It took another two weeks of traveling south through the forest before they finally found their first brigand camp, discovered thanks to the Map feature. Normally it would be hard to spot, especially deep in the forest. But with the Map, as soon as the camp entered Kent's view range it appeared as an icon. Hard to miss something like that.
As Kent's group closed in, the map also showed detailed information about the brigands in the camp. Seven of them and no ranged fighters. That was perfect, since Kent's band was vulnerable to ranged attacks. This was something he would have to solve later, but not today.
"Seven of them, huh?" Kent murmured.
The others looked at him questioningly, clearly wondering how he knew. Loki, ever the believer, answered for them. "Well, if the captain says seven, then it's seven."
The Direwolf fight had already proved Kent's "instincts". The others nodded without argument. Good. If they followed him without question, the company would be much easier to manage.
A camp this size should have had about twenty brigands. The fact there were only seven meant these were probably the reserves left to guard the camp while the main party raided elsewhere. Fine. Kent would take the camp and wait for the rest to return, then catch them by surprise. They could rest here for a night. It had been a long time since any of them had a proper roof over their heads.
We are worse off than brigands. Kent laughed to himself.
Time for a strategy meeting, this would be the first real one they had. Until now Kent had mostly let them do as they pleased, but if they wanted to face tougher enemies they needed formations and orders.
"Here is the plan. Joltul and Skarn will hold the gate. It is narrow so you two can block it. We do not want any of them escaping or scattering."
The two giants nodded. This was their usual job as the core frontliner anyway.
"Do not charge in. If you go inside you will be surrounded. Treat it like defending the gate, not storming the camp."
Skarn frowned. Kent simplified the instruction. "Fight at the gate. Do not go inside."
At last Skarn nodded in understanding.
"What about me?" Ruthard asked.
The monk was gripping his pitchfork tightly, looking almost eager to prove himself. Kent could tell he was starting to feel like part of the band.
"Stay behind them and poke at anyone careless enough to show their weakness," Kent said.
Ruthard looked down at his weapon uncertainly.
"Don't worry," Kent added. "Harassing with a polearm is deadlier than you think. And it's hard for them to defend while being engaged by those two."
It was the safest role for a beginner like Ruthard — plenty of room for mistakes, yet still useful in the fight. He would get his share of combat experience without much risk.
"As for me and Loki," Kent continued, "we'll circle around and hit them from behind once they're occupied with you."
Loki's eyes lit up. This was exactly the kind of job he loved, backstabbing unaware enemies. It was effective and made up for his lack of raw strength. As for Kent, his role in the team had always been that of a versatile fighter who could excel in any position within the formation. Still, he considered his main role to be the spearhead of the assault, diving straight into enemy lines to clear the path for his men while cutting down dangerous but fragile opponents hiding in the back, such as ranged fighters or commanders.
That concluded the strategy meeting. Kent and Loki moved to flank the camp, while the others rested before the assault.
If only I had something to time them with… maybe a clock or hourglass, Kent thought. This world had glass, didn't it? Someone must know how to shape it. He added "find a glass craftsman" to his ever-growing mental list.
-----
The fight was swift and effective, exactly the way Kent had wanted it.
Seeing that the attackers were only three men, the brigands didn't hole up in their camp. Instead, they opened the gate and charged at Joltun and Skarn but still couldn't do anything against them.
The narrow gate worked to their disadvantage, and the pair's sheer combat skill sealed the brigand's fate. They had no polearm users either, which made things even worse. Behind the two, Ruthard stood ready, stabbing at anyone who came close. And it worked, he actually brought one down. Then Joltun and Skarn finished off another two. Without Kent's "no killing" order holding them back, they could finally show their full combat strength.
The four remaining brigands were already terrified and when Kent and Loki attacked from behind, the fight ended quickly, a short and brutal one-sided slaughter.
Kent stood still, mentally reviewing the battle and thinking of ways to improve when Loki came running up to him, eyes sparkling.
"Captain Kel, you're really, really good at this!"
The ex-raider probably didn't know many words, because that was the best compliment he could manage. Joltun only nodded. He was a man of few words. Skarn, surprisingly, also grinned and spoke up.
"True that. I haven't had such a clean and comfortable fight in a long time, especially when attacking a camp."
That was because this time there weren't any archers raining arrows on our heads, Kent thought dryly.
"I thought that was how you raiders fought?" Ruthard asked.
"No. Not even close," Loki replied. "Our usual fights were messy, bloody, and full of casualties unless the enemies were helpless villagers."
"So that means our Captain is really great?"
The three ex-raiders nodded in unison. Ruthard was impressed. He had expected Kent to be good at combat, but not at tactics as well.
Still, the only kind of battle these men had known was the sort fought under a single order "KILL THEM ALL," followed by everyone charging in like madmen. Not much of a comparison, really.
Kent scratched his head. Raiders must have short memories, because they seemed to have forgotten it was also Kent who had led them back then as their chieftain. Well, as Kendrak, to be exact. Never mind. As long as they trusted him and followed his tactical orders, everything would be fine and dandy.
-----
To Kent's disappointment, there was no famed equipment in the camp after they turned it inside out. Their raiding party must have taken those with them, if there had been any in the first place. The dead brigands didn't have much in the way of armor, but they did have a wooden flail and a two-handed wooden hammer.
The wooden flail didn't deal much damage, but it would be perfect for Joltun to practice with. Axes were reliable overall, yet Kent wanted a flail user who could quickly incapacitate enemies by smashing their heads open. Flails were also excellent for striking over shields, and shielded foes were always more troublesome than those without.
As for Skarn, he would switch to the two-handed hammer. It offered great damage and was extremely effective against heavy armor. Without it, some enemies were almost impossible to kill, especially knights who were practically walking boxes of steel.
Kent and Loki were stuck with their old weapons. Kent's rusty cleaver was still better than the butcher knife they found in the camp's kitchen, but he took the knife anyway. It would be useful for cutting meat. He had no desire to use his blood-stained cleaver, still reeking of humans and monsters, to prepare their food. That would be unsanitary, both physically and mentally.
There was enough food and tools in the camp to restock their supplies. No one knew when the brigands' main party would return. Perhaps he should have spared one for information, but it was too late for that. They decided someone would stand watch while the others slept, taking turns through the night.
The first watch fell to Loki and needless to say, Kent wasn't even included. Captain's privilege. He lay comfortably on the wooden bed, the direwolf fur beneath him soft and warm. Before closing his eyes, he mentally checked his company's information.
Ruthard had leveled up, probably from that kill earlier. That was good news. Now Kent could finally let him learn Pathfinder. He was the only one in the group without it and had been slowing everyone down. With that perk, they could move faster across difficult terrain like forests and swamps.
Aside from Ruthard's level-up, Kent and the others had also gained some stat increases, which was a pleasant surprise. Most of them were in Health and Stamina, which made sense since they hadn't fought much over the past month and had spent most of their time climbing mountains and trekking through forests.
Sleepiness finally caught up with Kent, and he drifted off.
"I wish something nice would happen tomorrow," he murmured.