Narrator's POV.
Hartasna, a city vastly known for its trade and market alongside the home of the Treasdia Family, a noble house specialized in commerce and information gathering whose manor resides at the center of the city.
But on the outer walls of Hartasna, on the south gate that allowed entrance to the city, a single guard calmly rested on a small stool with his back resting against the wall and his common iron spear rested on his shoulder while a few snores came out of him.
And at some distance, on the other side of the wooden bridge that was laid over the river flowing underneath, a small group of four bandits watched the open city gate from behind a few trees.
And of the four of them, their leader, a man with long auburn hair shaved on the sides couldn't help but smirk, his green eyes directly looking at the city gate, not even paying attention to the sleeping guard.
"There it is!" The Bandit Leader spoke with a smile. "Hartasna, that place must be full of money and stuff for us to loot!"
"And women!" A skinny bandit said.
"No, not women, that'll just be more mouths to feed, and I keep telling you, kidnapping is not the way to someone's heart, stupid" He quickly scolded his subordinate.
"Boss, in his defence, it did work in that one romance novel you read to us a few days ago..." The third, chubby bandit said making their leader scoff.
"That's because Novels are bullshit! Stockholm Syndrome doesn't exist!" The Bandit Leader raised his voice a little before quickly clearing his throat. "Anyways! Let's go over the plan"
The Bandit Leader walked out from behind the trees driving both hands behind him, taking out a pair of twin axes as he walked directly towards the city gate, going through the wooden bridge.
"We go in, we go out, easy!" The leader announced proudly.
"...Boss is so smart!"
"Why didn't we think of that ourselves?!"
"Why think about routes, logistics, guard schedules, Karma retaliation and Intel when we can just barge right in?!"
"Boss! Boss! Boss!"
The three bandits happily followed and chanted behind their leader as he confidently walked to the city with all the intention to go in, ransack the houses and take anything that held any value.
"Identification?"
But a spear immediately blocked his path by the flat side of the blade lightly tapping his chest to stop him from walking forward, the Bandit Leader briefly stopped and looked down to the right, staring at the previously sleeping guard.
The guard used his right hand to hold the spear against the Bandit Leader's chest to stop him from walking into the city, his free hand then moved to his face to lift up the visor of his helmet, showing some strands of dark green hair while a pair of black eyes locked onto him.
"...what?" The Bandit Leader asked.
"Identification...all who want to enter Hartasna need to show their identification, without one...you're not allowed in" The Guard casually explained.
"Do you not know who I am?" He asked completely offended.
"No I don't, but if you show me some Identification I will" The Guard spoke in response, slowly standing up from his stool to properly walk in between the bandit and the city gate.
"He doesn't!" The skinny bandit spoke offended.
"Impossible!" The chubby bandit continued.
"Preposterous!" The fourth, tall bandit ended.
"Don't worry my brothers! I will share with this ignorant man my identity so he can shake in his boots!" The Bandit Leader flipped his hair before giving a step back, striking a pose. "Listen! You common mortal! I am-"
"Before-" The Guard raised a hand to stop the other man from talking. "You start ranting and giving a 10-day presentation, you can just show me your identification and we can end this whole situation"
"I...don't have one" He answered honestly, still locked in his pose.
"Then you're not getting in" the defender of the gate spoke dryly.
The four bandits remained silent for a few seconds after hearing the dry negation of The Guard who simply stared emptily at him like if he were expecting them to already turn around and leave.
"...shoo shoo" his armored hand immediately shoo'd the bandits.
"Y-You!"
The Bandits leader raised one of his axes and swung it down directly towards The Guard, but in response he just tilted his spear slightly to the side, letting the weapon slide a little across the shaft before hitting the ground with the blade digging a little on the dirt.
"...ah?" A little sound came out of the Bandit.
Then The Guard quickly swiped his legs with the opposite end of the spear, making his entire world flip upside down.
"Ah?!"
And still spinning, a well placed kick from the gate guard's armored leg threw him away and to the side, throwing him off the wooden bridge and on the river below...all the while the other three bandits just stared in silence.
"...you three should help your friend" The Guards said before returning to his stool and sitting down on it.
"Why?" The Skinny bandit asked a little curious.
"You idiots!" The Bandit Leader raised his voice as his body was slowly dragged away by the current. "I can't swi-blrsghrhs" his body slowly was swallowed by the water.
"Ah! Boss!!" The three bandits immediately rushed away from the gate to follow the river and save their boss.
The Guard just stared at the small bandit group go away and leaned back on the wall of the city, tilting the visor of his helmet down, he fell asleep rather quick, snoring softly.
And that was the end of the first day.
.....
"Boss are we sure about this?"
The next day, the bandit group was again peeking from behind a few trees to the gate of the city, the three bandits looked fine...while their boss seemed to have gotten sick from being soaked wet the day before.
"Yes! I am very su-achoo!" A sneeze came out of the man though he quickly cleared the snot. "Sure!"
"But boss, That Guy is still there"
As his subordinate had pointed out, The Guard was again guarding the gate of Hartasna, though now, he was apparently awake, though he was still looking rather relaxed by juggling a few balls like if he were a clown.
"I know! This time, we'll attack together" The Bandit Leader announced. "Take your weapons!"
He came out from behind the trees already wielding his twin axes in each hand and behind him, his three subordinates decided to follow closely, their weapons also drawn and ready to attack.
"Hey! You!"
The Guard stopped juggling the balls and looked at the group of bandits approaching. "Ah, it's you guys, did you bring identifications today?"
"Yeah! Here they are, Boys! Attack!"
And the four bandits immediately lunged at The Guard who quickly three the three balls up into the sky and picked up the spear he had laying close enough before moving towards the small group.
The Bandit Leader threw a downwards slash that the Guard immediately side-stepped, kicking him on the shin making him wince and back off, the skinny bandit tried to impale him with a spear but with a quick hip movement to the side he dodged it.
The chubby bandit swung a mace but The Guard moved much faster than him, stabbing the spear on the wooden bridge, he first ducked and lowered his center of gravity letting the heavy weapon swing above him, and grabbing the pole of his weapon and spun upside down and spread his legs in a split kicking the chubby and skinny bandits on the face throwing them back.
Then the tall Bandit rushed in and reached out to The Guard to grapple him, but in response he just grabbed his spear pulling it off the bridge and grabbing the pole with his teeth instead, ducking to dodge the grapple he quickly swiped the tall bandit's legs with a kick before carefully kicking him up and draging his body above him using his leg as a hook while he cartwheeled backwards managing to throw the tall bandit towards the chubby and skinny bandit who had already gotten up, though the tall bandit's body hit them making them pile up.
"Achoo!"
Hearing the Bandit leader sneeze behind him, The Guard just jumped up and turned upside down to dodge a sideways slash that came from behind, The Bandit Leader looked up but a pair of armored hands grabbed his head, the Guard remained in a handstand for a second before he flipped back and kicked the Bandit Leader's nape making him stumble and join the small pile of bandits on the middle of the bridge.
The Guard cartwheeled backwards until he reached the spot where he was before, reaching his hand out he managed to catch the balls he had thrown earlier up to the air, starting to juggle them in one hand while the other one grabbed the spear from his teeth and set it to his side against the wall.
"H-Hey! Wait!" The Bandit Leader quickly stood up and looked at him. "That armor loo—achoo! Looks too heavy! How can you move like that with that thing on?!"
"I..." The Guard did a small pause. "Used to be part of a circus"
"...."
"...."
And after a few seconds of silence, one by one, the four bandits were thrown off the bridge and into the river below...
And that was the end of the second day.
....
"Listen..."
The Bandit leader set a wooden box down on the ground, then he sat down on the floor, staring directly at The Guard, who just stared back at him with his black eyes.
"If you let us in, we'll steal a lot of things, and you get 30% of what we get"
"are you trying to bribe me?" The Guard asked raising and eyebrow.
"...yes, that's the point" The Bandit leader said dryly.
"That's illegal you know? Bribing people is wrong"
"C'mon man! Just let us in! Do you haveto ask everyone for identification?!"
"Yes, that's my whole job" The Guard said dryly leaning back.
"What if it were a noble? Or a prince?! Or even the Demon King for heaven's sake!" He slammed his hands on the wooden box.
"I'd stretch my hand out, open my palm, and ask for identification, they're not getting in otherwise"
"I can't believe you!"
"Why did we even come here?"
The Guard and The Bandit Leader perked up hearing the mildly annoyed dry voice, looking to the other side of the bridge, they saw a Red-Haired man in dark clothes carrying a metal box and at his side, a shorter woman with long silver hair and just as dark clothes calmly walked at his side.
"C'mon~ I told you that if what you want is information, Hartasna is a very good place" The Shadow spoke with a smile. "Besides, it's on the way to Rune City, and you're going there aren't you?"
"I guess that's a fair point..." The Hero let out a mild sigh as he walked across the bridge.
The Hero and The Shadow walked past The Bandit Leader, the Silver-haired briefly waving her hand to The Guard who simply nodded his head as a greeting before both of the newcomers walked right past the gate.
"...hey...hey! Hey! Hey!" The Bandit Leader raised his voice hastily pointing a finger at the duo already waking away. "You didn't ask them for identification!"
"Ah, that girl lives here, so she doesn't need her identification checked" The Guard said.
"But what about the one-eyed guy?! Who knows what he's carrying in that box?!"
"Don't you know who that guy is? That's The Hero, if I ask him for his identification he might snap me in half like a twig..."
"...." The Bandit Leader just remained silent for a few seconds before flipping the wooden box. "YOU—"
And with his body falling in the river another time after a quick beat down...the third day ended.
Thankfully his subordinates were already waiting with a rope to pull him out, so at least he wouldn't get sick the next day...
.....
"Boss, I think this is a sub-type of Stockholm Syndrome"
The Bandit Leader didn't pay attention to his subordinates, he just stood at the other side of the wooden bridge, each hand holding an axe that he spun rather quickly almost making them look like buzzsaws.
On the other side of the bridge, The Guard just dryly stared at him, one hand lazily resting the spear on his shoulder while the other simply used a finger to tilt the visor of his helmet down.
The morning sun raised in the distance, making the river underneath the bridge reflect the light of the Golden sun, but just as both of them gave a step forward...
A small earthquake made both of them lose their footing.
The Guards stumbled a little but quickly regained his footing using the spear as a crutch, though The Bandit Leader stumbled to the side almost falling down into the river immediately if it weren't for the other three bandits grabbing a hold of him.
After a few seconds, the quake completely stopped.
"Weird...that usually doesn't happen" The Guard said looking behind him at the city.
"W-who cares?!" The Bandit Leader said slowly regaining his cool. "C'mon! Let's fight! I'll beat your ass!"
"Boss let's just go forge some identifications" the Skinny bandit pleaded.
"No! This is a matter of pride now!"
"Also that's illegal" The Guard added.
Before any of them could say anything else, the wooden gate of the city of Hartasna closed right behind The Guard, making him perk up and look up at the city wall, where a fellow guard stared down at him.
"Hey! Why did you close the gates?!" The Guard asked raising his voice so his co-worker heard him.
"We heard that someone stole from the Treasdia Vault a minute ago, Lord Treasdia ordered us to close all the gates for the whole day!"
"So you can't open them?!" He asked again with a high voice.
"No! Sorry but you might have to camp, don't worry I'll talk with the others so you get paid overtime!" The second Guard said before dissapearing behind the city wall.
"Damn..." The Guard let out a sigh. "...hey"
The Guard's black eyes stared directly at the Bandit Leader's green ones as he tilted up his visor, making the Bandits sweat a little.
"Don't ask for identification, don't ask for identification, don't ask for identifi—"
"Can I crash your place?"
"Fuck you"
And that marked the start of the fourth day...
★ ★ ★
A/N: I definitely need to get better at writing toxic yaoi, but I'll get there eventually, I also need to write and update more often
Anyways, hope you all enjoyed!