I'm Not Running Away

This town, it's been good but something I learned from Angus is

"Only a fool would do the same things everyday and expect progress"

Kinda poetic isn't it? He probably just read it in a book or something but he has a point. What I truly want above all is progress and a fast one at that.

I am now leaving Wyrin for the reason that I cannot find the progress I'm looking for here, in a town that has everything set out for it I wouldn't be able to become powerful here.

Yes I know, what about Tron and the rest? I'll tell you right now that they'll be fine. Those people had their own story to tell one with the myth Dullahan and I am still hoping to write mine.

As I prepare to head out early in the morning I see Pent approaching me with that smug looking face of a kid who caught his classmate doing bad and threatening to tell the teacher.

"What do you want some candy?" I asked from that comment I made earlier on my mind, he probably won't get it.

"Why because I look like a kid who's about to report you to the teacher?"

Well I stand corrected. As expected from a "funny" support character, you know your way in sarcastic comments.

"Well I already left a letter to Tron about my leave"

"Fascinating so did I. Now what I want to know is where are you going?"

"Who knows, I'm an adventurer! Aslong as there are places to go I will always be travelling"

"Interesting answer. How about I come with you?"

"Well your free to do as you please but what about your party or the Dullahan? You have a part to play in that don't you?"

"Who knows? I don't care really, I go where is most interesting for me and whether or not you accompany me I'll still be leaving"

"Alright it would be safer than going alone"

"Good choice"

And that is how Pent Stylus became part of my story. Now I am going analysis mode right now and say Pent's main character is the deceased Piere who seemed to be the one the supporting characters Hailey and Pent revolve on and with him dead Pent has no choice but to look for another person to support and I am honored.

As soon we leave town we are approached by a caravan like a hero would encounter as soon as continuing their adventure.

Oh it feels nice to be a main character.

Mom, dad if your reading this your little boy has become a main character. I hope your proud because I sure am.

The man inside told us he need a few body guards because of the frequent appearance of bandits and Pent and I agreed to help Well me suggesting like the main character I am and he agreeing.

Next we're going to take a break and I'll meet a beautiful girl who's either the merchant's daughter or a noble being escorted to whatever town these guys are going to.

And surprise surprise the caravan lost a few wheels and we decided to take a break where a beautiful girl went out and decided to join our camp as we spent there the night since you know horse aren't nocturnal.

If I was the one who made horses I'd definetly make a night mode where the horse gets night vision and it's hoofs become legs and why? Because I said so that's why! You have no right to judge my opinions non existent readers from another world.

So yeah pretty cliché stuff about the merchants trading North and there being a few robbers but what wasn't cliché was the girl who is apparently the daughter of a fallen bandit king who was killed when a sudden landslide hit their base and the before infant Freya was the remaining survivor who the Brigand king sacrificed himself to save.

Kinda kind for a guy who would lead a group to Rob people all their money but all right. She then went on to tell us how the merchant found her and decided to sell her.

Hahaha amazing right?I bet you were expecting this merchant to be some kind old guy right? Well this world is far from perfect and neither are it's people, especially for money some would use a girl probably somewhere my age to defend, work off or use as bait for personal reasons but in this case for the sake of the merchant's goods.

Now although it may seem like it's been a rough life for our dear new love interest Freya Herset but worry not she's fine. The usual age for marriage here is 15 winters or years and yeah the only encounter I had with a woman anywhere near intimate was that stolen kiss from Fallow, yes all throughout my 16 years of age that is the only. My life is sad, come on! Where is the childhood friend or cute transferee or even beatiful step sister at this point.....

Don't fail me Freya you might be the one.

She wasn't the one... As it was nighttime most of the people with us is already asleep with me and Pent preparing our items, namely most of his stuff and me hiding some of the food I had secretly stolen in dinner earlier, hehehe just a snack for tomorrow.

Night is one of the most frequent trigger for some main character event like appearance of mysterious creatures, a fascinating misunderstanding that would never happen in real life and last but not least a heartwarming conversation with some beatiful heroine.

I was hoping to get some of the last part tonight. We will both have trouble sleeping and we'll talk till daytime about my heroic adventures or her pleasant past but sadly there are two hindrances to that, one I have no heroic adventure tell other than that one time I was hit in the head by a troll and lived and two I had zero trouble sleeping.

In the middle of the night I was awaken by....um.....nature yeah let's call it that I was awakened by a call of nature and arrives the heartwarming conversation event but I was in the wrong place doing um something in the bushes while Pent and Freya seem to have the main character event I had so wanted to have.

So there was a third hindrance, I was not a hero. What I was is a guy eavesdropping to what would build up to be as an encounter that would blossom their relationship and they would remember for years to come.....

Tsk lucky bastard!

"So Pent was it? What was it like being an adventurer"

Don't talk about your heroic experiences, don't talk about you heroic experiences, I muttered to myself as I was casually listening to a conversation that had nothing to do with me.

"Oh it was fun, there was this one time where I saved my friends from a–"

I could no longer bare to listen to it so I decided to go back and go back to sleep. But I couldn't faced with the fact I again and again continue to be irrelevant so I decided to have a walk and hone my magic.

Nothing of much happened to me that night and as morning arrived I had not slept one second. So now as we continue our travel north I occasionally doze off and me and Pent  then yawn at the same time, damn bastard must have been up all night talking to my heroine I thought to myself as I rushed my horse near to his.

"Up all night?"

I asked hoping he would say no

"Ah yeah, and you?"

He asked sparing me of the details but not the curiousity.

"Yep"

I replied also not wanting to say anything

"What were you doing?"

"Listening to you as you steal my girl" I thought to myself before I answered

"Oh just this and that"

"Actually saw last night" he grinned

Damn when? I don't know what would have been worse noticing me as I took a piss in a bush a few feet from where you and Freya were sitting or noticing me eavesdropping a few feet closer later on.

"Oh really?" I asked nonchalantly trying not to show weakness

"Yeah you were training your magic in the nearby forest"

I then let out a sigh only grasp as I look forward seeing a group of bandits waiting for us not far from where we stand.

Under normal circumstances I would have been fine but this early in the morning I was still recovering my mana from exhausting it as I was training all night.

"Bandits!"

I call the owner of the caravan.

"Deal with it"

The owner said in an unconcerened tone as he smoked his cigar and told the drivers to stop their horses.

"Red, come on!"

Pent said as he rushed his horse towards the bandits.

You say that but what the hell am I going to do? I thought to myself but just just followed using the last remaining of my magic to create one last sword.

As we arrived Pent wasted no time and in an instant created a massive ball of flame and flung it towards the bandits.

Now Pent's magic was nowhere near Argus' but in it's own way was still amazing and if I challenged him instead of Reggie I wouldn't have gone out with just a few bruises.

As the bandits were in panic I entered the battlefield. There were 6 of them remaining out of the original 12 which was amazing as Pent wiped out half in his first attack and I took down one in the confusion but the bandits immediately recovered and decided to surround me and Pent seemed to still be recovering after releasing such a big attack.

As one got near me I attacked before he could. Training from Argus thought me how deal with basic bandits which most of the time have terrible teamwork and rely solely on brute strength which made them quite easy to read after being able to handle a few of them.

I was able to dodge and parry  most of the remaining five's attack focusing mostly in defence waiting for Pent to recover his mana and finish them of but then I myself ran out of mana and my sword suddenly dissapeared.

Now dealing with badnits would have been easy if I had my swords but bare handed against 5 would be overestimating my own abilities but I had no other alternatives.

Surrounded and unarmed. I was not too hard to deal with now and with Pent unable to pinpoint my location would be unable to use his magic which was mostly destructive and wide. It would have been the end of me but Freya arrives as she hands me a sword and shakes the ground with her war hammer and with that the smoke from Pent's fireball earlier was blown away and I took down another one and the remaining decide to run away being completely defeated.

As I was about to give them a chase Freya stopped me

"There's no need to kill them they surrendered"

I guess being a child of a bandit she had a soft spot for bandits herself. I stopped but Pent was not so easily convinced as he hurled a great rock similar to one Reggie made and threw it to the running bandit which was a bullseye leaving no one alive.

Freya with tears in her eyes walked away in disgust being reminded of the very same fate her father suffered.