"I… can give you everything I have with me."
In the bandit leader's eyes, Roan wasn't a kid anymore, but a demon instead. Well… he isn't far from the truth.
Roan just snorted after hearing that, though.
"If I want what you have, I could simply kill you here and take it from your body. At least, I will take the things from your friends' bodies for sure."
Roan then looked at Inna Malaka.
"Come here."
Malaka got close while looked at the bandit.
After that, Roan pointed at the bandit's head and spoke.
"I want you to use your staff to break his head."
Inna was taken aback, and so was Rean and the others. However, Roan continued to talk.
"You had the chance to kill your enemy, but you held yourself back. Now he ins unconscious there under that tree. To make up for it, you will kill this one."
Diakar tried to intervene.
"Roan, this is a little…"
"Shut up!"
Roan stopped him from continuing.
"What would have happened if we lost? We would all be dead. When the bandits noticed that we were not just kids, they changed their instance and attacked to kill. Fortunately, we are a lot stronger than them, so things ended well. However, what would happen if Malaka's opponent had similar strength to her? One was going for the kill while the other is trying not to. I don't need to tell you what the results would be, do I?"
Diakar and Opril sighed. As hard as it was to admit, they knew that Roan was right. Showing kindness in a situation like that will not only bring your death but the death of your companions too.
Malaka looked nervous at the bandit in front of her.
"If you don't do that, we are going back to the Tribe straight away. After today, there will be no need for you to follow us anymore, either. Remember, I'm doing it for your own good."
The bandit knew that the moment he moved a single muscle, Roan's sword would cut through his throat, so he would be dead even faster. In the end, he could only look as Malaka raised her Staff. However, everyone could see how her hands were trembling. She is an 8 years old kid and a girl at that. So she obviously had difficulty doing it. One could even see the tears accumulating under her eyes. Of course, Roan didn't care one bit.
Suddenly…
Pa!
Someone was hit, but it wasn't the bandit. Instead, it was Rean who slapped the back of Roan's head.
"Stop your Bullshit. Forcing Malaka to do such a thing will only create trauma for her."
Roan looked at Rean as if he wanted to eat him alive.
"Bullshit your ass! So what if she comes across a similar situation again? Worse than that, what if her enemy has the same combat power, or is even stronger? She will be only courting death."
Rean chuckled.
"No one wants to court you."
Roan almost vomited blood after hearing that. Who said that I want to be courted?
Rean then held Inna's hands and lowered her Staff. While he patted her head, Rean spoke.
"When the time comes, she will know what to do. You need to have a little more confidence in your friends. Besides, Malaka is too young, there is no need for her to learn such things now. Give her some extra time."
Diakar and Opril looked at each other.
'Aren't the two of you at the same age as her?'
Of course, they didn't say that loud.
Roan's expression was dark. Nevertheless, Rean didn't care one bit. He doesn't even like Roan to start with, so why would he care about how he feels?
In the end, seeing Malaka's tears and Rean's adamant stance, Roan finally gave up.
"Tch…"
Bam!
With a kick, Roan sent that bandit leader flying.
"Count yourself lucky. You better not let me see you again. Also, take that dead weight under the tree with you."
The bandit leader had just fallen close to his companion, who was still alive. He obviously didn't ask anything and immediately grabbed the guy before running away. He couldn't even care about the injury in his shoulder anymore.
Roan then looked at Rean and added.
"Well, since that is the case, let's hope you are right."
Rean laughed before commenting.
"You took it better than I thought."
Roan just shrugged his shoulders and spreading his arms.
"I simply don't care. If something happens later, it won't be my fault, so that is fine."
Rean nodded and just as he turned around.
Bam!
He was sent flying by a kick just like the bandit leader did.
"Yo-you! Didn't you say that you didn't care?"
Roan confirmed Rean's words.
"And I don't, but it doesn't change the fact of you slapped the back of my head. This is retribution."
Malaka couldn't help but laugh, seeing that. Even her sadness was swept as quick as it came. In fact, Diakar and Opril were holding back to not laugh as well.
"Hmph!"
Rean got a few cuts because of the kick, but he quickly healed with his Light Element.
Ignoring Rean, Roan looked at Malaka before saying.
"During your fight, I noticed that your Spiritual Energy was in disarray. That is a sign of a shaky foundation. If you continue cultivating this fast, your foundation will get damaged in the future."
Roan then pointed at her dantian and continued.
"From now, you are forbidden from cultivating. You will spend time training and getting used to your power. I don't want to hear that you had a breakthrough for the next year, at the very least, understood?"
Malaka, of course, immediately sulked.
"I don't wanna! If I wait one year, I will never catch up with you two."
Paw!
Roan knocked her head after hearing that.
"No complaining! You will never pass us with a shaky foundation to start with. The worse your foundation gets, the slower your cultivation will be. If you really want to catch up with us in the future, you must follow my words."
Rean patted Malaka's head but still agreed with Roan.
"He is right. If you want to become a strong female warrior of the Tribe, you must do as Roan ordered. If you don't, I will take my Staff back."
Malaka quickly embraced her Staff as if her life depended on it.
"Alright, alright! No taking back, I will properly train and not cultivate."
Diakar, Opril, and the twins laughed out loud after that. She's really a kid indeed.
