Helos sat by the warm tent, holding a letter stamped with the Olivias family crest.
“Winter Festival?”
Firelight reflected on her face, dyeing her pale purple eyes a soft orange-red. After more than a month of brutal special training, she still looked small and slender, but there was a newfound steadfastness and composure in her expression.
That kind of temperament could only be forged by weathering storms and crawling through life-and-death situations.
Obviously, this time Sylvia really threw her into a group of magical beasts!
If she hadn’t reacted quickly, she would have been seriously injured!
She put down the letter and looked curiously at the black-haired youth sitting by the campfire.
“What is this? How come I’ve never heard of it before?”
“Of course you haven’t.”
Julius wiped the iron sword carefully with a piece of white deerskin, not looking up.
“This is not a traditional festival of the Imperial Capital.”
He explained.
“The Winter Festival is a celebration unique to each diocese. It’s said that several hundred years ago, a disaster broke out on the continent, and people only overcame it under the guidance of a saintess and the Goddess’s oracle.”
“To commemorate that saintess and thank the Goddess for her protection, people hold this festival every deep winter.”
Julius sheathed his sword with a crisp sound.
“It’s probably a kind of thanksgiving festival.”
Helos nodded thoughtfully.
“I see. No wonder I haven’t heard of it. My family never mentioned this festival before.”
She picked up the letter again, her eyes falling on the elegant handwriting.
It was from Eleanor.
The letter was simple. Aside from the usual greetings and reminders to take care of herself, the rest of it described this upcoming grand festival.
Eleanor said that as the Saintess of the Southern Diocese, she would personally preside over this year’s Winter Festival.
And to completely overshadow that annoying Bishop Duran, she was going all out this time, planning to make the event unprecedentedly grand.
So, she hoped Helos could come.
It wasn’t just to have her sister witness her moment of glory, but also to give Helos, who was in the middle of training, a chance to relax.
“Are you going?”
Julius looked up, his dark eyes quietly watching her.
“Of course I’m going!”
Helos said without hesitation.
She carefully folded the letter and tucked it into her chest.
A sly smile curled at the corner of her lips.
“My sister invited me so warmly. How could I not go and cheer her on? Besides, I want to see what it’s like for my sister, who always locks herself in the study to deal with documents, to preside over a festival in front of so many people.”
“Maybe I’ll catch her getting nervous and messing up.”
“You little…”
Julius shook his head helplessly, but a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes.
“Since you’ve decided, let’s get ready to go.”
He stood up and brushed the dust off his clothes.
“But before that, we need to ask Teacher Sylvia for her opinion.”
Getting Sylvia’s approval wasn’t hard.
In fact, when Helos mentioned wanting to attend the Winter Festival, the ghost mentor was even more excited than she was.
“Go! Of course go!”
Sylvia floated in midair, looking eager.
“There’s not even a ghost in this damn forest. I’m going crazy! Let’s go have some fun at that festival, and maybe we can score some good wine!”
For her, although training was important, enjoying life was equally important.
And according to her, this was also part of the training—to feel the mana flow in a crowd and train perception in a noisy environment.
Since it was unanimous, the rest was simple.
The three of them didn’t linger.
After packing their gear and storing away the unused training equipment, they left the forest that had given them a hard time and set off on their journey to Orissa City, the central city of the Southern Diocese.
It was a major stronghold on the Empire’s border and the most prosperous religious center in the entire Southern Diocese.
It sat on a fertile plain, bordering the Kingdom of Faran to the south.
However, despite that, the city was still some distance from the actual border.
It wasn’t a military fortress filled with murderous intent, but a cultural city full of exotic charm and religious flavor.
The journey wasn’t short.
But for the three of them, who had just finished wilderness survival training and were physically and mentally refreshed, this distance was nothing.
They didn’t march as quickly as when they came. Instead, they traveled leisurely, enjoying the scenery like tourists.
After about a week, when the outline of a majestic white city finally appeared on the horizon, Helos let out a cheer.
“We’re here!”
She pointed at the city bathed in the sunset, excitement shining in her eyes.
Orissa City’s walls towered into the clouds, built entirely from white stone, reflecting a holy light in the sun.
At the city’s highest point, a grand cathedral stood quietly, its spire’s cross seeming to pierce the sky.
This city was one of the few Church State-style cities in the Empire.
Although there was still over a week until the Winter Festival officially began, the entire city had already fallen into a festive carnival atmosphere.
A long line formed at the city gate.
Merchants, believers, and tourists like Helos clogged the wide official road.
“So many people…”
Helos couldn’t help but exclaim at the lively sight.
“Of course.”
Julius led the horse, guarding her side to prevent the crowd from pushing her away.
“This is the annual grand event of the Southern Diocese. It’s said that during this time, Orissa City’s population doubles every year.”
“Then where will we stay?”
Helos suddenly thought of a serious problem.
“With so many people, the inns must be booked solid, right?”
“Don’t worry.”
Gavi spoke up at the right time.
She still carried that huge travel pack, but there was no sign of fatigue on her face.
“Miss Eleanor has already arranged accommodations for us. It’s a detached villa in the noble district near the cathedral. Quiet surroundings, with good security measures.”
“As expected of my sister!”
Helos sighed in relief, then grew excited again.
“Since we don’t have to worry about where to stay, let’s have some fun in this city!”
She turned to look at her two travel-worn companions, a bright smile on her face.
“Okay.”
Julius looked at her cheerful face, and the string that had been tense in his heart finally relaxed.
This period of training had indeed been too hard.
Not just Helos, but he and Gavi had also been in a state of high tension.
Now that they were finally in a safe and lively place, it was time to relax.
The three of them used their identities to smoothly enter the city through a side path.
The Olivias family crest was a pass that worked anywhere.
The guards at the city gate, upon seeing the crest, respectfully cleared a special passage for them.
Once inside the city, the festive atmosphere became even stronger.
Streets were lined with colorful flags and lanterns.
Shops displayed all kinds of goods, from exquisite crafts to tempting specialty foods.
Street performers were everywhere, with bards playing harps in the square, singing praises of the legendary saintess.
The air was filled with the aroma of grilled meat, spices, and hot wine.
“I want to eat that!”
Helos pointed at a skewer stall on the roadside, her eyes shining.
It was a specialty snack of Orissa City—magical beast meat skewers marinated in a special sauce, sizzling on charcoal fire with a mouthwatering fragrance.
“No.”
Julius refused her mercilessly.
“Have you forgotten your constitution? Eating that will give you a stomachache.”
“Ah…”
Helos’s little face instantly fell.
She almost forgot. Although after training she could sense mana, she was still helpless against the mana residue directly ingested into her body.
But seeing the girl’s pitiful expression, Julius softened.
He pointed to another stall.
“That one should be okay.”
It was a dessert stall selling sweet cakes made from local glutinous rice and fruit. Translucent and sparkling, they gave off a tempting fruity aroma.
“Really?!”
Helos’s eyes lit up again.
“Boss! I want that! One of each flavor!”
She cheered and dashed over.
For the next while, the three of them wandered through the bustling city like ordinary tourists.
Helos had clearly been pent up.
She was curious about everything.
One moment she ran off to watch acrobatics, the next she darted into an accessory shop to try on all kinds of strange jewelry.
She even dragged Gavi to play a local ring-toss game. With Gavi’s precision, which felt like cheating, they won the top prize—a giant plush bear—from the stall owner.
Julius followed behind them.
He was carrying bags of stuff—mostly snacks and trinkets Helos had bought on a whim.
He looked like a hardworking porter, but a faint smile never left his face.
He watched the two girls arguing over a hair clip.
He watched Helos’s carefree smile.
He felt that this was enough.
As long as he could protect that smile, he would willingly bear the darkness of the entire world.
“Julius! Come here!”
Suddenly, Helos turned around and waved at him vigorously.
“Look, what’s that?”
Julius walked over and followed her gaze.
At the end of the street, in a huge square, stood a magnificent statue.
It was a statue of a woman in a long robe, holding a staff.
Her face was kind, her eyes cast downward as if she were compassionately watching the people below.
On the statue’s base, an ancient inscription was carved.
In memory of the saintess who brought hope in the bitter winter—Saint Elizabeth.
“That’s—”
Julius was about to explain.
But in the next second, his eyes sharpened.
Because he saw, in the shadow of that holy statue, a very faint yet strikingly familiar green light flicker.
It wasn’t the glow of magic.
It was an existence full of corruption and distortion.
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