Chapter 211: Is approaching

When Helos woke up groggily from that chaotic and deep sleep, she felt her body as heavy as lead.

The girl’s eyelids seemed to weigh a thousand pounds. It took a great effort for her to barely open them into a slit.

The daylight outside the window filtered through the curtains, somewhat dazzling, making her squint uncomfortably.

Her throat felt dry enough to smoke, and her mind was still fuzzy, as if filled with thick paste.

The excruciating pain that had felt like her soul was being torn apart lingered in her memory, causing her to let out a painful moan.

Helos slowly turned her stiff neck, trying to find her puppet maid in her blurry vision.

She wanted water.

She called Gavi’s name in a dry, hoarse voice.

The next second, a soft touch came from her arm.

A warm, slender hand with elastic skin gently held her arm, as if checking her condition.

This touch… no.

Helos’s still slow mind tensed up instantly.

This isn’t Gavi!

Gavi’s arm was hard metal, cold armor—absolutely not this soft and warm touch!

She tried to open her eyes wide, but the weakness after such intense pain left her powerless.

All she could sense was that the “stranger” gently placed a pillow behind her back, helping her sit up halfway. Then, a cool cup rim pressed against her lips, and the moistness of water came.

Helos’s thirst overrode everything.

She didn’t bother to think about who this stranger was; she just greedily swallowed the life-saving liquid.

The cool warm water slid down her burning throat, finally clearing her confused mind a bit.

It wasn’t until she drank the last drop that Helos suddenly realized the gravity of the situation.

She pushed away the soft hand that had given her water with a bang, shrinking back desperately, her back hitting hard against the wooden headboard.

She finally opened her eyes completely, her pale purple eyes full of vigilance and confusion, staring intently at the “uninvited guest” in front of the bed.

“Who are you?!”

She exclaimed.

“Where’s Gavi? How did you get in?!”

Standing before her bed was a strange girl she had never seen before.

She was a petite blonde girl, seemingly the same age as herself.

She had deep golden hair as smooth as a waterfall, now shimmering with a faint luster.

Her features were delicate, her skin fair, and she silently watched Helos with a pair of gray eyes that seemed hollow.

The girl wore a simple dress—neither the academy uniform nor the maid’s attire of the duke’s mansion.

Wait, that skirt looks kind of familiar?

Hold on, no, why are you even stealing my maid’s clothes to wear?!

The girl showed no panic or surprise.

Faced with Helos’s series of hostile questions, the blonde girl moved with a steadiness that didn’t make a single extra sound. She quietly placed the cup Helos had pushed away back on the table.

Then she turned around to face Helos.

In those clear blue eyes, there seemed to flash a hint of… helplessness?

She tilted her head slightly and let out a soft sigh.

That sigh was very light, carrying a feeling of “I knew this would happen.”

The strange blonde girl seemed to have predicted everything.

Then, she spoke.

Her voice was crisp and pleasant, like wind chimes, but her tone was flat without any inflection, carrying a peculiar calmness.

The blonde girl looked at Helos and said slowly:

“I am Gavi, Master.”

In that instant, the air solidified.

All expressions on Helos’s face—whether vigilance, confusion, or panic—froze completely.

Her pale purple eyes widened in disbelief, and her brain went blank with a buzz.

‘Did I sleep too long and turn stupid?’

‘What… what did she say?’

‘She’s Gavi?’

Helos felt as if the earlier mental shock had fried her brain as well.

She looked at the unfamiliar girl in front of her—blonde, gray-eyed, fair-skinned.

What did this have in common with her puppet golem, which had a metal body, half a mask, and glowing dots in its eye sockets?!

Helos’s gaze unconsciously swept frantically over the girl.

She tried to find even a trace of “Gavi” in this girl.

Then, she saw it.

Her gaze locked onto the girl’s face.

The contour of that face… the straight nose bridge, the soft lip line, the delicate chin…

Helos’s pupils contracted sharply!

She finally recognized it!

This face was clearly the “complete version” of Gavi’s painted half-face puppet!

Although there used to be only half a face, now the cold metal mask and paint had completely disappeared, replaced by a flawless, exquisite face!

Helos felt her worldview shatter at that moment.

She extended a trembling finger, pointing at the “girl Gavi,” who was quietly tilting her head, looking at her with an innocent expression.

Her voice turned sharp and piercing from sheer shock, even cracking on the word “you.”

“Y-y-y-y-you—

You’re Gavi?!”

***

Southern Diocese jurisdiction.

“Mr. Julius, thank you for your help.”

The priest sighed as he looked at the cold-faced black-haired young man in front of him.

“If not for you, we might still be fooled by those cultists.”

“The Southern Diocese is the most stable region, and the number of these cultists isn’t large. But these secret societies… their strength is far above those elsewhere.”

Julius looked at the inhuman remains on the ground and said coldly:

“Speaking of which, why isn’t Eleanor, being the Saintess, at the diocesan headquarters? Is she still in Olivius City?”

The priest wiped the sweat from his forehead and hesitated:

“Well… it’s a long story.”

“Miss Eleanor is Duke Eisend’s treasured daughter. As you know, if Duke Eisend doesn’t give the nod, even the Pope can’t force Miss Eleanor to take the helm.”

“Besides, Miss Eleanor is still young, and normally, very few incidents occur in the Southern Diocese, so…”

“But cultists have infiltrated to this extent. Even if Miss Eleanor isn’t here, are you people just sitting on your hands?”

Julius frowned and said sternly:

“Doesn’t Bishop Duran care about this at all?”

“He… ahem… you’d better not ask.”

The priest’s forehead was covered in sweat, as if mentioning a forbidden name.

“We’ve actually been doing our best, but… as you can see, these cultists’ strength far exceeds ours.”

“We’re simply unable to do more.”

Just as Julius was about to say something else, the priest quickly spoke up and whispered to him:

“If possible, given your status, you might be able to get Miss Eleanor to take charge.”

“Though she’s young, behind her stands the Olivias Family—and even the Imperial Royal Family. You should understand what I mean, right?”

“I understand. I’ll go to Olivius City to speak with the Duke.”

“That would be for the best.”

The priest nodded and suddenly thought of something, reminding him:

“Oh, by the way, I should warn you that Miss Eleanor is not in Olivius City right now.”

“Hmm? Then where is she?”

“She went to the imperial capital, Asgard, and is now studying at the Royal Magic Academy.”

“If you need to find her, you can go directly there.”