Adam and Sophia walked ahead along a narrow forest path, carefully keeping a safe distance from the three bandits behind them.

The forest was quiet except for the soft rustle of leaves under their careful footsteps.

The cool air carried a mix of earthy smells and the gentle murmur of distant water. In that calm, every sound seemed louder and every step more deliberate.

Suddenly, the peace was broken by the sound of hurried, rushed footsteps coming from behind them. The noise grew steadily louder, echoing off the trees.

Adam instantly sensed the change in pace. It was the same bandit who had threatened him not long before. That bandit had now started running toward him, his feet pounding on the forest floor as if fueled by a mix of fear and determination.

Adam exhaled deeply, a mix of irritation and surprise bubbling inside him. 'I thought he’d back off after he saw what I can do,' he thought. But it seemed that he was wrong. The sound of the bandit’s footsteps was a clear sign that trouble was not done with them yet.

Adam’s hand moved instinctively to the hilt of his sword. His grip tightened as he prepared himself for any possible attack. He turned his wrist slightly, a small movement that signaled he was ready to strike if necessary.

Every muscle in his body tensed as he waited, alert and cautious. The forest around them remained quiet, as if holding its breath along with him.

Just as Adam was about to act, something unexpected happened that made him pause. The bandit, who had been running with fierce determination, suddenly slowed down.

Within just a few steps of Adam, the bandit abruptly stopped his sprint. Then, in one swift and unexpected motion, the bandit dropped to his knees.

His body moved as if he was obeying some deep, unspoken rule of respect. His forehead touched the soft, damp dirt of the forest floor as he bowed deeply.

"Will you hear me out?" the bandit asked, his voice trembling yet steady. The simple question broke the tension for a moment.

Adam, still alert and facing forward, could feel that the bandit’s actions were sincere. There was no trick or hidden weapon now—only a deep, respectful humility in the way he knelt.

Sophia, who had also heard the shift in the tone of events, turned around slowly to look back. Her eyes widened slightly as she took in the sight before her.

The bandit was not standing in a threatening posture anymore. Instead, he was kneeling in a formal Japanese style, his entire posture filled with submissiveness.

The sight was so unexpected that Sophia’s heart skipped a beat. She glanced at Adam, waiting silently to see how he would react to this sudden change.

After a few tense seconds, Adam slowly turned around to face the bandit. His eyes fell upon the kneeling man.

But he was not alone. Behind the kneeling bandit were two others—Elan, the boy who had suffered so much earlier, and another man.

Both of these figures had also lowered their heads in a similar manner, as if they too were showing respect or asking for mercy.

Adam sighed, the sound heavy with both exasperation and a hint of compassion. He looked steadily at the kneeling bandit and said simply, "Speak."

His tone was firm, leaving no room for misunderstanding. It was clear that Adam wanted to hear what this man had to say before any more action was taken.

The bandit lifted his head slowly, meeting Adam’s gaze with eyes that held both fear and determination. His voice came out clear and steady, cutting through the tense silence of the forest.

"My name is Bryan," he said. "The boy behind me is my son, Elan. And the man beside him—Samuel—is my younger brother." Each word was spoken with care, as if the truth itself was a fragile thing that needed to be handled gently.

Adam listened in silence, his face calm and unreadable. His eyes did not reveal what he thought of Bryan’s words.

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However, he gave a small nod, a silent sign that he was paying attention and processing the new information.

Bryan continued, his voice now a little more urgent as he added, "You're mistaken about us, Mr..."

Adam’s eyes narrowed slightly as he responded, "Oh? And what exactly am I mistaken about?" His tone was measured, neither hostile nor overly curious, but it carried a hint of challenge.

Bryan hesitated for a moment before answering. "I mean… We are not what you think we are," he said softly, as if the truth was both heavy and painful to admit.

Adam scoffed lightly, his lips twisting in a mixture of disbelief and caution. "Your words don’t match your actions. I trust actions more than words."

The bluntness of his reply hung in the air, and for a moment, there was silence as the bandit absorbed Adam’s criticism. Bryan clenched his jaw, a sign that he was fighting to maintain his composure.

He then glanced back at his son, Elan, and his brother, Samuel, who both remained bowed in respectful submission. Gathering his courage, Bryan turned his gaze back to Adam.

He began to speak again, starting with a respectful tone, "Mr.—" but before he could finish,

Adam raised a hand to cut him off. "Stop calling me 'Mr.'," Adam said firmly. "My name is Adam. And this is Sophia." His tone left little room for formalities.

It was a clear reminder that he did not wish to be addressed with titles that suggested distance or deference.

Bryan blinked in mild surprise at Adam’s directness. "Ah… Sir Adam, then?" he offered hesitantly, his voice showing that he was trying to adapt quickly to the new way of addressing him.

Adam felt a small twitch in his eye at the slip, but he chose not to correct Bryan further. Instead, he maintained his calm and focused expression.

Bryan took a deep breath, as if he needed all the strength he could gather to continue. "We didn’t become bandits by choice," he said slowly.

The words hung in the air, heavy with meaning. Adam’s expression shifted slightly as he processed this new information. "Not by choice?" he repeated, his voice reflecting both surprise and a touch of sympathy.

Bryan nodded, his eyes downcast for a moment before meeting Adam’s once more. "We were forced into this life," he explained simply.

There was a sadness in his voice—a sadness born from a life that had taken a harsh turn, leaving him with no other option but to follow a path he had never chosen.

Adam remained quiet, his mind already working through the implications of Bryan’s confession.' Forced? What did that mean?' His eyes searched Bryan’s face for more clues.

After a long pause, Bryan sighed deeply. "Sir Adam, do you really think just the three of us would be enough to rob travelers on this road? And does this place even seem like a good spot for ambushes?"

His words were calm yet carried a weight that made Adam pause. The questions were simple and straightforward, and they made sense.

The road they traveled was wide and open in places, and the forest did not seem like the ideal place for a well-planned ambush. Bryan’s words were not just a plea; they were an explanation.

Adam frowned slightly, his eyes thoughtful as he considered the bandit’s questions. The man’s words made sense in a way that challenged Adam’s previous assumptions.

There was more to this situation than had been visible at first glance.

As Adam listened, a slow understanding began to form in his mind. He realized that the three men before him—Bryan, Elan, and Samuel—were not simple criminals looking for easy prey.

Their faces showed signs of weariness and regret, and even in their bowed posture, there was a plea for understanding.

Bryan’s admission of being forced into a life of banditry stirred something in Adam. He remembered times when he, too, had been forced into situations he would have never chosen willingly.

At that moment, as Adam realized that there was more to this story than he had assumed.

The encounter was not simply about a threat or an ambush. It was about people with their own struggles, caught in circumstances that left them with few options.

Adam’s eyes met Bryan’s for a long, silent moment. The cool forest air seemed to pause as both men held each other’s gaze, each weighing the truth in the other’s eyes.

Sophia, standing quietly by Adam’s side, watched the exchange with wide eyes.

She, too, sensed that this was no ordinary encounter. There was a story hidden behind those humble words, a story of hardship and the struggle for survival.

Bryan’s next words were soft, almost pleading as if he wanted to explain everything in a way that would help Adam understand. "We are not the monsters you believe us to be," he said quietly.

"Every day, we wake up and wish we had another choice. We did not choose this life on our own." His voice wavered as he spoke.

Adam’s face remained still as he listened, his eyes never leaving Bryan’s. In that moment, the simple words carried a great deal of meaning.

For a few more moments, the three bandits remained on their knees, each of them holding onto the hope that perhaps this meeting could be the start of a new life.

The forest around them seemed to grow quieter, as if even nature was urging them to listen carefully to the words exchanged in the cool, dappled light.

There was truth in Bryan’s words—a truth that the calm eyes of the young boy, Elan, and the tired gaze of Samuel tried to convey. Their lives, too, were marked by the choices forced upon them.

As the moment stretched on, Adam’s mind raced with thoughts and questions.

He could not yet decide what his next step should be, nor could he fully trust that these men.

Yet, a part of him believed that perhaps every person deserved a chance to explain their story.

And at that moment—just as Adam was deep in thought, trying to piece together the fragments of this unexpected encounter—he realized that there was more to this situation than he had first assumed.