"You can scam them if you want."

Favio walked to the girl, he sheathing his weapon.

“What’re ye doin? Stop it!!”

Screamed the man while he is laying on the ground in an awkward position with his posterior raised up.

“I am planning not to harm her, okay?”

Explains Favio as he quickly places his hand on the girl’s chest.

“Yer nah touchin ’er, dammit! I'm gonna ’ave yer ’ead if ye keep on-”

“I'm just checking how long would she stay cold, geez!”

“Ya Perv!”

Favio began to concentrating as he closed his eyes. Faintly, pulse different to a heartbeat bit his hand. It took about a minute before it could felt again.

The full minute would mean that her Mana pool is empty and normally, it would take a whole day before she comes to.

The pulse that Favio felt was Mana, the power given to Mages to alter physical phenomena.

Direct contact with concentrated amounts of mana is fatal to all Contractors because their bodies reject it.

On the other hand, Heroes like the man have a very weird constitution that deflects any mana on contact but they are killable with the physical phenomena from a spell.

Favio learned this skill from his mentor back at Egdar. It was supposed to be for Heroes’ use so it is possible for him to die by touching an absurdly powerful Mage.

“Looks like she'll be out for a day.”

“Are ye still gonna keep on gropin ’er?”

Favio looked at his hand then jumped back.

“Eh? Sorry!!!”

(Come on, Bakunawa! Help me with tying them all up.)

(Boy… Who do you is the one restraining all these trash? And you don't even have a single piece rope on you… I think you should just kill them all, just spare the girl. I want her.)

(I think I should ask them for some ropes.)

(Sigh… Suit yourself.)

Favio turns around and asks the man.

“Do you have any ropes with you?”

“Why'da fuck would I tell ye?”

“I prefer not killing but I have nothing to tie you up with so I would have to kill you guys right now. Who would want to be near unrestrained bandits just to die?”

“Ye’ave a point… I can lead ya ta our wagon. Jus don ’arm Julia and Meut.”

After finding the wagon, Favio tried the arms and legs of the man with an Ability negating rope and goes ahead to tie the archer with the same rope while he used the anti magic cuffs on the girl.

Favio eventually dragged the silent archer as Bakunawa just tossed the girl into the wagon.

With the bandits tied up inside the black prairie schooner, Favio took up the front seat as Bakunawa clung on his arm. He held the reins then with a fling, the wagon moved forward.

What was pulling the carriage wasn't a horse but a pitch black carabao. Favio can handle carabaos well because they were the beasts of burden that is used in his parent’s farm.

Carabaos look like cows but they had more smoothly curved horns, a bit of hair and a dark durable hide.

“This carabao is pretty high quality: Very durable hide, soft meat with strong muscles and the ability to produce milk. I bet mama will buy her for a hefty sum. Say, where did you find this?”

“Dunno, Meut and Julia stole ’er. Wait… Meut says ’e jus stole whatever ’e could grab as we escaped. Ah- turn ’round next corner yer surrendering us right?”

A voice came from the back.

“Okay… Guess I'll just Compel this guy to go to the farm right after we arrive on the next village. That reminds me, your group looks like you're guards of a village or something. Why would you turn to banditry?”

“I bet these trash are unable to bear the aesthetics of their village or their aesthetics don't fit in.”

“My, my what a poisonous tongue yer snake ’as but she's right, we couldn't bear those damn Americans buildin a settlement near our village. Our rejection was rebellion in our Lord’s eyes so we're kicked out.”

“They didn't do anything wrong so why?”

“’Ave ye read any ’istory books? Our land ’as been conquered countless ’mount of times. Are you goin to be lettin it ’appen again?”

“I haven't read any history but some of the nice things I read about in the travel guide came from the outside so it should be not that bad…”

Favio's unusual answer cracked a smile in the little snake on his arm.

“Ahahahahahaaa… Boy... You never fail to amuse whether in battle or not.”

“I'm pleased to hear that...”

“Naive… Yer naive!!!”

“However, you there are so much things lacking with you.”

“What do you mean? I'm pretty good back then.”

“You fight too fairly with your Eskrima, you always wait for information that you don't have any initiative and you don't use your Authority that well.”

“Don't judge any of my skills if you're not going to improve them.”

“Don't worry, boy… I'll take my time teaching you everything at our next stop… EVERYTHING… So you better buy me something worth the things I'll give to you.”

Suddenly Favio felt a chill ran through his arm.

“Ah...Haha…”

“This shakin… Jus 5 minutes more before we get into our village.”

“You're too familiar with this road, old man.”

“I used to patrol these roads v’ryday so I can't believe that I would be ridin through it asa pris’ner. I ’ave an ambush nearby...”

“Hahaha. I may not be able to lie but I can tell lies. You're bluffing.”

“As expected… ‘One can’t be lyin to a Diwata’, huh…”

After playing a TRPG game, I decided for my fanfic to move like a VN. I'll prepare choices with plotlines and it might work.

Do you like the info dump chapter?

Reader analysis:

Dangit! Currently, Hazey is the only one reading this fiction… He is quite not naive I guess.

What ifs (other routes):

Spoiler : Sparing them would cause Favio to receive a serious wound as a reminder of his naivety and steers the story to a darker tone. Bakunawa will run away from the bandits and gets help from the first hut she encounters. Info dump her monologue and Favio's dream

Killing them would lead Favio to go to whatever direction he is going to. He'll stay in camp for the night. The info dump is their conversation.

Now the question is: How do you think Favio should get strong?

The one with the most votes will be the main plot while the second one will be inserted as subplots.

Magnum Opus- A journey to develop the strongest Eskrima for his weak self. Who will Favio swing his sword for?

Details

Spoiler : Theme: Willpower and Inevitability

Character+: His character saturates and his vague characteristics will bloom.

Character-: It will give less space for me to develop him on another direction.

Plot+: Badass moments without being OP. Some defeats.

Plot-: Slower paced travel (training every night)

Antagonist: His weakness.

Messenger King- Favio gives in to his Fate to be the messenger of a new dawn, Compelling the world to change.

Details

Spoiler : Theme: Justice and Bonds

Character+: He will gain more Unrea under his control and gets dyed in their colors.

Character-: Harem? (Don't choose this because BL/yaoi and polygamy are included.)

Plot+: More characters!

Plot-: I'm gonna fuck around and twist the plot that you feel like you have no control over it whatsoever (you have control, I'll just twist the results of all choices).

Antagonist: The world.

Infinite Eclipse- The Authority of Favio will be entrusted to Bakunawa as he slowly changes more like her.

Details

Spoiler : Theme: Values and Aesthetics

Character+: He will learn upon Bakunawan values he and becomes an antihero!

Character-: Favio will trust others less. It's a matter of time that Bakunawa will be the only one with his trust.

Plot+: Characters can be more developed.

Plot-: Less characters will be introduced

Antagonist: A very just Faction leader.