Riku looked at Aurelia. Her question was so innocent. So naive. "What do you usually do with bandits?"
He and his companions exchanged a look. They had fought bandits before. They had faced down corrupt nobles and monsters. But they had never been in this exact situation.
"Well," Lila began, trying to sound helpful, "back home, we would tie them up and hand them over to the local guards."
"There are no guards here," Sherry pointed out, her tone flat. "And even if there were, we are in a kingdom that is hostile to us. Announcing our presence to the local authorities is a terrible idea."
"She is right," Lysaria agreed. "We cannot risk it. We do not know who these men are connected to."
They were at an impasse. They could not take the bandits with them. That was a liability they could not afford. They could not turn them over to the authorities. That was a risk they could not take.
