“Thought I’d just let those clumsy fools go… Should’ve gone back home to farm, but they came back? They’ve got some nerve.”

“...!”

Sylvia gritted her teeth, reaching out her hand.
In response, a sword hilt shot out of Aslan’s mouth with a swift swoosh.
As she pulled it out, the long blade seemed to unspool endlessly from his mouth.

“Ugh!? Mmghh!”
“...It’s embarrassing, so please keep quiet.”

Despite Aslan’s muffled complaints of “Slow down! Slow down!” Sylvia ignored him completely.
With only one thought—to punish these ungrateful fools—she gripped the sword in both hands, sprang forward, and launched herself at them.

“Wizard! Set up a barrier, now!”
“The wizard already ran off!”
“What?! When did that happen?”

As Sylvia’s rapid charge came into view, the bandits’ formation crumbled.
The terrifying image of a masked figure who had ambushed them and subdued dozens in an instant resurfaced in their minds, reviving their deeply ingrained fear.

“Don’t just stand there! Fight back!”
“Aaaaah!”

But if they backed down now, who would feed their families?
What about the children starving because of the repeated poor harvests?
They had no choice but to make a big score here and now.

They had prepared meticulously, cleaning up the muddy roads and repairing every broken section, just to attract the nobles to travel through this route.
This was the day their hard work would finally bear fruit—they couldn’t afford to give up now.

“Just capture one of them! Even just one can turn our lives around!”
“Not a chance.”

“...!”

Just as the bandits managed to shake off their fear and were about to scatter, Sylvia, who had been far off, suddenly appeared right in front of them.

“Flash!”

Sylvia chanted, and a bright light appeared in the center of the bandits.

“And… sparkle!”

With a follow-up incantation, a blinding light scattered in all directions.
The intense flash left the bandits covering their eyes, falling to the ground.

Sylvia swung her sword lightly, and even without infusing it with mana, the strike produced an explosion, sending wood splinters flying everywhere.

“Gah!?”

By the time the bandits regained their vision,
they saw the surrounding trees all cut down and fallen to the ground.

From the way she had ambushed them, they already knew she was skilled.
But this was over the line!
How could a sword cut down an entire area of trees?

If they had been standing with their heads up, they would’ve been beheaded.
The thought left the bandits paralyzed in fear, some even wetting themselves.
By the time Yuri caught up with Sylvia, the fight was as good as over.

“Yuria. Bind them all.”
“Yes, ma’am!”

Yuri responded belatedly, still stunned.
He knew Instructor Sylvia was strong, but… was she this powerful?
A technique that split everything within the sword’s range?
Could a mere sword wind do that?

‘If this is the power of a Sword Expert, then what about a Sword Master…?’

Wow. This is the full strength of a Sword Expert?
While Yuri stared in pure admiration, Sylvia also looked at the sword in her hand, unable to hide her own astonishment.

‘This isn’t just a well-made sword…’

She was amazed.
The moment she gripped it, she felt faster and lighter, as if she’d been wielding it for years.
She could have dismissed it as just a feeling,
but with one swing, Sylvia realized this sword was leagues beyond any “fine sword.”

No matter how she swung it or from what angle, it felt unbreakable.
The blade wouldn’t dull, either.
With each swing, everything in its path was obliterated.
Even if it wasn’t directly in its path, the sword wind alone tore through obstacles.

There was something beyond mere mana coating in this sword.

‘A sword wind strong enough to level an entire area… This feels like aura…’

It was embarrassing to admit, but this was no strength a Sword Expert should wield.
Sylvia was known to surpass the average Sword Expert, yet not quite reach a Sword Master’s level.
But wielding this sword, she felt as if she was almost touching that realm.

She had heard legends of holy swords that could elevate a wielder’s power.
Experiencing such an effect firsthand, she wondered, Is this even allowed?
This almost felt like cheating.
If not for its brilliant color, one might even mistake it for a cursed blade.

Sylvia, who had always grown stronger through hard work, felt uneasy about this sudden leap in power.

“How is the sword?”
“It’s excellent… No, ‘excellent’ doesn’t do it justice. It’s so powerful it feels unsettling…”

Aslan gave a wry smile, watching Sylvia’s unease.
Most heroes or warriors greedily seize these opportunities to grow stronger.
But for Sylvia, who had built her strength from the ground up, this kind of power felt wrong.

“I’ll… put the sword down now…”

As she let go, the sword shimmered and dissolved into light, reabsorbing into Aslan’s body.
Of course, this happened again.

The sword wasn’t just drawn; it seemed to be completely bound to her master’s body.
Yet, only she could draw it out, and as soon as she let go, it returned to Aslan.

“No matter what I do, I can’t keep the sword from returning… Should I just tie it to my hand with cloth and carry it all day?”
“…Please don’t.”

Sylvia was now unable to hold or wield any weapon other than the sword absorbed into Aslan’s body.
Since she was his bodyguard and stayed close, it wasn’t a big problem.
But having to expose this bizarre phenomenon every time she drew her sword was incredibly embarrassing.
They had to find a solution soon…
Aslan cleared his throat and took a step forward.

“Who’s the leader here?”
“M-Me, sir! Do whatever you want to me, but please, spare my men!”

“Geez. You guys get caught banditry and now act all dramatic? Cut the chatter and answer my question.”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
“I noticed that part of the road from the capital to Esther, which should be unpaved, was paved. And I also confirmed that despite the rain, what should’ve been a muddy mess was clean and intact. Was that your doing?”
“Y-Yes, sir…”

“Why?”
“Well, we keep the roads well-maintained to ensure carriages we can rob actually pass through…”
“And how do you maintain the entire road from the capital to Esther?”
“We divided the area among ourselves. We moved our homes close to our assigned sections, handling minor issues on our own. When major repairs were needed, we gathered everyone to do the work together…”

The bandit leader stammered, trembling, while Aslan stroked his chin thoughtfully.
He was baffled that the bandits were dedicated enough to clear mud and repair sinkholes after a night of heavy rain.

Surely the construction company wouldn’t inspect and repair the roads that quickly.
But to think the real culprits were the bandits themselves.
From their skill and speed, they didn’t just slap patches on the road; they did everything thoroughly.

These were the ones.
A sly grin crossed Aslan’s face, and the blood drained from the bandits’ faces.

“You realize I could execute you all here with no issues, right?”
“Wh-What?”
“I might even get paid for ridding the local lord of troublesome bandits.”
“S-Spare us! We’ll do anything! Absolutely anything…”

“Good. You said anything, right? Then let’s make a ten-year contract.”
“A contract?”
“You’ll be responsible for maintaining the Vermont Highway for ten years. After that, I’ll pardon all your crimes and let you go.”

“...!”

Currently, Arient Construction was in charge of Vermont Highway maintenance.
But due to nonstop projects, they were extremely short-staffed.
While he trusted Arient to handle road maintenance competently, if the whole company collapsed under overwork and the Count lost his ability to repay loans...

‘No way. I can’t lose my four hundred million a month in passive income.’

Watching his goose that laid golden eggs get sick and die wasn’t an option.
The situation called for urgent support.

“Food, lodging, and a modest salary will be provided.”
“Y-Yes! We’ll do it! We’ll serve faithfully!”

The bandits dropped to the ground, shouting so loudly the whole mountain seemed to echo.
Arient would cover their room, board, and wages, effectively hiring skilled labor cheaply.

This way, the bandits kept their necks,
Arient got the manpower it needed,
and Aslan couldn’t stop smiling in satisfaction at the win-win situation.

At that moment, a commotion arose from the back.
When Aslan turned, he saw the children staring with fascinated expressions.

“That’s amazing! The knight’s sword went into Mister Aslan’s body!”
“…Hearing it like that makes it sound odd.”
“Hmm. So Aslan became the knight’s personal sheath?”
“…That sounds even more inappropriate.”

Hearing it put that way by the children only made it more embarrassing.
Aslan sighed, slapping his forehead in resignation.