The Herb King

Samira has ten guards with her. All of them were Level 1 Espers who were skilled in archery and swordsmanship. Even their mounting skills were at the level of elite knights. These guards were among the best soldiers of the Reynolds Family!

At this moment, five guards were sleeping in their sleeping bags, while the remaining five were eyeing the surroundings with stern looks.

The forest seemed peaceful, and only the sounds emitted by insects can be heard.

Leric couldn't sleep especially after seeing that the red dots on his [Virtual Map] were showing no signs of retreating. 'Are they planning to attack us?' He thought coldly in his heart.

For some reason, Leric had no remorse about killing other human beings. He was also surprised by the changes in his personality, but he attributed this sudden change to his skill [Demon Heart].

When he killed the leader of the bandits back then, he didn't even flinch. He sighed in his heart and buried these thoughts deeply. There was nothing he could do but adapt to the circumstances. The world in his past life was a peaceful one and there was no war and chaos. However, this world was different. The strong make the rules and the weak could only obey them.

Suddenly, he noticed that the red dots on his [Virtual Map] were moving slowly. From the looks of it, they were about to attack their group!

Leric moved closer to the girls' tent and silently whispered. "Miss Samira, it appears that we have company."

He heard a rustling sound inside the tent and a few seconds later, Samira came out together with her two maids. Their expressions filled with cautiousness as they observed the surroundings. "Sir Aethelwolf, did you notice something?"

Leric nodded his head. He didn't want to expose his skill to them so he didn't bother to explain how he sensed them. "I sensed more than twenty people moving in our direction. Although I haven't seen them, I'm certain that they are bandits." He could identify enemies because of his [Virtual Map] since it shows enemies in red dots while allies are blue.

The expressions of Samira and the two maids turned grave upon hearing his words. They didn't doubt him at all. Aethelwolf already showed his capability during the battle against Solas and his bandit army. "What should we do, Sir Aethelwolf?"

Leric pondered deeply. He was seventy percent sure that those bandits were from the Northern Viper Group. He thought that they were scouts sent to observe them, but their movements perplexed him. They shouldn't attack them if they were scouts. That means this group has a different objective.

Leric's mind started analyzing the possible situations.

"Wake up the guards, but don't make the bandits feel suspicious. Tell everyone to prepare for a possible attack. We will act as if we didn't sense them and catch them by surprise the moment they attack us." Leric calmly told them about his plans. The bandits seemed weaker than them, but it was better to be cautious. There might be unnecessary casualties if they looked down on their enemies.

Samira and the two maids nodded their heads. They then woke up the guards and told them about their situation.

The guards were elite soldiers so they didn't panic when they heard that there were bandits in the vicinity. They stood up and acted as if nothing was going on, but their hands were already holding the handles of their swords.

Seeing this, Leric nodded his head in praise. He then jumped atop a tall tree and used his [Night Vision] and [Enhanced Eyesight] to observe the bandits.

He noticed that the bandits divided themselves into three groups. Each group has about eight members and they were led by Level 1 Espers.

From where he stood, he could already see their shadows moving silently behind the greeneries and trees. If not for Leric's [Virtual Map], the group might not be able to sense the arrival of these bandits.

"Let's see if the guards of the Reynolds Household can take care of these small fries." Leric muttered to himself with a light smile on his face. He wasn't worried about Samira and the others. Now that they learned about the presence of the bandits, even if a fight would break out, the guards alone could kill those bandits.

Leric wanted to observe the combat prowess of the guards. He would only move if someone was in danger.

Suu! Suu! Suu! Suu! Suu!

The bandits fired dozens of arrows toward their resting area, but they heard no cries of agony.

"Kill all the normal bandits and leave the three Espers alive!" Samira's stern voice suddenly echoed in the silent forest, shocking the bandits who were hiding in the shadows.

"Something's not right! This is a trap! Retreat!" The bandits immediately fled in all directions when they noticed that it was a trap. However, the guards of the Reynolds Family didn't allow them to escape.

Puchi!

Ahhhhh!!

Screams of pain resounded throughout the forest as the bandits were slowly cut down by the guards.

Even the three Level 1 Espers among the bandits weren't able to retaliate under the fierce swordplay of the guards. They could only raise their hands in surrender. Their faces filled with regrets.

Not long later, all the bandits were killed and the three Level 1 Espers were tied in chains.

"Miss Samira, the bandits have been killed. These three should be their leaders." The guards kicked the three bandits, making them fall to the ground.

Samira glared at the three bandits. Luckily, Sir Aethelwolf has warned them beforehand or some of their guards might have died. "Who are you people?! Why did you attack us?!"