If he was just going to ask them that, why didn’t he try talking to them first? What kind of thug would just assault them out of nowhere to get his questions answered? These questions ran through Laman’s mind as he glared at Eugene.

Although Laman was listening to these questions, he still didn’t lower his guard. Laman wasn’t able to spot any openings on Eugene as he stood there in a slightly crooked stance.

Eugene had also been able to cross that long distance in an instant and had been able to knock back Laman’s sword-force with just a swing of his own sword from an unstable position. To top it off, Eugene had shown his skillful use of magic without any incantations.

Taken together, it was unbelievable.

Laman gulped nervously. Objectively speaking, Laman was an exceptional warrior. At least in this region, there was no warrior better than Laman. But it was exactly because of this that Laman couldn’t help but be wary.

Laman shuffled backward in order to widen his field of view. This allowed him to observe the state of his defeated subordinates. Although no one had died, they weren’t in good condition either. His men had gotten their bones broken by the magic missiles, and his lieutenant had a crossbow bolt stuck in one shoulder while being bound by tentacles of sand.

“Aren’t you going to answer me?”

Even as Eugene impatiently asked such a question, the tentacles of sand didn’t disappear. Dozens of magic missiles were also still hovering above Laman’s fallen subordinates. How was Eugene able to wield a sword even as he maintained multiple spells? And all while showing not a single opening?

Laman may not have learned any magic, but even he knew that what Eugene was doing currently required an impossible level of skill for a nineteen-year-old.

“...We’re thieves,” Laman eventually confessed.

“It seems that Nahama is quite the powerful country,” Eugene scoffed as the corners of his mouth twisted up in a wry grin. “After all, the leader of a group of measly bandits, with less than ten members, is actually able to give off sword-force from his blade. If a bandit group of this size is at that level, that must mean a gang of bandits with more than a hundred people will have at least ten men who can exert sword-force.”

“...,” Laman stayed si...