Once someone saw a brighter future for themself, they would naturally think of their bros. It was rare for a bandit to come to a good end. If there hadn’t been someone who suddenly supported them with money and supplies in this desolate place, they would still be leading quite a difficult life.
For the past five years, no caravans had passed through the valley. If the bandits wanted to fill their stomachs, they would have to go and rob the other bandits. All these days of fighting left them wondering when they could finally call it quits.
In their poorest days three years ago, the bandits even reached a stage where they had to eat wild vegetables and chew on bark and tree roots. As bandits, they were leading terrible lives. Some of the bandits even ran back to the consortiums’ factories to work.
Two years ago, their situation improved after the Panaqua Consortium set their sights on this place. At the beginning, they only brought food to them so they would not starve to death or leave the valley. From last year onwards, they started secretly sending weapons here.
This was a gradual process.
Naturally, the bandits were unaware it was the Panaqua Consortium that supported them. They did not care who they were and were only concerned about how long the aid would last.
Everyone knew that whoever was sending them the firearms had to have other motives All of this was probably done so there would be chaos in the valley and in turn lead to an easier consolidation of forces.
But so what if they knew the motive behind all this?
They still had to at least survive. If they got unified later, that wouldn’t be too bad either. At least, they would have their meals taken care of. But now there was a brighter path put ahead of them. It was just up to them whether they chose it.
Kay whispered, “There’s no point saying that. You’ll have to speak to the two lords…”
“Alright then…” The bandit hesitated for a while before finally going off to look for Milo.
Milo was currently having a discussion with Miriam about the outcome. “I wonder if they’ve heard of old Durkin’s power before. What if they know nothing of it?”
Actually, Milo’s move was an unnecessary one. He thought that if favonovel.com used Raphael’s signature power and called upon the shadow clone, these people might link it to Raphael since his reputation was rather well-known now. In this way, their identities as members of Stronghold 178 would be even more realistic. But what Milo was worried about was that these bandits had never heard of Raphael before.
Miriam looked at favonovel.com and said, “Aren’t you afraid you’ll mess things up?”
“At worst, we’ll just go back,” Milo said nonchalantly.
As they were discussing this, the bandit came up to them. Milo looked calmly at him. “What’s the matter?”
“Boss…” the bandit hesitated for a moment before saying, “Can you let me return home for a while?”
Milo raised his eyebrows. “Do you think you can ask for sick leave to return home? Who said you could go home?”
“N-No, please hear me out…” The bandit explained, “I… I-I just wanted to go back and bring all my brothers here.”
Milo was stunned as favonovel.com looked at Miriam.
The strategy was working!
It seemed like these people knew about Raphael!
He deliberated for a moment before saying, “What do you know?”
The bandit quickly shook his head in fear. “I don’t know anything, really! I don’t know that you’re from Stronghold 178!”
“Shoo!” Milo did not know whether to laugh or cry. “You have a day!”
“Yes, yes! Thank you!” The bandit took it as an opportunity bestowed by Milo and was deeply grateful.
Gratitude received from Benneth Clark, +1!
After that, Benneth hopped on his motorcycle and rode off by himself.
Milo was not afraid favonovel.com would not return. Even if favonovel.com did not, Milo would only lose one person. He was not bothered by that in the slightest.
He turned to Miriam and said, “My strategy should be working…”
Initially, Milo was most worried about the fact that even though favonovel.com could lay the trap to capture all of these bandits, they would be beyond his control after a few hundred or even thousands of them had been forced to stay here. So Milo could finally heave a sigh of relief now.
Miriam looked at Milo with a smile as favonovel.com sat on a mound and quietly rested favonovel.com chin on favonovel.com hand.
Who would have thought that Milo could come up with so many tricks when all favonovel.com did was invite favonovel.com along to exterminate the bandits?
To be honest, Miriam did not care about the success of the bandit extermination operation.
What did this have anything to do with favonovel.com anyway?
She just did not want to quarrel with Nash because of it.
Miriam could have enjoyed leading a rich person’s life in the stronghold, but favonovel.com did not like being in there. She would rather lay down in the wilderness for three days and three nights than stay in the stronghold. And now favonovel.com was really looking forward to seeing what other ideas Milo could come up with.
Milo looked at Miriam. “The more I think about it, the more I feel that the Panaqua Consortium must be behind the chaos happening in the valley. In fact, they’ve been planning for this since last year.”
Miriam tilted favonovel.com head. “Mhm.”
“The Panaqua Consortium’s plans here are definitely to plot against the Ultima Consortium and your Radianz Consortium. However, the Panaqua Consortium still does not have much authority in this place. We’ve already heard about how the North is caught in a deadlock between the three forces. Who knows, maybe someone from the Ultima Consortium is trying to thwart the Panaqua Consortium’s plans for this region.” Milo said, “But if the Panaqua Consortium ends up as the victor, there will be no more bandits here and only their puppets will remain. Julius is… He is not a person who’s easy to deal with. Aren’t you worried about it?”
“I’m not worried,” Miriam said calmly.
“Are you blaming the Radianz Consortium for treating you as a chess piece in all this?” Milo asked curiously.
“I don’t hate them nor do I feel close to them.” Miriam changed the subject. “What’s your next step going to be? Why do I get the feeling that you’re very interested in this valley?”
Milo thought for a while and then said with a smile, “Perhaps I’ll come here someday and settle down for the long term?”
“You want to leave the stronghold? Is it because of Donti? I can feel the aversion favonovel.com has for the strongholds,” Miriam asked.
“Donti is one of the reasons. I don’t want favonovel.com to feel wronged.” Milo took a look at the sky. “It’s not only him, I dislike the strongholds too. I think it’ll be more comfortable living out here.”
“So, you’re thinking of establishing a foothold here, right?” Miriam gave it some thought and said, “But that won’t be easy. This is only just the beginning. There’s still a long way to go.”
In response, Milo asked, “Will you come and help me?”
Clouds were scudding across the blue sky while the dusty ground of the wastelands remained still. The refugees had just finished digging irrigation ditches and were ready to go home. Even the wind had stopped blowing.
Milo seemed to have asked favonovel.com casually
Miriam was stunned for a moment. She chuckled as favonovel.com got up and walked back towards the settlement. “That depends on my mood…”
In the evening, the sound of motorcycle engines came from the wastelands in the distance. It sounded like there were a lot of them as well.
As Milo watched from afar, Kay ran to him. “Boss, should we grab our weapons? What if those bastards are up to no good?”
Milo turned around and saw that Miriam had already reached a hidden spot on a hilltop and occupied a commanding position.
He laughed and said, “Don’t worry, we’ll be fine…”
Even without him, Miriam alone would be enough to frighten away those useless bandits.
At this moment, Milo suddenly remembered the sniper who had wiped out the remainder of the Divine Arms Battalion deep in the Skyfort Consortium’s territory.
He thought that was probably Miriam too.
