【If I had even the slightest bit of magical talent, maybe she wouldn’t have died.】
In a daze, Aelia’s mind flashed with Selis’s words. In that moment, she saw the unbearable guilt and regret reflected in her eyes.
But it wasn’t Selis’s fault that she couldn’t save their mother.
She was born without talent; rushing in back then was nothing more than sending a cold corpse forward.
But Aelia was different. She had talent—and strength.
She shouldn’t leave behind such regrets.
So… stop deceiving yourself, Aelia!
Selis never had the ability to kill monsters; she stayed behind to save you!
She risked her life charging into the catacomb for you—can’t you summon the courage to do the same for her?!
You must remember, right now, the only person she can rely on is you!
……
Clang—!
Under the claws of the Jackal Demon, Aelia’s longsword slipped from her hand and flew backward.
Selis couldn’t withstand the force either; she staggered back two steps and collapsed onto the ground.
Her left sleeve was torn, revealing fair skin marred by three claw marks. Blood dripped from her arm, staining the earth red.
The Jackal Demon, sensing the girl before it had no strength left to resist, approached step by step like a victor, foul saliva dripping from its mouth.
Holding her wounded arm, Selis slowly closed her eyes.
She was quietly waiting for death.
The Jackal’s claw swung down with a stinking gust of wind, poised to tear Selis apart.
But at that critical moment, a longsword pierced from behind Selis with a decisive rush of wind, precisely blocking the deadly claw!
Sparks flew!
The girl gripping the sword held the hilt tightly with both hands.
Though her delicate body trembled, her determination was unwavering.
It was Aelia.
Tears still streaked her face, but her eyes shone with a newfound brilliance—the resolve to protect the one she cared for.
She couldn’t accept that the only person who understood and protected her would die for her.
Selis opened her eyes in astonishment and worry when she saw her.
“Aelia? You—you came back…”
“Because I don’t want to leave any regrets!”
Taking a deep breath, she fixed her gaze on the charging Jackal Demon, suppressing her fear while recalling the weaknesses of such monsters and the Knight’s Sword Technique.
The next second, the Jackal Demon charged at her!
“Slash!”
Aelia shouted, swinging her knight’s sword fiercely.
A brilliant sword light flashed, cleaving the Jackal Demon in two midair.
Warm blood splattered all over her.
After a brief daze, she shakily looked at the demon’s corpse, barely able to believe it.
“Aelia, you did it!”
Following her words was Selis’s embrace.
As the Empire’s Saintess, Selis paid no mind to the dirt on Aelia’s body.
She held her tightly, pressing her head to Aelia’s back, listening to her heartbeat.
This sudden embrace snapped Aelia out of her stupor.
Feeling the warmth from the Saintess, she blushed and whispered softly:
“Yes… I actually did it…”
“I knew you could! Come on, let’s go home.”
Selis reached out her right hand to Aelia with a radiant smile like a blooming flower.
Aelia took her hand and nodded firmly.
“Mm!”
……
Outside the Hecate Monster Dungeon, a dozen young female knights sat around a campfire, their expressions unusually grave.
“Do you think she can really come out of the Monster Catacomb?”
“Saintess Selis has gone in to save her, so she definitely can, right?”
“But I heard the Saintess doesn’t have much magical talent?”
No one responded.
Only the crackling of the campfire filled the air.
They had been waiting here for almost a full day, and the longer time dragged on, the more uncertain their hearts became.
Could Aelia really come out of the catacomb?
“She’s out! They’re coming out!”
Someone shouted.
Everyone’s eyes immediately fixed on the Monster Catacomb entrance, where two figures emerged, supporting each other.
“Aelia!”
“It’s so good to see you safe!”
“Are you hurt? What happened in there?”
At the sight of her, everyone rejoiced and quickly surrounded her with concerned questions.
Selis quietly stepped back, watching them with a faint, unnoticed tired smile at the corner of her mouth.
Then, she leaned alone against a nearby tree trunk, clutching her injured left arm, exhaling softly as she closed her eyes to gather strength.
Here, the world’s noise seemed to have no bearing on her.
The Captain of the Rose Knights, the blonde-haired girl Leanna, scanned the scene sharply.
Unlike the others who rushed toward Aelia, she searched for the white-clad figure.
Seeing Selis resting against the tree, her brows furrowed deeply.
A mixture of respect, pity, and anger surged within her.
She pushed past several knights blocking her way and hurried to Selis’s side.
Then she bent down, placing her right hand over her heart, kneeling on one knee with solemn respect.
“Lady Selis, the Rose Knights will remember this loyalty.”
Leanna’s voice was filled with undeniable reverence and unmistakable concern.
Everyone present heard her clearly.
The young knights who had been chattering about Aelia’s condition fell silent.
Indeed, the only reason Aelia had returned from the catacomb was because of Selis.
Yet, they had all first rushed to Aelia’s side…
Realizing this, shame flushed across the girls’ faces.
“It’s nothing. It’s what I should do.”
Selis waved her hand nervously and smiled.
It was then that Leanna noticed the wound on Selis’s left arm.
“You’re hurt?”
“It’s just a small wound, easily treated.”
Selis turned slightly, using her right hand to cover the injury.
Silver hair cascaded over her shoulder, hiding half of her profile but making her appear even more fragile.
Leanna took out a bottle of potion from her pouch.
“This is a healing potion. It will mend your wound. Please accept it.”
“Oh? No, no. This potion was given to you by Isavel. It’s precious. My wound… huh?”
“Excuse me.”
Ignoring Selis’s words, Leanna grasped her wrist, pulling her gently into an embrace.
Surprised, Selis watched as Leanna uncorked the potion and applied it to her injury.
In her arms, Selis was like a gentle little rabbit, bowing her head and not daring to move as Leanna wrapped the wound with a bandage.
After finishing, Selis blushed as she left Leanna’s embrace but shot her a fierce glare.
Insubordination—such disrespect!
Yet, the fierceness she imagined and the fierceness she actually showed were two different things.
Like an angry rabbit, no matter how fierce she looked, it was only cute.
Leanna remained completely oblivious to how improper her actions were.
“Will Lady Selis be punished afterward? After all, Lady Isavel said whoever helps Aelia shares the same guilt.”
“Leanna worried about me?”
Selis placed her hands behind her back, suddenly stepping close and smiling.
Leanna, unsure why she was so close, instinctively turned her head away.
But despite that, the Saintess’s breath still brushed her neck, causing her cheeks to flush for no reason.
Her voice dropped to a barely audible whisper.
“Mm.”
Satisfied, Selis chuckled and turned, walking into the dark Forest.
Before leaving, she waved her hand and called back:
“Don’t worry. We’re both Saintesses. She won’t do anything to me.”
Her voice faded with her departure.
Only then did Leanna gradually come back to her senses from the Saintess’s intimacy.
“Captain, didn’t see that coming, huh? Things moving so fast?”
“When did you two get together? How come we didn’t know?”
“Tell us! We want to hear the story!”
Realizing the young knights nearby were giving her suggestive looks, she finally understood that Saintess Selis had been teasing her.
Their relationship was purely innocent!
Leanna shot them a sharp glare.
Only after Aelia and the others had fully dispersed did Leanna look back toward where Saintess Selis had disappeared.
Her right hand pressed over her heart, her expression slowly grew heavy.
With Lady Isavel’s temperament, would Selis really be okay?
Shaking her head, she secretly held an answer deep in her heart.