"What do we have this time, bron?"
"They aren't anything much. If we go by the news we received, they should be rabble of a bandit group fleeing from the capital."
"Why do they always run to our village everytime they get defeated?"

The dwarf continent is huge. We have a lot of land but not a lot of people to inhabit them. There should be other remote corners in this whole continent where they could quietly lay low besides our village vicinity.

Is it because we were lax during the initial stages? It was true that we were inexperienced around that time, so those bandits that we repelled established a base somewhere.

Did they come to this place because of that base? Are they planning to make this a new hub for bandits like the dragon's road?

It has been at least four years since that incident at the dragon's road. The army tide is already done cleansing the dragon's road. Why don't you all go back to the dragon's road? That should be easier and more profitable for all of you right?

We don't have anything hidden in this village! Please, just leave us alone!!

"Are the defence forces going to sally out?"
"Not yet, the captain wanted to train the newbies' aim."

The newbies, huh.

A lot has happened since we started the village defence plan.

After we completed the work, bandits immediately noticed our village. It might be because we are the most well defended looking village but contrary to our plan that they will leave us alone if we look tough, they started to harass our village more.

It seems that we looked like a macadamia nut to them. Ever since that first encounter with our village, they kept their eye on us patiently waiting for us to crack.

We had a lot of close calls but most of them from our inexperience in fighting sieges. However, once we went through 3-5 battles, we already picked up on what not to do. I won't say we are an expert on defending the village but we became better in protecting ourselves.

The attacks weren't frequent during the early days but they suddenly attacked regularly after a few months. It was then that we guessed that they had already established a base somewhere near.

We would like to attack the base but we can't do it by ourselves. We can ask for help from the nearby town, since the other villages are already busy defending themselves, but they don't want to move unless they are completely sure where all of the bandits are. However, everytime we find where they are, they disperse and reform to a different base.

As expected of bandits, they have a lot of tricks. It doesn't really help that we can't hide the fact that we are assembling a force to attack their base.

We can't completely get rid of them. We can't stop them from making their base. We have no choice but to strengthen ourselves. We suffered to get stronger, our walls and defences were destroyed and broken from time to time but mine and the carpenter family’s skills only got better thanks to it.

"The walls aren't safe! These weapons don't make you strong! Your allies aren't going to save you! The best way to survive is to get stronger! To develop your skills! To hone your instincts! and to Keep your eyes open! As long as you survive, you will get stronger! As long as you are safe, you can save others! As long as you are strong, the village will continue to exist!"

The captain of the defence force expanded the team. Most of them came from the villages that couldn't survive the raiding of the bandits. I don't know how many casualties they had because they didn't want to share but most of them came here with only the clothes on their back and tattered weapons in their hands.

"The captain is as intense as always."
"It's not as bad as before. The training we went through at the start of the bandit defence plan was hell compared to what the new recruits are doing now."
"I frequently visit the defence force training grounds to repair the weapons and armour. Bron, it is not that the training got easier. You just got used to the training, so you feel that it is easier."

We haven't encountered a casualty since the start. There are a few who became disabled, including the village chief, but they are still alive and doing good in the village.

I don't want to claim credit or anything but it is thanks to my armour and weapons that we haven't encountered a casualty.

It sounds great when I think about it but if I really process what that really means, It doesn't sound as great as it sounds. The bandits came here in this remote corner because they can't survive in the inner parts of the continent. All of them without exception are defeated bandits that ran here from defeat.

Their weapons, armours, and bodies are already tattered before they even come here. The comparison between a complete set of armour and newly crafted weapons against those tattered and barely holding equipment of the bandit is the main reason no casualties have occurred during their raids.

Well, other than the stragglers from the other villages, some of the people that were sent into the city came back. It's not like all of them are children, the others already finished the academy and returned to the village. Those who studied for management and business related jobs.

I heard that some of the children of those who are part of the defence force went for army training. If they returned, we would get a significant increase in power. I don't mean any disrespect against the defence force, especially our captain that adapted brilliantly to fighting against bandit sieges, but the combat training in the academy has a better effect compared to the budget version taught here in the village.

They have a whole custom made training regimen, veteran teachers who came back from battlefields, and excellent healers that can patch them up even from the brink of death.

Here in the village, we stop when bones are broken. We don't have that much in terms of healing and it would be risky if a quarter of our defence force can't fight at full strength, so there is still a margin of safety we don't want to cross.

"Fire at will!"
"Yes!!!"

*Tak* *Tak* *Tak* *Tak* *Tak*

Hmm, there are a lot of them with seething rage on their faces but the others are more of an exhausted face. I'm not even sure if they are hitting their intended target.

"Their aim is a bit off. If they concentrated their targets a bit more then at least a quarter of the enemies would have been injured."
"Ah, the enemies are starting to charge forward with shields. They must have some magic users ready behind those. Is it alright to keep it easy like this? I don't want to keep repairing the walls because the defence force wants to train the new recruits."
"It should be about time. Don't worry, I am also part of the people who are going to repair the walls."
"That is true but your captain included that into the defence force's training. I have a lot of commissions lately, I am already busy enough as it is."

My business has boomed thanks to the bandit problem. Weapons and armour have been in demand and I am making more money in a day than what I did in a week before the bandit came here. It's not only me but all of the smiths have their work increased thanks to the bandits.

"Vanguards go out and charge! Listen to your group leaders and don't pursue the bandits too far!"
"It seems that we are charging out."
"Good luck, don't let the new recruits hit you in the back with a crossbow."
"The captain will guide them on the timing, so that would never happen."

It happened last week, and the new guy blamed it on the crossbow I made. The nerve of that guy, it serves him right that the defence force captain put him through four days of non-stop training.

You tell me the crossbow is the problem? Let's see if you can still say that after firing 500 bolts every day for four days!

"Hey brill! Looking at the attack today?"
"Good after noon, village chief."
"Stop that, stop that. I'm not the village chief anymore. I'm already retired."
"You say that but even the current village chief also calls you village chief."
"My son just wants to show my importance to the newcomers of the village. It's fine, my title would fade and my son would establish his own in place of mine."

The village chief's foot was crushed because part of the wall fell during an attack. It wasn't really that big of an injury but he can't walk with that leg anymore.

He didn't initially plan to retire but somehow his son heard the news of his injury and came back home as soon as possible. When he heard that, he jumped right into retirement.

His son was originally a teacher and he chose to be part of the evacuation group. I am not that familiar with him, so I can't really comment on why him but so far he is a good village chief.

"You'll be leaving for the town soon right?"
"Yeah, I need to deliver some of the commissions I completed."
"Then I will have to count on you to deliver some stuff to the town mayor."
"I'll take care of it."

You say that you retired but you still take care of things like these.

"Retreat! Retreat!"
"Everyone, return! Don't pursue them anymore!"
"We won!!! We won!!"

It seems that they have already finished with today's bandits. We need to have a better way to resolve this bandit problem soon. They don't seem to want to return to the dragon's road, so at the very least, I want to drive them out of our region.