"Perhaps Felt received the Divine Protection of this world. If the Divine Dragon of this nation acknowledges her, that would not be strange."
When Shendu said this, a trace of hostility clearly surfaced in Rem's eyes. However, upon hearing that the girl had come from the slums and had no backing whatsoever, she felt slightly reassured.
"Don't worry, Rem. Even if Felt is qualified, she won't become our enemy."
Facing Rem's hostility, Emilia hurriedly explained.
Kind-hearted as she was, she did not wish for any unpleasantness to arise between Rem and Shendu, so she stepped forward to defuse the potential conflict.
As if seeing through Rem's concerns, Shendu said playfully,
"She may have the qualifications, but without forces supporting her from behind, she will never become Emilia's enemy."
Only then did Rem's worry ease. She nodded silently and shifted her gaze out the window.
"Speaking of which, the greatest threat in this world is the Witch Cult. The neighboring nations also deeply resent them. Even the Kingdom of Lugunica has suffered frequent disturbances from them."
"However, eradicating the Witch Cult is not something just anyone can accomplish. Still, the kingdom does have its strongest Sword Saint—Reinhard."
Knowing that Shendu was a traveler, Emilia gradually shared what she knew.
Sword Saint?
"Is he that powerful?"
Shendu had naturally heard of him, but her memories regarding Reinhard were vague. She only knew that he was extremely strong.
"Yes, incredibly powerful. Ordinary people, like Felt, can only obtain—two Divine Protections at most. But Reinhard possesses a full forty Divine Protections. He even has the legendary Divine Protection of the Phoenix. He can truly be called the strongest in the world."
Emilia spoke with admiration, awe evident in her eyes. Reinhard's strength must indeed be extraordinary.
"Oh? That Sword Saint sounds rather interesting. If I have the opportunity, I will personally pay him a visit. I have great respect for the strong."
A hint of interest gleamed in Shendu's crimson eyes.
A mage versus a Sword Saint?
Just imagining it felt thrilling. It would be worth personally seeking him out to test his strength.
Hearing Shendu's bold words, Emilia's admiration deepened. Rem, however, looked somewhat disdainful, thinking there was no way this person could be compared to Reinhard.
"Miss Shendu, aren't you being too arrogant? The legendary Sword Saint is even stronger than Lord Roswaal. Are you certain you could stand as his opponent?"
Rem could not help but retort, hoping to temper her overconfidence.
"Heh. That remains to be seen."
Shendu merely smiled without elaborating further.
For a time, silence settled inside the dragon carriage. Rem said nothing more, convinced that Shendu was merely boasting.
But just how strong was Shendu?
Even she was not entirely sure. Upon arriving in this world, she had suppressed the majority of her strength, leaving herself with only about one-fifth of her full power.
With just that fraction, she had nearly crushed the assassin Elsa to death.
If she were to fully unleash herself, how powerful would she be? Even she had no proper measure. Whether she could surpass the Sword Saint remained to be tested.
The dragon carriage gradually moved farther from the royal capital, passing through stretches of forested mountains. However, as they continued forward, sudden clamor erupted ahead, loud enough for Emilia to hear from within.
Pulling back the curtain, they saw that in a valley, a group of roughly three hundred bandits wielding various weapons had surrounded a caravan of traveling merchants.
"Bandits. It seems we have some trouble. Judging by the insignia, they're from the Hoshin Company."
After identifying the situation, Emilia ordered the driver to stop and explained seriously.
"Is that so? If there's danger later, Rem will protect Lady Emilia."
As she spoke, Rem produced a metal chain with a spiked iron ball attached. The sight surprised Shendu.
She had expected Rem to use something small and delicate. Instead, the weapon was quite exaggerated.
A striking contrast indeed.
...
Within the Hoshin Company's caravan, the leader, Wolles, wore a grim expression. Several armored guards stood behind him, protecting the cargo.
But the bandits numbered too many—three hundred in total. They stood no chance in a direct confrontation. If he failed to handle this matter properly, once he returned, Chairwoman Anastasia tear him apart.
Just thinking of that purple-haired woman filled Wolles with fear.
"Hand over the goods, and we'll let you leave. Refuse, and we'll kill you all. The kingdom is in internal turmoil right now—they won't be able to suppress us anytime soon."
The bandit leader grinned smugly, greed flashing in his eyes. This haul would surely be substantial.
"Impossible! These goods are crucial for Chairwoman Anastasia's participation in the Royal Selection. I will never hand them over!"
In his panic, Wolles foolishly revealed the importance of the cargo, which only made the bandits even more greedy.
"Hahaha! In that case, we definitely can't let you go!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Wolles' face turned ashen. He felt like an utter fool for exposing such vital information.
Inside the dragon carriage, listening to the commotion outside, Shendu found the bandits rather irritating. After informing Emilia that she would step out briefly, she lightly leapt from the carriage.
In a flash, she appeared between the bandits and the Hoshin Company, fixing the hundreds of bandits with a pair of icy eyes.
"You're blocking the road. Get lost."
Her tone was cold, leaving no room for negotiation—an ultimatum.
"Hahaha! Where did this little girl come from? Since she's so pretty—and silver-haired at that—why not capture her and bring her back?"
"Boss is right!"
The bandits roared with laughter, treating the arriving girl as nothing more than a joke.
Even Wolles stared at the silver-haired girl as if she were a fool, not believing she could resolve the situation.
Facing the jeering bandits, Shendu let out a cold laugh. She lightly tapped the ground and murmured,
"Life Drain."
In an instant, the once-arrogant bandits transformed into stone statues. Their immense life force was completely stripped away, flowing into Shendu's body.
Wolles and the members of the merchant company trembled violently, staring at the silver-haired girl in utter shock, disbelief filling their eyes.