Ok, let’s check the situation. There are four bandits with their weapon drawn and a dead body. They’re shouting something.

[Dammit how could a monster be in a place like this]

Based on the word I was able to pick, they must be saying something along those lines. The only words I could make out were <bad day> or the <worst>.

(Is this it? You accidentally killed the one you kidnap who is a person of high status when he resisted)

I can’t say for sure though because I don’t have enough information, but there is no particular need to keep the four bandits alive.

However, the entrance to this hut is too small for me to pass through. As I stood there in front of the open door, one bandit pointed at me and shout through something.

Then as if they got relieve, the other three put down they’re weapon.

(Ah I see they think that I’m too big to get into the hut, so they’re safe or something like that.)

According to one of my school teachers, <Do what people would unlikely expect> – and now is the time to do it. I unhesitatingly destroyed the entrance to the hut and tried shouting [Excuse me for disturbing you!]

[Nooooooooooo]

The for bandits shouted in unison. The one who tried to fled through the window but get stuck effectively cutting of their only exit.

And after 30 seconds, the hut is now under control with one last person killed with a futile attempt to escape. Unfortunately, my sledge hammer is now a goner so I disposed of it on an appropriate place.

There’s no particular reason on killing them, it’s more like they saw me so they need to disappear kind of thing.

I tried looking around the hut but I couldn’t find anything that would be useful to me, so I just wasted my time and used up my weapon

(I only ended up avenging some unknown man.)

Although only a small number of bandits have been eliminated it is a positive thing for the Kingdom of Canaan. Then I consider it as a negative balance of taking away the wagon load.

Balance is important.

I gave up looking for a watering hole and moved south to look for a street in order to look for a possible camping spot. Since I’m not bold enough to walk along the streets in the light of day, so I take a look around after it gets dark.

I dashed as fast as I could thinking that no one is watching me anyway. Then I remembered that there was a road to east as we so I darted around as if I were meandering through a meadow. Looking back, it had been a long time since I was able to run in a place like this as I did in the woods back then.

Since it was a good opportunity, I decided to drive around to get used to it.

It took me an hour of running.

Running at full speed while using only my two feel is dangerous so I slowed down moderately while I looked around and found lights on southeast.

There were several horse-drawn carriages in the vicinity, so it must have been a group of merchants camping out.

I stopped running and inspect the wagon as I walked around it.

(There are two guards, or maybe three. Some others are laying down, but they might be an escort. There’s still total of six carriages in all and there’s fourteen people that I can see)

Considering the people in the carriage as well, there might be around 20 people in the carriage. Before approaching, I secured a place for my luggage and move stealthy close to the ground. Of course, I was using my mimicry ability. This will help me determine the capability of the escort if they are able to detect me.

I am getting steadily closer, but so far no one was able to noticed me and some of them are just chatting with each other.

(Aren’t you too relaxed is this a safe area?)

For Canaan which is unlike the empire the distance is far greater and it is quite unusual to see little damage from bandits and monsters.

Is the ruler here skilled?

But I’m here which is probably considered an unmanageable level threat, so that kind of thing to me is irrelevant. It wouldn’t have any bad conscience since I would just collect my reward for that spider hybrid subjugation and I will accept supplies as rewards

Now I’m less than 50 meters away from the group but still no one noticed me yet.

(I’m getting tempted to just do a stealth mission from here on out)

Rather, I am curious to know how far this mimicry ability will take me against humans. At the same time, I want to hide it to them.

After some time to think and I decided to hide my mimicry skill so I move to take some distance

(I should adjust my position, release my mimicry where the guards can’t see me)

Once in position I get down the ground remove my mimicry and sneak up to them as if I’m crawling. Just then one of the guards climbs on top of the carriage and looked around. He finally noticed me shouted loudly.

I guess since my body is gray making me suitable less to blend into the night. I heard a scream that might not come from the escort detail. I approached them leisurely and looked at the guard that was holding their weapon.

(Two with swords and spear, one with shield, two with bows and two mages)

The female mage who is near the campfire started chanting along with another male mage. Arrows starts flying at me but I ignore them. They don’t pierce and even if they do, they don’t hurt.

The two bowmen started shouting something and I guess they’re saying something along the lines the arrow is not effective.

I approach the carriage, ignored the five men in the vanguard and directly went to the mages. I have to be wary of magic so I took cover on the carriage then leap directly to them. The landing blows the bonfire out sending sparks of flame flying around, then I quickly knockdown and crush the mage’s staff.

While doing so I pretend to be caught at the moment when I saw the female mages robe shift and I found some stuffing on her chest

(..1?)

I thought she looked like a 4 but I guess my estimate is too much.

I didn’t miss the gazes of the men who rushed to their comrade’s crisis and so she does as well. It’s a bit regrettable to kill them here. The girl then started yapping and is becoming annoying so I shut her up by giving her a light blow enough to knock her down. And since she didn’t fly away and just fell limply to the ground, I guess she’s okay.

The male mage then changed the magic he uses but was still continuing his chant. And since it’s becoming amusing, I took on the five vanguards to kill time and sure enough he had switched to a magic that wouldn’t damage the surrounding, and if it’s a linear attack it would be easy to avoid it

With a well-timed back-hand blow I blew away the flaming arrows and the same time I blew away the shield guy with my tail. I then threw the spear of the woman who tried to attack me at my rear back to the male mage. He caught her but was unable to hold his ground and they were blown away and roll away together as well.

The battle ends with the three remaining vanguards kicked enough so that they won’t die. Incidentally the archers ran away as soon as they learned that they arrows have no effect.

It looks like there’s one more battle to be fought here. One of the spoils of war tried to run away but I grabbed it from the rear and lifted it making the screaming old man fell to the ground. As I looked around, I saw another one scurrying away so I caught it and littered the old man too.

(The six carriage is secured, now let the rummaging begins)

So, I began inspecting the loots. I carefully opened the crates so that I won’t damage the contents as I look through them one by one. The content of the first wagon is mainly food stuff. I thought that it would be jackpot but the only thing I could take from it is dried meat since the rest are just wheat. If only I can cook wheat this would have been a good option. I guess I have no choice.

Also, I would need to make tools for my size if I want to process this. There’s also some sake but I passed on it.

On to the next one. When I inspect it, I heard a scream and the parents tried are covering their children’s mouth to prevent them from crying.

I looked around ignoring them but all I see are furniture and furnishing. It looks like this family is moving.

I’m not satisfied and so I moved to the next one. In this one a young man is protecting a woman by pulling her behind him. She seems to have a big belly so she might be pregnant,

(She’s moderately beautiful ain’t she, you riajuu!)

I spit out and go for the next one, but since its load is kind of small, I ignore it and wen to the fourth one, where I found what I’m looking for.

Five jars of salt and wool and an iron ore

I took two jars of the salt and some wool and then went to the next carriage.

The fifth one is filled with wheat too. The old man in this carriage is mumbling something probably complaining to his escorts.

The last one when I peeked a sharp rapier comes rushing out in to me. I caught it with my teeth and pulled the user out to the open. He released his hand on the hilt of the rapier when he rolled to the ground so I hit him enough to knocked him unconscious I started ransacking the last carriage but all I found are ornaments. Obviously, I don’t need them. I am disappointed to find a lock box. I reaped it open to found only one sealed water bottle.

(Some kind of suspicious item.. related to magic?)

I don’t know how to use it but I’ll take it anyway.

So, the spoils are: 1 kilo of dried meat, 2 jars of salt some wall and a bottle of a mysterious water.

And the result of the looting zero casualty. Now let’s collect our luggage and return to the mountain once more.