Because it is a hideout so if you come with all your men, they would see it and flee in the woods and you'd never know who is their leader.
Thank You for answering, but that's weird and simply not in order - it does not say that anywhere, and why would i need to hire soldiers when the game at random points desires to take them away from me!!??
I would advise you to put your companions at the top of your party list under your character ( in the party menu, you can change the order of units )
The leader walks up to you like a gangsta rapper from the mid 2000s and challenges you to a duel. He makes no attempt to run away or anything.
He can't run away or anything, he's cornered.
If he's cornered why can't you just bring all your cavalry and ride through killing everyone?
He is not technically cornered yet because the cavalry is at the camp protecting your bagage train with the rest of the army and not aware yet that the stealth op was a success.
The Bandit chief just has to fight for honour and his place as a leader because otherwise he would be lynched by the other bandits and branded a coward who fled from 5 guys even though all his bandits men fought to the death to protect the hideout.
OI OI CHAP, LOOKS LIKE YOU KILLED ALL THE PEOPLE I'VE HUNG OUT WITH FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHS, HOW ABOUT A DUEL?
If he's cornered why can't you just bring all your cavalry and ride through killing everyone?
Shouldn't the fact that we have to come up with these ultra-specific stories prove that the current in-game logic for this mission is really silly and immersion breaking?