We finally had our meal after our earlier conversation about Sophia talking to animals.
We enjoyed some marshmallows and fish that Sophia had brought before we set off for the Kingdom. We were quite hungry from the journey, so we devoured all the food we had prepared for the night.
"Ahhh... Isn't this the height of earthly delight, Sophia? It feels so satisfying to have finished all the food we brought," I said, patting my full stomach after eating a lot.
"Hey, it's just you who ate so much. I only had a few bites—one fish and two marshmallows. The rest was all you," Sophia said, pouting as she scolded me for finishing all the food.
"Well, well, I'm sorry... Do you want me to throw it up?" I teased her with a joke.
"That's disgusting, you idiot," Sophia said, frowning more at my comment.
This girl is so adorable, even when she's angry. I couldn't help but laugh at her cute expression.
In the midst of our banter, we heard a rustling sound from the bushes around our campsite. Sophia and I quickly stood up, readying ourselves in case something unexpected happened.
"Who's there!" I shouted towards the bushes.
Suddenly, arrows shot towards us. We managed to dodge two arrows that came our way. Two bandits emerged from the bushes—one was a man, and the other, a woman.
The bandits wore tattered cloaks that covered their faces, but it was clear that one of them was a woman. The man stood directly in front of me, surveying the area until his eyes fell upon the carriage we had brought for our journey. He seemed satisfied with what he saw.
"Haha... Looks like this little brat brought enough supplies for us to sell, right, Helen?" The bandit said, pulling down his hood.
The man had a scar over his right eye, a long scratch or possibly a sword wound. The woman beside him had long brown hair, and her lips were painted bright red, probably with thick lipstick.
Their intention was clear: to steal our food and supplies. The smug grin on the bandit's face as he looked at me (even though it was natural for him to physically stare, it still annoyed me) revealed their plan.
Drawing the sword I received as a gift from my parents, I walked to the edge of the camp where the bandit waited near a small open area. Sophia took out an arrow from the carriage.
"You know how to strengthen your weapon, genius?" she asked, emphasizing the last word.
At this point, I sensed that the bandits intended to get rid of us—essentially, to kill us. Knowing this, I stood in front of Sophia to protect her.
"Sophia, stay behind me. This isn't a fight for you; it's a man's fight," I said, blocking her from joining the fight.
"But Eizan, you've never fought a bandit before. How will you be able to win?" Sophia looked worried.
"Don't worry, I'll definitely win!" I said confidently to her.
"You're so arrogant, kid! Helen, don't interfere. I'll teach this brat a lesson," the bandit said, drawing his sword, clearly agitated by my claim that I could handle him alone.
"Be careful, Razor. This kid shouldn't be underestimated," Helen warned, glancing at me.
I focused my gaze on Razor, who was only about five meters away. My eyes narrowed, concentrating solely on the man in front of me. He was my opponent now.
I channeled mana into my legs and ran forward, gripping my sword tightly in my right hand.
Razor's smug expression remained as he prepared to block a horizontal swing. I observed and used a special sword technique I had developed over the past two years for duels. Almost instantly, I angled my foot diagonally to his right. Although I couldn't execute the technique perfectly, Razor managed to block my attack easily. Unfortunately for him, his sword was positioned to block my strike from the other direction, leaving his right side exposed.
His proud face turned to one of shock, eyes wide open as he realized what was about to happen.
Swinging my sword precisely at his exposed ribs, I reinforced my wooden sword with mana at the last moment to ensure it could overcome his defenses.
Razor staggered back quickly after the solid hit to his right rib. Blood flowed from the wound, and he bent over in pain, unable to endure it.
"Damn... little brat," Razor's eyes were red with rage, and blood trickled from his mouth due to the fatal wound on his ribs.
Helen rushed to help Razor, revealing that she was a healer mage. It made sense why she didn't fight alongside Razor.
Sophia looked quite surprised by the fight. Her mouth was agape as she watched my movements.
"Since when could you do something like that?" Sophia asked, astonished.
I placed a hand on my head, "Well, it took about two years to master it. Haha..."