“Bandits!?Those bandits that attack towns?”

As a person that lived in one, Alexis always heard stories about how scary bandits are from the priest and adults.

“That’s right the ones that burns villages and rapes the women.” Ezekiel made his voice spooky as he enjoyed the two's reaction.

Lance butted in with his calm expression, “Their numbers and their strength?”

Ezekiel stopped teasing them as he looked at him and while a dagger which he took from his belt dances around his hand, he answered.

“Hmm, I am not sure from what I saw there's thirty but there could be more, as for their strength they had eight 3rd class magicians and a numbers of magic tools but they did not gave me a hard time while I was scouting them so they most likely beginners.”

Damian caressed his chin as he wondered, “Even if they have that strength they could not possibly take this city easily and there's also no signs of any battle outside the town only inside…”

“They have traitors.” Tron finished his thought for him.

Lance relaxed his back to his chair as his fingers started hopping up and down the table, he looked at Ezekiel and asked, “Where are they?”

“It was bigger than this house and I saw the mayor entered the gates just as I left, so it should be his.”

“Are there any captives?”

“Mhm, they are in the mayor's house being enjoyed, so what do we do next captain? Are we going to save those poor fellows and be the bearer of justice or are we closing our eyes and pretend those didn't exist?” The dagger stopped dancing due to having its music halted.

Ezekiel innocent face and good-natured smile was reflected in his cold yet bright eyes, Lance broke the contest as he shifted his gaze from one of the few windows of the room.

“Do we have any choice? The moment they opened the gates they determined that we are they're prey.”

Ezekiel smile widen even his eyes narrowed into squint after hearing that as the dagger in his hand suddenly vanished like it was not there in the first place, he then looked at Damian and said with a teasing smile.

“Ping pong! That's right I even heard the leader of the bandits say that he had his eyes on you.”

“....What do you mean?” Damian felt shivers as he hesitatingly asked.

“This.” Ezekiel gestured with his two hands, it was a gesture many would understand once it entered the hole.

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All of them then looked at Damian with different expressions after they remembered Ezekiel's description of the bandit leader.

Bang!

The table jumped a little when Damian pounded it with his hand, his face was slowly turning sour and veins sized of a pinky finger appeared in his forehead.

“Where is the location of the mayor's mansion!? I'll go slaughter them for a bit.” he tried to stand up but was stopped by Lance.

“Calm down first, do you remember how many coins those people given us?”

Lance suddenly asked a question that seemed to have no relations with the current topic.

Damian reigned his anger when he saw his calm face and unclenched his fist, he then gave Ezekiel who was holding his mouth with both hands a hateful gazed before he answered.

“It was a pouch as big as my hands so it should be about 20 golds?”

“No, the bag was full of copper and bronze coins, there's not even one gold in it.”

What Lance said stopped Ezekiel from giggling while it made Damian clenched his fist before flaring up.

“What!? Are you joking with me?”

Lance shook his head before he continued, “They gave us vegetables that colored yellow, swords with chipped edges, eight horses but all of them already passed their prime, and they took back the armors we used at the ceremony leaving us without even a leather one, the only thing they given us that are not defective was the wagon. Do you still think I am joking?”

“...This is why I wanted to smashed their oily faces with my fist.” Damian said as he punched his fist together.

Meanwhile the quiet Tron's eyes turned dangerous and the smile on Ezekiel lips disappeared.

Alexis felt turned the mood turned heavy and a little frightening all of sudden leaving him baffled.

“I don't care if they are looking down at us or it is just one of their mischiefs, I already swore, that's why we must earn enough to properly arm ourselves and the fastest way is mostly illegal ones but now we have a fat sheep on our doorsteps, also if we rescued the townsmen I am sure they wouldn't mind giving us a little of their harvest. To earn one must work.” Lance gave a speech lighting up the fire in everyone chest.

He then followed it with a series of orders, “Go gather more information, they would surely attack us at night when we had our guards down however sometimes greed can make you a fool, its not bad to be prepared.”

“Roger, Captain!” Ezekiel stood up and slowly his body vanished together with a light yellow magic circle he just conjured.

This was the third time that Alexis saw him vanished, he was still surprised but he had already adapted to it by having only his eyes the one that is wide open.

“You, tell what we talked to the ladies upstairs.”

“Mhm.”

Kyrille followed as she stood up from her seat and walk towards the stairs with a hint of excitement in her eyes, for the first time she was feeling a little excitement in this journey.

“Damian its your turn to cook.”

“Sigh, I am not that even good at it, why not you do it Tron?”

He tried passing his chores but he could only give up after being gazed by the two of them, unwillingly he went towards the kitchen.

“Tron inform Heretic about what we talked then be on guard for any possible attacks, I'll switch you with someone after a while.”

Tron nodded before silently walked towards where the Heretic was praying.

Alexis waited for his turn but Lance did not gave him any order after a while so he asked, “...What should I do?”

Lance looked at him and said, “Learn. Watch what will happen next and learn from it.”

In short just watch.

“Alright! I'll go to the kitchen and help sir Damian.”

Unbeknownst towards the meaning of his words Alexis happily walked towards the kitchen.

Lance watched him leave before shifting his eyes out the window where gray clouds from the distant skies slowly approach the town.

“It will be a tiring night.”