Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure Chapter 2003: They’re desperate
Previously on Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure...
"Your majesty, are you certain we can't persuade you to linger a bit longer?"
King Lune uttered those words with an air of warmth, yet the underlying intent lurked unmistakably beneath his tone.
Nevertheless, the circumstances left him utterly powerless to act.
Should the Solar Kingdom muster its full forces, none among them possessed the strength to halt my departure this day.
Indeed, my exit wasn't a solitary affair.
Representatives from the racial alliance had arrived to exert pressure on the Solar Kingdom upon learning of the events. With my impending departure, they intended to accompany me as we left.
Any move by the Solar Kingdom would thus provoke the wrath of the racial alliance.
In such precarious times, this stood as the absolute worst course they could pursue.
Regardless of their desperation, they dared not risk alienating the entire racial alliance.
The formidable Democratic Union served as a stark warning of the catastrophe that befell those who opposed the racial alliance, a lesson vivid enough for all nations to grasp the peril involved.
Yet, their alliance membership stemmed from a quest for survival, offering no spoils beyond that fragile security.
The continent faced relentless threats from the forces of Destruction, after all.
Thus, the Solar Kingdom had no recourse but to permit our departure.
Still, I sensed they wouldn't resolve matters so easily, which prompted me to offer them a chance now to avoid future complications.
"They’re here."
I couldn't handle this solo, so I'd already briefed Klein and the rest on the plan.
They appeared far from thrilled with my choice.
Ultimately, however, they complied.
This stemmed partly from recognizing its necessity, and partly from the frustrations they'd bottled up during their stay in the Solar Kingdom, eager now to unleash that pent-up irritation.
"They truly are at their wits' end to dispatch something like this in pursuit."
Klein remained silent, but his expression alone conveyed his full agreement with my assessment.
A ragtag band of bandits trailed us, after all.
Typically, no bandits dared assault travelers mounted on wyverns, especially since our campsites bristled with the creatures encircling us.
No sane bandit would charge a party ringed by wyverns in such a manner.
True, wyverns signaled wealth—taming them lay beyond ordinary folk's grasp—yet the peril of robbery paled against the dangers involved.
Wyverns marked not only affluence but posed lethal threats themselves, far from feeble beasts.
Assailing a wyvern-guarded group implied hidden motives or outright madness.
These bandits showed no signs of insanity, their faces etched with steely resolve.
A clear purpose drove their assault.
"How shall we handle this?" Klein inquired abruptly.
A subtle grin crossed my lips, for I grasped the motive behind his question.
Desperation had propelled their dispatch, carrying unspoken demands with it.
Their resolute expressions revealed the full story.
Only one response fit the situation.
"Simply eliminate them all."
Klein arched a single eyebrow in my direction, though genuine shock at my words seemed absent.
More precisely, astonishment gripped him at my unyielding stance on the issue.
Finally, he nodded once more, then signaled the royal guards with a gesture.
On this occasion, they barred me from joining the fray, as it involved no clash with the forces of Destruction. In truth, combat held no place in my plans anyway, serving merely as the lure from the start.
The bait never confronts what it entices, after all.
In reality, it scarcely qualified as a battle, underscoring their profound desperation.
The arriving bandits withstood not a single strike from Klein or the royal guards, yet they surged forward relentlessly. Soon enough, it appeared they fled amid the thrashing they endured.
As elites, Klein and the royal guards saw through the ruse without a flicker.
They refused to be lured into vulnerability by foes or to expose any weakness in their ranks that might let enemies close in on me.
Consequently, the bandits found themselves compelled to advance once again.
That's when the flanking royal guards materialized abruptly at the bandits' rear.
Faced with this, the bandits could only battle for escape or...
Some gulped down pills and crumpled to the earth in an instant.
Others battled until the last, only to fall beneath the royal guards' blades.
A handful even attempted surrender, meeting the same swift end.
We intended no captives, after all.
Besides, concealing this incident served the racial alliance's interests.