Small fish

After that explosion, the bandit camp was partly occupied by the bodies of the latter. Five to seven bodies were filled with burning wounds, wooden debris embedded in their bodies. Do not forget the two corpses right in front of the pole where once there was a wooden door.

The group observed all of this when they entered. Ten bandits were still unharmed, but you could see the amazement in their eyes. They couldn't believe that with just one attack, so many of their comrades had been shot down.

'These are supposed to be other small fish.' Asteri thought in his mind. In fact, all those bandits were on the same level as the two guards from before.

"Look how scared they are, should they be banned?" Betty said coldly looking at the bandits stuck in their positions.

"We're not complaining, Betty. It's better for us after all, we can get the job done faster." Allatu did not care about the condition of the bandits.

"Then we overtake quickly, so we can save the target." Asteri prepared to attack the bandits, but before doing so he summoned his five guards.

The group rushed towards the ten bandits stuck in their positions. But the action of the trio woke them from their state of terror and they tried to fend off the blows.

But this was almost completely useless, they had prepared too late and, given the strength of the group, they could not do much. The group managed to get rid of the ten bandits in just under ten minutes.

"Well, now that we're done with them ..." Betty pulled her bloody sword from the chest of a now dying bandit. And she started making her way to the bodies of the wounded bandits on the ground.

"Wait Betty! Don't kill them, I have to check something first." Asteri prevented her from executing the wounded. She looked at them one by one, some were too hurt to notice her gaze, but others noticed and felt a sense of danger. "I want to make a pact with you. Whoever decides to guide me inside your cave, acting as a guide, I will spare his life by sending him away with a healing potion. If no one accepts we will kill you all, however even without you we will surely be able to cross your base. You have a minute to think about it. "Asteri intended to facilitate his passage through the cave.

"Haha ... you really think I'm stupid enough to take ... your offer ... damn bastard-" a badly wounded bandit, who appeared to be in his forties, immediately denied Asteri's offer. But he didn't have time to insult him because Betty cut off his head.

"As you can see, let's be serious. It's up to you whether you believe me or not." Asteri looked at the severed head of the newly dead bandit.

"How can we believe you ... can we be sure ... that you will not deceive us ...?" another bandit, but younger this time, spoke of his concerns. He also looked pretty ugly.

"Obviously you won't have them, your instincts will guide you." Asteri smiled at the young bandit.

"..." everyone fell silent, suspending his offer.

"The time is up, tell me now what you will do." Asteri aimed the sword at the wounded.

"... okay, I accept the offer. I'll be your guide." the young bandit from before was the most rapt, apparently he cared about his life.

"I see someone here is smarter than others, great. For you others ... you have been given a choice, apparently today will be your last day." Asteri approached the remaining wounded.

"NO WAIT-" before they could contradict, they were killed by the three. The ground filled with even more blood than before, it looked like a red expanse.

Asteri also approached the bandit who accepted his offer.

"What's your name?" he asked looking him in the eye.

"Obert ... my name is Obert." said the boy, whose name was Obert, between the gasping breaths of his wounds.

"Well Obert, I'm Asteri, nice to meet you. Now we will give you some basic medical care, just to make you walk and survive until the end of the path, you know not to play tricks on you." Asteri hadn't specified when he would deliver the potion.

"Okay ..." Obert had no choice but to accept what Asteri was saying to him.

"Now ..." but as Asteri was about to say something, he had a bad feeling. Behind him, a fireball shot towards their position.

The boy acted immediately, taking the boy, but not before having immediately checked if the two girls could manage on their own. Which they did excellently. The fireball crashed to the ground, causing an explosion.

"Tsk, for so little." a voice was heard from the cave entrance.

The group looked at where the voice was coming from. They saw another dozen bandits, still on the same level, but at the center of them was a particular figure. This figure had a simple iron scepter with a red gem set on the tip. This figure was dressed differently, had a red tunic, with a cloak of the same color. She had no helmets or accessories on her head, but she had a mask that covered her face from half down.

"But look who we have here, a really friendly bunch of people, what were you doing while we were slaughtering your friends? Maybe an orgy of bandits?" Asteri put the boy in a corner, gesturing to Allatu to start healing the boy.

"What an arrogant attitude, we'll see if you talk like that while I roast you alive like a chicken. You, hold it tight while I cast the spells." The wizard gave instructions to the bandits, who immediately moved to attack Asteri.

"Time to dance, ready for the encore Betty?" Asteri was ready to fight again.

"Always ready!" Betty was equally enthusiastic.

Apparently he was about to resume a tour between Asteri's group and the bandits. Hile the magician prepared the spells to cast.