Xenos walked through them, the bandits too confused to say anything.
"Sorry guys, sorry guys, coming through."
Ever relaxed, he stopped before the person he assumed to be the leader of the guards.
He was a much larger Lyacon, nearly as tall as Xenos, though well built, with long bluish hair and similar blue eyes to his Lord.
"You, big Lycaon, what's your name?"
The guard flinched before stuttering out:
"I-I-I am Disciple Aspen, Guard of Arcadia of House Hades."
Xenos's calm paused, and his eyes widened a little.
"Did you just say House Hades?"
Aspen took a defensive stance, noticing the change in his demeanor.
"Yes... yes, I have. Are you our enemy?"
Xenos sighed and looked down.
'Are you hearing this, Eris?'
She chuckled.
'You truly are Fated.'
Xenos was going to help them after extorting them a little, but now...
Now he saw that he NEEDED to help them, as this Arcadia kid's life was something he could use... perhaps a final card when all else failed to force Lord of Hades, Thanatos, off him.
Turning around to face the bandits, he stepped back and stood by Aspen's side.
"For now, consider me your ally."
Smiling, Aspen nodded deeply and roused his kin.
"You heard the man! Take a stance; we'll live through today!"
Xenos glanced behind him, at the one Aspen called Arcadia, who was no more than a fluffy pup of a human, and looked forward once more.
"Follow my lead."
And with that, he rushed at the bandits.
But just as he did... steam, emanating from a bandit's hand, flew at him.
Following it, the mud beneath them shot up, intent on wrapping around both his legs.
Xenos, without even looking at the attacks, jumped up and, using the strong mud as a bouncing board, kicked himself forward, dodging the steam completely and finding himself before a bandit.
His sword lashed out, a clean stab aimed at their leader.
Eyes trembling, the bandit blocked the attack with his sword at the last possible moment, being forced back a little, his feet digging into mud as he let out a pained groan.
"CHARGE!"
One that was swallowed by Aspen as he joined the battle, hope returning to his eyes.
Using that loud distraction as an opportunity, Xenos deflected the bandit's sword, sent away his own to the inventory, grabbed the man's hand, and pulled him towards himself, forcing the bandit's own sword against his very neck.
"STOP."
Xenos couldn't allow them to fight.
If they knew that he was only a Seeker with a Luck Rune, death would be a near guarantee.
He had to make them think that he had the upper hand and only wanted to avoid casualties.
And sure enough, his actions broadcasted that well, as everyone paused and looked at him.
"This man is your leader, is he not? If you wish him death, then please..."
He forced the sword closer, cutting the bandit's neck a little.
"Continue."
Blood seeped, and their breaths held.
It seemed that his gamble succeeded.
One might think that every bandit was out for themselves, especially here, but again, Xenos knew people, and he certainly knew people such as them.
Just by looking at them, he knew they held some sort of loyalty to this man.
If death hadn't claimed him, they'd be sure to stop it from doing so.
"Let go of him, you bastard!"
"An inch closer and we'll kill you!"
"If you kill him, YOU WILL DIE!"
That last one was right.
Xenos couldn't kill him, but they didn't need to know that.
Thanks to his tall frame, maintaining his lie of strength was pretty easy.
All he needed to do was keep up his act of dominance.
"Stop with your warnings, you filth, and listen."
He stepped backwards into the Lyacons while forcing the bandit in his grip to be still.
"You've seen how easily I've seized this boy."
"Our leader is not—"
Xenos cut the bandit off:
"YOU know that I can kill many of you... victory for your lot is impossible, and that is a fact. The only thing you'd be doing in continuing this fight is killing a few of these guards."
He chuckled and pushed the sword in deeper.
"You won't even see their Runes before I kill you, do you understand?"
What met his question was only fear.
...They fully believed in what he was saying.
The lie turned into a truth and an undeniable fact.
One that they couldn't help but accept.
"So... so what do you propose?"
Xenos grinned, blood trickling onto his hand.
"Swear a Rune Oath that you will never harm me, or these people, again."
The same man who had interrupted last time stepped up.
"W-We can't do that! If they attack us, we'd have no way to defend ourselves!"
As the rest of them nodded in agreement, Xenos loosened his hold on their leader's hand, allowing him to push away his sword from digging into his neck.
"What do you say, Leader~? They don't want to save you~."
"P-P-PLEASE LISTEN TO—"
His grip tightened once more.
"Alright, enough of that."
Sighing, he looked at their spokesperson bandit.
"Fine, I can show you mercy; only swear that you'll leave us and the land we are in, never to return until we reach our destination, which'll be..."
Xenos glanced at Aspen, who revealed three fingers to him.
"Four days from now, do you accept?"
The bandit quickly nodded his head, surprised that he got Xenos to 'rethink' his decision.
"Y-Yes, I accept!"
Xenos' smile widened a little more.
"Then we've come to terms..."
He gestured for them to go ahead.
"Now please, all of you."
One by one, the bandits held Divinity in their tongues and spoke, following the words of the one closest to their enemies:
"If these people before me do not attack us, we will not attack them, and we will not return to this land or be seen anywhere near until four days from now. We Swear This Oath Upon Our Runes."
Cracks in reality formed, golden chains descending from them, latching onto the Runes of everyone present, binding them all to the Oath, before quickly disappearing.
"Good."
Xenos had a few words he wanted to change, but he ultimately found them acceptable.
He'd led them along this far, making them actually believe that he was merciful when he only gave them that first demand to make the second one seem not so impossible.
Playing around now would only ruin all that he has done so far.
"You may leave now."
Letting go of their leader, Xenos walked back while his eyes remained trained on him.
"Leader!"
"Are you alright!"
"Get him a potion!"
He didn't have him join the other in the Rune Oath for an obvious reason.
It might be seen as too much, making them extremely resentful and emotional.
Emotion and logical actions didn't walk hand in hand.
"Y-You..."
Coughing up a storm, their leader wiped his lips, his neck slowly healing.
"What's your name?"
Xenos paused a little, only to nod to himself.
"Hm, call me Stranger."
The bandit stared at him and then turned around.
His people crowded him as he left, acting as if the Lyacon weren't there.
'It seems they cared for him a lot more than you expected.'
Eris was right, but well, that didn't matter; what was done was done.
Yes, he could've exploited them a little more, but the rest could pick up their slack~.
Turning around, Xenos faced Aspen, who now looked at him with a big smile.
"It seems the Gods have Blessed us to have us meet in such a dire moment."
Patting the Lyacon's shoulder, Xenos passed him and stopped before Arcadia.
Again, the boy was much like the rest, a human with wolf-like characteristics, only a bit...
"You look soft."
Fluffier.
"W-W-W-What did you just say?!"
Arcadia's blue eyes trembled as he pointed at Xenos.
"SEIZE THIS MAN FOR HIS INSOLENCE!"