It takes a week to reach the Carat Duchy by carriage.
During that time, the self-proclaimed merchants showed an excessively friendly attitude toward us, making relentless efforts to lower our guard.
They praised the academy upon learning we were graduates, saying things like they had always wanted to attend but couldn’t because their grades weren’t good enough.
They also kept showering the Carat Duchy with empty compliments, showing that they weren’t particularly skilled at deception.
Of course, Ravi, having rarely heard people say anything good about the Carat Duchy or the Bunny Tribe, had little resistance to such praise and gradually let down her guard.
“Hehe, Alvis, did you hear what those merchants were saying? Do you think discrimination and prejudice against us Bunnies are starting to disappear little by little?”
“Well, they’re merchants. It could just be empty flattery. Don’t get too carried away by what they say.”
“You say that, but you’ve done plenty of flattery yourself.”
“I was being sincere.”
“They could be sincere too!”
It seemed Ravi really wanted to believe the praise people gave about the Bunny Tribe.
I felt a bit sorry for her—just how much hardship had she endured to cling so desperately to such simple words?
Maybe that’s why, in the original Loveholic, she was particularly drawn to Bryden and the heroines around him.
At least Bryden, Celine, Lenis, and Elfin never discriminated against her for being a Bunny and treated her as a true friend.
But now that she had become a “losing heroine” and had already graduated from the academy, what did any of that matter anymore?
While I was lost in thought, the merchants stopped the carriage deep within the forest.
“We’re just two days away from the Carat Duchy. Let’s rest here for the night.”
Looking around, I noticed that this was a very dense part of the forest.
It wasn’t a well-maintained road but rather an area surrounded by thick trees, barely even recognizable as a path.
A reputable trading company would never take such a route.
The risk of encountering bandits or monsters was too high, especially when transporting goods.
Even if they had no cargo at the moment, merchants never took unnecessary risks.
The fact that they had led us here and planned to stay the night only confirmed my suspicions.
Ravi also sensed something was off and tilted her head.
“We’re resting here? Isn’t this forest too deep? Sleeping in a place like this is way too dangerous—”
“The horses are exhausted, so we have no choice. If we push them any further, they might collapse. That would put us in even greater danger than staying here.
Don’t worry too much. We’re seasoned travelers. We can handle any small nighttime disturbances.”
“Hmm…”
Ravi didn’t seem convinced, but since they insisted the horses were too tired to move, she had no choice but to accept reality.
Of course, I didn’t believe them.
I couldn’t tell if the horses were truly exhausted, but any competent merchants would have planned their journey to stop at a safe location before this situation even arose.
Finding a secure resting place before nightfall is second nature to merchants and trading companies.
The fact that they blatantly ignored this basic rule only confirmed my suspicions.
I didn’t even need to use my Eye of Truth to see through them.
That night, I pretended to sleep while waiting for whatever was about to happen.
Ravi, wary of potential nighttime monster attacks, stayed awake until quite late.
But as the night deepened, she eventually drifted off to sleep.
Now, I was the only one still awake.
As dawn approached, I could hear the quiet footsteps of someone stealthily approaching through the forest—just as I had expected.
“We caught a big one this time, didn’t we?”
“Yeah. They’re fresh academy graduates, still naïve. But for some reason, they’re carrying some pretty valuable stuff.”
“Isn’t that kind of risky? If they’re academy graduates, that means they’re at least somewhat skilled.”
“That’s why we need to end it in one swift ambush. Keep your voices down and move in slowly. There’s just one guy and one Bunny girl.”
“Kill the guy immediately so he doesn’t cause trouble. As for the girl, she’s a Bunny, but she’s got a pretty face. Let’s have some fun with her first and then sell her off.”
“Hah, so that’s your type?”
“Shut up. There are plenty of powerful men into this kind of thing.”
“Enough chatter. If they wake up, it’s all over. Their equipment looks top-tier, so if they resist, it’ll get messy. On my count—three, two…”
“You might want to rethink that.”
I had already confirmed that the so-called merchants and the bandits lurking in the forest were working together.
Making sure not to wake Ravi, I carefully stepped out and revealed myself in front of the bandits.
The ones creeping towards our luggage with hushed footsteps jumped back in shock when they saw me.
“W-What the hell?! He’s awake?!”
“Damn it…! They should’ve been exhausted and fast asleep by now!”
“We took them through rough terrain the whole way! There’s no way he’s not tired—”
“I knew from the moment I first boarded your carriage in the city that you weren’t real merchants. If you’re going to put on an act, at least make it convincing. Your carriage was way too clean, with no signs of actual use—what kind of merchant travels like that?”
“Tch…”
“So your plan was to steal our belongings, kill me, and then have your way with my friend before selling her off? Looks like you guys consider Bunny Tribe members to be prime trafficking goods. But did it never occur to you that I might not let that happen?”
“Don’t panic! He might have some skills, but he’s just a fresh academy graduate—he’s still a rookie!”
That was true, in a way.
I had never been in real combat since arriving in this world. I had no way to gauge whether I was strong or weak.
But there was one thing I could trust—the Arcane Tome of Radiance I had obtained by clearing that suspiciously altered dungeon.
I had never used it in battle before, but the moment I acquired the techniques, I instinctively understood their immense power.
I also knew exactly how to use them.
I drew a plain, worn-down sword from my waist and began gathering mana.
Maybe it was because of my title, One Who Defies Fate, or perhaps because I had accessed a technique never even seen in the game.
Either way, my body felt primed and ready to execute what I had learned.
I concentrated my mana into the sword, envisioning it being enveloped in radiant light.
Suddenly, the image in my mind became astonishingly clear.
Even with my eyes closed, I could feel an intense brilliance emanating from the blade.
When I opened my eyes, the sword was glowing with an overwhelming radiance, illuminating the dark forest like it was broad daylight.
The light was blindingly strong, but I could see everything perfectly without issue.
The bandits, however, were not so lucky.
“Arghhh! M-My eyes!”
“Guh…! What the hell is this light?!”
They screamed in agony, clutching their eyes as if they had stared directly into the sun.
As they staggered and faltered, momentarily blinded, I seized the opportunity.
With a swift movement, I slashed my sword downward—straight toward the immobilized bandits at my feet.
Ziiing—
As my sword traced its arc through the air, the solid ground beneath it melted away as if seared by a laser.
A weapon that emitted an overwhelming brilliance yet did not affect its wielder or those it recognized as allies.
A weapon that could function anytime, anywhere, as long as it had a hilt to support it—one that never dulled, never broke.
A weapon with absolute cutting power, nearly impossible to block with ordinary defenses.
This was the true power of Light Saber, the ultimate technique I had gained from mastering the Arcane Tome of Radiance.
I had never seen anything like this in the game.
If something this convenient had existed back then, things would have been a lot easier.
As the radiance of the Light Saber dimmed slightly, the bandits, finally able to see again, glanced down at the precisely melted ground beneath their feet.
Their faces paled, and they collapsed onto the ground in sheer terror.
“E-Eeek!!”
“If that sword had slashed at your waists just now, you wouldn’t even have had time to scream before being sliced clean in half. I spared you once—but there won’t be a second time. So, what’s it going to be? Do you still want our belongings? Or do you want to try your luck fighting me?”
The bandits immediately threw down their weapons and grovelled on the ground.
“N-No! We were wrong! We’ve committed an unforgivable crime!”
“Please…! Please spare us just this once! We beg you!”
“We didn’t realize you were a holy paladin wielding a blade of divine light…!”
Holy paladin? What kind of nonsense is that?
But seeing how effective their misunderstanding was, I decided not to correct them.
“We’re still heading for the Carat Duchy. But let’s not forget—you tried to rob and kill us. Worse, you planned to defile my friend and insulted the Bunny Tribe, whom I hold in high regard. You didn’t seriously think I’d let you off easy, did you?”
“Hiiik…!”
“I’m going to restrain all of you. We’ll be taking the carriage, and when we arrive at the Carat Duchy, you’ll be handed over and imprisoned. If any of you try anything while being tied up, your head will be rolling on the ground before you can blink.”
To drive my point home, I casually swung my sword at a nearby tree.
The earth itself had melted under my blade—there was no way a mere tree could withstand it.
With a single stroke, the tree was sliced cleanly in half.
The bandits, watching this, turned ghostly pale and even wet themselves in terror.
I had no real intention of killing them unless absolutely necessary, but I needed to make sure they wouldn’t pull any reckless stunts.
Whether out of fear or sheer survival instinct, the bandits remained completely still as I tied them up, trembling like leaves.
That same morning, as the sun rose…
At the imperial palace of the Andras Empire, a grand ceremony was underway—the appointment of a Holy Paladin.
The one chosen by the goddess to bear this title was none other than Bryden.
From his academy days, he had demonstrated exceptional talent, and his unwavering faith in the goddess left no room for doubt.
No one objected to Bryden’s appointment as the Holy Paladin.
The emperor, the princes and princesses, the high officials, and nobles from all over the empire had gathered for the grand event.
As Bryden stepped into view, cheers erupted from the crowd.
His lover, Celine, watched him proudly, clapping in admiration.
Before the entire empire, the emperor made the formal proclamation:
“Henceforth, I officially declare Bryden to be the Holy Paladin who shall protect our Andras Empire and bring peace to this world! Holy Paladin Bryden, raise your sacred sword and show all that you are now the eyes, the feet, and the blade of the goddess!”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Receiving the Sacred Sword with both hands, Bryden lifted it high above his head for all to see.
A thunderous applause resounded throughout the palace.
The sunlight streamed down from the heavens, illuminating the sacred blade with—
…
…
…
“…Huh? Why isn’t it glowing?”
To be continued…