Kiribe drank the potion and gradually regained some strength. With trembling hands, he accepted the rations handed over by a guard and began chewing in large bites. Ang stood nearby, watching quietly without interrupting. After a while, Kiribe raised his head. Seemingly sensing everyone's cold stares, he hurriedly said, "My lord, I've mostly recovered. We can set out."
Ang gave a slight nod. "Lead the way. Don't try any tricks."
Kiribe nodded repeatedly and carefully got to his feet. His hands were still bound, but his legs could now support him steadily. He glanced at the mountain of corpses behind the guards, and his face went pale as he involuntarily swallowed. He knew those men had no way out, while he was the only one whose life had been spared.
On the road, Ang had Kiribe's restraints loosened somewhat so he could lead them more easily. During a break in their march, Ang asked him about the Saber Gang.
"What's your name? Where are you from?" Ang asked casually.
"My lord, my name is Kiribe. I'm a Tamblandian." As he spoke, Kiribe pointed south. "That's another region of Tan'anster, quite far from here."
Ang listened and nodded without revealing anything. Rather than showing interest, he asked an entirely different question. "From what you said earlier, the Saber Gang operates over quite a wide area. Why haven't the garrisons and guard units wiped you out completely?"
Kiribe grinned, unable to hide his pride. "My lord, we aren't ordinary bandits. The Saber Gang changes our area of operations every year. We never stay in one place for too long. We rob, then run and move somewhere else. That way, the local guards can never catch us."
"But local lords and garrisons won't go easy on bandits. Once they find you, they'll still