Stranger's Handbook

Chapter 56: Why Did It Turn Out Like This?

“Your Excellency, we discovered the bandits’ secret base!”

“Everyone, prepare for battle.”

“Yes sir!”

Why am I doing such a thing, you ask?…….The story goes back to the sham battle and the stupid noble.

300 people gathered to participate in the battle against the stupid noble.

150 adventurers, 50 maids and 100 commoners.

However, that stupid noble tried to escape after the battle with a commoner, but the guarding soldiers caught him and killed him.

In such circumstances, the battle participants have lost their venting object, so they were all dumbfounded and about to burst out with anger……..

Frenzied, the adventurers started whispering.

“In this case, it’d be great if we could go hunt some bandits or something…….”

“ “ “ “That’s it!!!” “ “ “

And so, the suppression troops have formed.

The bandits’ treasures would be equally split among everyone present.

Awards were prepared as well, so all the ‘fighters’ departed in high spirits.

A few maids and women were joining us too……

I was all right with women adventurers to come along. As for the maids, I told them to go back, but…

“The suppression of bandits is in a lady’s interest too.”

I could only nod and agree silently.

It’s too risky to be accused of sexual harassment, so I gave up……..

This world sure is scary.

And so, we arrived at the hideout.

“The maids unit has finished the battle preparations, your Excellency.”

A maid, carrying a spear on her shoulder, saluted me.

“There’s a possibility they have prisoners inside, so the maids unit is to standby. However, you’ll be participating in the encirclement operation. Show no mercy to the enemies who try to escape.”

“Yes sir! The maids unit is to standby, we are to devote ourselves to the encirclement operation.”

She saluted me again then left.

“………These maids are amazing.”

“The maids are kinda scary.”

I could hear the quiet whispers of the adventurers.

In fact, I agree with them. I’ll make sure not to forget to give these maids some of the souvenirs I bought.

“Your Excellency, the black knights unit is ready for the assault.”

Albert came to tell me.

Good. You endured a lot, huh?……..I get it though……Since I endured it too.

“Good. The black knights unit, come after me. The adventurers will join the enemy encirclement operation. Those who have scouting abilities are left in charge of a raid, in case it’s necessary. Don’t let any of them run away!”

“Yes sir!”

“Understood!”

“Y…your Excellency, are you really going to lead the attack?”

“……If word of this comes out, I’ll be scolded, so keep this a secret, all right?”

“Your Excellency, let’s go!”

Good, let’s go Albert!

With a faint smile on my face, I led the black knights inside the secret base.

“……Nobles are amazing.”

“Only those who are on our side.”

“Hey, which unit is breaking in? The knights?”

“Not to speak of the knights, his Excellency, the Duke himself is leading them inside, you know?”

“What? Is he gonna be all right…….?”

“I think he will. He was smiling after all.”

“……..I don’t really understand the nobles.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“Really……..”

“We finished, so we’re going back…….What’s wrong with you? Did you injure yourselves or something? Come on, hurry up with the preparations!”

“Y…your Excellency…….Did you finish already?”

When I called out to them, everyone outside grew shocked.

Haha, did they think they were many bandits inside or something?

They really jump to conclusions, these guys.

“Haha, they were about 100 bandits. Since each of us had to take 10 enemies out, I finished first, so I came back.”

I explained to them, and returned to my tent in order to prepare for our leave.

This place was kind of far away from the capital, much more than I expected…..It took us two days to finish this business here.

“Hey….”

“Ah, the Frontier Count’s Army is really something else.”

“The black knights are the only ones I don’t wanna fight against……”

I didn’t know that the adventurers were talking about such things.

I was only focused on storing the bandits’ sake inside my item box.

“Good. You did great, everyone! There’s a person in charge of giving the rewards over there, so go back home after you received your prize. You’re free to go!”

After we arrived at the imperial capital’s training grounds, the party was disbanded.

Since the bandits’ treasure was not really that massive, I decided to distribute it among the adventurers.

I gave the maids some cosmetics and clothes materials that I previously bought as souvenirs.

Since they didn’t earn too much from this ‘job’.

well, it couldn’t be helped.

Still, because they could hunt the bears and wild boars that came out along the way back to the imperial capital, they seemed not as stressed anymore.

I could rest assured too……

I therefore returned to my room inside the palace.

“Oi oi, how did you defeat this red bear?”

“This wild boar, it’s a mutated specimen!”

“……..His Excellency and the maids defeated them, you know?”

“………The maids are amazing.”

“I’ll ask them to train me.”

“To kill a red bear with one sword slash….What the hell are these maids?…….”

“Eh? They’re giving the bandits’ treasure to us!?”

“Each of us gets 28 gold coins!”

“Wha? My annual income is only 10 gold coins, you know!!”

“Hey, this material…..”

“Eh? It’s s….silk……”

“……..Does this mean that we’re lovers now?”

“!? Cos….cosmetics?”

“Ah! These are really expensive!”

“…….They’re too wonderful to give them to a …….lover.”

“Even though we camped for one night, my skin feels smooth and sparkling……”

“His Excellency’s magic is foul play, you know?”

“Right? When his Excellency receives his own domain, he’ll need some maids too, won’t he?”

“ “ “!!!!?” “ “

Before one knew, they were a lot of people who started to think they wanted to work for me once I got my domain and moved there.

However, I only found out about this at a later point in time.