Darius clapped lightly. "Precisely! How could they just leave him be? What if he defects? What if he purposely sends back fake reports? What if he simply becomes lazy and gets usurped?"
He then placed his hands behind his back casually. "You have to understand that the Equality Faction is in no position to play around. Like Fraterina when they sent Juliet here to form this kingdom, there is something situated in the Plains of Death that they want… that everyone wants."
"So Georgina, show me your cleverness. Who do you think was sent to watch the homestead just as you were sent by your faction?" Darius asked her calmly.
Jorge thought for a few seconds before realization came over her once more. "Garwen! And his bandits! They were all just a front!"
Darius nodded. "It only became obvious to me just now too, as I spoke with you. The first clue for me was the fact that, in terms of banditry, only the Diato Bandits actually do what one would expect from bandits."
"The Foldo Bandits barely deserve their name, seeing as they mostly push contraband and slaves about. They hardly bother raiding any passersby for their goods. Interestingly from what I gathered, the Garwen Bandits also raid very scarcely, only when certain merchant groups pass through."
Darius left something out here on purpose to allow Georgina to come to that conclusion.
In the library, Portia had mentioned that the Garwen Bandit's targets were often merchant groups that were bringing in materials for nobles known to be part of the Superiority Faction.
Darius would never have realized this if not for a resident of this area like Portia pointing it out.
"The next big clue to their involvement... was this attack on the homestead. Frankly, it should have caught them unawares. Heck, the fighters of the homestead should still have been strapping on their pants while the monsters broke in and cut them down."
"Instead, they were able to mount a respectable defense and gather more than 50 men who were already armed enough to meet the foes outside of the homestead altogether."
Darius shrugged. "Of course, this could just mean that the fellows of the homestead might be combat-ready at all times, but as someone who has lived with them for a while, I can confidently say that this isn't the case."
He turned to Jorge who was listening thoughtfully. "Again, Georgina, what do you think of this?"
Jorge's answer came quite quickly this time, as the answer was obvious. "Since your plan was to become a hero, it must mean that one of the bandit groups informed them beforehand."
Darius agreed. "That's right. As you were with the Diato Bandits, you know they are not capable of such subterfuge. The Foldo Bandits could have been culprits, but let's just say I have a way of knowing that they definitely are not the ones."
"Monsters cannot think that far ahead, only considering bestial topics like food, water, and sex on the daily. As such, the only culprit left... are the Garwen Bandits."
Darius raised a finger. "There are many bizarre things about their group, but I don't need to elaborate further, do I? A group of archers way out here when they could be raiding closer to the towns and still be safe? During the raid, they hardly attacked any known villager of the homestead. Their arrows always barely missing them, or at times even 'accidentally' killing a monster nearby. And yet the moment my servant entered the fray they concentrated their fire on him, who seemed foreign enough to be sacrificial?"
There was a spell of silence as Darius finished. Georgina eventually gathered her thoughts and considerations before asking carefully: "And what do you want me to do?"
"Right now? I need you to continue as-is. Your former group, the Diato Bandits, have been ruined and shall no longer exist henceforth. As for the Garwen Bandits, they are being dealt with by my servant. As such, I shall introduce you to Foldo, and the two of you are to create a force for me in the area." Darius replied grandly.
Georgina felt her heart throb. A force in this area? He wanted her and that cunning old fox to create one?
Despite various misgivings, there was a thread of excitement and anticipation in her heart. For the first time, she was given some modicum of free responsibility, a chance to prove her worth without having things jeopardized or forced down her throat.
Darius noted her expressions and found what he wanted to see. Georgina was his favorite type of victim, an above-average intelligent and capable person who had been foolishly mistreated or suppressed by her peers or relatives.
Once you highlighted that you respected and cherished their talents, you only had to present them with a chance to prove themselves, and they would find themselves magically pulled towards you.
Of course, you had to establish two things first.
The first was to convince them that the talent they had was inferior to your own. For example, Georgina was currently convinced that Darius was far more intelligent than her due to his scheme and ability to deduce so much. Additionally, she believed his power to be endless given his identity as a mage capable of casting spatial spells with ease.
The second was to denounce their bullies. In every mention Darius had made about the Superiority Faction or her family, he had used adjectives like 'foolish', 'incompetent', and the like. This was to create a bond between the two parties as the aggrieved victim would subconsciously agree with such observations.
And the payoff was to come. Darius nodded to the forest beside Georgina, who also turned to look. She was frightened into silence when she saw Gunner suddenly appear, his body bloody and his fists practically dripping with it.
Of course, none of it was Gunner's own blood. It was then that Jorge couldn't help but notice that Gunner held a human head in his left hand. When Darius nodded at him, Gunner raised the head up for the young lass to see.
It was Garwen!
The former bandit leader's expression was forever frozen into a mix of horror and pain, a testimony that his death at Gunner's hands was anything but pleasant. Well, since Gunner had no knives to slash foes cleanly, one could imagine how all his targets had perished.
Darius whispered to Jorge seductively. "And that brings an end to this saga. Now it's all up to you. Do you wish to return to your family and remain suppressed by them as well as the Superiority Faction, or would you prefer to join me and finally experience what it's like to be on the winning side as more than just a sacrificial pawn?"
