It was a quiet moment between the two of them. Olivia sat still, her mind struggling to process the chaos she'd just witnessed. The dark, otherworldly power Baldwin had unleashed was something beyond her understanding. Eventually, after a long silence, she mustered the courage to speak.
"What happened to the men you… put in the shadows?" Olivia asked hesitantly.
Baldwin remained focused on tending to Olivia's mother, his hands glowing faintly as he worked to stabilize her condition.
"They're gone," Baldwin said simply, his tone calm but final.
Olivia hesitated but continued. "You're a powerful mage… but if it's not too much trouble, do you think you could help the villagers too? The rest of the Bandits are attacking them."
Baldwin glanced over his shoulder. "Help the villagers? Olivia, are you sure about that? These are the same people who drove you and your mother out, forcing you to live in exile."
"Even so," Olivia said softly, "I hoped that by helping them, they might at least share some food with us. We don't have anything left."
Hearing this, Baldwin chuckled lightly. "It's never wise to expect kindness in return for your good deeds, Olivia. People are often ungrateful. But…" He stood up, brushing off his hands. "I'll handle it."
Olivia nodded, standing as well, but Baldwin stopped her. "Stay here with your mother. If anyone else comes, at least you can delay them until I return."
"I shall create another identity. It's better if the village sees an unfamiliar face come to their aid," Baldwin thought to himself.
With that, he stepped out of the hut. His form began to shift—bones realigning, skin reshaping. Within moments, he had transformed into a tall, muscular man with striking blond hair, reminiscent of Olivia's mother.
Once the transformation was complete, he leapt down from the hill, landing with effortless grace. Then, without hesitation, he dashed toward the village with blinding speed.
When he arrived, the sight before him was grim. Around a hundred bandits were ransacking the village, killing or capturing its inhabitants. Supplies were piled in the center of the village, their loot almost complete.
Baldwin sighed, observing the scene. "Poor souls. Even my enemies had better luck than this."
He made his way to the village center, drawing the attention of the villagers and bandits alike.
"Who are you, mister?!" the young man exclaimed, eyes wide with suspicion.
"I'm… from the royal family," Baldwin declared confidently.
"Damn it," he thought a second later. "I forgot—there's no royal family anymore. This is a democracy now..."
"Uh, actually, I—" Baldwin began, but before he could finish, the young man stepped forward and seized his hand.
"Blond hair... and those stunning light-blue eyes!" the young man gasped. Then, raising Baldwin's hand high, he shouted for all to hear:
"The Nath family has returned! The Nath family will save us!"
Gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd as hope lit their faces. Baldwin stood frozen, his thoughts racing.
"What... just happened?"
An elderly man scoffed, slamming his cane against the ground. "Bah! The Republic's soldiers are nothing compared to the Hero Kingdom of old. Bring back the Kingdom!"
"You still ramble about the Hero Kingdom?" a younger man snapped. "That era is over. It's time to build a new Empire! Now, Lord—tell us how you'll lead us!"
"Quiet!" another villager hissed nervously. "They'll hear us! Please, my lord... tell us!"
Baldwin stepped forward, his eyes heavy with memories—a lingering shadow of the mistake he'd made just moments earlier, invoking the name of the royal family too carelessly.
"It's time I repay the sins I've carried," he said, his voice low, steady like the calm before a storm.
He drew in a breath, glancing over the anxious crowd.
"First—know this. The royal family wishes for you all to remain just as you are—strong and resilient."
A pause. The weight of his words settled in the air.
"Second... the Nath family has forbidden me from involving any civilians in this battle."
"But Lord, you're alone! You'll die!" a young man cried out. "I can swing a sword! Let me fight beside you!"
Baldwin turned, his expression shifting into a bittersweet smile. His eyes shimmered with emotion—fake tears hiding real pain.
"I will not die," he said softly. "Because your hope... is with me."
And with that, he turned and ran toward the center of the village, cloak trailing behind him—his silhouette a symbol of fragile hope wrapped in impossible courage.
Baldwin walked calmly toward the center of the square, where the villagers' goods were piled and several young women had been tied up. Without a word, he knelt beside one of the girls and began untying her restraints.
"M-Mister, behind you! The leader—One Eye!"
The girl cried out, then scrambled to her feet and ran from the center.
Baldwin rose slowly and turned.
From the shadows emerged a man—grizzled, broad-shouldered, and unmistakably dangerous. His most defining feature: a missing eye.
"Tsk. Seems someone's touching my property without permission," the man said, voice laced with mockery. "Didn't your parents teach you any manners?"
Baldwin tilted his head with a faint smile.
"Ah… so you're the infamous One Eye. What a cute name—for an ant."
One Eye narrowed his gaze.
"You've got guts, stranger. But you won't be smiling when you become my guest. I've seen your kind before—brave fools. They all fall the same."
Baldwin's eyes flashed crimson.
"You're just a human—barely past your prime. Talking like you've faced legends. How ridiculous."
He took a step forward, the ground beneath him subtly cracking.
"Let's see how long that arrogance lasts... when reality finally hits you."
"Reality?" One Eye sneered, his single eye gleaming with something darker than madness. "Yeah, I got hit by it once. And you know what I realized? This world's system… is full of errors."
Baldwin raised an eyebrow, lips curving into a smug smile.
"Is that your way of distracting me so you can land a cheap shot?"
"Oh? You caught on. So you do have a brain," One Eye said with a grin. "Still too late, though."
Without warning, a invisible hand—completely invisible to normal eyes—lurched from Baldwin's left. But he reacted in a blur, twisting his body mid-step and ducking low. His knee drove upward, slamming into the hand. With a faint hiss, it vanished into smoke.
"That's a strange little trick you've got there, One Eye," Baldwin said, rising smoothly.
"You surprised? Getting ready to run?"** One Eye taunted, smirking.
Baldwin gave a low chuckle.
"Run? From you? What are you even talking about?"
"Tch! Got you now!" One Eye growled.
Suddenly, four large shadowy hands burst from the ground—this time visible, grotesque and gnarled. They surged forward and clamped onto Baldwin, lifting him into the air like a caught puppet.
"Can't hear you now, hero!" One Eye shouted, laughter echoing through the village square.
"Trying to play the noble savior? You'll die for it!"
He raised his hand, and blue lightning began to crackle around his fingers. He hurled it toward the leader, who deflected the attack with his massive sword. The clash of energy left no trace, but Baldwin's restraint was deliberate. He couldn't afford to reveal his full power.
The leader grinned, swinging his sword through the air to unleash two slicing waves of energy. Baldwin dodged them effortlessly.
"I'm One Eye, leader of the Sunrise Bandits. And you?"
"Baldwin," he replied simply, firing two bolts of white lightning at One Eye. The leader dodged with surprising agility, but his companions weren't so lucky.
Suddenly, a barrage of magical arrows rained down on Baldwin from behind. He didn't flinch. With a single motion, he summoned a towering mud wall that intercepted the arrows.
The bandits froze, stunned by the sheer speed and efficiency of his magic.
"He used lightning and earth magic?" One Eye muttered, narrowing his eyes. "Who the hell is this guy?"
But Baldwin didn't stop. He raised both hands, summoning two massive lightning arrows. One was aimed at the leader, and the other at his companions.
"Let's see if your luck holds out," Baldwin said coldly, unleashing the devastating attack.
After seeing the massive magical lightning arrow, chaos erupted in the village. Both bandits and villagers alike began to flee, desperate to save their lives. Screams filled the air as panic spread like wildfire. However, amidst the chaos, One Eye stood his ground, his expression tense but calculated.
A few bandits quickly rallied around him. Among them, a man in brown robes placed his hands firmly on the dusty ground. A mud wall began to rise, intended to shield the leader and his companions from Baldwin's attack.
Baldwin didn't wait. His lightning arrow shot forward with blinding speed, tearing through the air and colliding with the half-formed mud wall before it could fully materialize. The resulting explosion shook the ground, sending tremors through the village. A cloud of dust and debris blanketed the area, obscuring everything from view.
When the dust settled, Baldwin's gaze locked on One Eye and his companions, who were still standing unscathed. Though the mud wall had failed to rise completely, it had served its purpose in deflecting the brunt of the attack.
Baldwin narrowed his eyes. While most of the other bandits had been obliterated on the spot, One Eye's survival left him irritated.
One Eye smirked and, with a swift motion, swung his massive sword through the air. A surge of power rippled outward, forming a colossal wind tornado that tore through the village.
Baldwin's eyes widened in surprise. "A wind mage? And such a powerful one at that... A bandit leader with this level of strength? Interesting," he muttered to himself, his tone both curious and annoyed.
Before he could counter, more attacks followed. A speed mage dashed forward, hurling over ten magically-enhanced swords toward Baldwin with incredible precision. Simultaneously, a fire mage launched a volley of fiery arrows from another direction.
Three simultaneous assaults from three angles.
Baldwin smirked, amused by their efforts. With a powerful leap, he soared high into the air, avoiding the deadly barrage. As he ascended, he conjured a massive lightning hand that crackled with energy. With a mighty motion, he slammed the hand onto the ground. Lightning surged out in all directions, tearing through the remaining bandits below.
The thunderous impact sent shockwaves through the village, leaving charred craters and smoldering remains in its wake. The majority of the bandits were annihilated instantly. However, a few managed to survive, standing amidst the destruction with trembling resolve.
As Baldwin landed gracefully on the ground, his senses sharpened. He turned to see One Eye and two other mages—one wielding smoke magic—gathering their energy. They unleashed a combined attack, a powerful orb of chaotic energy aimed directly at him.
At first, Baldwin assumed it was an attack he could easily deflect. But mid-flight, the orb exploded, releasing a dense, suffocating mist that blanketed the entire area.
Baldwin activated his Demon King's Eye, his vision cutting through the obscuring mist. To his surprise, he spotted One Eye and his remaining allies fleeing the village, carrying the stolen resources with them.
"They're running," Baldwin muttered, his tone cold. "Clever, but not clever enough."
Suddenly, in the misty chaos, Baldwin felt someone collide with his back. He spun around and found himself face-to-face with a man in a bloody white shirt and equally stained pants. Using his Demon King's Eye, Baldwin quickly scanned the man and noted no immediate threat. Deactivating his power, his glowing red eyes returned to their normal black hue.
The man stumbled back, clearly startled. Upon realizing Baldwin's presence, he immediately saluted, mistaking him for a soldier.
For a brief moment, Baldwin had almost forgotten he was still disguised as a soldier from the Rance Republic. Seeing the man's reaction, he quickly adjusted his demeanor and spoke in a commanding tone. "Tell me everything you know."
The man straightened up, his voice trembling slightly. "I-I'm Smith. I moved here last winter. I used to be a beast hunter, but I retired a while back. Every year, around this season, the bandits attack the village. They take everything and leave us with nothing."
Baldwin nodded, his expression unreadable. "I see. Thank you for your cooperation. We'll handle this."
Without another word, Baldwin turned on his heels and started walking toward the village's exit. He had made his decision: the bandits would face the Demon King's judgment.
With a cold determination radiating from him, Baldwin muttered under his breath, "You've run far enough, One Eye. This time, there's no escape."