“They seemed like a bunch of incompetent fools, so I just let them go… Shouldn’t they go back to their hometown and farm instead of coming back here? They’ve got some serious nerve.”
“…!”
Sylvia ground her teeth and reached out her hand.
Instantly, Aslan’s sword hilt shot out from his mouth.
As she pulled it out, a long sword blade seemed to emerge endlessly from him.
“Ugh!? Ugh, no!”
“…Can you keep it down? It’s embarrassing.”
There was a murmuring sound that seemed to say, “Slow down! Take it easy!” but Sylvia paid no mind.
She was determined to capture those ungrateful bastards.
With that singular thought, she grasped the sword with both hands and leaped forward.
“M-Magician! Deploy the barrier!”
“The magician already fled!?”
“What!? When did that happen?”
As Sylvia charged forward at breakneck speed, the bandits’ formation crumbled.
The image of a masked figure who had ambushed them and subdued hundreds in an instant flooded back, and the ingrained fear began to creep back into their minds.
“Don’t freeze up! Fight back!”
“Uaaah!”
But if they retreated here, who would feed their family?
The recent famines had ruined their crops, and what about the starving children?
They had to strike it big right here.
Hadn’t they worked so hard just for this day?
They cleared the muddy roads and repaired the broken parts.
Only then would the nobles travel through.
The day they had awaited had finally come, and they couldn’t give up now.
“Grab anyone! Just capturing one could turn our lives around!”
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“…!”
Just as the bandits were about to scatter after breaking free from their fear, Sylvia suddenly appeared right in front of them.
“Flash!”
As Sylvia cast her spell, a bright light source materialized in the center of the bandits.
“And, Sparkle!”
“Kyaaaah!”
The moment she uttered the incantation for her follow-up spell, a flash erupted, scattering intense light in all directions.
The bandits lost their sight instantly, collapsing to the ground, clutching their eyes.
Sylvia lightly swung her sword, and with a single strike that didn’t even coat her mana, a loud explosion echoed, sending wooden shards flying everywhere.
“Huh!?”
By the time the bandits regained their sight and opened their eyes, what they saw was the sight of every tree around them being felled.
They had realized she was a skilled swordswoman from the moment she launched her surprise attack.
But this was crossing a line!
How could she possibly fell all the trees around with just a sword?
What would the lumberjacks do for a living?
If they had raised their heads, their necks would have been sliced.
The bandits froze in place, trembling, some even wetting themselves.
By the time Yuri sprinted to catch up with Sylvia, the battle was practically over.
“Yuria, bind them all.”
“Y-Yes!”
Yuri, who had been momentarily stunned, finally responded.
She knew Instructor Sylvia was strong, but was she this strong?
A technique capable of splitting the area beyond the sword’s reach?
That kind of power could come from a sword wave?
‘If a Sword Expert has this kind of power, then what about a Sword Master…?’
Wow. This is what a Sword Expert’s full power looks like.
As Yuri admired this with pure awe, Sylvia was also looking at her sword, unable to hide her confusion.
‘This isn’t just a well-made sword…?’
She was shocked.
The moment she grasped the sword, her body felt lighter and faster, as if it were fitting perfectly in her hand despite having held it for a long time.
Up to this point, she thought it was just a matter of feeling.
But the moment she swung the sword, Sylvia realized that this sword was of a different caliber compared to others known as famous swords.
No matter what angle she swung or how hard she swung, it didn’t seem like it would break.
The blade didn’t feel like it would dull. Just swinging it seemed to crush everything in its path.
No, even things that weren’t in its direct path could be shattered by the sword’s wind.
There was something about this sword that couldn’t be explained by just mana coating.
‘A sword wind capable of annihilating everything in its path… This feels like an aura…?’
It was a little embarrassing to say, but no matter how she looked at it, this was beyond the power a Sword Expert could muster.
Although Sylvia had always been evaluated as surpassing an average Sword Expert yet falling short of a Sword Master, when she held this sword, she felt as if she had just dipped her toes into the realm of a Sword Master.
She had heard rumors that Holy Swords elevate the user’s level, but experiencing something similar firsthand made her wonder if this was really okay.
Isn’t this a scam?
It looks dazzling, but isn’t it essentially a Demon Sword?
Sylvia felt an inexplicable sense of rejection as her strength grew all at once instead of gradually through training.
“What do you think of the sword?”
“It’s excellent. No, the word ‘excellent’ doesn’t even begin to express its true worth. It feels unsettlingly powerful…”
Aslan gave a wry smile while looking at the flustered Sylvia.
Usually, protagonists or heroes absorb such fortunate encounters and grow stronger.
But for someone like Sylvia, who had developed her strength through pure effort from the ground up, this kind of power felt off-putting.
“I guess I’ll… let go of the sword…”
Swoosh.
As she released the sword from her hand, it sparkled and collapsed into light, getting absorbed back into Aslan’s body.
Of course. It’s happening again.
It wasn’t that it had come out just because she had drawn it; the sword had completely become subordinate to its master.
But that didn’t mean the master could draw it at will.
Only she could pull it out, and if she let go, it would automatically return to its master.
“No matter what I do, it seems I can’t prevent the sword from returning if I let go… Should I just tie it to my hand with cloth and hold onto it all day?”
“…Please don’t do that.”
Sylvia could no longer wield or touch any other weapons.
She was now only able to handle the sword absorbed into Aslan’s body.
Since she was a bodyguard and would be by his side anyway, it wasn’t a huge problem.
But having to reveal this bizarre phenomenon every time she needed to draw her sword was quite embarrassing.
She needed to find a solution quickly…
Aslan cleared his throat and stepped forward.
“Who is your leader among you?”
“I, it’s me! Do with me as you wish, but please spare my subordinates’ lives…!”
“Seriously, what’s with all the melodrama from a bunch of bandits caught red-handed? Cut the small talk and answer my question.”
“Y-Yes!”
“I discovered that part of the paved road leading to Ester is unpaved. And I checked that a place I expected to be muddy after last night’s heavy rain is perfectly fine. Did you do that?”
“Yes…”
“Why?”
“Well, it’s because we need the roads to be well-maintained for the carriages we steal from…”
“How did you manage to maintain such a long road to Ester?”
“We divided up the areas among ourselves. We even moved our residences to those areas and solve minor problems on our own. For major issues requiring big repairs, we gather at our headquarters and do the work together…”
The bandit leader trembled as he answered, and Aslan rubbed his chin, pondering.
Who were these diligent folks capable of fixing mud and sinkholes caused by a sudden rain in just one day?
Surely, the road construction company wouldn’t come out that quickly and frequently to manage it.
Yet the culprits were indeed the bandits.
Their speed and skill didn’t seem to indicate half-hearted fixes; it was rather meticulous.
So, it was these guys. As Aslan smiled slyly, all color drained from the bandit’s face.
“You all know there would be no problem if I decided to execute you all here, right?”
“Y-Yes?”
“In fact, if I turn you over to the lord of this territory, I could get paid for getting rid of troublesome folks.”
“Please, just spare us! We’ll do anything! Really, anything…!”
“Alright. You said anything, right? Then let’s make a ten-year contract.”
“A contract?”
“You will be responsible for the maintenance of the Vermont Highway for ten years, and when the contract ends, I won’t hold any crimes against you.”
“…!”
Currently, the maintenance of the Vermont Highway was the responsibility of Ariente Construction.
However, Ariente was so busy repaying debts that they lacked personnel. While they could likely manage road maintenance without mistakes, what if they collapsed from overwork and Count Ariente lost his repayment capability?
‘No way. I can’t afford to lose my monthly passive income of 400 million.’
I couldn’t just sit back and watch the goose that lays golden eggs wither away.
An emergency transfusion was needed.
“I’ll provide lodging, meals, and a small salary.”
“I’ll do it! I’ll definitely do it! I’ll be utterly loyal!!!”
The bandits threw themselves to the ground, shouting as if the entire mountain would shake.
Let Ariente handle the lodging and salary.
For Ariente, hiring quality workers at a low cost was a win.
This way, the bandits could save their necks, and Ariente could supplement their inadequate workforce.
It was a situation where everyone benefited, and Aslan couldn’t help but smile.
Just then, a commotion arose from behind.
When Aslan turned around, he saw the children watching with wide, curious eyes.
“Wow! The knight’s sword went inside Mister!”
“…That sounds weird when you say it like that.”
“Uh, umm. Does that mean Aslan has become the knight’s sword sheath?”
“…That sounds even more embarrassing when you put it that way.”
Hearing it from the children made it all the more awkward.
Aslan slapped his forehead and sighed.
