— No. There will be a village soon, and we'll stop there, — the knight spoke for the first time.
— How do you know about the village?
— It's not important, — the vampire said in a calm voice, not explaining the concept of blood memory and what it entails.
The village did indeed appear soon, and among its inhabitants, they found the five sent by the triumvir to scout the forests. At the moment, it was actually a group of four gendarmes, as the fifth scout was missing somewhere in the vicinity.
— The whole village is running errands for the bandits, — one of the gendarmes immediately informed the chief, — They've already reported us to the gang. The gang itself is hiding in the woods, about five leagues from here. Gena is sniffing out the approaches to their camp. It looks like this gang is the one that attacked the Duchess's sister, especially since the bandits were involved in selling horses and wagons with cargo at that time.
— Who is their leader?
— They call him Leaf.
— Yes, that's the same gang. We've figured out a few things in the city. By the way, here, — Alexander handed the flask to the subordinate, — a sip of Valerian blood, you need to know the language and customs of the "homeland."
The gendarme gratefully took the vessel.
— What are the plans? — he asked, taking a sip.
— It's a pity we are only seven. Although there are no mages or competent warriors among the bandits… I think we should attack tonight, try to stun and capture as many of them as possible. In the morning, this hundred of gendarmes will bind the prisoners and we'll head home. Simple.
— We enter, interrogate harshly, and leave, — joked the gendarme.
— Almost. Lieutenant! — waiting for the man to approach, Alexander gave the orders. Set up camp for the night. Don't let anyone out of the village; they are in league with the bandits. I will attack the camp with my people tonight. Tomorrow morning, you will proceed with the squad along the road until you meet my man; he will guide you further.
— But…
— Let's avoid objections. The Duchess appointed me as the lead, and my orders are to capture the bandits alive. I will handle that with my paladins. Your men will turn the bandits into corpses.
— Then what are we here for?
— To escort the bandits to Kas. That is your duty.
The lieutenant had no choice but to agree and watch the departing backs. What an intriguing puzzle he had encountered in his old age in the form of this Blood. Upon returning, he would need to question the soldiers who participated in the Battle of the Cursed Bridge. Previously, the warrior had somewhat ignored this moment, believing there was nothing to discuss — the young Duke had simply doomed his men by leading them into battle against mages.
Fortunately, they didn't miss the scout; the nose didn't fail and prevented the vampires from losing each other.
— They've set up camp, which looks somewhat like our old one. There's almost no guard, — the vampire began his report on the reconnaissance but was interrupted.
— It doesn't matter. At midnight, we quietly enter the camp and stun everyone. Do not kill! Maiming is allowed. But work quietly until panic sets in. Use "Paralysis," "Electroshock," and simple stunning. No one should escape. Do not drink blood. Do not show fangs or claws. Is everything clear?
The warriors nodded.
— And what about the villagers, what should we do with them?
— That's not our concern. We are to capture the gang alive and hand them over to the Duchess's executioners. The rest is not important.
Everyone nodded in understanding again.
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