As the branches of a nearby tree swayed gently in the breeze, a figure in a gray robe stood atop it, his gaze locking onto Nathan's with a comforting smile. "Are you the ones who've been blowing the whistle for help?" he asked, his voice filled with fatherly warmth.

Ashley's small finger shot out as she exclaimed, "It's the scammer! The one who's always trying to sell us that invincible martial arts!"

As if mortally wounded by Ashley's remark, the man melodramatically clutched at his chest, his face contorting in a comically exaggerated expression of pain. Then, with an excessively theatrical tone and gesture, he said, "Alas, dear young soul, I embody the pinnacle of virtue — a benevolent, humble martial arts practitioner, ardently seeking a pupil worthy of the noble, ancient wisdom I am poised to impart."

Nathan and Arielle furrowed their brows in his overly dramatic act, while Ashley giggled. The siblings were temporarily distracted from the imminent danger.

Nathan's eyes narrowed in concentration as he attempted to recall the man's name, only for it to hover frustratingly just out of his reach. Then, having given up on recalling, Nathan said with a mix of confusion and annoyance, "Scammer! What in the world are you doing on top of a tree? Why on earth are you climbing trees in the middle of a forest? No, this isn't the time for this; there are bandits! And yes, we need help; but wait, are you even competent enough to help?"

As Nathan spoke, bewildered, a bandit emerged from the trail, freezing mid-step at the sight of Louis perched atop the tree. With a raised hand, the bandit scout signaled the others to hold back, their wary gazes fixed on the unexpected newcomer.

With a flourish, Louis leapt down from the tree with the fluidity of a practiced acrobat. After a stylish "superhero landing," a charming smile spread across his face as he lifted his gaze to meet the children's.

Arielle's brow furrowed in puzzlement as she wondered aloud, "Who is this guy, and what's with the act?"

As if unintentionally, Louis now situated between the children and the bandits, shielding them from the imminent danger. Upon standing up, Louis bowed to the children, as if thanking them for watching a show, and said with a comforting smile, "Hello, my name is Louis. We've been running into each other regularly for months now. It's about time you remember my name."

Whenever Nathan visited the downtown area, Louis would inevitably approach him. The martial arts teacher had been trying to sell Nathan his School of Solitude Blade martial arts. Nathan had asked several adults about it, but none had heard of the school. To avoid getting on Nathan's bad side, Louis would always leave him alone right after delivering his sales pitch; however, he would inevitably approach Nathan again during his next visit. Louis was definitely not the most clingy or annoying salesman, but he was certainly the most persistent.

Louis cast a brief glance over his shoulder, his gaze locking onto the bandits, before striding confidently toward them. With his eyes twinkling with mischief, Louis's voice took on a playful, inquiring tone as he asked, "Now, what do we have here?"

"Wait, no, stop!" Nathan's voice shot out, laced with a mix of urgency and exasperation.

As soon as the martial arts teacher took a step forward, the ground gave way beneath him, and he plummeted into the pit. "Eiyaahh!"

"Are you okay?" Nathan shouted from the top of the pit, his voice tinged with concern.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking!" Louis called out, his voice muffled for a moment, before he sprang back into view, bouncing nimbly between the pit's walls before leaping out. He dusted himself off, a grin still plastered on his face, and began walking toward the bandits once more, saying, "Now, watch closely."

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"Wait!" However, before Nathan could finish warning him, a pile of dirt and rock tumbled upon him from the side of the hill, "Wowahh!" Louis screamed as he was buried deep underneath.

After a moment of pause, a hand burst forth from the dirt, followed by Louis, who emerged with a loud, relieved bellow, "I thought I was a goner!"

Nathan's fists clenched in frustration as he glared at Louis, his voice rising in exasperation, "Stop setting off my traps, for goodness' sake!"

"Are you alright?" Arielle asked, her eyes fixated on Louis in concern.

Ashley's eyes sparkled with mirth as she chimed in, her voice dripping with playful sarcasm, "Oh, I'm watching you, Louis – very closely!"

Louis looked back at Ashley as he shot back, a sheepish grin spreading across his face, "Okay, that one doesn't count! Watch closely from now on." Louis then turned to Nathan with a hint of wariness in his eyes, and asked, "Are there any more traps?"

"No, you've sprung them both, wasting all of my efforts!" Nathan complained as he stomped the ground.

Ashley giggled happily at the sight of the clumsy man. Nathan was angry with Louis for springing all the traps. Lastly, Arielle was worried about whether Louis was injured, examining him discerningly.

When Louis first arrived at the scene, the siblings were on edge, their expressions scared, fearing for their lives. Now, thanks to Louis's antics, their initial fear had given way to a variety of reactions. "Yes, children are never supposed to fear for their lives. I'm glad my acting worked." Louis's face widened with a satisfying smile as he thought, "Now, all that remains is to get them out of this mess and put them completely at ease."

"Divine Spell: Stone Wall." Louis cast the spell, conjuring a couch for the children, and said, "Please, take a seat and relax."

One of the bandits turned to their scout, a hint of gratitude in his voice, and said, "Nice work, mate – we owe you one for avoiding those traps." The bandits only expected children in front of them, so they temporarily paused their pursuit, taken aback by the unexpected sight of an adult in the middle of the forest. However, they of course wouldn't stop at the sight of a clown. The bandit leader snarled, his voice venomous with malice, and barked, "Capture the children! If the man dares to resist, kill him!"

"By the way, won't you join my school?" Louis said confidently to Nathan as the bandits approached. "I can give you a free complimentary lesson right now!"

"Now is not the time!" Nathan yelled at Louis, pointing toward the approaching bandits.

Louis offered a reassuring smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners, as he said in a soothing tone, "Nathan, calm down. I'm aware of your worries, with bandits present and your brothers here. However," Louis slowly unsheathed his sword. As the sword master turned away from children, his expression transformed in an instant – his warm smile giving way to a chilling, silent fury, his gaze burning with lethal intent as he unleashed a dark Aura that covered the children. "Now, Nathan, this is the perfect moment for your first lesson. Watch closely, and learn," Louis said as his voice dropped to a low, ominous pitch, its authority palpable; the air vibrated with tension, the ground and the trees seeming to tremble beneath the weight of his unspoken power.

Nathan gulped, startled by Louis' sudden change of attitude. After the siblings sheathed their swords, Nathan took his sisters to sit on the couch, now nervously observing Louis in solemnity.

"Hmm... I might have come on too strong; now they're scared again. How careless of me!" Louis thought to himself, before turning around with a warm smile and saying with a grin and a thumb-up, "And again, it's free of charge!"

"Focus in front of you!" Nathan bellowed in irritation.

"Be careful!" Arielle exclaimed with worry etched on her face.

"Go get 'em, tiger!" Ashley cheered, urging Louis on.

Pleased with the children's reactions, Louis turned to face the bandits once more, hiding his killing intent as much as he could.

The siblings felt an unexpected sense of security and comfort as Louis's Aura enveloped them, its gentle warmth and protective energy wrapping around them like a soothing blanket. Despite being severely outnumbered, Louis exuded an air of confidence that reassured the children, who now expected him to triumph over their attackers.

From the comfort of the much-needed stone couch after their enervating run, Arielle asked, "Nathan, who is that?"

Nathan, gently holding one sister in each hand, answered, "He's a martial arts instructor who distributes flyers for his school downtown."

The bandits snickered among themselves, amused by the sight of Louis, who acted like a clown, standing outnumbered before them without a customary shield or secondary armament on his left hand. The bandit leader, his aide, and a few more older bandits were the only ones who eyed Louis with caution, their faces stern.

"Divine Spell: Stone Wall," Louis chanted, casting the spell and conjuring a wall that blocked the bandits' escape route. Upon seeing this, the bandits began to charge toward Louis.