Sometimes the hardest thing in RPGs is to convince the party to run past a fight to reach a more important objective. I've been in several TPKs where the party could have survived if they'd just ignored the enemies and run for the exit/McGuffin/transportation. Ah well.

I think that was the intention with the final battle in the first proper rpg I played. But hey, I got the guys sword

Oh man, those words in the last panel are going to bit the unity of the crew right in the ass later on down the line... at a certain water city.