The morning sun had just pierced through the mist of dawn, creeping over the eaves of the duke’s mansion.
Helos stretched lazily in her hammock, rubbed her eyes, and yawned as she walked into her workshop.
Upon entering, her gaze immediately fell upon Gavi in the center of the room.
The golem stood there silently. One half of its doll-like face was joined with a cold mask, and the ruby necklace around its neck flickered with a faint, ethereal glow.
Gavi seemed to sense her arrival. It tilted its head slightly, looking toward Helos as she approached.
“Gavi, I’m heading out for training.”
She stepped forward and gently patted Gavi’s arm, as if comforting a silent child. “Stay here in the workshop like a good girl. Wait for me to come back, and then I’ll continue your upgrades.”
Gavi did not respond, but the points of light within its hollow eye sockets flickered briefly, as if in reply to her words.
Helos paused for a moment before simply smiling. She threw on her cloak and pushed the door open to leave.
***
Soon after, she arrived at Martha’s workshop.
The scent of iron and fire filled the air, the rhythmic clanging of hammers rang out, and waves of heat rolled through the space.
“Yo, Second Young Lady. Is the golem finished? Any problems with it?”
Milda looked up, her forehead glistening with sweat. Her leather vest was already soaked through.
“It’s good. No major issues.”
Helos nodded and walked straight to the counter, placing a heavy pouch of coins on the surface. “This is the payment for crafting the Golem Parts. It’s 120,000 Soli in total.”
Milda blinked in surprise, her brow furrowing. “120,000? Are you crazy? Even with the labor fees, these parts are only worth 70,000 or 80,000 at most. You should take the rest back.”
“No need. Keep it.”
Helos shook her head, her silver hair swaying slightly in the light. Her tone was exceptionally firm. “You all put so much effort into this. This amount isn’t much at all.”
Milda fell silent for a moment. Looking into the girl’s stubborn, almost defiant eyes, she finally let out a sigh.
“Fine. Since you feel that way, I won’t be polite about it.”
She took the heavy pouch from Helos, her voice turning solemn. “I’ll remember this favor, second young lady. If you ever need anything else crafted in the future, just come to me. No matter what it is, I’ll do my best to finish it for you.”
The corners of Helos’s mouth curled into a smile, and she gave a light nod. “Mhm. Then it’s a promise.”
***
After leaving Martha’s Workshop, Helos hurried back to The Cathedral without stopping.
Because of Gavi, she had already been delayed for a few days. She had expected a scolding from Cedric, but surprisingly, he didn’t say much.
Instead, over the following days, he silently doubled her training load.
“Hah… Hah…”
The blade rose and fell again and again. Sweat dripped from her cheeks and onto the stone tiles.
“Te—Teacher, I’m going to die —”
Finally, Helos collapsed onto the ground, staring up at the sky while her very fingertips trembled.
Julius, standing nearby, couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Is that all you’ve got? You’re giving up already?”
“Shut up!”
Helos let out a harsh shout. She originally wanted to punch the guy standing next to her, but her arms were so heavy she could barely lift them.
Just then, Cedric’s voice drifted over from the other side of the training ground. “Complaining is pointless. If you truly wish to defeat Werner, you must learn to force out new possibilities while at your limit.”
She had intended to drink a bottle of vigor potion to ease the fatigue, but Cedric stopped her.
“The effect of that potion is indeed powerful, but you cannot rely on it during your daily training. Otherwise, if you ever lose access to your potions, your strength will be cut in half.”
“Fine…”
Helos grit her teeth, her eyes shining with stubbornness. Even though her arms ached so much she could barely grip her sword, she raised it once more.
This sight made even Julius sigh in admiration. “You really do have some tenacity. Unlike me—I’m going to have to take a break.”
“Teacher! Julius is constantly talking and distracting me from my training!”
“Julius, your training load for today is doubled.”
“Eh?!”
***
Night slowly descended.
Helos finally collapsed on the training ground, her arms aching so much she couldn’t lift them at all.
“That’s enough for today.”
Cedric withdrew his gaze, his deep voice echoing across the field.
“Hah… Hah… Finally…”
Helos lay flat on her back, her long hair fanned out, her clothes long since soaked with sweat.
Julius walked over and reached out a hand with a smile to pull her up. “Come on, let’s head back and get some rest. You really pushed yourself today.”
“Mhm…”
Helos managed a faint smile, her eyes curving with a hint of mischief despite her weak, soft voice. “I didn’t expect a guy like you to actually have a gentlemanly side.”
“Are you kidding? I’ve always been a gentleman, okay?” Julius raised an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth curling into a confident arc.
“Then how about you carry me back?”
Helos suddenly blinked, her voice light and half-joking. “I’m seriously too tired to walk.”
“Uh…”
Julius froze instantly. His gaze shifted back and forth between her playful expression and her still-trembling calves.
After a moment of silence, he let out a helpless sigh and shrugged. He crouched down with his back to Helos and nodded. “Fine. Just this once, though.”
Helos’s eyes lit up, and a smile bloomed on her face.
She threw herself onto Julius’s back without hesitation. Although it was a bit shameful to let a 12-year-old Squire carry her, she was past the point of caring.
“You’re actually pretty heavy.”
“Nonsense! I’m not heavy at all!”
While Helos was training desperately these past few days, a strange occurrence had begun to manifest in her Workshop—something she was entirely unaware of.
Eleanor knew her younger sister had been at The cathedral receiving swordsmanship instruction and hadn’t returned for a long time.
Worried that the workshop would become covered in dust, she ordered a maid to go and clean it.
“Remember, do not move the things inside. Just clear away the dust,” the Duchess specifically warned before the maid left.
She was worried the maid might accidentally touch something she shouldn’t and blow the workshop up. After all, Helos’s workshop was, in some ways, just as mysterious as Eisende’s Library.
Though the maid felt reluctant, she pushed open the worn wooden door.
At first glance, she nearly screamed in terror.
Gavi stood motionless in the center of the workshop.
The half-doll face joined with the cold mask stared back, and the points of light in the doll’s hollow eye sockets flickered, as if gazing at the sudden intruder.
‘Scared me to death… What on earth is this thing…?’
The maid clutched her chest, her heart racing wildly.
However, once she realized there was no immediate danger, her curiosity overcame her nerves. She cautiously circled Gavi, nearly dropping her dusting rag.
“This doll is actually quite exquisite… But what is it? Why would the second young lady build something like this?”
“Ooh, this necklace looks quite valuable.”
As she became immersed in inspecting the doll, she failed to notice that the points of light in the doll’s eyes were slowly turning a deep, ghostly red.
Gavi remained standing there silently, but its gaze seemed to be fixed on the maid, tracking her every movement.
Upon the doll’s neck, the ruby necklace pulsed as if it were alive. The light deep within its eye sockets gradually burned into an eerie red flame.
The maid paid no attention to this. After staring for a long while, she began her cleaning, grumbling to herself.
“Honestly, why is there so much dust here? And they only sent one person to clean it…”
The points of red light flickered coldly, like a hidden fire.
Before it, the maid continued to hum a little tune as she looked down to sweep the floor, entirely unaware of the anomaly behind her.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.
Life! Unholy life?