The Ultimate Sage Who Faked Incompetence and Was Disinherited Just Wants to Enjoy His New Life! - Episode 16: The Bandit Gang

Episode 16: The Bandit Gang 

That night. 

Our adventurer party discussed our plans for tomorrow. The suspicious figure we had seen during the day was probably a scout for the bandit gang. The real issue was how he had reported on the caravan we were escorting. 

“I scouted around town, and our caravan is the biggest one. In other words, we’re the most profitable target for the bandits.” 

That was likely why Razor-san and his partner had been absent until dinner. Doing everything possible to ensure the client’s safety—that was the duty of adventurers who took on escort requests. A good learning experience. 

“But if they attack us, they’ll take significant losses as well. Do you think they’ll still go through with it?” 

Liner asked with a worried tone. Luciana and Bales remained silent. 

“The problem is that we don’t know their numbers. If they think they can overwhelm us, they’ll attack.” 

“No one mentioned a bandit gang in this area before.” 

Matilda-san had apparently been gathering information. Properly assigning roles within the party—this was also important. A solo adventurer would have to do everything on their own. A party had a major advantage in gathering intel quickly. That might be one of the biggest benefits of working in a team. 

“That means this bandit gang only arrived recently. Maybe they moved here from the highway they used to occupy?” 

Liner’s theory made sense. If security had tightened, they might have relocated to a safer spot. They were notorious enough to be the subject of rumors. It meant their numbers were probably high. 

“That’s possible. If so, they’d definitely aim for us since we’re the most lucrative target. Fel, what do you think?” 

“I marked the suspicious guy from earlier. If he enters the range of my magic, I’ll know immediately. If he’s still monitoring us, they’ll probably attack on the road.” 

“Whoa, you can do that? That’s some crazy magic. As expected of a Sage.” 

“What kind of magic is it? I’m curious.” 

Matilda-san looked at me intently. Apparently, the magic she used was different from the Analyze spell we had. If this magic became widely known, it could be dangerous. 

“That’s a secret, of course. It’s an ancestral spell passed down in my family.” 

Of course, that was a lie. But if I said that, they’d give up. Naturally, Lilia was the one who taught it to me. 

The lie seemed effective—Matilda-san and Luciana looked disappointed but didn’t press further. 

“Then we’ll find out tomorrow. Liner, are you ready? There’s a high chance we’ll encounter the bandit gang.” 

Razor-san asked the three of them. At least having time to prepare mentally was a small mercy. Liner closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, his gaze was filled with determination. 

“I’m ready. I can do this.” 

As Liner spoke, Luciana and Bales nodded in agreement. That night, I heard Liner sighing multiple times. 

— 

The next day was clear again. There were more clouds than yesterday. But no sign of rain. 

After having breakfast, the caravan quickly set off. Our party took the lead position today. So we could detect any threats as soon as possible. 

Shortly after leaving town, Razor-san approached me. 

“Fel, are they here?” 

“They are. In the grass on the left side ahead. They’re moving at the same pace as us in the same direction.” 

“Then there’s no doubt. Liner, stay sharp.” 

“I-I know!” 

Liner’s tension was rising. Was he really okay? I was starting to worry. Meanwhile, Luciana and Bales looked calm. No issues with them. 

“Should we inform Sancho-san?”

“That’s right. We should let him know, just in case. There’s also the option of turning back for today. But we can’t stay in that town forever. Who knows what’ll happen?” 

With a sigh, Razor-san headed toward the carriage where Sancho-san was riding. We remained on high alert, ready for any outcome. Another caravan was traveling ahead of us—there was a chance the bandits were targeting them instead. 

Before long, Razor-san returned. Sancho-san wanted to continue moving forward. 

Was it because of our agreement on the first day? His wife’s condition didn’t seem good. So he was probably in a hurry to get back to Everan as soon as possible. 

Even so, if they were attacked and killed by the bandits, it would all be meaningless. The fact that two Silver Rank adventurer parties were here might have given Sancho-san the confidence to press on. 

Silver Rank adventurers wouldn’t lose to common thugs. Battling ferocious monsters daily was no joke. 

“Something’s wrong! The people ahead are under attack!” 

Lilia shouted. Her Analyze spell had a wider range than mine—she could see what I couldn’t yet. As expected of a Fairy. 

“Lilia, how many bandits? And how many people in the caravan?” 

“The bandits are about thirty. The one watching us is still keeping an eye on us. The caravan ahead has seven people. What should we do?” 

“If we don’t act, the caravan ahead could be wiped out. And if they finish them off, they might come for us next. Even if we turn back now, they’ll probably catch up.” 

We had traveled quite a distance since leaving town. Turning around would take time. Razor-san rubbed his chin, deep in thought. 

He was our leader—we waited silently for his decision. 

“Alright. If there’s a risk we’ll be caught while retreating, we should join forces with the caravan ahead and crush the bandits. If we save them, we’ll get a hefty reward. Plus, our reputation with the Adventurers’ Guild will skyrocket!” 

Razor-san’s words were meant to rally us. Well, that made sense. We were heading straight into danger—there had to be some incentive. 

“You’re right. Let’s go help them!” 

Liner’s eyes showed no hesitation. He was ready. Luciana and Bales also nodded firmly. 

“I’ll inform our client. You guys go ahead! Stay sharp!” 

With that, Razor-san dashed off like the wind. The rest of us exchanged nods and sprinted toward the battle. 

“This is goodbye to our stalker,” 

Lilia murmured. A moment later, his presence vanished. 

As we ran, my Analyze spell finally picked up the scene. The caravan’s guards were still fighting. 

“Luciana, disrupt them with magic. Bales, cover me!” 

Liner shouted. He already drew his sword. 

“Fel, what about us?” 

“We’ll tend to the caravan’s injured. There must be wounded people.” 

The bandits came into view. 

Luciana cast Stone Lance at the clustered enemies. It took down several of them with a surprise attack. 

The bandits froze in shock. 

“Damn it! What the hell is he doing?! I told him to send up a signal if anything happened!” 

The bandit leader shouted in frustration. 

That “he” was probably already buried beneath the earth.