So I'm a sheep.

"Why weren't we sent? But those bandits are very slippery. Every time the soldiers set out, they immediately run away."

Knowing that the Forty Thieves dared not confront the Earl directly, Sasha felt a sense of relief.

But then another question arose.

"You manage to slip away every time?"

“They are horse thieves,” the bartender explained.

Horse thieves, as the name suggests, are bandits who rob people on horseback.

Extremely rare; as everyone knows, horses are worth far more than gold.

"Forty bandits were all horse thieves?" Sasha was dumbfounded.

"Yes, I don't know where they found those horses."

The bartender also looked puzzled: "Forty fine horses! If you sold them all, you'd be a millionaire. Why would you be a robber?"

"Yes."

Sasha was tempted. Putting aside the bounty on Count Bambe's forty most notorious thieves, their horses alone were worth the risk!

'Traveling around on foot is too pathetic; I need to get a horse.'

Thank you.

The girl nodded to the bartender and left the tavern.

I bought some dry food and water in town, and reluctantly spent a silver coin to buy a map of the surrounding area.

After a good night's sleep at the hotel, Sasha set off early in the morning.

Bambe is located northwest of Rowa. Once she knew the way, the girl braved the elements and slept in the open along the way.

Three days later, she arrived at a suspension bridge.

Looking at the clear lake water below and the dilapidated suspension bridge over the lake, Sasha even had the urge to swim across.

'Never mind, getting my clothes wet is just as much trouble.'

......................................

Carefully stepping on it, the wooden board instantly creaked.

This place hasn't been repaired in so many years...

One step, two steps, three steps, slowly, the girl moved to the center of the bridge.

Just then, a strong gust of wind suddenly swept by.

The bridge swayed back and forth, but Sasha remained completely still.

Click!

Suddenly, the wooden plank beneath her feet cracked, and the girl, startled, quickly jumped forward.

With that jump, the sword hanging at her waist fell to the ground.

? !

Before she could even think about why her sword had fallen so easily, Sasha reacted quickly and grabbed the scabbard.

Then, the scabbard in her hand sprang, and she jumped into the lake with the sword in her hand.

"..."

"........"

"Haha, clumsy woman, did you drop something in the lake?"

A tiny creature with transparent wings on its back flew out of the lake with great pride. It really was tiny, probably only the size of Sasha's palm.

"Who...who are you?"

"I am the lake fairy—Lady Jasmine!"

The little guy flew over Sasha's head and shouted, "Clumsy woman, tell me, what did you just drop?"

"A broken sword, a silver sword, or a gold sword?"

Sasha looked into the lake and saw that the water, which had been crystal clear just moments before, had somehow become murky.

Then I think of a sudden gust of wind, a wooden plank that suddenly cracks, and a sword sheath that bounces.

Without a doubt—

"It's you!"

The girl pointed at the lake fairy and said angrily, "It was you who caused this trouble. You're the one who made me lose my sword."

"Tell me, how are you going to compensate me?!"

"No, no, it's not me."

"Lady Jasmine wouldn't suddenly decide to play a trick on a human female swordsman just because she's bored and happens to see her walking on the suspension bridge!"

Isn't this just admitting guilt without being asked?

"You little vixen, how dare you deliberately lose my Lady Sasha's precious sword!"

"Why don't you quickly bring ten gold swords and ten silver swords as compensation?"

"..."

Jasmine stared blankly for a long time before saying with wide eyes, "You human have no noble character. Only noble people can receive the gifts of the lake fairy."

"A greedy fellow like you should just fall into the lake and drown!"

Click, click, click.

The wooden planks of the suspension bridge broke one after another, but Sasha was prepared and immediately pounced to grab the little imp in her hand.

"ah!"

"Let me go, let me go."

"Help, help!"

With a splash, Sasha, clutching the little fairy, fell into the lake.

..................................

grumble

Several bubbles rose to the surface of the lake, and the next moment, a hand reached out from the lake.

"cough cough"

"vomit"

Sasha learned to swim from her father when she was little and is a very good swimmer, so she shouldn't be in such a sorry state.

Unfortunately, the little demon she was holding was energetic and unruly.

After several struggles, they finally managed to get ashore.

'Damn it, I almost drowned.'

'We absolutely have to knock her out a hundred or eighty times with our golden swords!'

"Hey"

Sasha released her right hand and struck a fierce pose.

"..."

The little fairy remained silent; her hands and feet were ice-cold, and her belly was noticeably protruding.

No, really?

Aren't you a lake fairy? How could you drown!

Sasha felt a sense of absurdity, but the facts were undeniable, leaving her no choice but to believe it.

Jasmine can't just die like this. If she dies, wouldn't my sword have been lost for nothing?

The girl quickly bent down to suck the water out of Jasmine's nose, while pressing Jasmine's belly with her fingers.

One, two, three...

"cough cough cough cough"

Finally, the little fairy made a move.

After coughing up the water from her stomach, Jasmine collapsed to the ground, pale-faced.

"I'm going to die, I'm going to die—"

"You're alive again! It was me, Saliye, who saved you!"

"Damn humans!"

Jasmine jumped up: "You almost killed me! I'll never forgive you!"

"Tsk tsk tsk"

Sasha was initially angry, but then shook her head and said, "What? So the virtuous Jasmine actually wants to repay kindness with enmity?"

..................................

What kindness have you shown me?

"If it weren't for my first aid, you would probably be dead by now."

"By the way, aren't you a lake fairy?"

Sasha asked, puzzled, "How could someone drown?"

"I didn't even have time to use my underwater breathing technique before you dragged me into the water. How could I not drown!"

"In short, I saved you."

Sasha emphasized again, "If you don't repay me, I'll talk badly about you, the lake fairy, to everyone I meet."

"Not only will I speak ill of you, but I will also ask the bards in the streets to turn this into a song and have it performed throughout the entire Kingdom of Carlos!"