A flicker of obvious regret flashed in Milda’s eyes, her expression as though she were mourning a peerless work of art missing the chance to be polished into a divine artifact.
But she was not the type of person to force others into things.
After hearing Helos’s request to only add hidden arm blades to Gavi, she simply let out a soft sigh and readily agreed.
“Fine. Since you’ve already decided, I’ll do as you ask.”
She re-examined Gavi’s arms, her fingertips tracing invisible lines in the air as the prototype of the design began to take shape in her mind.
“The structure isn’t too complicated. Give me a few days, and I should have the finished product ready.”
“Then I’ll leave it to you, Sister Milda.”
Helos breathed a sigh of relief, a genuine smile spreading across her face. She had actually been afraid that this bold dark elf blacksmith would insist on the “total body modification” plan.
“It’s a simple matter.”
Milda waved her hand dismissively, then seemed to remember something. She cast a teasing glance at Gavi.
“But seriously, this ‘maid’ of yours is more perfect than any weapon I’ve ever seen. If you ever change your mind, you can come find me any time.”
Gavi seemed to understand the statement, instinctively shrinking back behind Helos. On that half-painted face, a few hints of human-like “wariness” actually flickered.
“Haha, she seems quite afraid of you.”
Julius, watching from the side, couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Is she?”
Milda quirked an eyebrow in feigned surprise, a glimmer of amusement in her green eyes. “I thought I was being perfectly kind and approachable.”
After finalizing the details, Milda left the duke’s mansion with efficient haste.
She didn’t linger, only leaving Helos with the words “wait for my good news” before her departing figure looked as dashing as an adventurer about to embark on a journey.
With Milda’s departure, silence once again returned to the courtyard outside the workshop.
Helos stretched lazily, feeling a wave of relaxation wash over her entire body. With a temporary solution for the golem in place, it felt like she could finally relax for the next few days.
“Whew — I can finally catch my breath.”
She turned to look at Julius, a sly smile on her face. “What do you think? Since Milda hasn’t finished the items yet, can we take it a bit easy for the next few days?”
“Take it easy?”
Julius repeated the phrase, then shook his head helplessly. “I don’t think so. Even though Master Cedric has left for now, the training tasks he left behind haven’t decreased one bit.”
“Oh, don’t be so rigid.”
Helos leaned in and nudged his waist with her elbow. “Don’t you understand the concept of balancing work and rest?”
“Besides, once Gavi’s new weapons arrive, we’ll be challenging Werner. How are we supposed to fight if we don’t recharge our batteries now?”
Julius wavered slightly at her words.
He looked at the clouds drifting lazily across the horizon and felt the rare warmth of the winter sun. The tightly wound string in his heart indeed loosened a fraction.
“Fine…” He finally compromised, a bitter smile touching his lips. “We’ll rest for a few days. But it’s a deal — only a few days.”
“Yay!”
Helos cheered happily and turned to look at Gavi. “Gavi, you’re on vacation too!”
The points of light in Gavi’s eye sockets flickered. Although she didn’t speak, the slight tilt of her head seemed to carry an undetectable trace of joy.
Just as the three of them were planning to find some fun during this rare period of leisure, a gentle and familiar voice shattered the tranquility.
“It seems I’ve come at a bad time. Am I interrupting your vacation?”
Eleanor’s figure appeared at the other end of the courtyard. She was dressed in a simple, elegant white dress and draped in a thick, fluffy fur shawl.
Her long golden hair shimmered with a soft glow under the sunlight, and a faint smile played on her lips as she slowly walked toward them.
“Sister?”
Helos froze for a moment before rushing to meet her. “What are you doing here?”
“I heard from Lille that you had returned to the mansion, so I came to check on you.”
Eleanor’s gaze lingered on Helos for a moment before scanning Julius and Gavi. Her azure eyes held a hint of concern. “Was your special training at the Cathedral these past few months… successful?”
“Of course it was!”
Helos puffed out her chest, looking triumphant. “My Swordsmanship has improved by leaps and bounds. Even Julius is almost no match for me anymore!”
Hearing this, Julius turned his head away, giving her a speechless look. But the girl remained perfectly confident — or rather, confidently wrong.
“Is that so?”
Eleanor smiled softly, clearly not taking the claim seriously but playing along. “That’s wonderful. From the looks of it, you’re planning to rest for a few days?”
“That’s right,” Helos nodded. “As soon as Milda delivers Gavi’s new weapons, we’re preparing to challenge Werner!”
Upon hearing the words “challenge Werner,” the smile on Eleanor’s face stiffened slightly, replaced by a hesitant expression. She seemed to want to say something, but the words died on her lips as she slightly furrowed her brows.
Helos immediately noticed something was wrong.
“What is it, Sister?” she asked curiously. “Is something inappropriate?”
Julius also noticed the change in Eleanor’s expression, and his heart tightened slightly. Eleanor hesitated for a moment before finally letting out a soft sigh.
She looked around to ensure no one else was present before lowering her voice, her expression turning solemn.
“Regarding the challenge against Werner… I spoke with him a few days ago.”
“Oh? What did he say?” Helos’s interest was instantly piqued.
“He said that he would naturally obey Father’s orders. If you can truly gain his recognition, Father will certainly agree to let you hunt magical beasts.”
Eleanor paused, a complex expression crossing her face. “However, after that, Father secretly gave him an extra instruction.”
“An extra instruction?” Julius frowned.
Eleanor nodded, her gaze turning to Helos, her blue eyes filled with worry. “Father said that even if your strength gains Werner’s recognition, you still haven’t fully passed the test.”
“What?!”
Helos’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What else do we have to do?”
Eleanor took a deep breath and spoke slowly.
“You must also pass a Monster Knowledge Test. Werner will personally set the questions.”
“If you know nothing about the targets you are about to hunt, then even if your strength passes, Father will never allow you to step a single foot out of the city gates. At the very least, you must know what a magical beast actually is.”
The courtyard instantly fell into a dead silence.
Helos stood frozen in place, her mouth slightly agape, unable to close it for a long time.
She had originally thought that as long as they passed Werner’s practical combat test, the plan to hunt magical beasts would be set in stone. She never expected this to come out of nowhere.
“You’ve got to be kidding me…”
She finally found her voice and couldn’t help but roll her eyes dramatically, her tone full of complaint. “What is this? Why is this being split into an interview and a written exam?”
Looking at her, Eleanor felt both amused and sympathetic. She could only explain helplessly, “Father is doing this for your safety.”
“Hunting magical beasts requires more than just brute force. Understanding their habits and weaknesses is the only way to truly survive in the wild.”
“I understand the logic…”
Helos waved her hand weakly. She understood her father’s intentions, of course, but this sudden “placement exam” still made her head spin.
Her gaze instinctively turned toward Julius, only to see the black-haired youth standing there with a bewildered expression, scratching the back of his head.
From that foolish look on his face, his understanding of the subject of “magical beasts” was clearly no higher than hers.
‘We’re doomed.’
Helos wailed in her heart. ‘Hoping for this idiot to help is probably hopeless.’
She let out a long, heavy sigh, a sound filled with deep mourning for her short-lived vacation. The girl looked up at the grey-blue sky and, in an incredibly heavy tone, announced the end of their holiday.
“Julius, it seems our leisure time has come to an end.”
She turned and patted Julius on the shoulder, her eyes filled with the sympathy and resolve of one sharing a common fate with a brother-in-arms.
“Let’s go, my squire. Don’t just stand there; we must start tutoring immediately to deal with this placement exam —”
Oh not a written exam.