No Questions Asked

They were called mountain bandits or sea bandits—whatever the name, they were thieves, those who stole the property of others. Such men appeared in every place.

If someone starving and cornered still wished to survive, they could no longer afford to choose the straight path.

Wheat that farmers had labored over for a year to grow and harvest.

Once a man knew the thrill of stealing that bounty in a single raid, he could never return to an honest life.

Life in the desert was harsh and grueling.

Whether rat or monster, they ate any meat that could be eaten, and not a single drop of water could be wasted.

Thus, they leapt at anything that could serve as food.

The way of desert bandits—sand bandits—was to never hesitate when an opportunity arose.

“Oi oi… what the hell is that?”

“Told you, Boss! There really is an oasis and a village!”

“Yeah… honestly, I thought you were just blowing smoke.”

The sand bandit leader—Kadin—narrowed his eyes as he studied the impossible sight before him.

—That very morning, Kadin had received an unbelievable report from one of his men.

At the edge of the desert, an oasis had suddenly appeared.

An oasis was not something that formed in a day or two.

Only when a water source existed, and trees flourished on its blessings, could such a thing be born.

He had almost cut down the subordinate who brought such a ridiculous tale. But he was the boss of the sand bandits.

In the desert, where manpower was hard to replenish, killing subordinates rashly was unwise.

At times, a leader needed to show magnanimity, or his men would not follow.

So, to act like a boss who forgave mistakes, he had come all the way to see for himself.

But now that he was here, reality proved stranger than fiction.

There truly was an unknown oasis where none had been before.

‘There should’ve been a village here.’

But compared to what Kadin had once seen, the place had transformed.

Now the village was lush with trees, bearing fresh fruits.

Gulp… he couldn’t tell if the sound of saliva being swallowed came from him or from one of his men.

He was that captivated by the sight.

“With an oasis and fruit trees like this… if the trees are thriving, they must have found a new water source.”

In the desert, water was more precious than anything.

Water could be sold at high prices, and with water, you could barter for almost anything.

Depending on rainfall and the location of water magicians, water often traded higher than iron itself.

In other words, that oasis was—a mountain of treasure.

If he could seize that abundant water and fruit, he could dominate the entire region.

‘No, it’s more than that. If that place became mine, I could become the king of the desert… slurp.’

Suppressing the drool threatening to spill, Kadin gripped the curved sword in his hand.

His eyes were filled entirely with the symbol of money.

And his subordinates, to some degree or another, were the same.

With such rich prey dangling before them, no sand bandit could resist.

The raised curved sword gleamed under the harsh sunlight.

“Let’s go, boys! From today, that place is ours!”

“““UOOOOOHHHH!!!”””

Led by Kadin, the sand bandits charged.

With war cries, they sprinted forward, seeing only a bright future ahead.

“How base… to take from others, when what you build with your own hands is worth hundreds of times more.”

A metallic click sounded, and three men at the front dropped unconscious.

Blinded by greed, the men had not even noticed the sound of a blade leaving its sheath, running blindly forward.

“If you intend to destroy the gentle world Woody seeks to build—then I will show no mercy.”

“W-what!?”

A fierce wind gusted, making the bandits stumble.

And then—the “Sword Saint” unleashed her might.

“Guh!?”

“Gwaaah, what—!?”

“H-hiiiiiiiii!!”

Sand blasted upward, and bodies flew like balls through the air.

Kadin realized the gravity of the situation, but it was already too late.

“W-wait, mercy—!”

“No questions… asked!”

The blade struck toward Kadin.

With no aptitude and only the fighting ability of an above-average commoner, he had no means of resistance.

Just before losing consciousness and collapsing, what Kadin heard was—

“Rest easy, I used the back of the blade.”

The voice of a woman, sheathing her sword.