They spend the remaining days preparing for the task.

“What do you think of this, brother?”, asked Ban, laughing.

“Of what?”

Ban threw a knife, shocking Dit.

“Wha-”

But it stopped just before it hit Dit. The knife was attached to a rope, which was attached to Ban’s body. Ban then used it like a whip, spinning it around almost perfectly.

“I need to get more used to this.”, she said while still laughing.

“You scared me!”

Ban looked over at Dit and laughed before speaking, “Why? Do you think I will ever hurt anyone I’m close to?”

She hid the daggers back and continued, “More importantly, what do you think of that?”

Ban looked at Dit with eagerness in her eyes.

“It’s impressive...”

Dit looked closer at her new daggers.

“They’re bigger than the ones you usually use to throw.”, he added.

“Yes! Now I have the range and can fight in close range.”, she replied.

“I hope I’m not interrupting a sibling moment!”, said Esting while sitting on top of a roof nearby and looked down on both.

“How did you get up there-”

Esting teleported down and replied, “Like this!”, and smiled.

“I still can't get used to that...”, replied Ban stopping her laughter.

Esting snicked and walked over to check their equipment.

“So, how are the preparations going?”, he asked.

“It’s going good...”, Dit replied

“Is that all you came over for?”, Ban replied.

Esting looked back towards Ban with his hand behind his back. “Yes? Why wouldn’t I? This is an important day...” He put both of his hands forward, “...for the both of us.”

“Yes. I know!”, Ban replied, controlling her anger.

“Do I sense anger?”, asked Esting.

Dit looked at Ban, as did Esting.

Ban didn’t reply, but she kept looking at Esting.

“Let me guess... Is it because I’m associated with Knave?”

Ban jolted back.

“I guess correct? I assume you guys didn’t have a good meeting before? Knowing Knave, that isn’t a surprise.”, Esting added.

Esting snickered again, “He calls himself the Bandit King.”

He picked out Ban’s daggers on the ground, checking them.

“We know.”, Ban replied.

Esting sighed, “Look... I’m not associated with him anymore, he has... betrayed my trust. I want him gone as much as you do.”

“I hope you do.", Ban replied.

Ban sighed and continued, “What are you really here for?”

“I’m here to discuss our plans”, Esting replied.

“As you already know, you are to assist the Bel Re gang...”

He takes out a necklace with a key on it.

“What is that?”, asked Dit.

“The slave key. Every slave master has it.”

“I assume the one we’re targeting has it too.”, asked Dit.

“You assume correctly!”, Esting replied.

“This is your main job; you are to snatch it away from the merchant. Without it, he can’t control his slaves.”, he added.

“Does this mean you have one too?”, asked Dit.

“Of course! Decna has its own uses...”, Esting replied.

“Is that all?”, asked Ban.

“Still mad?”, Esting replied.

Ban looked away.

“Well, I have this too...”, he added. Esting took out a black ball.

“What is that-”, asked Dit before being interrupted by Esting throwing the ball at the ground at full force near his own feet. Suddenly black smoke appeared, surprising both Ban and Dit.

“Are you alright-?”, asked Dit.

“Yes... Of course...”, replied a coughing Esting. Who continued coughing for quite a while, unable to hold a conversation.

Dit and Ban kept looking at him, waiting for him to stop coughing. Which he did after the black smoke disappeared.

Ban started to laugh, seeing Esting having a hard time breathing, gasping for air.

“Are... Are you done...?”, asked Ban, still laughing away.

Esting sighed and wiped his face, "Yes...”

“Do I need to thank Decna for being able to witness this glo... glorious scene? HAHAHAHAHA”, said Ban, unable to control her laughter.

“No..”, smirked Esting.

“It’s all me!”, he added.

“All you?”, asked Dit.

Esting took another black ball out and pointed towards it, “I made this!”

“I saw some people using something like this to blind other people’s eyes by throwing it at them. So, I thought to myself, what happens if I mix this with energy stones... with some minor adjustments!”, he added.

“If you think this will make me less mad... You’re wrong... HAHAHAHAHA.”, said Ban, still laughing away.

“Did you not know that this would happen?”, asked Dit.

Esting looked at Dit before replying, “No. This is the first time I’m using this. I’m glad this worked...”

“You threw a magic thing near you... without knowing what would happen?”, asked a shocked Dit.

“Yes! I’ll call it a smoke bomb!”, replied Esting smiling. He put the smoke bomb back while having a somber look.

“Besides... I wanted an audience...”, he added and looked at Dit before continuing, “I can show you how to make this if you’re curious.

Ban stopped laughing and went near Esting, " I don’t want you to hurt-”

“It’s alright, Sister.”, said Dit.

“I want to learn it.”, he added while looking him right in the eyes.

Esting looked back and didn’t say anything.

“Good. I’ll show you.”, said Esting breaking off the silence.

“I have a limited amount of energy stones at the moment... but It’ll do.”, he added.

On the day of the mission

“Are you the merceries referred to me?”, asked Bel.

They had all met in a bar, and only a few Bel Re members were there. But their leader was present. Bel Re.

“Is this all?”, asked Ban.

Bel looked around and replied, “Looks like it.” and smiled.

Ban laughed.

Bel looked at Ban and Dit, “I hope you’re ready?”

“As ready as I ever will be.”, Ban replied.

“I hope that’s a good thing.”, said Bel.

He looked at his gang members and patted their backs before adding, “After we save those poor people, the drinks are all on me!”

The gang members cheered.

Bel then looked over at Ban and Dit again, “I hope our mercenary friends will join us too!”

Ban smiled and replied, “We’ll see about that.”

Bel smiled and spoke, “Let’s go.”

All of them got up from their seats and went near the merchant's main house.