But for now there's this chapter!

Enjoy!^_^

The rough bumpy terrain of the dirt road wasn't the best place for a one on one duel but Ludius and the bandit leader would have to make do as there wasn't exactly anywhere else to fight.

Most of the bandits grouped up around twenty meters away behind the bandit leader, the caravan stayed where they were.

"Do we have to fight?", pleaded the bandit leader who knew he had no chance in fighting a SSS rank adventurer.

"Don't worry. Just treat it as training.",

The bandit leader nervously drew his own sword from his scabbard and raised it in front of him. Even if it was shaking considerably.

Ludius calmly drew his sword and raised it in a similar manner.

---

For as long as he could remember the boy had been bullied. It was either due to himself having no parents or simply just because he looked like an easy target.

---

"Let's start.", Ludius calmly stated.

And with that the battle began. The bandit leader lunged forward with his sword hoping to get an east kill but Ludius simply parried the blade off to one side.

"You know, I hate bullies."

The bandit leader regained control of his sword and tried to cut Ludius' unguarded arm to which Ludius responded with an expertly timed dodge.

"But I won't bully people into stopping their ways.",

After another couple of parried and dodged attacks Ludius finally decided to attack. With a quick hit and graceful footwork Ludius knocked the bandit leaders sword to the ground and using the momentum from the first swing Ludius brought his sword around to the man's neck.

"Why are you a bandit?", Ludius asked with sadness evident in his eyes.

---

In the bandit leader's back story. 12 years ago.

"Steven. For crimes against the capital city of Alcasia we are regrettably forced to strip you of your rank and banish you from the city. You have 24 hours to leave. Take him away!", Stated the

old corrupt judge as he sat on his large comfortable chair.

"I haven't done anything wrong! What about my family! They shouldn't suffer because of your twisted judgment!",

"TAKE HIM AWAY!", the judge shouted.

A few seconds later Steven was on his back outside the courthouse.

"What did I do wrong?" , Steven had continued to ask himself as he had to resort to stealing off of caravans and sneaking into the capital to feed his family.

Eventually more people in similar circumstances joined him and Stevens's bandit groups was the largest anywhere near the Capital.

---

Ludius sighed to himself,'it's always the bullied that become the bully.'

"Stand up.", Ludius commanded and the bandit leader unable to refuse stood up immediately.

"Take your family and friends here with you and follow the road to the nearest village around five days away. Go to the adventurers guild and tell them to tell Clyne that Ludius has asked him to find a place for you lot to live, alright?",

"Really?!",

"Yeah."

---

Ludius knew that they just wanted a stable lifestyle and stealing from convoys to them was just a means to an end. So Ludius simply solved their problem. (Or got Clyne to solve it for him.)

---

For some reason the bandit leader felt like trusting this man and so he shouted to the rest of his troops, "Men, let the Convoy pass. I have an exciting proposition for you all."

At the behest of their leader the bandits made way for the convoy and Ludius returned to his seat on top of Rowans carriage.

---

After the bandits were out of sight, John rode up beside Rowan's carriage.

"Oi, Ludius! How the hell did you get them to let us pass."

"I just moved the problem onto the adventurers guild in the last village and I didn't really want to kill them. Although I don't know how it worked so well either.",

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NEW SKILL:

Persuasion (passive): allows the players words to sound more convincing to NPCs. (players not effected)

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LEVEL UP

"Well that explains that.", Ludius muttered with a smirk.

"What explains what?", John asked inquisitively.

"You don't need to worry about it.", Ludius said as he lay back down.

---

"Hurray!"

Cheers came from the front of the convoy and as Ludius looked to see where the noise was coming from he finally saw there destination.

"So that's Alcasia!", Ludius said with awe as he marvel led at the sight before him.