Agree to help with the bandits

From Create Your Own Story

Of course you will help. Taking such bounty quest is what adventurers should do in their life, not to mention uprooting such evil is your duty. The guard captain can't hide his joy when you agree his request.

"Thank you so much ma'am! We believe they make a camp somewhere along the creek deep in the forest. We tried to make our way there many times, but they appeared to know the wood very well. They ambushed and swept us easily with tactics. Their chief must had military train. Come, let me show the map, so you can decide what to do."

You follow him into the barrack. Along the way, you can see a dozen of guards. While they look quite slacking off, no one seem injured. They mostly are chatting and gambling. Racks are full of weapons, so it seems no one is practicing.

"The situation is quite dire according to your words, Captain, and yet they look so neglectful. And I haven't even seen an injured guard.". You point out the abnormal with curiosity.

"O-Of course you haven't ma'am! I let the injured ones rest at home, and these one just finished their training so I allow them to have some fun. Morale is also the key for battle, don't you agree? But here is the map! Let's discuss our strategy."

You nod out of naivety at his words, surely you lack of social life experience. The captain lay out a map full of green. He draws a red circle near a waterfall and some arrows pointing at it, which he overwrite with crosses.

"My scouts reported that their camp is very likely around this place. These are direction of our attacks, which they stopped us with ease."

Then he draws another arrow which is on the other side of the circle.

"My scout also discovered this hidden track yesterday. It appears to be a hill which can oversee their camp. If we assault from here, we might have the high ground and have some advantage. To reach it, we have to take a detour as going through the forest to there is very dangerous. Maybe that's why they don't seem to care much about this way, but we can't be very certain about that. That's our first plan. And I have another one: we can disguise as caravan and lure them out, maybe we can get some information if we can capture a bandit. This way is safer, as we are the one placing trap for them. What do you think?"

Take the risky path. We can catch them by surprise

Lure them out. They might have laid trap and ambush on rear track as well

Screw with plans. They are just lowlife bandits, assault them directly