Meren glanced up at the sight of a girl who had happened to stumble upon the scene. He left his hood up, tilting his head down as to further cover his face, fearing that the girl now standing before him would squeal. He noticed that she had grown pale, most likely from shock. The blue magical aura in his hands faded as he lowered his stance. He took a few steps forward, kneeling next to the body of the bandit, flipping it over onto its belly. When the girl quietly asked if he was responsible for this, he looked up at her and spoke grimly.<br/><br/>"Aye, this man- this thief was slain by me; an act of self-defense on my part," he said, his face protruding from the shadows cast by his hood.<br/><br/>"You have no reason to fear me, girl. I have no intentions of harming you," he said politely, standing up from the ground and brushing himself off. He was surprised that the girl had not screamed or alerted anyone upon seeing this particular scene. Meren still stood ready to silence her, however. He had no way of knowing what she was going to do next.