Fairy tale: Little Red Riding Hood's wolf mentor

"So, the dungeon in the stronghold is in this location?"

Poro's eerie green eyes stared at the bandit foreman as he asked.

"Y-yes... Lord Demon."

The foreman trembled, describing the layout of his stronghold. In the distance, the gate of the stronghold was already visible from the mountain peak.

Poro didn't object to being called "Demon"; after all, in a way... the title was useful.

"Leik, mark it here, and indicate the positions of the guards."

Poro pondered briefly, then extended a claw and pointed to a spot on the sketched map of the stronghold in front of Leik.

Leik picked up her pen and made a mark on it.

"Anything else? Are there any formidable characters in your stronghold?"

"In our stronghold, there are two leaders, and then there are sub-leaders like me, who are responsible for robbing... cough, doing business every day.

" The foreman trembled, tears streaming down his face. "We were forced to become bandits and have long wanted to turn over a new leaf..."

"Spare me the useless talk."

Poro said, revealing the scarlet bloodstains on his stark white fangs.

"Tell me about your first and second leaders... what's special about them."

"I... I'm not too sure. I only know that a few years ago, the leader of the stronghold wasn't them, but suddenly one day, the leader died.

The current leader used to be the second leader..."

The bandit leader swallowed hard. "We little guys don't know much more than that. We can only guess... the leader must have connections in the Syno Kingdom."

"Connections?"

"Probably nobles or something, which is why soldiers never come here."

"Nobles, huh... no wonder there's a gang of bandits like this near the road to a major city..."

Hearing this, Poro narrowed his eyes, as if he had thought of something, but also had a hint of understanding.

After further refining the sketched map in Leik's hand, Poro nodded:

"There are too many people guarding the main gate; we'll go through the back door..."

He pointed to a few more places, signaling Leik to circle them, and then looked at Hans, who was standing to the side.

"Don't give anything away when the time comes, got it?"

"But isn't there a guard at the back door too?"

Leik asked, puzzled.

"The guards at the main gate have higher status and check more strictly."

Poro pointed to the bound bandit foreman beside him again. "This guy's status as a sub-leader will make it much less likely for you two to be stopped if he takes you in through the back door."

"Oh..."

Leik was smart. Although there were some things she didn't quite understand, she still roughly grasped Poro's "infiltration strategy" and what she needed to do next.

In general, it was to infiltrate the interior, starting from a place with less vigilance—

First, find out the location of the dungeon to prevent the bandits from committing the atrocity of killing hostages, then find out the specific strength of the strongmen in the stronghold and find targeted strategies.

Finally, find an opportunity to wipe out most of the bandits.

"But..."

Leik hesitated, then looked carefully at the detailed sketch in her hand again. "Poro, why are you so skilled? Would wolves use these things?"

"Oh, it's my first time doing this too."

Poro looked at Hans, who was also looking at him with admiration, and explained, "This is called—foresight ensures success, lack of foresight ensures failure.

Mr. Hans's luck is very strong, but the way it manifests is largely uncontrollable."

Poro glanced at Leik, then continued, "His luck is only for himself, so if the two of us want to participate—we have to be more prepared."

...

"Seventh Brother, who are these two...?"

A bandit guarding the smaller back door of the stronghold asked.

"I'm bringing in newly joined brothers."

Poro, using the appearance of the sub-leader, smiled and nodded, secretly taking out a few copper coins and stuffing them into the guard's hand, saying, "I'll treat you to wine next time."

"Okay, Seventh Brother!"

The guard, who was already a little sleepy, happily stuffed the copper coins into his pocket and opened the door.

"The security inside is much worse than outside."

Poro said. Although some passing bandits looked at them strangely, most just greeted them, and no one suspected anything.

"Yeah..."

Leik became a lot more nervous.

After all, this infiltration was only prepared for a few hours.

Bypassing the main hall in the middle, where the first and second leaders were most likely to appear, the group hurried towards the dungeon.

The dungeon had guards, but they were mostly focused on the inside.

According to the sub-leader's description, the dungeon was mostly pitch black.

But when the group arrived at the dungeon, they found the light of torches shining inside the door.

"Brother, have more captives been sent to the dungeon?"

Poro handed a few copper coins to the bandit in front of the dungeon door.

"Hey, it's still you guys who are good at skimming from your work."

The guard greedily pocketed the copper coins and shrugged. "The second leader is in the prison right now, after all, tomorrow is the day those big shots come again, and there's a piglet they specifically requested."

"The second leader, huh..."

Poro nodded, narrowing his eyes to size up the guard in front of him.

How troublesome, couldn't avoid him after all?

...

Inside the dungeon, torches on the wall flickered, illuminating the terrified and desperate faces inside the prison.

A tall man with pale skin, who looked more like a military advisor than a bandit, stood at the end of the dungeon.

In front of him, the iron door of a cell was open.

Inside, a bandit sub-leader was sheathing a bloody dagger, getting up, and picking up a spherical object from the ground.

"Hmm, well done, very complete."

The second leader narrowed his eyes and carefully examined the spherical object held in mid-air by the torchlight, nodding—

It was a head, full of pain and bleeding from all seven orifices!

"This is what your subordinate should do."

The bandit sub-leader in front showed a loyal expression, using a square cloth to wrap the head.

"Okay, pack up everything that needs to be prepared for tomorrow, load it onto the car, and personally watch over it, don't let those dirty-handed fools steal anything!

Whoever is greedy will have a hand chopped off, understand?"

"Yes, Second Leader!"

The leader wrapped the head, thought for a moment, and finally asked, "Whose head is this time? Is it the same as last time?"

"Ah... the Duke's slave, just some knight, knew something—and wanted to leave?"

The second leader snorted coldly and didn't explain further.

"This is not something you should ask, do what you should do!"

"Yes, Second Leader!"

"I'm going to deliver things to the special envoy tomorrow, you take care of things down here, understand?"

"I understand, Second Leader!"

The bandit sub-leader nodded in agreement, then carried the head and walked out of the dungeon.

The second leader watched his subordinate leave, then narrowed his eyes again, looking around, scanning the surviving imprisoned people in the other cells.

"How pitiful..."

He shook his head hypocritically and walked out.

After all, there are always some people who are caught in the stronghold, and if no one pays to redeem them...

...they can only be beaten to death and buried in the ground!

No one cares, they can't squeeze out a single penny—that's really pitiful!

But just then, he saw the guard who should have been at the door walking in with two people.

"What's going on?! Are those two new recruits? Why don't I recognize them?"

The second leader glanced at Leik and Hans, feeling a little unfamiliar, with an angry expression on his face. "Didn't I say—don't go down to the dungeon casually if there's nothing going on?!"

"Oh, Second Leader, you misunderstood, we have something urgent to ask you."

The guard respectfully saluted and walked towards the second leader.

"What's the matter? You have to chase me down to the dungeon to ask?"

The second leader looked gloomy, looking at the three people walking in front of him.

"About... the nobles in the Syno Kingdom who support you behind the scenes, and that... special envoy tomorrow?"

"How dare you!"

The second leader shouted, "What do you think you are—"

But then, he couldn't say anything, because a silver dagger was already pressed tightly against his ribs!

"If the Second Leader doesn't answer, we might use some means. I think... this dungeon is quite secluded, no one comes here when there's nothing going on, right?"