'No ......, no ......, they're watching us.

'I can't believe they're so well led. ............ There's even a magus. So much for the barrel .......'

The city had been completely conquered. They tried to avoid the guards and patrols and make their way to the inn where Kry was staying, but their progress was slow.
Luda and his men were numerous. They were armed, as hunters always are. If they walked down a large street, they would be spotted immediately.
Once they find us, they'll have the advantage of numbers. If the head of the barrel is telling the truth, there are three hundred of them. I don't expect all of them to come at us, but I don't think Luda and the others are strong enough to take them on.

Panting, she carefully assessed the situation. Burrell's control of the situation was incredibly brilliant, even from Luda's point of view.
Perhaps even more brilliant than the regular army. Quick, quiet, and with a minimum number of men in control of the city.

The silence that enveloped the city was proof of their skill. He took control of the center before the screams and anomalies became known.
The actions of the bandits who attacked the village were largely predetermined. They loot and destroy.

But the Barrel Bandits-- they don't. No one is out of control, no one puts their own desires first.
That's not to say there's no violence. The guard station near the gate was quickly overrun, and there were few people walking around outside. Perhaps they had been captured where Luda and the others could not see them.

In Luda's memory, the Barrel Bandits are known for their nefarious deeds. They have invaded several large cities, attacked several merchant corpses, and have done everything in their power to commit treason.
Looking at the scene that was now unfolding in front of her, Luda understood why the Barrels had become such a huge bandit group, causing so much damage.

They know. They know the dangers of looting when there are enemies.
They trust. In their leader's judgment.

A well-trained workforce with a high level of leadership. And a strong leader who makes level four Luda feel an overwhelming disparity.
It is precisely because of these three things that Burrell was the subject of a request for nomination as a Level 8 Hunter.

'...... What to do? We'll never get there. They're working in groups of several, and there are definitely bandits.

It's hard to get to them under the radar. Luda alone might be able to get there if he's lucky, but Carmine and the others aren't as light or fast as Luda.
Gilbert, who had his cheek resting on the wall of the building and was looking for a way out, whispered.

I'm not sure I'm going to be able to do that.

'............ If they did, why aren't they moving?

'Come on. I don't know. ...... Maybe they have a plan.'

Gilbert's unspecific words brought back to my mind the words that Tino had said in the hot spring.
The ordeal is not over yet. The girl who knew Cry well had said that. So, if this is a test, then who is it a test for ......?

I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it'll help.
That's impossible. There seems to be a considerable difference in the amount of mana and materials that they have absorbed from that leader. It's doubtful that even seven of us could defeat him, and he has the advantage in numbers.
If you try to trap them, they seem to be cautious, and it's unlikely that a surprise attack will work.

No, but what about escaping outside and calling for help? It's not a bad idea.
Seems like a good idea. No, since the difference in strength is overwhelming, there is no other way.

It won't be easy to escape the city either. Those who have spread out along the outer wall are watching us.

But the main force of the barrels is following their leader's orders and gathering at the inn where Krai is staying. They intend to surround the place with a large number of people.
If we manage to get past the low wall and get out, we'll have the upper hand. The leader of the bandits is a bit of a handful, but Luda and the others can handle the ordinary members of the band. It's not hard to run and scatter them.

If this is a test, then Luda and the others must have a role to play. It was only for a moment that I was troubled.

With Gilbert and the others in tow, they headed for the outer rim of the city, avoiding detection. There was something eerie about the empty tourist area.
Even though the banditry was large, it was an amazing feat to create so much silence with only three hundred people.
On the way, we saw some townspeople being taken away in captivity with their mouths sealed, but we bit our lips and watched them go.

'Are they gathering them in one place? ......'

'They're going to take them hostage. ......'

This is a common practice of bandits. I've never seen anything like this on such a large scale, but they must be very careful because they're dealing with level 8s.
No doubt - there will be a lot of damage. In the first place, it's almost a defeat when the whole city is occupied. Even if Luda calls for help in time, they are not the kind of people who will just surrender.

How on earth is ...... Cry going to recover from this?

Kill your doubts, and you've managed to reach the outer wall. There are a few armed guards in the distance, but if you run as fast as you can you should be able to reach the outside.
Gilbert gave a small nod, and Carmine and the others clenched their fists nervously.

Just as they were about to run toward the outer wall, the earth suddenly rumbled strongly.
Gilbert grabbed her arm and held on.

Luda could not believe his eyes at the sight that occurred in front of him.

From the outside of the low outer wall, where there had been nothing before, a craggy gray wall was rising out of the ground.
And not in one place. It was along the low outer wall that had been built, and it loomed as far as the eye could see.

The shaking lasted a dozen seconds and then stopped. By that time, an outer wall had been built on the outside of the low wall that we could look up at.
I'm speechless. This is no illusion.

'What ...... is this?

'Magic or ...... stupid ...... impossible.'

Carmine's lips tightened in a pale expression.

The city of Surus isn't very big, but even so, covering its perimeter would be quite a distance.
I know that there is magic that can create a wall, but I have never heard of a mage who could create a wall of this height on this scale, and in an instant.

But now that I had witnessed it, I couldn't help but believe it.
The people on guard did not seem to be upset. They were just pointing and laughing at the wall as if they were impressed.

The wall was about three meters high. It's not going to be easy to get over. It will take time to destroy it.


If this is the skill of a mage, it must be quite taxing. Even without creating a wall, the Barrel Thieves' technique is nearly perfect.
Do the Barrel Bandits see that much value in the Thousand Transformations? Do they have a grudge?

And what are we supposed to do?

'Is there no other way out?

'Let's go back to the ............ gate. They've got to have an escape route. ...... There's no wall up there.'

But at the same time, that's the most important place to be.
We need a diversion. One to create an opening, one to get out. But the chances of the rest of us escaping are pretty slim.

I meet up with Carmine and the other members of the Whirlwind of Flame.
They all have grim expressions on their faces, perhaps because they're thinking the same thing. However, they don't seem to be of the opinion that they should just stay in the city.

Luda forced a smile and began to lead the way back towards the gate.








A perfect, watertight move. It was no mere coincidence that the Barrel Thieves had been able to defeat the famously powerful Gladys Knights so many times.

The Barrel Bandits have no mercy. The Barrel tolerates everything. Looting, killing, humiliation.
Their liberated desires have been sharpened under a strong leader, and they now boast a morale and leadership unmatched by the regular army.

Jefrois Barel, the leader of the Barel bandits, sat on the giant barrel that was the symbol of the bandits, quietly trembling with a sense of elation that he had not felt recently.
One of his men, a man armed with light armor, came trotting over and gave him a short report.

'Dad, the bulkhead is out.

'Yeah, good job.

'But was it good? It was a very large area, and there's hardly any left.

'It was a valuable treasure, but ...... can't be helped. We can't let them escape, even if we have to. We are a band of thieves. We're here to risk everything.

'Yes, sir.

It cost a lot. A treasure trove that could create bulkheads at will was expendable, and though we'd raided many towns and merchants, similar items were still unavailable.

But even so, it would be worth the price of a level 8's head. I'll spare no expense.
If he can bury the "Thousand Transformations", which has slaughtered several illegal magic societies and large-scale bandits, Barrel's bravery will be known throughout the underworld and he will be called the worst. I'm sure that other bandits will be begging him to join their ranks.

On the other hand, failure is not an option. We've mobilized almost all of our members. We have invested most of our resources, including powerful poisons and flying beasts from the magic society. If they were to lose, the Barrel Bandits, who had spent twenty years growing in strength, would be destroyed.

'Have you finished interrogating your friends in the Thousand Transformations?

'No, sir. The only thing he said was that he was a dark-haired man, but he didn't reveal his true intentions. All that came out of his mouth were screams and words of praise for us.'

Jefroi's black eyes narrowed slightly as he gave his subordinate a sly smile.

This is the gamble of a lifetime for Geoffrois Burrell.

Jefrois did not start out with the head of the "Thousand Transformations" in his sights.
When he received information from his subordinate who had been infiltrated by the Knights of Gladys that a request had been issued to the Thousand Transformations to kill it, he planned to quickly withdraw from the territory and move to another country.
A level 8 hunter is a monster. Jefrois is confident in his strength, and his many subordinates have all been training hard on a regular basis.
If you include leadership, he is as powerful as Gladys, but high-level hunters are a match for him. I didn't intend to lose, but it was too risky to go head-to-head.

This decision was overturned during the retreat from Gladys' territory, when two traveling men encountered them by chance during a discreet mountain crossing.

The men claimed to be members of the Strange Glyphs, who attacked and captured Geoffrois easily.

It was the name of the party of the Thousand Transformations.

I couldn't believe they were lying. Burrell had heard that I had sent a request for nomination to "1,000 transformations" and started to retreat. The timing was too good to be a lie, and very few people knew that the Thousand Transformations were heading for Gladys' territory.

The men were strong in their own way. They were at least as good as mid-level hunters.
But even so, they were only strong enough to defeat Geoffroi alone.

When Jefrowa realized this, greed began to grow in him.

I can get the head of the "Thousand Transformations".

I've always had my doubts. but there was almost no information on its combat capabilities.
For Geoffrois, who had walked through various countries and seen and heard information about various hunters, this was a mass of discomfort.
You can't put your foot in your mouth. Strength is something that cannot be hidden, no matter how much you try to hide it.

Isn't he too strong? Geoffroi's prediction was confirmed when he captured the companions of the Thousand Transformations.

In addition, if not all the members of the party were present, now would be the time for Burrell to make his leap.
Careful, but sometimes bold. To make a name for yourself, you need achievements.

We surrounded and occupied the city. Took a large number of hostages and dealt a surprise blow to a powerful hunter who just happened to be there.
So far, there have been no major unexpected incidents. All that remains now is to capture the head of the "Thousand Transformations".

No reinforcements are coming. Even if they did, they would have to come with a force greater than the regular army to beat the barrels.
And by the time they're ready, the Barrel will have captured the head of the Thousand Transformations, and they'll be celebrating in another country far away, having done their best to loot it.

'Old man, a party of hunters is about to enter the city. What should we do? I heard there are four of them, and they look like they're pretty strong.

One of my men comes to report with a frown.
The gates have already been dropped, and everything from the officials who screened people into the city to the guards have been replaced with members who excel in stealth.

Bad luck. The hunters are both a formidable foe and a lucrative prey.
Normally, I would have let them into the city and killed them when the situation warranted it, but that's not the case now.

'...... d*mn it, we're hunting down a level 8. I don't have time to worry about it right now. Just give him a good reason and send him away peacefully.''

'Yes, sir.

My men hurried back towards the gate.
There was no time to spare. Barrel had never occupied a city this big before.



Hey, are we there yet? Send confirmation! Don't forget, the longer you wait to capture the head, the less time you have to loot!

'The strong one we poisoned has returned and is taking its time. No one seems to have died, but five people have been killed! We're sending people out from the back now.

The poison that Burrell spent so much money on is very powerful. I've never been able to survive using it before.
At the unexpected report, Geoffrois clicks his tongue loudly and shouts.

'd*mn it, I can't help it, I'm coming with you. I'll kill that thing! If there's a strong one guarding it, there's bound to be a Level 8 in there! You take over and give the orders!

Jefrois is the strongest of the Barrel. We can't afford to lose any more men for nothing.
He grabbed his love axe, the battle axe of his treasure, and stood up.


At about the same time, a gray mass fell from the sky a few meters in front of Geoffrois.


The cobblestones shattered and shards flew up. For a moment, his thoughts go blank.
You look up at the sky with only your gaze, but there is nothing but an expanse of azure sky, nothing foreign.

And then a mass stirred. Your eyes widen involuntarily.

'...... cut?

'! What the hell?

Up until now, he had maintained his composure in all situations. But now, for the first time in a long time, Geoffrois had stopped thinking.

The thing stuck in the ground slowly rose up.

It was a gray-skinned man. No, if it could really be called a man...

A body bloated with extremely well-developed muscles. There was nothing to cover him, only a pair of bright red pants covering his crotch.
He has no weapon, but if he were to be hit with his abnormally long arms, he would be in trouble.

Her head was covered with a paper bag and tied with a ribbon.

It was a joke of an outfit. His head shook, and two large holes were drilled in his eyes, pointing at Jefrois, who was completely rigid.

'Cut, kill...... cut............kill......?

The creature muttered in a voice that was far too cute for its size, and jumped up. As soon as it landed, it leaned forward and moved like a cannonball.
It was a magnificent sprint. It swung its arms wide, crushed the ground, and was out of Geoffroi's sight in the blink of an eye.

Everyone in front of the gate froze, speechless. None of the men who had been trained to carry weapons and to shout at the first sign of an enemy, none of the men who had been trained to remain calm at all times and to endure any kind of torture, could do anything.

Jefrois, who had regained his senses first, shouted in a trembling voice.

'? What was that? What the hell was that? After him! After it!

The strange object was already gone.

A subordinate shakes Geoffroy's shoulder with a trembling hand. His face had turned pale.

'Hey, old man, that--'

''Huh?

Checking the tip of his finger, Geoffrois was stunned this time.
Unintentionally, he dropped the axe he had been holding tightly. But there was no time to pick it up.


A rocky bulkhead rose three meters high.
From far above, a dull-colored helm silently looked down at Geoffroi.