushed. They walked only when the path was deemed to be safe using the information gathered by the scouts. They had to fight not only against bandits, they also had to fight against monsters that inhabitted the forest. Once in a while, they clashed with hungry monsters. It could be a lone beast or monsters hunting in pack. With great teamwork from the elites, they could fend of the assault with little to no damage. The elites were experienced in this kind of works, they returned to formation as soon as they done with the battle and loot gathering. Some of the monsters they defeated had edible body parts that could increase their supply. They drained the blood as the cut the body parts and wrapped it with clean paper. Kuro and Hiro who were new to this kind of work were left behind a bit. With good teamwork and Blackfeather's command, they could reach the checkpoint safely.

It was the same spot as the fake base that they had secured before. Since the bandit was found nearby, it was decided that they would start scouting the area with this place as the center. It also was chosen because the location had abandoned houses that could be use as temporary lodging. They needed to scout the enemy base fast. While they knew they won't attack the village for a while due to recent big loss they had suffered, they won't sit still waiting to be attacked either. With that reason, Charlotte along with the scout team weren't in the base. Kuro and Hiro meanwhile helped the rest to tidy things up. They built from nearby woods, fix the roof of the house, setting up tents and throwing some garbage outside the base.