“So---, you are still alive!? I was just about to start presuming that the county guards might have killed you all, on your way back.”

With the six men having entered via the massive stone door, an equally enormous hall greeted them, while at the same time, more than a hundred eyeballs fell on them. Some of the gazes were uncaring, some irritated, some scorning, but most of them were cold, as they observed the newly arrived men.

However, looking at the speaker, one could see a big and robust man seated in a stone chair at the end of the hall, a step higher than everybody else, while near to himself, a similar empty stone chair stood at the same height as his own. Although, nighter he, nor any of the men inside seemed to care, or be nosy about that fact it was empty at the moment.

But a step lower from the two stone chairs, on the floor of the large chamber, one could see at first sight, around seventy to eighty bandits standing near the two sides of the hall, as only six, were currently seated at a long rectangular stone table with a dozen empty seats, in the center of the large hall.

Yet, as the six men joined, they divided respectably, as only the man in front of the group took a seat at the table, causing some scorn and anger to appear in the eyes of most bandits.

"Good! Now that Zuger is here as well, we have nearly everybody who is above rank 4 and upwards, to speak about our subsequent action!"

And yet, as the seated man addressed his words towards the crowded hall, he took a glance at the empty chair to the left in an unnoticeable manner, while shifting his gaze towards everybody, and moving his gaze on all those who were present.

"But since you made it back here. Do you have any other information or report to give in for all of us---, Zuger?"

"No, nothing which you do not already know. The villages were emptied, left without any other item of value, provision, and all. So what else is there for me to tell you?"

As he spoke, Zuger's sight was on a man, two seats from him, as unnoticeable disdain, but mostly anger appeared on his face, that was because the man was one of the two rank 5, vice leaders, a man named Bloody Dog. An abnormal man, who from his recent awakening to love for the killing and splattering of blood, stood as the fault to why the county guards had appeared far earlier than what they had anticipated. As due to his mindless slaughter of the villagers during their raids for provisions, in the midst of his mayhem, escapees had fled off, revealing the movements of the bandits to the county, and came not a month later after his mess.

"Dog! Keep your rage in check. And Zuger, know your place. Now Joul---, what have you found, tell us all?"

However, Zuger's glance did not go unnoticed, as the man turned toward him and gave an ugly grin full of murderous intent. But before anything could happen, the seated man who was clearly the leader, hampered their vice-versa gaze and stare, as he prevented anything from happening.

But as the leaders stopped the man named Dog, he then turned to address the other rank 5 vice leader, Joul, the one in charge of energy items and the information gathering in the band of bandits. The man himself had a lean but skinny body with a face which appeared rather bored as he rose from the closest seat to the leader, opposite of Dog, so that everyone could see him, as he was about to open his mouth.

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"The location of the encampment, the number of villagers, and the guards. First, the location is exactly the Border mountains' east corner, where the sea of trees, the prairie and the Border region meet. That is where you will find their camp. Second, the number of villagers should be within the range of one thousand, with many provisions and livestock. Third, the guards, there are about 50 of them. The captain is a freshly promoted boy, coming from the central part of the kingdom, a descendant of some big family of the kingdom, but what family I do not know, what I know, is that he is just a rank 5 cultivator. As for the rest of the guards, there are three rank 4, eight rank 3, seventeen rank 2 and twenty-one rank 1. The overall power and numbers are sub-par to any other captain of any city of the county. So, with our overall power, we have a high chance of getting our hands on the provisions that we need to pass this winter. As for what we have already have right now, ahem ---, sixty females and twenty-five males, we could sell them for quite the some, but it is likely that the slave traders will still try to inflate prices on everything we might want to buy."

As the bord-looking man ended his report to all the bandits present, some of them start to ponder over his words, even so, the majority did not seem to care at all. However, Zuger's eyes squinted, since the speed of the information that Joul had come to have on him was terrifying, given that he himself had just come from the last scouting while he was still waiting for the scouts to report back to him, specifically about the location of the base for the guards.

"Those bastards! They were already asking a lot for things last time. Now they will most certainly try to skin us alive. But fear not, you bastards! Once the pervert and I reach rank 7, we will leave this shit hole and move north, we will take the east edge route of the mountains, to reach for the War State, and leave the Kingdom for good. But if we can beat the county puppies then. Dog and the rank 4 captains! Take charge, and bring everything we can use, it is time we prepare to move. Joul, go and see to the products, and if you can, go look for the pervert as well. You can all go and move out!"

At the leader's orders of Dog and the other captains to attack the camp, the seated bandits at the table rose, and formed groups with the rest of the bandits, dividing the large group, as they began to prepare for the journey.

"Hmpf!"

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"------."

"---."

"Hmpf!!! Fucking bastard! "Bring everything we can use.", "Leave this shit hole.", does he take me for an idiotic clown. And that bastard Joul as well, how the fuck some important brat at rank 5 does not have someone to protect him, fuck, fucking bastard!"

But as they had dispersed, Zuger at this moment was alone with Square, as they were walking the long cave-like corridor to their own rooms. Although while walking, Zuger was constantly cursing under his breath, while Square stood next to him with the same facial expression he was always caring of mild interest, but it was something which would not give him the appearance of being smart.

"Are you sure? He appeared to be lying, but part of what he said was true."

"You should really think a bit more with your head. Think about it, two months ago, this bastard was nothing but a hooligan in the mountains, and now he is probably on the execution list of the county, and of the province. The only reason he has yet to kill Dog is for the same reasons that we live as well, to be nothing more than fucking scapegoats, a diversion as he will run from here. After all, if a real captain of the county is to come here, everybody will die, execution on the spot."

"So, do you have a plan?"

"Argh!"

As more and more irritation was piling on Zuger's mind, the flat and simple question of his companion did nothing to alleviate his growing headache. Still, as the impending doom seemed to approach closer and closer, he grasped the collar of his shirt and then pulled at it, to look at a black round spot right under where his heart was, as with a grim face, determination and resolution flickered in his eyes.

“I have an idea. Well---, more like an insane plan, but if everything will go as I think it will go, in the best case we will be crippled, or die anyway. So, do you want to hear it?"

As Zuger looked at the black spot on his chest under his clothes, and tempted Square, a grim and solemn mood appeared on his face as well while he nodded at his companion, before even hearing his plan.

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The day was dying off, as the sun was crimson red, with a similarly red horizon, as thirteen fresh graves could be seen in the cemetery of the Down River village. However, at the same time, galloping horses running south could be heard in the distance, while imprints of several horses could be seen on the ground, following the still somewhat faint trail left by little Levis's escape.