"So, get out of my way! I’m looking for her!"
The bandit leader shoved Megumin aside, pushing her into Adam’s arms, then pointed at a certain girl standing in the crowd: Yunyun.
"Eh... me?!" Yunyun looked completely bewildered, having no idea why the bandit leader would single her out.
The bandit leader offered a reasonable explanation, staring at her and declaring with certainty, "Well, well, you must be some noble’s daughter."
"Wait a minute! Why would you say that? Why am I not a noble’s daughter?!" Megumin, huddled in Adam’s arms, felt insulted. With an indignant face, she shouted at the bandit leader, demanding a proper explanation.
"Hahaha, what nonsense are you spouting, you stupid little loli?" The bandit leader laughed loudly, "Just look at yourself — skinny and tiny, with manners and speech as crude and impolite as mine. Aren’t you ashamed to call yourself a noble’s daughter?!"
That statement really makes one want to retort.
So you’re aware that you’re crude and impolite?
But let’s give the bandit leader some credit. Although Yunyun isn’t a noble’s daughter, she is at least the daughter of the Crimson Demon Clan’s leader, which does make her nobility of sorts.
But he’s also mistaken — Yunyun only resembles a noble young lady without actually being one.
Most importantly, did you know that some people are noble daughters but are actually beyond-redemption perverts?
Turning to look at Darkness nearby, he found that she wasn’t blushing and lost in delusions, but rather had drawn her great sword and raised her shield, seriously guarding against the bandits surrounding them.
"Huh?" Adam wondered if something wasn’t quite right.
Sensing his gaze, Darkness asked in confusion, "Adam, why are you looking at me like that? We’re surrounded by enemies right now."
"...No, it just feels like you’re acting like a real knight."
"Hey! I am a knight, you know!" Darkness waved her knight’s sword and round shield in frustration, but she still couldn’t land a single hit on any of the approaching bandits.
Her attacks, as always, failed to connect with her enemies.
Meanwhile, Megumin, still huddled in Adam’s arms, was furious — she had truly been insulted.
"You! You dare say I’m crude?!" She angrily raised her staff, pointing it at the bandit leader, "I could tolerate you saying there’s something wrong with my brain, but you dare call me a tiny little loli, flat-chested, crude and impolite... Unforgivable! I must destroy you!"
"...Huh? Did I say all that?"
Obviously, Megumin was adding her own embellishments.
"Ah—! All this chirping is so annoying!" The bandit leader, clearly an impatient small fry, pointed his machete at Megumin and said viciously, "You little brat, if you don’t shut up, don’t blame me for bullying you!"
He had a serious misunderstanding. Seeing Megumin’s petite figure and childish face, he mistakenly thought that this grand 「Arch-Wizard」 had no combat ability and was merely an ornament.
This kind of loli was his favorite to bully. Every time, just one scare would make them collapse to the ground crying for their mothers.
This time would be no exception!
...or so the bandit leader thought, but Megumin didn’t burst into tears as he expected.
Instead, her eyes glowed crimson as she raised her staff high. The massive magical power within her began surging rapidly, and she started chanting the incantation for〘Explosion Magic〙!
More dark than darkness, ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel※fire.net
In this place, entrust my crimson glory!
Adam covered Megumin’s mouth with his hand, preventing her from continuing the chant.
Fortunately, even when angry, she would still instinctively chant her chuunibyou incantation, so he was able to interrupt her spell in time. Otherwise, everyone present would certainly have been blown sky-high.
Using〘Drain Touch〙, he absorbed all of Megumin’s magical power. Only after the giant magic circle beneath them dissipated did he release her.
"Adam, Adam! What are you doing?! My magic, my Explosion Magic, it—!" From Megumin’s agitated state, it was clear she was very unhappy about him forcibly interrupting her spell.
Once per day. Such a precious casting opportunity, interrupted so easily — of course she was upset.
But Adam was even more upset.
"You idiot, read the room!" He forcibly restrained her, then spanked her bottom several times as punishment for her momentary impulse.
"Eeeek—!!! What are you doing, Adam?!"
"That’s my line! Stupid Megumin, if you cast your magic at close range, you’d lose your life too! Pay more attention to your own safety and that of others!"
Even if he could deploy a protective barrier for those nearby in an instant, the rest of the caravan would still perish.
"Ugh..." Megumin knew she was in the wrong. She wanted to argue but could only pout and hold back.
At this point, the bandit leader, seeing the enormous magic circle that had appeared beneath his feet earlier, realized he had provoked someone he shouldn’t have. An 「Arch-Wizard」 capable of such powerful magic could take his life with ease.
Terrified, he dropped his machete and immediately kowtowed, begging loudly for mercy. Gone was his earlier arrogance.
"I’m sorry! This lowly one was blind! Please be merciful and spare me!"
With the leader’s surrender, his underlings naturally lost their will to resist.
Just a second ago they had the absolute advantage, but in the next moment they were on their knees — a result they found hard to accept... yet they couldn’t resist either.
With such a large magic circle, even fools would know that once battle began, they would be instantly killed. A quick surrender might still save their lives.
Escape? Forget it — who could outrun a powerful 「Arch-Wizard」?
"Huh? They surrendered?"
Megumin had been unhappy with Adam for stopping her outburst, but when she saw the bandits kneeling and begging for mercy out of fear, she immediately puffed out her flat chest proudly, looking smugly at everyone else... her gaze focusing especially on Yunyun.
Always looking to compete, she naturally wanted to show off.
Adam, however, was in a dilemma.
If the bandits had resisted, he would have mercilessly eliminated them. But when they admitted their mistake and begged for mercy, his identity as a 『 Hero 』 wouldn’t allow him to slaughter defenseless people.
"I have one question, and you must answer truthfully. If you dare lie... you understand, right?"
"Yes, yes! This lowly one understands completely!"
"Then... have you ever killed anyone?" Adam would determine their punishment based on their answer.
If they had, he would definitely eliminate them!
"No, no, no, no! We haven’t, really we haven’t!" The bandit leader shook his head frantically and explained, "Our goal is just to rob, or collect ’toll fees’ if you will. If we killed people, it would scare away other caravans, so we never kill."
"Then what about just now..."
"That was just trying to intimidate the noble Arch-Wizard. Capturing a noble young lady was just for ransom... hehe." The bandit leader awkwardly scratched his mohawk.
He thought he had it in the bag, but not only did he fail, he was scared into surrendering... how embarrassing.
"Is that so." Adam nodded with satisfaction, pleased with the bandit leader’s answer.
However, while their crimes might not warrant death, they still deserved severe punishment.
Got it! Wasn’t Vanir planning to renovate the Dungeon? With insufficient manpower, these bandits would do nicely — that would be their punishment.
"You all go to Axel, to Wiz’s Magic Item Shop, and find a masked man. Tell him that the Lord sent you to help build the Dungeon."
At the same time, Adam tapped the bandit leader’s body several times, leaving a conspicuous small magic circle.
"This is my mark, specifically for monitoring you. If you dare try to escape halfway... you understand."
"Yes, yes! This lowly one understands completely!" The bandit leader nodded hurriedly, unable to muster even a hint of resistance.
Then he led his underlings away.
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