chapter 24 : justice

The camp quickly started to burn, and screams echoed from all directions as some of the bandits perished in the flames. However, most of the bandits emerged from the attack with minimal damage. Yet, their supplies and food continued to burn.

As the camp burned, the bandits swiftly armed themselves and began attacking once they identified the enemy's location.

In the midst of the fierce battle, a burly man, evidently the leader of the bandits, stood out among them. While the infantry engaged in combat, archers from behind picked off their targets one by one. Yet, the bandits still outnumbered them, prompting Ethan to issue a retreat order soon after.

Without horses, Ethan's group couldn't move as fast. The leader of the bandits, noticing this, decided to pursue them with all his men to solve the problem at its root. Many traps had been set by Ethan's group in the depths of the forest, neutralizing many bandits. Ethan's goal was to minimize casualties, so he tried every idea that came to mind.

Before long, Ethan guided his soldiers through a narrow passage, shouting, "Take your positions, everyone!" Each soldier complied. To an onlooker, it might have seemed quite odd—after all, a twelve-year-old was giving orders to men much older than himself.

The soldiers, previously planted with long spears, positioned themselves behind shield-bearing infantry. Only soldiers with large shields stood in front, while those with long spears stood behind. There was a natural bottleneck ahead. In less than a minute, the bandits passed through that bottleneck and attacked the soldiers ahead without hesitation. After all, their nerves were already frayed from the assault on their camp.

The shield-bearers had a tough job; holding their shields steady against physically strong bandits was challenging. While the shield-bearers struggled, the spear-bearers had an easier time. Ultimately, they efficiently dispatched the masses in front of them. Those bandits who couldn't get past the shield-bearers were easily killed by the spear-bearers, akin to hunting pigs.

The notion of "if the enemy outnumbers you, funnel them through a narrow passage and attack" was proven effective in the carnage before Ethan, who smiled at the massacre unfolding before him. This tactic had been used against barbarians in his previous life and had shown its effectiveness.

However, soon enough, the bandit leader began to bypass the shield-bearers one by one. Ethan immediately used a gravity spell. "Don't kill their leader," Ethan shouted. He intended for the leader to be executed in front of the people, effectively gaining their loyalty. As the leader of the bandits was a mage, he attempted to hurl fireballs at Ethan. However, realizing it was futile, he didn't persist for long. Seeing a child giving orders to soldiers astonished the bandit leader, who soon became furious at how a mere child had put them in such a dire situation.

Ethan's role as a prince had not been publicized, so most didn't know. If the bandit leader had known the boy before him was a prince, he would likely have begged for mercy, as attacking a prince would bring the kingdom's wrath upon them. Unfortunately, unaware of this fact, the bandit leader gathered his resolve and sent a massive fireball towards Ethan. Ethan, caught off guard, managed to dodge at the last moment using an air spell and escaped unharmed thanks to his armor.

Seeing his attack fail, the bandit leader opted to flee and, instead of watching, used his wits to escape the situation. The other bandits, upon seeing their leader fleeing, followed suit. They found themselves on a road with a cliff on one side and a steep slope on the other. However, upon encountering dozens of carriages blocking their path, they were bewildered and waited for their leader's command.

Ethan's group had already caught up to the bandits. Now, it was the bandits who fled, and Ethan's group who pursued. The hunter had become the hunted. The prey, wearing sheep's clothing, had shed their disguise and revealed their true identities as wolves.

Ethan's archers had already set fire to the carriages to prevent the bandits from passing, and some who attempted to climb over were already burning, and some blinded by pain, fell off the cliff. The sight was terrifying; they had two options ahead of them. They could surrender and, at best, face a long prison sentence, or they could fight for a chance. The bandits chose the latter. With their numbers dwindling, they were routed within half an hour. Eleven of them, including the bandit leader, surrendered by laying down their arms.

Despite the carriages being engulfed in flames, Ethan's group still had their horses. Thus, they mounted up and headed towards the city, binding the hands of the surrendered bandits. The bandits didn't even attempt to escape, knowing it was akin to a death sentence.

They arrived at the city of Aurendale by sunrise, where the populace watched Ethan's group with curiosity. Ethan, who had already ordered Eleanor to gather the people in the square, ascended the stage in the center. The people respectfully made way for Ethan and the soldiers.

Approaching Eleanor, Ethan said, "Did you miss me?"

Eleanor, not expecting Ethan to succeed, was stunned until Ethan spoke. Eventually, she understood why Ethan had asked her to gather the people in the square.

As the eleven individuals stepped onto the stage, Ethan drew his sword and addressed the crowd, "Dear citizens, today I bring you tidings. These eleven individuals, including the leader of the bandits who threatened the safety of Aurendale and disrupted our peace by attacking our camps, are now here to be held accountable before the eyes of justice."

Binding the hands of the eleven bandits, Ethan made them kneel before the crowd and continued, "For the sake of justice, these individuals will be executed. However, let us not forget that when we stand united, we can overcome evil. Today, we have won a victory, but let us not forget that this victory is only the beginning. We will continue to work together for the safety and prosperity of Aurendale."

The crowd, admiring Ethan's courage and determination in upholding justice, applauded to show their support. Ethan looked at the bound bandits, unperturbed. Their eyes were wide with fear, some even wet themselves in terror. Without blinking an eye, Ethan swiftly beheaded the first bandit in front of him. After doing the same to the other ten, it was the bandit leader's turn. The bandit leader licked Ethan's boots and begged for mercy.

The crowd fell silent. Despite being bandits, witnessing a person abandoning their pride and behaving in such a pathetic manner was heartbreaking. However, Ethan, instructing the guards beside him to hold the bandit leader upright, ignored the bandit's fearful and tearful face and swiftly decapitated him in one clean stroke.

As the spectacle concluded, Ethan took Eleanor and departed. Ignoring the shocked populace, still reeling from the cruelty of a twelve-year-old, they boarded the carriage.

Even Eleanor hadn't believed Ethan would personally execute the bandits, despite being a prince. But he didn't hesitate to get his hands dirty. After a while, Eleanor asked, "How can you sleep at night after killing people?"

Ethan smiled, "Bynot drinking coffee after seven in the evening."