Boar Bandits

Joe was just your average bandit trying to make a living by killing, extorting, and taking advantage of the weak. He thought that by becoming a bandit, he would be able to easily get money. It was all good at the start, he was able to earn money albeit through dirty means, but money was still money. Moreover, life as a bandit was easy, he felt powerful trampling on people's lives. He felt like he was above those commoners. Most of all, he was able to have fun with many girls as long as he showed a sword to their faces and threatened to kill them. 

Yet some higher form of being seemed to have finally taken action by sending him this devil in human clothing. He felt like crying but dared not to, he didn't want to take any chances when the literal devil was just right behind him, moreover, he saw what he did to his comrades, he was lucky to be even alive with just a sore throat, he didn't want to end up like them.

"We-we're here..." 

Up ahead, Noah could see a small village. 

Noah had threatened Joe to lead him to where their bandit group was situated. Noah knew that the rug-thug group of five of which four were already disposed of, was no mere "rug-thug group". They had to have been a much more bigger organization of sorts, after all, five men wouldn't be enough of a force to overpower a whole village, the villagers could have just ganged up on them unless a much bigger force was involved. 

This was how Noah came to that conclusion, and after asking Joe, it turned out he was right.

Joe took the lead followed by Noah as they passed through the gate of the village. After some walking, Joe pointed towards a bar bearing the name "Drinking Boars".

"The place serves as an inn and a bar, but it is only for those who are part of the Boar Bandits. If you suddenly enter and they recognize you as someone who isn't part of the organization - which will likely happen, you will not be able to leave through its doors alive. So in a way, it is our base and our big boss should be inside." Joe explained with a solemn tone, he knew what he was doing right now, by giving intel to a potential enemy, he was betraying the Boar Bandits, and if such a thing was found out, he would face a harsh death, but compared to that, he would rather die later than right now. 

Moreover, betrayal is a common thing not only in the profession of being a bandit but also in the world. Every man for himself, it was a principle that many people lived by.

"Thi-This is as far as I can go, if I follow you in, they'll kill me and worse." Joe gulped as his body trembled. He had done everything he was asked of, he held to the thinnest string of hope that Noah would let him go alive. 

However, he seemed to have forgotten what type of person Noah was, he was merciless. 

"Then it wouldn't be any different of I just kill you here now right?" 

Before Joe could even react, his neck was slit open by Noah's sword. Noah didn't even bat an eye, he raised his head up into the sky as he saw the sun setting and the clutches of darkness begin to creep up.

"Just the right time to commit a slaughter." Noah set his sights on the inn as he walked towards it with oozing confidence. 

The door of the bar opened as Noah walked in. The once bustling room filled with laughter and shouts immediately silenced.

All eyes went to Noah. Despite their scrutinizing eyes, Noah remained unperturbed as he walked to the counter.

Noah, with wavy black hair with reddish tints at the ends and indifferent ink-blank eyes endowed with a lean body — as far as the members of the Boar Bandits knew, no such person with such characteristics were a part of their group.

Actually, the members of the Boar Bandits knew each of their member very well because of this bar, the Drinking Boars. It was their meeting place wherein they would often meet up and drink.

Yet they had never seen this kid once.

By intruding into their base without prior notice, he was practically declaring himself as an enemy. No one who lived in the village didn't know about this place, anyone who came here was either ignorant or someone with ulterior motives.

More often than not, the latter is the more often to occur.

Moreover, there was one concrete observation that told them that this kid was an enemy, he was equipped with a sword, a damaged leather armor, and most of all, his hands and even his clothes were bloodied.

Even though they already deemed the kid as an enemy, none dared to make the first move. They waited for someone to break the silence and trigger either the one-sided fight or the bloodbath to occur.

The short moment Noah entered through the door, he already had the rough numbers of the people inside. By his estimation, there should be about 15-18 people which, with maybe a sweat or two, he would be able to take on with only a little bit of difficulty.

Noah sat on the chair as he placed a few coins on the countertop.

"What would you like sir?" The bartended pocketed the money and asked, sounding very sincere in his job.

"Just a glass of water."

Silence ensued before the bartended replied.

"Very well, please wait a moment."

The bartender turned his back on Noah and seemingly filled a wooden cup of water from the big barrel just infront.

"Here you go sir..."

Just as Noah was about to reach out for the water, the bartender couldn't help himself to show a smirk.