Verdict

"I clearly saw his face when he was busy raping my wife!"

The village's guide threw out his accusation through his tightened lips. His face tensed up and his entire body trembled when he did his best to hold back the fury raging in his soul.

From this single reaction alone it became clear to everyone present on the scene. It was also right at this moment when the kneeling raider realized just how much he fucked up.

"For a moment of lust to seal your fate," Leon shook his head, killing his smile in consideration of the villager's feeling. "I can only say that you've got it coming, buddy," he then said, addressing the kneeling man.

"I..." the man raised his floor from the ground, alternating his eyes between the furious villager and Leon. "It's a lie!" he then screamed out. Yet, one needed only a single look at the terror on his face or even at his trembling lips to shed all the potential doubts they would have about his dishonesty.

"This monster brought those people to prove his false claims!" the raider tried yet again, refusing to acknowledge the reality of the situation.

"Do I really need to respond to this gibberish?" Leon then asked, raising his eyes to Leynel.

"I'm sorry, but I'm actually curious how you would deflect this accusation," Leynel replied with a small smirk... while at the same time turning himself sideways and waving his hand at the soldiers behind.

At this point, everyone already knew what was going on. As such, there was no need for the officer to explain his orders for his soldiers to jump down from their horses and leap at the raider.

"I don't see a point in talking about meaningless stuff," Leon replied, refusing to entertain the officer. "And with that said, are we done here?" he asked, lowering his right eyebrow only to raise his left one as he stared at the officer with a look of expectation written all over his face.

"Yeah, we are done with this unpleasant situation," Leynel confirmed, only to take a step forward and turn his eyes toward the village's guide. "I would normally hang him," he announced, glancing at the raider on the ground, "but seeing how you have a personal grudge against him, do you want to execute him yourself?"

Leon's face twitched. 'I didn't expect this kind of proposition,' he thought, only to shake his head and turn around, ready to leave back for the village. 'It seems that this world is at least somewhat civilized.'

"Wait!" Leynel shouted, stopping Leon from leaving just as he was about to.

"What now?" Leon turned back, this time not bothering to put up the fake smile on his face.

Now that the situation was somewhat resolved, he had no wish to keep entertaining the soldiers any longer. After all, even if they had no direct connections to the forces that summoned him to this world, they still represented the authority that managed those lands.

'And judging by how I saw no major fortifications on my way from the castle to the village, this seems to be some sort of a country's heartland. And it means, I'm still well within the lands under the king that summoned me,' he thought, eager to leave Leynel's presence as soon as possible.

"I understand if you want to return to the village and I won't stop you from doing so," Leynel stated in a changed tone, oscillating somewhere between his cold voice and the official manner of speech he used when introducing himself. "But if you want to leave this village, the road will take you right past our camp," the officer then informed only to reveal a small, natural smile on his face. "That's why I want to invite you to our camp when you will have time to talk for some time."

Leon looked at the officer for a second, only to then heave a sigh and shake his head.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not interested in joining whatever war you guys are about to fight," Leon replied to the question that no one openly asked. "I might've served as a mercenary for a while in the past but it's not a job I'm eager to return."

"I understand," Leynel said, not even pretending to hide the smirk on his face. "Still, if you are up to listen to some mercenary stories while sipping on a great booze and warming yourself up by a fireplace, make sure to pay us a visit," he pressed. "Consider this invitation to be my payback for bothering you here for so long," he then added, only to grab the end of the rope that his soldiers used to bind the raider before stepping past Leon and passing the bounds over to the villager behind him.

"I will," Leon replied in a short manner, ready to say anything that would get him out of the situation and allow him to get back to the village and take his well-deserved rest.

"Sir!" a sudden shout then reached his ears only for Sarah to suddenly appear on the road.

Her face was covered in sweat. Her breathing was heavy, an effect of the girl running here at her topmost speed.

For a moment, everyone was stuck in their place, taken aback by the unexpected appearance of another villager. And then, as if with the intention of making it even harder for everyone to recover from their tiny shock, Sarah crashed right into Leon's body only to wrap her hands around it and put herself between him and the soldiers.

"Leave this man alone!" she shouted despite her lips trembling in fear. "He is our savior, not some bandit!"