“Mm.” Xiadam reached out to take the broadsword handed over by the Bandit Chief.
But in that instant, the Bandit Chief’s eyes flashed with murderous intent as he suddenly drew his sword, attempting a surprise attack.
“Foolish magician! You dare come this close to me? You’re asking for death!”
If he could capture this young female magician, the situation would turn in his favor, and he could drag her home for a long, fierce battle!
However, the Bandit Chief caught a glimpse of the young magician’s calm expression—there was not a hint of panic.
Her reaction was even faster than his, and her entire body was emitting white smoke, an extremely eerie sight.
What he didn’t know was that everything was exactly as Xiadam had anticipated.
This is your distance?
Sorry, this is my distance.
“Buzz buzz buzz~!”
The swordlight, shrouded in mist, sliced through the hilt of the broadsword the Bandit Chief had surrendered, taking a few of his fingers with it.
“Ahhhhhh!”
The Bandit Chief clutched his bleeding palm, dropping to his knees in agonizing wails.
In the next moment, Xiadam had sheathed her sword as if nothing had happened.
She bent down and picked up the fallen broadsword, noting that even though she had struck its hilt, it remained completely unscathed.
“A fine sword indeed.”
Xiadam took the broadsword and turned to leave, heading back to the convoy to command the water carts to return home.
“Kill them all! No mercy! Everyone, attack!” The Bandit Chief, drenched in sweat and furious, roared loudly.
But no one obeyed his orders; the other bandits stood frozen, motionless, and once the water storage convoy had disappeared into the distance, they sighed in relief.
They even abandoned their own leader. No one wanted to save him—not a single glance back—they fled without hesitation.
A bandit without fingers cannot wield a blade; a desert swordsman without a blade is worth less than a dog.
There is no chivalry here, no loyalty—only strength.
Xiadam knew these rules well, which was why she cut off his fingers.
This way, she didn’t break her principle of not killing innocents indiscriminately, but still gave the villain a fate worse than death.
If that Bandit Chief is later bitten to death by beasts, or hacked down by his own comrades, left to rot in the wild—
What does that have to do with kind-hearted Xiadam?
“A fine sword, indeed.”
Xiadam didn’t care about the bandits’ fate. She sat at the front of the cart, examining the broadsword she had taken.
It was a Mithril Rapier.
A weapon favored by nobles.
Forged from special mithril, its blade was light and sturdy, its appearance supremely elegant and magnificent.
Xiadam drew the mithril rapier; the silver blade shimmered under the sunlight, refracting colors like a rainbow.
Faint particles of mana constantly swirled along the blade, shifting in gradient hues.
Mithril swords can gather mana like the Magic Great Tree, but far less effectively.
It mainly serves as a decorative effect rather than having much practical use.
“Truly beautiful.”
Even someone as hardened as Xiadam couldn’t help but admire it.
This sword fulfilled every untrained noble lord’s knightly dreams and was a symbol of status.
She didn’t know which unlucky noble had lost this sword to bandits, but surely a noble swordsman had been killed for it to end up here, eventually falling into her hands.
In theory, the mithril rapier suited Xiadam’s lack of brute strength.
But I, Xiadam, will never use such a noble’s sword, nor will I abandon the Knight Broadsword that has followed me all my life.
Even if this broadsword is old, battered, chipped, and heavy, it has long become an extension of my arm. To give it up would be to cut off my own hand.
Every nick on the blade is a mark of battles survived.
So what good is taking this sword?
Am I going to dual-wield?
I can barely wield one sword now, let alone two.
Heh, I, Xiadam, am always a step ahead. I have my reasons for this.
…
The water storage convoy returned successfully to the City of Sunset Yellow Sands.
Everyone began distributing water door to door; at least for the next few days, there was no need to worry about water shortages.
Xiadam jumped off the cart upon arrival, holding the mithril rapier in one hand and cradling the Fat Little Dragon in the other as she hurried home.
“Why didn’t you call me to come home with you?”
Sheffield had just dismounted and turned to look, only to see Xiadam and the Fat Little Dragon rushing straight into the fortress.
“Click!”
Xiadam slammed the door shut with force, placed the Fat Little Dragon by the bedside, and set the mithril rapier at the foot of the bed.
“Little Black, your future is yours to choose. If you choose the sword, it means you have a connection with it. I will teach you swordsmanship. I will pass on everything I have learned in my lifetime to you,” Xiadam said earnestly to the Fat Little Dragon.
“Gah?” The Fat Little Dragon sat at the head of the bed, tilting its head in confusion.
In truth, it understood Xiadam’s words, but understanding did not mean it grasped their meaning.
“Choose, child.” Xiadam patted the Fat Little Dragon’s head, her face filled with kindness and warmth.
If left to the little dragon, it would definitely crawl over and clutch the mithril rapier, playing with it.
Sure enough, when Xiadam saw the little dragon holding the rapier like a staff and twirling it around, her gentle expression vanished, replaced by one of stern seriousness.
“Child, since you have chosen this path, I will teach you well. From now on, you are my disciple of the Nameless Hero.”
Muttering to herself, she lifted the Fat Little Dragon, face to face.
“Gah?” The little dragon was truly startled by Xiadam’s strange behavior, its face full of puzzlement.
Still, it held on to the mithril rapier tightly, not letting it go.
This only convinced Xiadam more that the little dragon was truly bonded to the sword!
“Little Black, transform into human form. I know your Shapeshifting Magic has been mastered,” Xiadam said.
“Gak gak gak?” The Fat Little Dragon pretended not to understand.
“Sheffield already told me. She said you can’t learn Dragon Breath at all, but your Shapeshifting Magic has improved considerably. The duration of your human form has greatly increased,” Xiadam continued.
“Gah…” The Fat Little Dragon sighed and obediently complied.
In the next moment, black mana particles began swirling around its body as it transformed.
In the blink of an eye, it shifted from a cute little pet into a delicate, pure-skinned, black-haired beauty, sitting obediently on the bed, clutching the mithril rapier—it was incredibly adorable.
However, this time the little dragon’s transformation had a slight difference from before.
On the black-haired girl’s head, a pair of dragon horns had appeared!
That was quite a distinctive difference, wasn’t it?
Details determine success, and in this form, it could never pass as human—a total failure at disguise.
But this was also the reason the little dragon’s transformation could be sustained for so long—the tiny flaw of dragon horns on its head.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.