(Let's see….. Activate.) – thought Thauma as he was experimenting with mechanical wooden sphere, before moments later it cracked open.
"…"
(There was mana reaction…. I think I'm going in right direction?) – thought Thauma as it used its 6 arms to gather up destroyed magic tool and also grabbed different tools as well as materials.
(I should be able to now make a test vessel now.)
"…"
(Still…. Something is still nagging me.)
(It was more than month and yet there was no real action what so ever in the forest…. If anything, there was no soldier past 2 weeks showing up at all.)
(I would get 2 or 3 days of not spotting any soldiers, but a whole week? They would come to hunt something, but so far I've had not seen them at all.)
(And it already the 14th day too, since last time I've seen any people near my dungeon…..)
"…"
(Should I do it?)
(Should I release all of my golems into the world?)
(But if I do that, the chances of me being exposed would increase.)
(Not only that, they maybe still outside the forest.)
(My vision is only focuses around the entrance of my dungeon, I can't really see far yet….. That means my vision in the first place isn't that far and the trees around are also somewhat blocking it….. So, it really sucks.)
(They could be in the forest, but right outside of my sight range…. Not only that, what if they secured different means of securing supplies?)
(…. Merchants… Farmers? One can trade stuff for things such as "money" while the other grow edible plants or help some animals grow so they can be killed later for their meat, right?)
(The risk is way too high to be ignored.)
(I guess I will continue hiding and developing my golems.)
(But I'm somewhat starting to get…. More worried as of late.)
(Did they discovered my dungeon without me noticing? What if the reason they are not approaching this area is because they are preparing for the extermination.)
"…"
(No.)
(There is also a good chance that this other kingdom straight up kicked them out…..But I really have no way of confirming it…. Damn. What do I do?)
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"Dammit! Are you sure about this place!?" – asked a elf soldier as he cut in half a horned rabbit.
"I'm positive. They won't find us here, since according to those farmers, the Garmfon kingdom soldiers apparently left this area around the time before the Marok kingdom was destroyed." – said the tale adult tale human male knight who was wearing decorated armor.
"B-but wouldn't they find out that something was wrong? I mean, we slaughtered all the villagers in order to make sure nobody will know…. But we just made a giant mess." – said the scared human soldier.
"Yea? And?" – asked the human knight.
"At least it will buy us sometime and confuse anybody looking for us."
"We will be long gone before they find us….. Still, it is better if we fucking rest. My fucking legs are killing me." – said the human knight as he sat down on the fallen tree while also putting down a bag filled with golden coins and jeweler.
"…. Stil.. Weren't these…. Well… Your parents?" – asked the elf soldier with confused expression as he stared at the bag near the knight.
"Pfffff. Yea, right." – said the human knight mockingly.
"A bastard son and one they wanted to get rid off. They made me into a knight in order to have me be send me to the dangerous mission in order to get rid off me. Their plan was stupid that I've saw right though it"
"I don't feel sorry for killing them, since I've always hated their guts. And hey. We also earned quiet amount of money from these bastards."
"Anyway, how much food did we got from that village in the first place?"
"Hm…. Pretty much a lot. If we try to not eat too much, it should last for all of us for few days." – said the half-elf male soldier as he was checking bags filled vegetables as well as some dried meat.
"…."
"So, what now?" – asked elven soldier as he leaned against the tree.
"We pretty much became bandits right now."
"Do we just live as bandits for the rest of our lives?"
"Hm… Honestly, this sounds way too shitty…. But I think we really have no choice." – said the human knight.
"Still, we should probably get out of this territory and head to the Garmfon kingdom."
"E-eh?! But won't they just kill us on sight?!" – asked panicking human soldier.
"No. We are nobodies." – said the human knight.
"Hell! I'm straight up a fake knight that only job was to die."
"Do you really think anybody will know my face, less any of yours?"
"Still, it is better if we try and get ourselves a new equipment."
"Farmer clothes would make us look suspicious."
"It is better if we try to steal some of the Garmfon kingdom soldier outfits and use it as ours."
"Oh, I get ya." – said the dwarf.
"We pretend to be soldiers of the Garmfon, getting inside that kingdom and just running away before anybody realizes, nice."
"Yea, simple but effective."
"But for now, rest up, get some sleep and eat up."
"We should also stay here like 1 or 2 days in order to have things somewhat calm down…. But as soon as you any soldiers or farmers, we need to run, got it?
"If we don't do this properly, we all going to die, without exception."
"…"
(Damn. So, they finally came?) – thought Thauma who could see from afar the group of soldiers.
(?) – Thauma noticed one of the soldiers walking away from the group, before then lighting up his cigar, while also coming close enough for Thauma to somewhat see their body more properly.
(Wait….. His equipment… It doesn't look the same?)
(Is he by any chance an adventurer?) – thought Thauma before then noticing a second soldier going to the soldier with cigar which then ended up getting with body soldiers having some sort of conflict.
"You fucker! So, you had some left!" – shouted annoyed soldier.
"Piss off! This is the last one I have, since you fucking used up my entire pack!" – said the smocking soldier.
"Would you two fucking stop screaming? Seriously. I want to take a bloody nap here." – said tired looking elf soldier.
"…"
(No. They have the same gear?) – thought confused Thauma.
(….)
(I did sometimes saw adventures having a same kind of equipment before…..But…. Wait.)
(Are they by any chance soldiers from that other kingdom? Marok kingdom?) – thought Thauma, who suspected the people it just spotted as being soldiers from Marok kingdom.
However, unbeknown to Thauma, these soldiers were deserters.
Before even their kingdom fell, they just ran away, becoming bandits, killing some nobles and then stealing their riches, before then planning to run away, trying to find a place where they can either start their new life or continue their current lives as bandits.
But right now? Thauma didn't knew that.
It only knew that these soldiers were not the same soldiers that were here before.
It thought that the two kingdoms were still at the war with each other and that they were now ducking it out right next to the forest.
"Stop complaining you bloody idiots." – said the human knight as he approached the arguing soldiers.
"As soon as we are ready, we are going."
"You three are on the watch duty, got it?"
"I want everybody to be rest up before we move out and don't want to have some stupid monsters waking us up."
"The sooner we are at our best, the sooner we can leave, got it?"
This was their plan.
Rest up and then run away.
Simple….. But there was a small problem.
Or more specifically, a big one.
The village that the deserters had plundered and destroyed, wasn't completely annihilated…. No.
Inside a pile of farm animal shit, a lone boy managed to hide away, managing to dodge the gazes of the bandits.
And this lone boy, will be the main cause of the upcoming doom that would soon befallen these deserters.