The aftermath of the Kutsilyo Shadows' first strike against Grimo's lieutenants sent ripples, not thunder, through the village. The discovery of the incapacitated bandits, bound and gagged, their weapons missing, was a chilling mystery. The village buzzed with uneasy whispers. Grimo himself roared, his face a mask of purple rage. He suspected rival bandit gangs – there were three groups of bandits in Kutsilyo, his being the largest – or perhaps a sudden, bold move by the King's scouts, but the sheer stealth defied common tactics. His immediate response was a surge of even greater brutality against the villagers, trying to reassert his control through fear, but this only served to feed Shouyo's growing resolve.
Back at the hidden base, Stanley, though still weak from his grave wound, was slowly turning the corner. Elara, the skilled medic, tended to him tirelessly, her knowledge of herbal remedies proving invaluable. As he regained consciousness and a semblance of strength, Stanley became an unexpected font of information. He spoke of the world beyond Kutsilyo, of the political landscape of the Kingdom of Delgado, and crucially, of the delicate, often hostile, relationships between the different power groups within Kutsilyo itself. He explained that while Grimo led the largest bandit group, there were two other significant mercenary groups using Kutsilyo as a stronghold. These mercenaries, far more organized and seeing themselves as superior to mere bandits, used the Lake of De Bay's connectivity to mobilize to different areas of the Kingdom of Delgado and nearby kingdoms. They often clashed with bandit groups over territory and resources, viewing them as uncivilized opportunists.
"He's not just a brute, Grimo," Stanley rasped one evening, a glint of his former intelligence returning to his emerald eyes. "He's arrogant, and that makes him blind. He sees only bandits and villagers. He doesn't respect the mercenaries, and they certainly don't respect him. There's a quiet war simmering between them, beneath the surface."
Shouyo absorbed every word. His own sharp understanding of power dynamics, honed by years of corporate strategy, instantly translated Stanley's diplomatic insights into actionable intelligence. He now understood that simply eliminating Grimo wouldn't solve Kutsilyo's deeper problem. They needed to dismantle his entire operation, but more importantly, they needed to pit the oppressors against each other.
The Kutsilyo Shadows were growing. Borin, Thorn, and Roric, the three rescued warriors, were invaluable. They brought a raw, practical combat prowess that complemented Miles's agility and Asuna's budding strength. They trained the newer recruits – Rai, Kira, Gus, and a few others Shouyo had cautiously added – in the use of salvaged weapons, close-quarters grappling, and effective group maneuvers. Elara, too, began to train them in basic first aid, teaching them how to quickly stop bleeding and mend minor wounds, turning them into a self-sufficient fighting force. Lindsy, still their eyes and ears, moved like a phantom, her intelligence reports growing ever more detailed.
Shouyo's plan for Grimo was two-pronged: sabotage and targeted propaganda. The objective was to make Grimo seem incompetent to his superiors, yes, but even more critically, to convince everyone—Grimo's own men, the villagers, and most importantly, the other mercenary groups—that the attacks on Grimo's men were being carried out by the other powerful mercenary factions in the village. This would sow deep discord and open warfare between the two strongest occupying forces.
The sabotage began subtly. Guided by Lindsy's detailed maps of Grimo's supply routes, Miles and Asuna, with Rai's tracking skills, began intercepting Grimo's smaller supply convoys. They didn't engage in direct combat; instead, they used ingenious traps and diversions, created with Gus's knowledge of the woods, to scatter the convoys, making it look like a highly organized, professional operation. Essential food and weapons would mysteriously vanish, only to be recovered by the Shadows and then discreetly distributed among the neediest villagers, creating whispers of unknown benefactors.
"We don't want them to fight us yet," Shouyo explained to the group. "We want the bandits and the mercenaries to fight each other. They already dislike one another. We just need to give them a reason to draw swords."
The propaganda campaign was even more delicate and precise. It relied on Lindsy's ability to move unseen and Miles's connections to the villagers. They began spreading rumors, careful whispers that sounded like genuine village gossip, but with a specific target. "Did you hear? One of the mercenary groups hit Grimo's storage last night. That's why he's so angry." "I heard the mercenaries are trying to push Grimo's bandits out of the east district. That's why his men went missing." They emphasized that the attacks were too clean, too professional for mere bandits, subtly hinting at the superior training and tactics of the mercenaries. They implied that the mercenary leaders were making a move, trying to consolidate their power by weakening Grimo.
Elara and the rescued prisoners, especially Borin, Thorn, and Roric, became powerful tools for this. Their stories of Grimo's cruelty and their miraculous rescue by the unseen "Shadows" were carefully leaked to sympathetic ears, but now with an added twist. They would mention how professional their attackers seemed, how silent and swift, planting the idea that it couldn't have been simple villagers or rival bandits. The narrative was simple: The mercenary groups were making their move to take full control, and Grimo was too weak and incompetent to stop them.
Grimo's rage intensified with each unexplained loss. His paranoia grew, but now it was increasingly directed at the mercenary leaders. He accused his own lieutenants of treachery, suspecting they might be secretly working with the mercenaries, or that the mercenaries were too skilled for his men to counter. His internal fighting increased, his men becoming more surly and distrustful, not just of him, but of anyone who seemed too close to the mercenary factions. The mercenaries, for their part, scoffed at Grimo's accusations, denying any involvement, but their denials only fueled Grimo's suspicion, and the rumors continued to spread, creating a palpable tension between the two dominant forces. The villagers, at first too terrified to believe, slowly began to listen. The whispers grew louder. A flicker of something, perhaps not hope, but at least a new kind of defiance, began to stir in their eyes when Grimo's men swaggered past. They no longer simply cowered; they watched, listened, and exchanged glances, noticing the growing friction among their oppressors.
Shouyo observed it all, a cold satisfaction in his heart. The pain of Yui's death was a constant, dull ache, but it was now transmuted into a burning drive. Every successful act of sabotage, every whisper of doubt they planted, felt like a small measure of vengeance. He understood the power of perception, of undermining an enemy's legitimacy. Grimo was strong, but his power relied on the absolute obedience of his men and the utter despair of the villagers. Now, he was being squeezed from two directions: by the Kutsilyo Shadows from below, and by the perceived threat of the mercenaries from above.
The pinnacle of Shouyo's immediate plan involved Grimo's monthly tribute, a large shipment of stolen goods and collected 'taxes' destined for his superiors in the criminal syndicate. Grimo had made a grand show of gathering it, intending to impress his benefactors and solidify his standing after the recent disruptions. Shouyo knew the route, thanks to Stanley's information and Lindsy's reconnaissance. He planned not just to intercept it, but to ensure that the loss would be publicly attributed to the mercenaries, shattering Grimo's reputation with his higher-ups and, more importantly, provoking an open confrontation between the bandits and the mercenaries.
The night for the tribute interception arrived. The air was thick with tension. The Kutsilyo Shadows, now a well-oiled, efficient machine, prepared for their most daring operation yet. This wasn't just about small disruptions; it was about striking at the heart of Grimo's legitimacy, breaking his ties to the outside world, and forcing him into a desperate, visible action against his perceived enemies. Shouyo stood at the edge of the woods, overlooking the main road where Grimo's convoy would pass. He saw the faint torchlights approaching, heard the rumbling of crude wagons. His heart beat a steady, cold rhythm. This was it. The moment they pitted the two wolves against each other, setting the stage for Kutsilyo's liberation.