Ed took the letter, turned around, and left the Peace Hotel.
In the castle hall
Who could have gotten lost in the eastern jungle? Could it be a passing caravan? But caravans only travel along the riverbank! The paths in the jungle are difficult to navigate.
Ed looked at the territory document posted on the notice board and was speechless. Never mind, he decided to read the letter first.
Greetings, Lord Ed:
I'm your guide from Scarborough Fair. My name is Carly. Actually, I didn't come here on my own initiative. After all, such a long journey is a bit difficult for me. Do you remember the robbers you killed on your way back last time? Yes, I was kidnapped by them to be their guide. After all, I'm the only one who has seen you up close.
Ed's heart sank when he read this; it seemed the bandits had found him. He also remembered the little guide girl well; he hadn't expected her to be kidnapped and brought here to identify him. But how did she know he had killed one of the bandits? Ed was puzzled and could only read the letter again.
There are about a hundred bandits currently encamped in the jungle. They're threatening my father's safety, trying to force me to lure you outside. They're reluctant to risk invading, mainly because they don't know you. Of course, they can't completely avoid doing so. Why am I telling you all this? Because I visited your village and I envied their lives. I don't want their lives to change because of me. My current concern is my father's safety. I hope you can find a way to resolve this problem. Also, the fat man who delivered the message is illiterate. Is there any way to get him to deliver it to me quietly, without making a scene? There are definitely people watching the bandits in the jungle.
..................Carly
Ed was a little scared after reading the letter. Luckily, the little girl named Carly had told him beforehand. He was also glad that the bandits were relatively timid. If they had just barged in, the villagers would not have been able to stop them. It was also possible that the bandits were mainly looking for him and didn't need to cause too much of a commotion in the village.
What to do now? There are over a hundred robbers; he can't handle them without a fully armed force leading a large group. But if a large force goes, the robbers will definitely find out, and if they escape, the little girl named Carly's family will be in danger. Ed has to think about the girl who delivered the message.
I wonder what the situation is with the robbers now? How many leaders are there? Let's see if we can try to catch the leader first again. But we'll need to ask Carly to find out.
Could we lure the robbers in? How about trapping them like turtles in a jar? If we can just lure them in and block the road to the east, they won't be able to escape. Even if they do manage to get away, they won't survive. There's no one around, and they'll starve to death soon.
This method is feasible, but what reason should we give? In reality, I am just a servant of the lord, only doing things for him. Now the lord has invited Carly and the others to a banquet.
Let's say that for now and see if those robbers come.
We need to inform Andrew first so he can prepare, but this also serves as a reminder to Ed to be more careful next time. The east and north sides need to be watched. The north side is slightly better, but the east side is indeed too vulnerable.
Everyone was practically inside the house and nobody knew.
Ed scribbled a few words on a piece of paper and prepared to leave. He wanted to inform everyone not to call him lord for the time being and to pass the message on to each other.
He's going to meet that fat robber.