The bandits' hideout was indeed very close, located at the border between Veneto and the Austrian Border Territory, just a few kilometers from here.
However, needing to lead pack animals, wagons, and trek over mountains, while enduring a long stretch of night road, was undeniably a daunting challenge for most who suffered from night blindness.
This was the reason the bandits didn't return directly to the hideout.
At first, Losa thought it was because the bandits feared the fierce women at home, making them reluctant to openly take back a group of abducted female slaves to toy with.
After some thought, he came to understand.
In this era, the status of women at the lower levels was extremely low.
Even among the noble classes, there were a few Grand Duchesses, Empresses, revered Ladies.
And those witches hidden behind the scenes, who intimidated as shadows of the Lords.
The fact remained unchanged.
Firstly, women found it difficult to fulfill the vassals' obligation of serving the Feudal Lord, preventing most from achieving class ascent through war like men.
Secondly, oppressed by religion, women were seen as evil temptresses, bearing "original sin," devoid of the right to education, reliant entirely on men.
The bandits dared not travel by night.
Nor did Losa intend to; he instructed Laine and Model to lead the newly recruited subjects to camp in an open area in the mountain.
The campfire quickly reignited.
Losa distributed the delayed bandits' food to his subjects and took the carried food from the pack animals to heat over the fire.
Losa instructed, "Model, Laine, don't just stand there idly, go see what the subjects need. From today, they are under your management."
"Huh?"
"Don't be foolish, you two will be my Sergeant Commanders from now on. Although the numbers are few now, they will become the backbone eventually, needing your careful nurturing."
"I understand."
Both felt somewhat invigorated by his words.
They had great respect for Losa and were certain Losa could achieve greatness, which made them more grateful for his attention.
The two left one after the other.
Both nurtured a once unthinkable aspiration in their hearts.
"If the Lord ever becomes a Lord, wouldn't he actually knight us?"
...
The campfire crackled fiercely.
Losa sipped the broth with a composed expression.
Once a rookie, he had now become a seasoned Warrior who could calmly drink broth after killing more than ten people post-battle.
His transformation had been swift.
He often wondered if he was born to be a bloodthirsty madman.
"What? You want to pour me a drink?"
Losa pretended to listen intently, then nodded and said, "Well, thank you, Prajna."
Prajna: "..."
With a blank face, she took out a wooden cup, filled it with hot water, and handed it over.
Losa accepted the cup, gently blew on the steam, and sipped slowly.
Prajna opened her mouth slightly, somewhat resigned, "If you have requests, just say so directly, no need to be circuitous. As your subordinate, I'll do as ordered."
Losa raised an eyebrow, looked at her warm, orange face illuminated by the fire, and smiled, "Alright then, I'd like to rest on your lap for a while."
The atmosphere instantly became a bit tense.
Losa could clearly feel a chill coming from across.
Facing Prajna's cold gaze, he swallowed some warm water, but his eyes showed no hint of fear.
For a while.
Prajna finally said, "Sorry, that's not a duty a subordinate should perform."
Noticing the mood was less rigid, Losa awkwardly said, "I was just saying it casually."
"My Lord, I can..."
Hans patted his leg with a goofy grin, "If you're tired, I would gladly be your pillow, allowing you a good sleep."
This poor child, probably due to low Quality, only One-Star, so his Intimacy level with Losa soared quickly.
Checking the system, lo and behold!
His level had risen from "Friendliness" to "Worship."
"Let's not,"
Losa shook his head quickly, "I was merely joking with Prajna, not that pampered."
Hans thought to himself, "A Lord is truly bold to joke with General Prajna."
This simple-hearted kid never realized Losa was teasing Prajna.
Because in his eyes, he never considered Prajna as a woman, not even human to be precise.
She was the Gatekeeper of Hell!
...
At dawn the next day.
Before dawn, the party set off.
Losa, Hans, Prajna, and Model traveled light and moved cautiously along the rugged mountain road.
This time, Laine was left near the hideout, overseeing the pack animals and wagons with the subjects.
In such a short time of interaction, Losa couldn't fully trust this group of subjects, so he instructed Laine to be vigilant, preventing any secret collusion among them.
A healthy dose of caution is essential.
Even with slim chances, it's necessary to be prepared.
A vigilant Laine, armed with a Crossbow, donned in Armor, would still be hard to defeat if the subjects succumbed to greed and ambition.
As for why not to take this group of subjects in an assault on the bandit hideout, despite their youth and vigor, and becoming qualified "Recruits" wielding the bandits' leftover Weapons,
he had no intention of using these newly recruited subjects as cannon fodder.
But planned to have Model and Hans train them into regular soldiers.
Even without the means to train all of them into "Soldiers," he wouldn't forcibly drag a group of ragged, untrained peasants onto the battlefield.
Furthermore, the subjects near the Holy Land were primarily followers of Orthodox Christianity, with a few practicing Fire Worship, of different texts and languages.
These dozen subjects, after all, were like-minded Germanic people, proving to be a more trustworthy and valuable force in the end.
Both wary and hopeful.
The two are not contradictory.
Midway through the journey, Hans suddenly asked, "My Lord, what do we do if we encounter women and children?"
Losa pondered slightly, then said, "If there's a threat, kill them. If not, let them fend for themselves. Ultimately, prioritize your own life."
Though Losa knew, even the old, weak, women, and children, who enjoyed the wealth and food gained through bandits' killings and plundering, bore no innocence.
But faced with "clearing out the roots," he couldn't bring himself to do it.
Hans nodded, "I understand."
He was still a rookie, yet influenced by the Teutonic Knights who often invaded the Slavs, pillaging and slaughtering, he wasn't a man of tender mercy.
Crossing a small hill.
The destination finally came into view.
"Is this the so-called bandit hideout?"
Standing on the hill, Hans frowned deeply, "It's obviously just a village!"
They even opened a small plot of farmland.
Not far from it, a large orchard full of fragrant pale yellow blossoms was visible, almost like a utopian paradise.
Losa was also puzzled, "Could that bandit have deliberately given us the wrong directions?"
"I'll go check it out!"
Model took the lead, heading toward the hideout.
Soon after, he returned at a brisk pace, looking regretful, "There's no mistake. The trap locations and layout mentioned by the bandit are correct. This is indeed the bandit hideout he spoke of. He didn't dare deceive us."
Losa heaved a deep sigh.
This seemed to be a settlement formed by runaway Peasant Slaves, evading Lord's oppression, heavy taxation, occasionally banding together to raid the surroundings.
Perhaps they were once a group of pitiable figures.
But once they took up the butcher's knife, they were no longer pitiable.
"Hans, Model, both of you flank from the sides, while Prajna and I will break through the front. Remember my advice: prioritize your own safety."
With limited force at his disposal, Losa had only a few reliable men.
Before acquiring territory and activating the system, relying on milestones to draw companions, his opportunities were scarce.