It took a full week to reach the Carrot Duchy by carriage.
During that time, the self-proclaimed merchants showed us an excessively friendly attitude, making constant efforts to ease our suspicions.
Once they learned we were academy graduates, they lavished praise on the academy or claimed they had always dreamed of attending but couldn't due to poor grades...
They also repeatedly offered hollow compliments about the Carrot Duchy, which made them seem far from seasoned professionals.
Of course, Ravi—who had lived her life rarely hearing kind words about the Bunny tribe or Carrot Duchy from other people—had little resistance to such flattery, so her guard softened considerably.
"Hehe, Alvis. Did you hear what those merchants said? Is the discrimination and prejudice against us Bunny tribe finally starting to fade away, little by little?"
"Who knows? They're merchants, so it could just be smooth talk. Don't get too excited or upset over their sales pitch."
"You've used plenty of sales pitches yourself, you know?"
"Mine were sincere."
"Theirs could be sincere too!"
Ravi seemed more eager than anything to believe the compliments people offered about the Bunny tribe.
It was a little heartbreaking. How much rejection had she faced to desperately want to believe such ordinary words?
That might explain why, in the original Loveholic, she clung so tightly to Brayden and the heroines around him.
At the very least, Brayden, Celine, Lenis, and Elfin never discriminated against her for being Bunny and treated her like a real friend.
But what good was that now, after she'd become a defeated heroine and graduated from the academy?
As those thoughts crossed my mind, the merchants halted the carriage deep in a forest path.
"Two more days to the Carrot Duchy. Let's rest here for the night."
Looking around, it was indeed a profoundly deep woodland trail.
This wasn't a properly maintained road; trees crowded densely right up to the edges, making it barely qualify as a path at all.
Deep, unmanaged forests like this were bandit territory and carried a high risk of monster encounters. No legitimate merchant caravan hauling trade goods would ever traverse such a place.
Even without cargo right now, merchants never took needless risks. Seeing them drag the carriage here to camp turned my suspicions into certainty.
Ravi noticed the depth of the forest too and tilted her head quizzically.
"Rest here? Isn't this forest a bit too deep? Camping in a place like this seems way too danger—"
"The horses are exhausted; we have no choice. Forcing them any farther risks serious injury, which would make things even more dangerous than now."
"Don't worry. We're no strangers to the road—we can handle your average night ambush just fine."
"Mm..."
Ravi wore an uneasy expression but had no choice but to accept it, since pushing tired horses wouldn't do.
Of course, I didn't buy a word of it.
I couldn't tell if the horses were truly spent, but any proper caravan would have stopped earlier at a safe spot well before this happened.
Finding secure rest areas was practically instinct for merchants and caravans. Defying that alone proved my doubts correct.
I didn't even need the Eye that Pierces Truth.
That night, I feigned sleep without closing my eyes, waiting motionlessly for the inevitable.
Ravi stayed vigilant against possible nighttime monster attacks and kept her eyes open until quite late, but as the night deepened further, she finally drifted off. Now, I was the only one awake.
As dawn broke, sure enough, faint footsteps approached quietly from within the forest.
"Heard you hooked a big one this time?"
"Yeah. Fresh-out-of-the-academy greenhorns, but they had some seriously valuable gear from gods-know-where."
"Isn't that risky, though? Academy grads mean they've got real skills."
"That's why we end it in one ambush hit. Everyone, keep voices down and move in slow. One guy and one Bunny girl."
"Kill the guy quick so he can't do anything stupid. The girl's Bunny, sure, but she's pretty—let's have some fun before selling her off."
"You into that kind of thing?"
"Shut it. Everyone's got their tastes—even the high-and-mighty nobles."
"Quiet, all of you. If they wake, it's all for nothing. That gear looks top-notch; any resistance will be a pain. On three, we rush together. Three, two..."
"You should stop right there."
Having confirmed that the so-called merchants and these bandits from the woods were all in cahoots, I carefully approached without waking Ravi and revealed myself to the bandits first.
The bandits creeping silently toward the cargo wagon froze in shock at the sight of me and stumbled back several steps.
"Gah! H-he's awake!"
"Damn it... We should've worn them out till they passed out!"
"We took nothing but rough roads on purpose! They have to be exhausted by now—"
"I've known you weren't real merchants since we boarded the carriage in the city. If you're gonna act, make it believable. What kind of merchant leaves their cargo hold spotless without a trace of lived-in mess?"
"Tch..."
"Steal our stuff, kill me, defile my friend, then sell her? Guess Bunnies make prime slave trade for you lot. Didn't occur to you I might object?"
"Don't panic, everyone! Even if they've got some skill, they're just academy fresh meat!"
He was right, in fact.
I hadn't fought once since arriving in this world and had no basis to judge if I was strong or weak.
The one thing I trusted was the technique I'd learned from the Radiant Secret Tome, obtained after clearing that suspiciously altered dungeon.
Untested in real combat, but the moment I acquired it, I instinctively sensed its power. And I knew exactly how to use it.
I drew the shabby, worn sword from my waist and gathered mana.
Whether due to the Resister of Fate title or touching a tome unseen even in the game, my body was in perfect condition to deploy the acquired technique.
I channeled the gathered mana into the sword and envisioned light enveloping it.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡Light Saber
Absolute cutting power | Blinds foes | Harms only enemies
The image in my mind suddenly sharpened with crystal clarity. In that instant—even with my eyes closed—a brilliant light blazed from the sword, intense enough to feel.
I opened my eyes. The blade, shrouded in a halo of radiance, shone so fiercely it turned the dim predawn forest into broad daylight.
The light was blindingly strong, yet it left me completely unaffected; I could see everything perfectly.
The bandits could not.
"Arghhh! M-my eyes!"
"Guh... What kind of light is this?!"
The bandits spasmed as if they'd stared straight at the sun, clutching their eyes and screaming.
With their charge halted by the glare, I swept the sword across the ground right at their feet.
Ziiing—
The hard earth melted along the blade's path as if sliced by a laser.
A weapon that emitted such intense light it blinded enemies, yet spared the wielder and any allies.
Any object could serve as a hilt, functioning as a weapon anytime, anywhere—no worries about dulling or breaking.
And cutting power so absolute that ordinary defenses stood no chance.
That was the true power of Light Saber, the secret technique gained from mastering the Radiant Secret Tome.
I'd never seen anything like it in the game. Something this convenient would have been nice.
As the sword's glow faded slightly, the bandits finally regained their sight. They stared in horror at the sharply melted earth right before their feet and collapsed to the ground with a thud.
"H-hiiiik!!!"
"If I'd swept that sword across your waists, you'd have been bisected without even a scream. I spared you once—no second chances. So, want to keep fighting? Or does our loot still tempt you?"
At my words, the bandits instantly dropped their weapons and flattened themselves to the dirt, groveling.
"N-no, sir! We've committed a grave sin!"
"Please... mercy just this once! Spare our lives—we beg you!"
"Forgive us! Our mistake! We had no idea you were a Holy Warrior bearing the Sword of Light..."
Holy Warrior? What nonsense.
But authority worked wonders on bandits like these, so I let the misunderstanding stand.
"Our destination remains the Carrot Duchy. But you planned murder and robbery. Worse, you intended to defile my friend and insult the Bunnies I hold dear. You didn't think I'd just let that slide, did you?"
"Hiiik!"
"I'll bind you all. We'll take the carriage to the Duchy. The moment we arrive, you'll be handed over for imprisonment. If I see even a hint of trouble while tying you up, your heads will roll right here."
With that, I casually slashed a nearby tree for emphasis.
Even the earth had melted like laser cuts—there was no way a tree could withstand it. Seeing it severed clean in one strike, the bandits trembled violently, some nearly soiling themselves.
Of course, killing was an absolute last resort for me, one I'd prefer to avoid. But it deterred any foolishness from them.
And it worked. They didn't twitch a muscle as I bound them head to toe, just shuddered in place.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
That same morning, after Alvis subdued the bandits and the sun rose.
In the imperial capital of the Andras Empire, the Holy Warrior appointment ceremony took place.
The one chosen by the Goddess's decree to serve as Holy Warrior was none other than Brayden.
From his academy days, he had displayed unparalleled talent and unshakeable faith in the Goddess. No one present objected to his appointment.
As Brayden appeared amid the grand ceremony—attended by the emperor, princes, princesses, ministers, and nobles from across the empire—the assembled guests and citizens erupted in cheers.
His lover, Celine, watched him with a pleased smile, clapping warmly.
The emperor issued the official declaration of appointment before all witnesses, and Brayden knelt on one knee before him, proclaiming his vows and oaths as Holy Warrior.
"With this, I hereby declare Brayden officially appointed as the Holy Warrior who shall protect our Andras Empire and bring peace to this world! Holy Warrior Brayden, now raise your sword high and show all that you have become the Goddess's eyes, feet, and blade."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Brayden received the Holy Warrior's sword in both hands and thrust it skyward before the eyes of everyone present.
Endless waves of applause poured forth, sunlight from above bathed the blade, gleaming radiantly...
"...It's not gleaming?"