Chapter 2 - The bandits

Rohan's POV:

As I walk down the street I get out of the village and arrive at a pond. This village looks fairly small with around 30 or so huts in all. But why is everyone inside their huts on broad daylight and not in the farms or streets. There is something wrong here.

I look at my reflection in the pond water.

"Holy goddess of harem world is this me? This guy is hawt. Even though his body looks completely malnourished his face is that of a model."

As I admire the beauty that is now me. I hear sounds coming from afar.

There is a group closing in to the village with high shouts. As I look at their rough appearance and scary looks one thing is clear to me.

"Bandits"

One of them spotted me and gets closer to me on his horse.

"And now we are fucked…"

"Oye brat what are you doing here"

"I… I… I was thirsty so I came to drink some water" I lied. Even though there was no food in my hut there was a pot of water.

"Oh okay…"

And then he galloped his horse back to the village along with other bandits.

…

"What? That's it? Is this how bandits are supposed to behave?"

As the bandits enter the village one of them shouts "All villagers, come out to pay your protection fees or be ready to be sold as slaves"

Then one of the doors opens and a poor old man comes out with some copper coins in his hands.

"Greetings lord… Here are the protection fees from my family."

"Oh, village head, let us see, it is all correct. You can live another week with this very good. You can go back now."

The old man starts walking backwards with his head down.

One of the bandits laughs.

"I don't think this bag of bones has got any more life to live. How 'bout just robbing him and getting all the money at once. Ha ha ha ha ha."

The old man's body shivers for a moment before he quickly gets far away from the bandits.

Slowly people come out of their house one by one and pay the bandits with copper coins.

The muscular man who is Rohan's neighbor also comes out of his hut and pays 5 copper coins. But he does not show the same level of fear as other villagers for some reason.

"Oye look at this bastard still staring with those fucking eyes of his. You still want another beating you bastard." The bandits look at the muscular man with hate as does the man as well but seeing so many bandits surrounding him. He does not respond and quietly goes back to his hut.

The bandits look at him with contempt and keep laughing.

Suddenly one of the bandits says, "wait there is one hut that has not paid yet. Come out you bastard or we will come in."

"Which one is it."

"Oh, it's that one" the first bandit says as he points out to a particular hut.

My hut.

"Who lives in that hut" shouts the bandit 2

"I… It's me"

I say with my voice as loud as a mosquito.

But the bandits still noticed me.

"It's you twerp, come on pay the fees."

And do I have the money?

Well…, hell no there was nothing in the hut. Well maybe there was but I did not check properly.

"I… I… can I not pay the protection fees?"

…

…

For some time, there was complete silence in the village. The bandits and the villagers all look at me as if they have just seen a ghost.

Well, of course…

"What did you just say? You don't want to pay the protection fees? Do you think we are just pushovers huh?"

"No no no no no, I seriously cannot pay the protection fees, it's not because you guys are weak it's because I am broke"

I keep sweating as I look at the angry bandits staring at me.

Then one of the bandits spoke "Do you think we give a fuck if you are broke. Men let's beat the shit out of this brat and take him to the boss. We will sell him as a slave"

"No… no…" As I keep stuttering out of my mind thinking what can I do here.

"I will pay for that kid."

It's the muscular man.

With that he comes to the bandits and gives them 5 coppers coins.

"Humph" the leader bandit harrumphs

Then he looks at me and says "Let's see how much longer you will live brat"

And then they storm their way out of the village after give another glare at the muscular man.

"Huuuu…."

"Thank you, uncle, …"

'I don't know his name'

After the bandits leave the village, the muscular man comes to me

"Little Rohan come let's go back to the hut"

"Yes" I say as I look at the villagers who give me just as friendly looks with some pity in their eyes.

'Why are they so friendly'

It looks everyone in this village is very kind hearted and help those in needs. The bandits are real scums to harm people like these.

I keep thinking about how to get back on those bandits as I enter my hut.

Snap.