As they stealthily approached the village, the four of them finally understood the situation. A gang of over ten bandits had attacked Sheep Horn. They had smashed open the doors of the villagers' homes with hammers, looting each house one by one.

Although the bandits were few in number, they were well-trained and highly skilled. Sheep Horn had very few young men and could not organize an effective defense. The village was brightly lit with torches, and cries of despair echoed through the air.

"Should we discuss a battle plan?" Sean suggested to the other three, hidden in the shadow of a thatched sheep pen. Before he could finish, EeDeChi drew her sword from her back and leaped out with the agility of a nightsaber.

"BANG!"

However, she was too hasty and miscalculated the height, causing her forehead to hit the roof beam of the sheep pen, breaking it with a force. The pen wobbled, and the thatch fell onto Barrett, Sean, and Stella. They quickly brushed off the thatch and followed their leader out.

...

About fifteen minutes later, the battle was over.

The battle was unremarkable, the dullest Barrett had experienced so far. Even the most talented and poetic minstrels, who could turn battles against lizardmen into epic tales, would struggle to describe the excitement of this rescue mission.

The battle could be summarized as follows: EeDeChi swung her sword as if she were wielding a shuttlecock, knocking the fearless and determined bandits, along with their weapons, flying. Barrett, Sean, and Stella followed closely behind, tying up the bandits who had survived the initial blows with ropes.

In total, fourteen bandits, including the leader, were dead, and the remaining nine were injured to varying degrees, bound with coarse ropes and left scattered on a cleared patch of ground in the village center.

Barrett interrogated a few of the still-conscious bandits and discovered that among this unlucky group were six adventurers who had joined temporarily. He couldn't help but feel a bit relieved, thankful that he hadn't encountered someone as terrifying as EeDeChi during his stint as a part-time bandit years ago.

Sean picked up a torch and built a campfire in the center of the village with some pine logs, lighting up the surroundings. Some villagers peered out from their homes, cautiously watching the bandits bound like mummies on the ground and the four adventurers by the fire.

Barrett walked among the bandits, occasionally reaching into their pockets. He noticed one bandit had pointed ears and leaned in to discover a young half-elf adventurer.

Half-elves are the offspring of proud elves and humans. This half-elf had the usual pointed ears and, due to his elven heritage, a high, prominent nose and a handsome face. Barrett wondered how someone like him ended up as a bandit.

With a quick thought, Barrett bound the half-elf's hands behind his back and untied the ropes from his upper body. The half-elf, still conscious, looked at Barrett with fear and asked, "What are you going to do?"

Barrett crouched down, grinning savagely. He grabbed the half-elf's coat collar with his rough, heavy hands and tore it open with a loud rip.

The half-elf's bare, muscular chest was exposed, and his handsome face showed terror. His legs, tightly bound with coarse ropes, thrashed as he cried out, "What... what are you going to do?"

Barrett chuckled, his gaze dark and wicked. "Oh, you know, just doing what we adventurers love to do the most."

EeDeChi turned her head, frowning in displeasure. "Barrett, watch your manners. I don't mind homosexuality, but this is a public place—let's not do anything inappropriate!"

"Captain, where are your thoughts going?" Barrett said helplessly. He reached into the half-elf's cotton lining, skillfully searching around. He quickly found a small spatial leather bag and a half-sized statue of an elven druid.

Barrett also had a spatial leather bag. When EeDeChi hadn't given him a spatial ring, he had used the spatial leather bag for personal storage.

"I knew it. Anything related to elves is usually worth a lot," Barrett said, pulling valuable items from the spatial leather bag and putting them into his spatial ring.

After emptying the spatial leather bag, Barrett examined the druid statue. Carved from sandalwood about three fingers thick, it depicted a detailed treant druid. Barrett, who had adventured with genuine elves, knew the statue was enchanted with high-level magic.

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"You bandit..." the half-elf gritted his teeth, his handsome face twisted with pain. "That was a gift from my mother. You can take everything else, but please leave that."

Barrett patted the half-elf's shoulder. "Does your mother know you became a bandit? She'd be so disappointed to know her son is involved in such activities." With that, Barrett tossed the druid statue up and placed it into his spatial ring.

An old man, supported by a peasant woman, limped toward the four adventurers by the campfire. His head was bald on top, with a few strands of white hair fluttering in the wind. He was the village chief. At this moment, the chief's head was lowered, and his once-defiant demeanor from the evening when he had chased them out of Sheep Horn was gone.

The old village chief approached Barrett and, facing the four adventurers, bowed deeply along with the peasant woman who supported him. With tears in his voice, he apologized, "I'm so sorry. I didn't realize you were such great heroes and treated you poorly before. Yet, you didn't hold it against us and even saved us from these vicious bandits. I'm truly sorry..."

Seeing the once-arrogant, greedy old man now apologizing with tears, Barrett felt a flicker of satisfaction. However, seeing the old man's pitiable state, especially his limping due to the injury, made Barrett feel a bit sympathetic.

EeDeChi advanced and took the chief's hands in hers, stating with utmost sincerity, "Respected elder, please do not be distressed. This is our obligation. Should you encounter any further difficulties, please communicate them to us. We, the Last Defender of the Way adventuring team, are committed to serving the community. It is imperative to uphold a positive, optimistic, and determined approach to life and to reinforce our resolve to surmount challenges. We are confident that, with the support and assistance of my team, Sheep Horn will successfully navigate its current difficulties and emerge from its trials."

The village chief's yellowed eyes were streaked with tears, and his look of gratitude was tinged with confusion. He seemed a bit dazed by EeDeChi's words, but he nodded along, replying with hesitant agreement.

Subsequently, EeDeChi offered a formal greeting to the village chief and the villagers, delivering a speech that was both inspiring and motivational. The families of Sheep Horn, having received aid and comfort, were profoundly moved. They expressed deep appreciation for EeDeChi's warmth and support, reaffirmed their confidence in their future endeavors, and committed to overcoming challenges with renewed determination, extending their heartfelt thanks for her concern and assistance.

Once the captain's generous speech finally came to an end, Barrett stopped the old village chief and seized the opportunity to ask a lingering question, "Your village is quite large, so why are there so few strong young men?"

The old village chief's tear-streaked eyes welled up again. Sitting on a wooden stump, he wiped his eyes and sighed, "Sheep Horn is near a military fortress to the north. Every spring, the lord comes to recruit volunteers for the army. Serving in the army offsets taxes, and those who qualify for exemption face higher taxes. Usually, by autumn, the young men are sent back. It's been like this every year; most come back, though some return missing limbs. But a few years ago..."

The old man choked up again, tears streaming uncontrollably down his wrinkled, withered face, flowing over deep-set lines.

"A few years ago, the young men were recruited again, but they never came back. A year, two years have passed, and not a single one has returned! The nobles say they were all killed by a magician named 'Ainz Ooal Gown.' Not just the young men from our village, but tens of thousands were killed! My son was among them.

"The lord gave each household two silver coins as compensation. I don't know if what the nobles say is true or if such a magician really exists. I don't know. All I know is that our village's young men never came back, and our sons and husbands are gone forever..."

The old man's frail body trembled, his dirty sleeve wiping his eyes as he sobbed, with the peasant woman beside him holding his shoulder, also sorrowful.

EeDeChi's warm, reassuring smile faded, replaced by a somber and serious expression. Barrett finally understood why the village chief would personally come to a neighboring town's market to sell herbs at such high prices. Only with enough money could the village, lacking young labor, avoid falling into ruin.

Remembering the terrifying news about Ainz Ooal Gown—who had allegedly wiped out over a hundred thousand soldiers with an unprecedented Super-Tier spell—EeDeChi realized how surreal and absurd the news had sounded. It wasn't until she arrived in Re-Estize that she confirmed the horrific truth. Over a hundred thousand was not just a number; it represented sons, loved ones, and husbands from thousands of families. Behind such overwhelming magic, countless households were shattered. The Sorcerer Kingdom's solid rule was built on the blood of so many people.

Barrett clenched his fists and looked at EeDeChi. He could see the anger, heaviness, and revulsion in her eyes, as if frozen in cold, tangible ice.

After a long silence, the old village chief's tearful eyes finally dried up. He spoke to EeDeChi with a humble tone, "I have a small request. I hope the heroes can grant it."

"Of course, go ahead," EeDeChi replied.

"There's a group of goblins on the mountain south of Sheep Horn. They frequently raid the village at night, destroy crops, and even kidnap women and children. We don't have enough people to deal with them.

"We posted a quest at the Adventurer's Guild in the nearby city, but the reward we could offer was too low to hire High-tier adventurers, so the task was never properly completed. We hope the heroes can eliminate some of these goblins, and if you can find the kidnapped people, that would be even better."

The old man bowed deeply and knelt on the ground. EeDeChi quickly helped him up, saying, "No need for that. We don't operate like that. We'll take care of the goblins you mentioned."

The villagers, grateful for the adventurers' promise, thanked them profusely. They prepared four large rooms in the wealthiest house in the village, setting up four big beds.

Stella brought the twin sisters from the tent outside the village back to the village, and the Last Defender of the Way settled in for the rest of the night, sleeping soundly on soft wool pillows under warm blankets.