10 Southern Bandits 3

When Kain woke up again, he found himself lying on a bed of fur inside a dimly lit cave. His throat was parch and his stomach felt empty. He looked around and saw nobody was in the room. He tried to sit up. Jolts of pain ran through his body, emanating from his abdomens.

"Ah, hell," Cursed Kain, lying back down on the bed. His torso was bandaged all over."Anyone here."

There was some sudden footstep and the next moment, a man came in. Even in the bandits' garb, Robert look as dignified and stoic as ever.

"Thank the Gods," Said the man, smiling warmly,"You are finally awake, Young master."

"How long have I been out?" asked Kain taking into consideration that he may have been out for a day or two.

"Four days, Young master," came the reply.

"Four days," cried out Kain in surprise,"help me up, Uncle. We are short on time."

"Don't strain yourself, Young master," Said Robert,"If you are thinking about the facade of you leaving the basin, I have sent out the twins along with two captured bandits as covers."

"You got my message," Said Kain in relief, "that's good to hear."

"You must be hungry," Said Robert,"I will fix up something for you to eat."

"Wait," Said Kain as Robert was about to leave, "who are they?" Several faces were peeking at them from the door. Four heads were peaking out, all of them were young girls but they look to be in terrible shape. Bruises and swells were all over their faces. Their faces look thin and malnourished.

"Villagers captured by the bandits for their hedonism, Young master," Said Robert," I rescued them but haven't sent them away yet. I was waiting for you to wake up.They took turn warming you while you were feverish."

"Keep them here," Said Kain,"They must not be sent away or everything will be divulged. Don't let anyone harm them though."

"Understood, Young master," Said Robert, giving a curt bow,"I will take my leave then."

On his way out, Robert shooed away the girls. While waiting, Kain tried to piece his strategy together again.

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It was obvious to everyone especially Robert that the bandits didn't ambush them on the moor. There was safer route but Kain was adamant in taking that route, which was known to be infested with bandit activities.

Even though the bandits had the advantage of number, they were lacking in quality. All four were warriors. The weakest warrior could take down two regular soldiers on a two vs one duel. Tonmen and Jonmen were both rank 5 Earth warrior and experience in fighting and battle disciplines. Robert was a rank 4 Sky warrior. As such, a meagre number of untrained and unruly bandits with poor equipments and weapons proved to be no challenges led by a regular bandit.

Moreover, they were mounted and had good equipments compared to the bandits. Last but not the least was the raw strength of the Young master. Robert had noticed that all that time Kain had not use any warrior skill or attributes. It was raw fighting skill and strength. It was Kain who did most of the fighting as well, ending the lives of the bandits in a cruel and malicious methods.

"What a monster you have created, Ser Alrond,"Robert sighed under his breath as he made the dishes.

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Kain had attack the bandits' knowingly. The Moorland Dogs crew was one of the most infamous bandit crew in the Southern land. He wanted to annihilate them and gain fame, not as the Lord but as a strong warrior.

He will use the bandit den to garner a new bandit crew and use that as a dispensable sword against the other bandits. That was the reason why he was adamant on keeping the facade of him travelling to Crimia.

"The Lord himself becoming a bandit in his own territory,"thought Kain, laughing internally at his own plan,"my reputation as a noble will be ruined forever. It doesn't matter though. What matter is the success rate of the venture?"

The success rate of using a bandit crew as a sword against the other bandits were very high. If he had use the army, then everything will be at a disadvantage. A standing army is a culmination of time, money and resource spent. Even the death of a single soldier results in loss of several tens of golds.

The army of the Viscounty was poor in both quantity and quality compared to Alwen Khyne crew, who was Kain true target. Even though there was high chance of winning against Alwen Khyne using the garrison, there will be a huge loss of resources and lives on both side. In addition, there was the threat of the other bandits crews. Kain was certain that they will either ambush the returning army or sack the castle when the garrison moves out. As such, the bandit crew was the most probable strategy with which he could win the war with minimum loss.

Kain had planned it on the first day he arrived. It was the southern refugees in his territory that prompted him to come to this strategy.

The number of refugees in his territory was greater than the number of residents in his sphere of control. Other than being a vacuum of depletion of the granary, they had no practical uses. The reason was because those who had good skills would have already been taken by the southern nobles and others. The refugees in his territory were either the weak, the useless and peasants mixed with criminals. Sooner or later, they will become robbers or bandits. Some had already became bandits. There were some southern refugees among the bandits he killed, notably the two bandits who ambushed him in the cave.

Therefore, it was not cruel nor evil to use them as bandits for sooner or later, those who comes forward to join his crew will join the other crews if they didn't join him. In short, he will be stopping the other bandits crew from recruiting more personnel, solve the problem of refugees turning into bandits and take back the land from the bandits. Three birds with one stone.

"Truly, only poison can counter poison," Kain mused, grinning widely.

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