Asta: I guess the day has finally come.
Asta looks at forest while wearing a bag containing a sleeping bag,a bundle of rations, a flint and steel and his grimoire strapped into a holster at his waist.
It's the time for the first ray of the sun as he prepares himself to leave the village.
He begins walking, he is wearing some fur clothes with leather fabric, a pair of brown boots and a full head hoodcap.making his way down the mountains he had to pass through rocky terrain and slippery slopes while cautiously making his way down.
Asta keeps channeling a small amount of anti-magic into his mana nerves which constantly devours his mana while putting some pressure on them.
Asta: Slow and steady until I reach enough durability to use it to create wings and stuff. I never thought I hope this map is still good.
Asta skims through the map in his hand while ignoring uphill roads. Suddenly he hears a cracking sound and instantly hides behind a tree. He brings out his shortbow and cautiously looks around the area.
Asta: 'Sound of a breaking branch. I hope it was just some rabbit.' *begins slowly moving towards the sound while constantly running from tree to tree* Blood?
Asta notices a red stain on the white snow alongside a footmark resembling a boot. He crouches and tries to analyse it.
Asta: It's fresh but where did they go? I don't see-
Asta notices a unnaturally caved in area of snow somewhere to the side where the footprints end.
Asta: in the snow? That's sucide in this place. *Makes his way to the place* Oi come out I am not here for you.
From under the snow, a small man with a beard and bleeding arm comes out, Asta stays cautious but doesn't attack as he feels no hostility from his ki sense.
Asta: What are you doing here pops? A dwarf in aeglos mountains?
???: *notices the grimoire strapped to his waist* A mage? Do you know this place kiddo?
Asta: I do, this is one of the downward paths for the southern xetros plains from the village.
???: *Sighs in relief* I guess I managed to escape those bandits, you got any bandages or something?
Asta: I do. *Brings out a bunch cloth strips from his bag* here.
Dwarf is stunned at the straight forward Asta.
Asta: why are you staring at me like that?
???: First time I have seen someone bring out something of theirs to help someone without anything in return.
Asta: What's the difference between me and those greedy bunchs if I can't even spare some cloth strips without a benefit?
The dwarf looks at asta for a second before bursting out in laughter.
Asta: *furiously* Are you making fun of me now?
???: Haha.ha. sorry about that. I just didn't expect a child to say that.
The dwarf takes the bandages and covers his bleeding arm. He takes out his grimoire and cast a spell to create a small fire and burns a small amount of his blood to coagulate the wound.
???: We can't go up and downward is the bandit group, this is a nightmare.
Asta: Can't you just scare them away with magic?
???: Their leader has a grimoire as well, it was because of that I lost to them. I would introduce myself first name is ragon, I live down the mountains.
Asta: Asta, I was going down the mountains towards the plains.
Ragon: You are in pretty bad luck then kiddo, their is a whole bandit batalion down there. I barely escaped their ambush.
Asta thinks for a second before coming to a idea.
Asta: What magic does their leader use?
Ragon: it's wind magic, why? You got a plan or something?
Asta: *nods* Can you defeat them if I can stop the boss from using magic?
Ragon:*puts his hand on his chin and thinks* Humm, if it is a ambush then maybe, I use Blacksmith magic, so I can save the people they have captured and we could fight them off together.
Asta: They have people captured? How many?
Ragon: About 30 something, I saw a few knights among them who were captured due to traps.
Asta: Ok.. want some jerky?
Ragon and Asta make their way down the hill until they reach a place with wooden walls made of tree logs with two sentry towers on the corners. They hide behind a rock and under the cover of snow.
Asta: We wait for now, there is too much security right now.
Ragon: True, let's wait till night falls, the bandits have no sense of time and are quite carefree so there is bound to be a gap... What magic do you use anyway?
Asta: *shows him his shortbow which looks as if it was made burnt wood* this is my magic, it can pierce through any magic and one hit is all it would take to seal his magic for few minutes.
Ragon: Seriously? That's broken. Who can make such a grimoire?
Asta: I did. *Gives him a prideful look*
Ragon: *looks at him with a baffled expression* Can you stop lying kiddo?
Asta: I am serious.
Ragon: Ye ye whatever... We can talk this through later, look there.
Ragon points towards a solo bandit going out of the camp.
Asta quickly picks up his pace and follows him down the woods. The bandit is bald and wearing a scarf, he looks around before bringing out a cigar.
Bandit: Finally some peace from those noisy bastards, I can finally have some time to myself. *Smokes his cigar* Now this is some good s-
The bandit saw his vision go black and his body refused to move, he falls to the ground dead without another thought. Asta gets close and looks at the bandit he just killed.
Asta: You deserved it probably.
Asta takes the bandit's cloth and a dagger. He also finds a small pouch of coins in his pocket and takes it.
Asta returns to ragon's spot but finds him missing, he looks around to see the guardpost empty and a dragging trail across the ground.
???: So you dare come back rune smith, did you really think you could defeat me?
Realising the situation asta rushes towards the wall and using the dagger as a climbing tool slammed it into the wall and used it as a foothold to jump into the sentry post.
He finds the archer looking towards a bunch of bandits cheering for his buds as they laugh and beat up ragon. Asta raises his bow and Shoots a arrow of anti-magic straight into the archer's head and drags his corpse back.
Asta: *looks and counts the people in the ground* 34, the prisoners must be somewhere to the side, i must hurry.
Asta jumps down the ladder and lands on a bandit down below and instantly cuts his neck with a dagger he took from the archer.
He made around his way by killing another bandit until he reached a small room with a iron cage with a bunch of people inside.
Asta: Who are the knights? I am here to help you break out.
Two burly men come towards the cage door.
???: A kid? What is a kid doing here?
The two watch as asta create another arrow with anti-magic and loads it into the bow before breaking the lock. The burly mans come out and realised the sickening laughs of the bandits.
Asta: They will kill Ragon soon, I saw your weapons in the chest in the tent to the side, don't worry about the archers and the leader. I will kill them.
Asta runs out and kills another archer on the other sentry post before preparing himself for the big fight.