What is the best way I could help them? I guess the only thing I could do is to take out the bandits one by one.
The bandit closest to me is the bandit leader. I could try sneak attacking him but the leader has to be the strongest in the group of bandits right? If I tried something and he noticed it, wouldn't they shift some of their forces to me?
The merchants can last this long because they are in a group but if I get attacked by their group then I would lose in a head-on fight. I would have to run and my interruption might shift the balance of power, in the favour of the bandits. The bandit leader is taking it easy like playing with its food. If I showed up then it would only agitate him into rushing the attack because someone else might show up.
I need to make my first interruption to be something that would pass off as an unlucky coincidence for them. Let's try and find a random monster here to distract the bandits. It doesn't need to be particularly strong as long as they are tough enough to distract the bandits.
No, there aren't any monsters I can see from here. If I start running around looking for monsters then they would obviously see me. Also, If I went out of my way to bring some from somewhere far away, the situation of the merchants would only worsen.
I know! There is a type of monster that could pop up anywhere in the dwarf continent. The most natural monster that can be found, and when you see it, you just attribute it as bad luck as you calmly move away!
Of course I don't have a way to see if that creature is really near here but I can fake it. I can make it so that they think such a monster is appearing.
[Earth Wall(Arm Grab)]x2
"Oh, Woah!! Someone help!"
"There's a golem sleeping underneath us!"
"You idiots! Don't panic! You and you handle the golem, the others concentrate on the caravan! No more playing around! I'll take the lead in the attack! You bastards! Don't back down or I'll kill you myself later!!"
"Yes!!! xAll"
Good, they are now separated. I can't really move the arms that well since it is a wall, albeit in the shape of an arm. However, it is alright since golems that sprout from underground are slow risers. They would think of it as something normal while they slowly destroy the golem.
They won't be able to destroy the golem if they can't smash the head, so I need to present them a target.
[Earth Wall(Head)]
"The head finally showed up!"
"Hurry and smash it before it breaks through the surface!"
*Smash* *Smash* *Smash*
Perfect, This should be enough of a performance for me to take them out.
[Earth Arrow] x10
"Ow, Ouch, It hurts!"
"Aggh! Someone is attacking us."
*Smack*
"Ough!"
That is one down.
"W-Who are you!?"
*Smash*
That is the second one.
"Tch, reinforcements huh! You have some nerve to intervene in our business!"
This hammer works really well but the balance is a bit bad. The momentum from swinging it is carrying me forward. I have enough strength to carry it but it tends to veer to one side whenever I swing it. Are the decorations affecting it, or is the shape of the hammerhead not aerodynamic enough?
"Oi! You sure have composure to ignore your enemy, ah!?!? You think you're some kind of hero!? Do you think that if someone like you suddenly showed up, you could save the day!?"
"As expected of bandits, you really are a bunch of idiots. Do you think I'm here by myself?"
"Heh, another ambush? Go on, keep them coming. We can handle enemies like you no matter how many come."
"I know, that is why we split up. They should be coming back here soon with help from the guards of the city."
A total bluff but whether it's true or false, the idea that reinforcements from guards might come is enough to burden his mind. As long as he is anxious about the possibility of danger coming this way, then he would likely retreat.
Even if he doesn't order to retreat, the news of reinforcements would still worry the other bandits. As long as their morale drops a few notches down then they would panic and escape by themselves.
"I'm here to keep you busy while they arrive. I'm the strongest in my group after all."
[Earth Wall] x2
"A magic user! You are a disgrace to dwarves!"
"Says the group of robbers! Hey! Stop daydreaming and help me! I can't take them all out alone."
"You heard the dwarf! Come follow me!!"
"Retreat! Retreat!! Damn it! You better remember this! I'll find you soon!"
I have a large overcoat, a hard hat, and some goggles blocking my eyes. I'm still in the middle of my disguise, so good luck finding someone that looks like me.
"This is our chance, chase them all! Don't let a single one escape! Make them pay for defying our Orange Shield Merchant Guild!"
"Stop! Don't bother them! Take out as much as you can but don't follow them too deep! We must wait here for the reinforcements or they will just attack us again down the road."
The manager has a good head above her shoulders. It's true that you don't want to chase them. That would only stretch your people thin, since you still need people to defend the caravan. However, they still need to shave away at the enemy fighting force if they don't want them to show up again and redo the ambush.
They don't need to kill them as long as they wound them enough that it would affect their fighting ability. I could help slow them down with some [Earth Wall]'s but it would take a lot of my mana if I want to do it from this range. I still need to save some mana in case of emergencies.
The question now is should I expose my true identity or just play this off as a friendly passer-by?
Hmmm?.....I'll pretend that I don't know them and make sure they don't know me! This trip has been a secret re-stocking trip. It would be idiotic of me to tell people that I'm just taking a stroll all the way here in the next region with no carriage, no horn basher, and nothing on hand.
However, I need to make this intervention of mine worth the trouble. I saved this group partly because I owe it to the manager that I saved some money on most of the purchases I did since I started to live in the village but right now I am not that smith she wanted to recruit. I'm simply a passer-by.
I need some compensation for my troubles. It would also look natural.
"Friend! Thank you for the help. Rest assured, you and your friends will be rewarded for this. The Orange shield Merchant Group is not one to be stingy in repaying favours!"
"Thank you but I am only by myself. It would be better for your caravan to head to the nearest city and recruit more helpers."
"You're alone? That whole thing was a bluff?"
"Don't look at me like that. I'm not crazy. If that didn't work then I would have run and left your group behind. I'm sorry but there is a limit to my help towards strangers."
"That is understandable and I do not blame you. Very well, the rewards shall be for you. Is there anything you would like, or are coins sufficient?"
"I'll take the coins. I don't have the leeway to be hauling cargo alone."
Yay! Extra cash for me. I doubt it would be much but every little thing counts.
*Jingle* *Jingle*
"These are thanks for your help. Please take these along with our thanks."
"Huh, what's this card?"
Does she always have V.I.P. cards on her person at all times? Are you trying to recruit this disguised me too?
"That is a discount card. You can use that whenever you purchase items from our Merchant Guild. That card should be good for five purchases."
It's a coupon?
"You have a good mind on you. How about joining our merchant guild? I can set you up as an ordinary employee but as long as you show promise then being a manager like me would not be a problem. I'll even help you get promoted quickly."
"Thanks but no thanks. If what you said is true and you are a manager then the internal politics must be murky right now. Your caravan looks understaffed and only barely protected."
"A person as sharp as you is a good catch. It's a shame that you don't want to join us. It can't be helped. An organisation tends to become more edgy as it continues to grow. I'll take up your suggestion and recruit more mercenaries, it should be good as long as they bolster up our numbers. Thank you once again, if you ever change your mind, feel free to sought me out. I'm the branch manager of the Orange Shield Merchant Guild at Jade Mountain Town #7. Be sure to call out for me if you ever drop by and don't follow or deal with anyone else. I'm sure you know what I mean."
It means that there is a group of people at her branch from the opposing faction. I can't believe their internal troubles are still ongoing. Did they go through a change of leadership?
"Thank you, I'll be leaving here before those bandits show up again."
"Farewell, may your passage be safe."
"May your business be prosperous."
I'm able to say it naturally now. These phrases of blessing are a bit weird when I first travelled through the regions in the continent but I guess this is their way of saying goodbye. As long as I think about it as a local custom then I just have to get used to it.
Now that I got my compensation, I better leave this area before I run into those bandits. I should also change my disguise as soon as possible. Since they are looking for a mage with a large overcoat, I'll go with a travelling warrior this time.
