Armour is really good in this game. The bandit probably had armour. You probably had no weapons.
At the start of you game you can walk out outside with a few cute maids, one dagger, and start fighting armoured bandits. It might not work out well. Get some money, buy some weapons and armour, learn some spells, use combat capable slaves, have a backpack and bandages, and so on. https://itch.io/t/282152/tips-and-tricks-thread-the-revival