Silence hung heavily in the air, punctuated only by the distant rustle of leaves. Finally, the knight broke the tension.

"Listen well, for this is the message from the one who is above me" he said, his voice steady but firm, hinting on both literal and metaphorical meanings. "It has been decided that your pathetic lives will be spared"

The bandits faces lit up with hope the moment they've heard it, until the knight added, " But know this, that from this day forth, you will have to spend the rest of your lives toiling and laboring for the sake of the villagers to make up for the atrocities you have committed to these people and do not EVER ask for compensation, for you have long lost that right, until your masters says otherwise. I won't be taking no for an answer for this is your punishment for the things you've done, be grateful for you are under his mercy"

The bandits, still reeling from the sudden turn of events, looked up, their faces a mixture of confusion and relief. They had expected death, but instead, they faced a chance at redemption.

"Thank you!" one of them stammered, his voice shaky. "We’ll make it right!"

Others echoed his sentiment, their eyes glistening with a mix of gratitude and disbelief. They kneeled, some weeping quietly, overwhelmed by the unexpected mercy.

"If you wish to show gratitude then show it through your actions and I suggest directing these sincereties to my lord for I am only nothing but his sword," the knight continued, gesturing toward the faint light still illuminating the sky.

"Thank you!" another bandit shouted, his voice rising above the others. "We won’t forget this!"

As the bandits raised their hands toward the sky, a sense of hope began to replace their former bravado. The light gradually faded, leaving a profound silence in its wake.

The knight took a moment to survey the scene before adding, "Farewell."

With that, the knight and the being vanished, their divine mission fulfilled.

As the realization of their second chance settled in, the villagers and bandits slowly rose to their feet. In a spontaneous act of unity, they began to celebrate together—laughter mingling with tears of relief. Old grudges began to fade, replaced by a shared determination to rebuild and create a better future.

As the village erupted in cheers and celebration for their hard-won survival, a collective roar simmered among the villagers who had fought valiantly to protect their homes. Their celebration suddenly interupted when a villager pointed towards the distant plains, where figures marched towards them, wearing different kinds of equipment whilst carrying various weapons and staffs and among them is Ralf and his mother, Nora, accompanied by them.

"Are those knights?!" a bandit exclaimed in panic.

"No, they're not," Baldwin, a seasoned adventurer, replied with a hint of pride.

"Then mercenaries?" a worried villager asked.

"No, they're my people," Baldwin reassured, his gaze fixed on the approaching group.

"You mean adventurers?" Andrith queried anxiously. "They're terribly late."

"If only they've arrived sooner," grumbled one villager.

"They've missed out on everything! I wonder how'd they react when they've witnessed what we've seen" added another.

"And... where's Cindy? How about Beatrice? Did you see them?" Andrith's concern for his daughter and neice was palpable as he scanned the approaching survivors.

Other villagers are also starting to worry about their families at the escaping party

"Don't worry Andrith, they're safe," Baldwin assured him firmly as he nods and turn to everyone around him reassuring the worried men for their family's safety

"Look! In the forest!" exclaimed a villager, pointing towards the tree line.

From the forest emerged the elderly, women, and children, their expressions weary and haunted by the recent horrors they had endured. Despite their torn clothes, which bore witness to the fierce struggle against the bandits, miraculously, their bodies showed no signs of the wounds and scars inflicted upon them. It seemed as though someone had intervened, somehow healing their injuries but unable to mend their torn garments.

Andrith's gaze darted towards the group, desperately searching for his daughters. Relief washed over him as he spotted them among the survivors, their faces worn but alive. A surge of anger gripped him at the thought of what they had endured.

He clenched his teeth, the mix of emotions evident on his face. But he quickly exhaled in relief, knowing that their survival meant others had also been saved by the beings' timely intervention.

Andrith observed the torn clothes and pondered aloud, "If their clothes are torn, showing signs of struggle, shouldn't there be scars too? Are they also, healed? Could it be... the beings' doing?"

Meanwhile, the people who bore traumitized expression their grim faces are momentarily replaced with exhaustion and relief when they once again saw their families.

As the men turned to see the weary but unharmed escaping party emerging from the forest. Relief flooded the air as families reunited amidst tearful embraces and whispered words of gratitude.

Andrith's eyes filled with tears as he is once again embraced and reunited with his loved ones even if it's for a short time the whole situation felt like hell of an eternity, with the kids now safe and sound. He swallowed hard, his heart still heavy with the memory of the battle they had faced. Yet, seeing them alive brought a profound sense of relief and gratitude.

"I thought I'd lost you," he murmured, holding his daughters close.

"We're safe, father," Beatrice whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.

As later on another group of villagers came, mostly men have gathered around amongst the crowd, their families came running to them with joy and their relief mingled with admiration for the village men at the plains, for they are the one's who fought and risked their lives to buy time for the women and children to escape.

The atmoshpere shifted from cheerful and upbeat to a bittersweet one as tears and joy erupted amongst the families of the villagers who have pulled through the whole ordeal and made their way back together whilst some mourn for the dead not being able to see their loved ones again, some still withheld bottled up regret, resentment and anger for their incapability to do more and also to what the bandits did.

Nevertheless they realized that late as they were, themselves had played a crucial role in ensuring the survival of their loved ones and if they didn't struggled and buyed time for themselves and instead chose to give up, then what more could be lost?

"We owe you a debt we can never repay," Andrith said solemnly, his gaze resting on Darren and his comrades.

Darren nodded, his own eyes reflecting the weight of their shared ordeal. "We're just glad we could help. And besides, my family is also there so of course I'd do it"

Andrith chuckled and touched by his modesty, Darren then also do so sharing their laughters together as Baldwin smiled warmly from afar seeing them bonding together

And amidst the gratitude and relief, the village began to rebuild, their bonds strengthened by the shared experience of survival and resilience.

As everyone gathered taking their moments together, soon the last batch of people caught up, and these are the adventurers that soon followed, their arrival delayed.

The adventurers also had ties with the village and met some of their families and among the group of adventurers were two civilians, a mother and a child, Nora and Ralf, Nora's heart pounding as she scanned the crowd for her husband and daughter, and her neice Beatrice. Finally, she spotted them, with Beatrice's cradled in her mother Sesha's arms. "Papa!" Ralfs voice then rang out, and Andrith rushed to embrace them both. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he held them close, feeling the weight of fear and relief in equal measure.

Minutes passed in a blur of hugs and tears as other families reunited on the plains. Beatrice, catching sight of her childhood friend Ralf, darted toward him and threw her arms around him, sobbing with relief. Their mothers exchanged knowing smiles, silently acknowledging the bond between the children.

As the initial wave of emotion settled, Andrith realized Nora and Cindy had returned separately. He held his questions, choosing instead to cherish the moment of being together again. After all, they had endured the unimaginable, and their reunion was a testament to their strength and resilience.

As they caught their breath, Andrith gently asked Nora about their separation. "Nora, why were you not with the others in the forest? Were you separated?" he inquired, concern etching his voice.

Nora's gaze softened with gratitude as she replied, "Yes, halfway through, I realized Cindy wasn't with us. I turned back, hoping to find her, but then I encountered a group of adventurers. They were heading somewhere urgently. I asked for their help, and then... there was a sudden light."

"And did you see what happened?" Andrith pressed gently, wanting to understand.

"No," Nora admitted softly. "I was hoping you might have seen something on your end."

Andrith his face suddenly lit up in anticipation, eager to clear her uncertainty. "Actually," he began, his words were suddenly interrupted by Ralf tugging at his sleeve.

"Daddy, Beatrice has suddenly gathered the kids and started to tell stories on what happened in the forest? But there are different things happened in the Village as well, which should we hear out first?" Ralf inquired awaiting his father's response.

Cindy then came in, "Why don't we go ahead and listen to her first? I'm sure she's got quite the tale to tell!" As Cindy met Beatrice's gaze, Beatrice then let out a giggle, a spark of mischief in her eyes.

Nora chuckled warmly, her voice filled with relief. "Yes, let's do that. It'll be good to hear their perspective."

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

With a shared smile, they moved towards the children, leaving behind the worries of the day momentarily. It was a small moment of peace amidst the chaos, a chance to cherish the bonds that had held them together through the darkest hours.

As everyone gathered, The adventurers soon realized, that within the crowd. Among them, some recognized faces among the villagers bore tattoos of the Ravagers Group, a notorious bandit faction.

"Wait? Aren't those bandits?" exclaimed a female adventurer, her tone wary as she pointed out the tattoos.

"They're from the Ravagers Group!" added another, a seasoned warrior among them. Weapons were poised, ready to defend until Baldwin, an adventurer who had fought alongside the villagers, stepped forward.

"Baldwin? You're not one of them, are you?" questioned Dalas, his voice tinged with concern.

"Haha, no," Baldwin chuckled, shaking his head. "What's happening here? Seeing everyone together so warmly... are they really not hostages or under their control?" Dalas asked, bewildered by the unexpected scene before him.

Baldwin smirked knowingly, glancing at the bandits who now wore expressions of nervousness and shame. "No, of course not. It was the other way around," he replied cryptically.

"What do you mean?" Dalas pressed, trying to make sense of Baldwin's words amid the conflicting emotions of the adventurers.

"You see that light before that shone over the village?" Baldwin continued, his tone serious. The bandits shifted uncomfortably, some casting their eyes downward in remorse a reminder of what they did before, while others are in awe as they recalled the majestic knight who had turned the tide of battle but was no longer present.

The villagers, proud and defiant despite their village lying in ruins, met the adventurers' confusion with solemn resolve. Baldwin turned to address them, raising his voice to include everyone in the discussion. "Everyone! Would you mind enlightening our guests about what has transpired here in Greenwood?"

"We would be honored," the villagers replied in unison, their voices carrying determination and a hint of sorrow for the losses they had suffered.

As the discussion unfolded, the adventurers listened intently, absorbing the tale of bravery, overwhelming might, and the miraculous intervention that had saved Greenwood. The villagers spoke of the being and the knight as if touched by divine providence, their words painting a picture of valor that left the adventurers questioning what they knew of magic and might while of course some are still skeptical of it's absudity.

"It was like a god had descended upon us," exaggerated one villager, echoing the sentiments of many.

"Are you sure it's not a mage?" one of the adventurers interjected, seeking clarity amidst the fantastical account.

Baldwin chuckled softly. "Have you ever seen a mage before? Trust me, this one was different. It wasn't magic; it was something else entirely. A miralce perhaps?"

"If it wasn't for that being, we wouldn't be saved but the same couldn't be said to our homes." As he said that, he turned to the village in ruins. There are some buildings that are unaffected but these are mostly the one's that are around the village square which is located at the center of the village from which the battle took place.

The atmosphere changed as the village's expression became weary and the bandits even more guilty, further shamed by their actions though not directly. nonetheless both their hearts are heavy at the sight of the place reminding them once more of what has taken place.

The adventurers though outsiders felt unease and uncomfortable of the sudden change of atmosphere. Yet they couldn't help but emphathize to both sides for how they feel

Baldwin saw this thought to himself, Now I've done it, I've ruined the atmosphere. But it is necessary for something that I'm about to do

Baldwin's expression turned serious and called everyone's attention, "Everyone! I Duly apologize for ruining the mood, by reminding you all once more of the events that happened, But it's true that this isn't something anyone can overlook, people will eventually point this out and this will cause further strife amongst us. So I'd rather be the first to point this out to explain to you the purpose of the being though I'm not being told directly I can certainly tell the plans he had in mind

"Plans?" A villager tilt her head in confusion

"Does the being really have something in mind for us?" Another one added

"So you're saying there's more to it than just saving us and sparing the bandits?" A man who seemed like an old merchant asked

"That is correct since this will benefit both parties because aside from bandits taking this opportunity to redeem themselves, the cost for repairing the damages will be quite high but thankfully the being thought ahead about these situation we're a poor village neglected by the kingdom how can we afford for a reconstruction when the kingdom turns a blindeye to us just because we're far away from the capital? So money is the only thing keeping us from progressing.." He frowns

But suddenly, his expression and tone then shifted with utmost confidence attempting to sway the crowd "But thanks to our savior! We won't have to worry about labor costs, maintenance, hiring carpenters and engineers for money anymore! Because it is not only about rebuilding, heck we can even utilize the bandits who have been given a chance to change to make use of their strength in restoring our village to it's original state and even improving our village! You can even ask for them to help the lot of you in starting a business, cultivate the lands for a farm, build a strong military power and security! For free!"

"That sounds good and all, But not to sound rude or ungrateful but.. can we really trust them?" The same merchant asked reluctantly

"Will the being really come back and help us?" Another villager added. Worry arose amongst the crowd

"That's a good question, as you can see before the being isn't any normal being. You said it yourself, it's like as if a god has descended in this mortal plain so you can say that he's still keeping an eye to this village and my proof of that is I can still sense his presence nearby, Adventurers! Mages, specifically. Am I wrong to say that you've also sense this divine presence!? Don't you find it strange?" He inquired leaving the crowd wondering

"Yes, he's not wrong we can certainly feel it!" The same female adventurer added

"I thought it was just me" Another one added

"But that strong traces of mana, I am certain that it exceeds even the strongest of human mages. It's reasonable to say that no human could pull that off and it certainly it isn't a demon since I can sense divine energy right? And not a dragon since from what I've heard they really don't bother with human affairs. And that leaves us to, the ancient beings." An old woman said, her profound words resonated with the crowed as everyone mutters amongs themselves whole some gasps in amazement at the words of the mage

"Now that, that confirms it. You all can rest assured that the bandits are not the only one's at the beings mercy, the great one knows what he's doing, he couldn't ask us anything in return but our trust and also trust us in return to handle the rest of the things ourselves, we wouldn't want to burden the being by being dependent to him all the time now do we? We have survived the whole ordeal surely this much is nothing compared to that, right people!?"

The villagers and bandits alike nod amongst each other, getting to a consenseus

The conversation that have turned towards rebuilding the village, and Baldwin's explanation breathed hope into the weary hearts of the villagers and bandits alike. "How about we rebuild the village? With all of us here now, it's doable! What do you say!?" Baldwin's voice rang out with conviction, lifting the spirits of those gathered.

Andrith, his determination renewed, stepped forward with resolve. "Let's do this!"

"Yeah!!" The villagers and bandits shouted in unison, their voices echoing with vigor and determination as they raised their hands skyward.

The view shifted upward, capturing the united resolve of Greenwood's residents, their former enemies, the bandits now bound by a common cause. Together, they vowed to rebuild their shattered home, turning tragedy into a testament of resilience and unity.

While all of these took place, unbenknownst to them the same being who saved them is currently watching over them from the skies above the clouds as his radiant figure shines bright behind the sun as he looks down on the little figures of the people celebrating at a distance with a satisfied smile, "Looks like my work here is done, though it would be nice if I can be a part of this but it would only distract them and hinder their progress of their work if they'd start tending to me needlessly.

Nevertheless, I am looking forward to the future of these people in this village, it certainly was worth it" he said to himself

"Fufu, on second thought, guess I should later try and stick round some more. Maybe I'd even go and disguise myself and blend in with the people and interact with them without distracting them, we'll see." He Musely said to himself

With a nervous smile, he added, "Still, why do I feel like they've misunderstood something?" He pondered for a moment, "hm, it's probably nothing.." he muttered and then with a final glance filled with hope, as the gentle breeze stirred the air, carrying the faint sounds of laughter and the determined clinks of rebuilding efforts.

The celestial being whispered once again, "I can only trust that with their resilience, determination and unity, they're more than capable in shaping their own destiny. What a cliched line yet appropriate for this situation, but I meant what I said. I genuinly hope for the best for these people, may their journey be a.... nevermind" With those words, he slowly faded from view, leaving behind a village bathed in the promise of a new beginning.