The first 6 hours of the trip is relatively peaceful. No monster attacks, no bandits. We finally decided to rest a bit. Harold scouted and found a brook a few dozen meters from the road. I put down my pack and drank water from my waterskin, I was about to give Lugh some but he is already drinking on the brook. I scanned the area and saw Kevin lighting a campfire.

"Hey Kevs, what will you cook?" I asked as I walked towards him. He glanced at me and resumed his chore. "Soup. Go get some clean water. I have some mushrooms on my bag. Ask Harold if he have some beef jerky." He said without even looking at me. This jerk suddenly becomes a respectable human being when he is cooking something. Also the food he makes is very delicious. "Aye chef." I replied after giving a mock salute. Harold is at the brook, sticking his arm in the water. "Harold, what are you doing there?" Even Lugh is looking at him.

"Catching freshwater prawns and hopefully crabs. Very tasty if I must say." He replied as his arm abruptly shoot into the water. "Haha! Got one!" He grinned as he showed me a prawn almost as big as a small plate. It does look delicious, maybe I can ask Kevin to put it on the soup. "By the way Harold, Kevin asked if you have beef jerky. He is making soup, we can also put the prawn in it." He just shook his head and said "No I only have bread and dried fruits unfortunately. But we can put the prawns in the soup though."

He smiled and showed me 2 more prawns a bit larger than the first one. We headed to Kevin and gave him the prawns. He just nodded and snapped the prawns' heads then dropped them in the slightly boiling soup. After a few minutes the soup was ready so I took out 3 bowls and some spoons. The food tasted great as usual. His cooking is Kevin's one and only redeeming feature. I also fed Lugh some bread and cheese, also some lefot over soup. After resting for about an hour we continued our trip.

-

"Wait, I hear something." Harold made us stop and we carefully listened for any noise. He unsheathed his sword, and Kevin took out his knife. Then all of a sudden 4 dirty men burst out of the bushes and glared at us.

"Travelers, give us all your stuff and no one gets hurt. But if you resist we-" a loud snapping sound cut him off as a small rock hit his right eye. He screamed and dropped his rusty sword. They did not even notice me taking out and loading my sling, what a bunch of morons. Dont they know that talking too much during a fight will get you killed?

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Harold and Kevin did not stay idle though, they immediately rushed the remaining bandits. Kevin dropped his bag and ran to the nearest bandit, he swung his arm widely and cut the bandit's arm. His attack is sloppy but it managed to injure the shocked bandit and made him drop his weapon. While Harold on the other hand stabbed his sword into blinded bandit's belly and gutted him. Blood and innards spilled out as the poor guy tried to put back his guts inside is body.

The remaining bandit turned to flee but I am already swinging my sling. With a snap a fist sized rock hit the fleeing idiot in the head. The rock embeded itself on the back of his head and he died just like that. Kevin looked at my direction and flashed a thumbs up on me. I returned the gesture and faced Harold. He just nodded in approval as he approached the injured bandit remaining, the one Kevin attacked.

"Please dont kill me!" Smelly bandit pleaded with obvious fear on his eyes. Harold just looked at him coldly and said, "Kill him Kevin, he's yours." Kevin looked at the man, and closed his eyes. After opening his eyes he stabbed the man in the chest. "N-no! Aghhh!!! Help!" The bandit struggled but Kevin stabbed him like 7 more times until he died. After a full minute Kevin dropped on his knees and almost threw up his lunch. "I killed a person... I... Shit!" Kevin cursed.

"Man up Kevin. They are not good people. They rob and kill travelers, did you forget how they threathened us earlier. Remember that if you hesitate too much you'll end up dead. Kill or be killed." Harold lectured him. Kevin is still shaking. "But I'm just a simple villager. I'm no soldier or mercenary... How about you Kanno?" Kevin and Harold looked at me.

"Though it is the first time I killed a person, I'm not that shaken. I mean, I told you that I killed 4 goblins in the forest. They look a bit like humans except shorter, angrier, and smellier. Also green. But you get the point right? Also Harold is right, they are criminals. And let me ask you will you let yourself get killed just because you are against taking other people's lives?" I explained to him as I put the sling back into my bag.

"I understand but maybe we could have just captured them or something? Or just injure them until they cant fight anymore..." Kevin protested. Harold answered this time. "Then after recovering they will just return to robbing and stealing." Kevin did not say anything this time and just nodded. "Yeah you're right. Maybe I'm just being too soft." I patted his back