How did she manage to run faster than a rabbit?!
Julius stared at the empty training ground, unable to help but mutter to himself.
The Wooden Sword still seemed to retain the warmth from Helos’ palm, but she had already vanished without a trace.
Eleanor walked over slowly, her golden hair shimmering softly in the sunlight.
Tilting her head, her deep blue eyes filled with curiosity:
“What’s wrong?”
“Ah…… nothing.”
Julius quickly composed himself. The black uniform fluttered gently in the breeze, emphasizing his upright posture.
“Miss Eleanor, what brings you to the training ground?”
He shifted the topic, his voice carrying a carefully maintained calmness.
Eleanor let out a light laugh, the hem of her skirt swaying gently with her steps.
“Just taking a walk.”
She gazed toward the distant mountains, her voice suddenly softening, “I’ll be going to preach in a few days. It’ll be the first time I’m away from home for so long.”
Julius straightened his back, his fist pounding heavily against his chest with a muffled thud.
“Don’t worry, my lady!”
His voice was firm and strong, his black eyes shining with determination. “I will definitely protect your safety!”
Eleanor turned her head with a slight smile.
“Then I can rest easy.”
The Blonde Girl hesitated for a moment before adding:
“But there will be other guards accompanying me as well, so it shouldn’t be a big problem, right?”
Her voice was soft, as if speaking to herself.
Julius noticed her slender fingers unconsciously pinching the folds of her skirt — this usually composed and poised young lady was now showing rare signs of nervousness.
“There won’t be any problem.”
Julius’ voice softened slightly from usual. “I will always be by your side.”
Eleanor lifted her gaze, sunlight refracting brilliantly in her pupils.
Suddenly, she rose onto her tiptoes and lightly patted Julius on the shoulder:
“Mm! I believe in you!”
The sudden gesture caught Julius off guard.
Looking at the young lady before him, he suddenly realized — this poised and elegant Saintess Candidate was actually just a child like him, capable of feeling nervous and uneasy.
A gentle breeze brushed past, Eleanor’s golden hair drawing an elegant arc in the sunlight as it swayed lightly with her turning figure.
Julius watched her silhouette disappear at the end of the Corridor, until the golden glow was completely swallowed by shadow.
He exhaled deeply.
Suddenly—
“Hey!”
A voice exploded right behind him.
Julius froze, nearly tossing the Wooden Sword in shock.
He spun around sharply to find Helos standing just half a step behind him, her silver hair almost brushing his chest.
“You—”
Julius stepped back half a pace, his black eyes wide with surprise. “Where have you been hiding?”
Helos smugly shook her head, her hair tips sparkling in the sunlight.
“Behind those trees, of course.”
She then raised her elbow to nudge the boy in front of her, her voice tinged with teasing:
“What’s the matter? Can’t bear to be apart from your big sister?”
The tip of Julius’ ears visibly flushed red.
“What nonsense are you talking about!”
He hurriedly turned his face away. “I was just thinking…”
“Thinking what?”
Helos suddenly leaned in close, so close that Julius could see the sunlight dancing on her eyelashes. “Are you thinking, ‘Ah, if only Miss Helos could be as elegant as Miss Eleanor’?”
Her voice was clearly teasing, yet Julius found himself strangely relieved.
A mischievous smile curled on his lips, a peculiar light flickering in his eyes.
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m thinking!”
He nodded deliberately, his gaze sweeping over Helos. “Look at you compared to Miss Eleanor, you’re practically a wild girl!”
Before he could finish, a silver shadow suddenly crashed into him.
Helos charged straight into his chest, her silver hair tracing a shining streak in the sunlight.
“Ugh!”
Julius groaned, staggering back two steps.
He clutched his aching chest but couldn’t help laughing.
“See? Doesn’t this just prove it?”
Helos planted her hands on her hips, her silver hair tousled from the collision.
She rolled her eyes dramatically at the boy, her pale purple eyes sparkling in the sunlight.
Suddenly, the girl waved her hand, adopting a magnanimous air:
“Alright, I’m the bigger person here. I forgive you this time!”
But the corner of her mouth lifted into a sly smile.
“Don’t get all defensive now.”
“Shh!”
Helos suddenly raised a finger to her lips, leaning in mysteriously.
“By the way, make sure to stop by my Workshop before you leave.”
“For what?”
Julius eyed her warily but couldn’t hide his curiosity.
Helos grinned broadly, revealing two sharp little fangs.
“I’ve got something good for you~”
She bounced back a few steps, her skirt fluttering softly in the sunlight.
“I just thought of a little gadget!”
Her voice faded as she ran toward the edge of the training ground.
Helos glanced back and waved at Julius.
“I’ll start working on it as soon as we get back! Wait for my good news!”
Watching the girl’s retreating figure, Julius straightened up and sighed helplessly.
“Sigh…… Let’s just hope it doesn’t explode this time.”
***
In the days that followed, the door to Helos’ Workshop remained tightly shut.
A crooked, hand-painted Wooden Sign hung at the entrance:
“Experimental Area — No Entry for Unauthorized Persons”
From inside came the clanging of tools and occasional muffled explosions.
Every day after training, Julius would deliberately detour to pause in front of the Workshop.
His long fingers lightly traced the crooked characters on the sign — sometimes he could even hear the girl’s excited self-talk inside, and other times the sound of frustrated stomping.
Until the dusk before departure day, Julius finally saw the long-closed wooden door creak open.
Bathed in the sunset glow, Helos poked her head out, her silver hair messy and streaked with smudges of dust.
But her pale purple pupils shone astonishingly bright in the twilight.
“Finally decided to open the door?”
Julius raised an eyebrow, trying to peek inside past her shoulder — only to be blocked by Helos stepping aside.
“What’s the rush?”
She beckoned mysteriously, “Come in, I want to show you something good.”
With a puzzled look, Julius followed the girl’s steps and stepped into the Workshop again.
His eyes were immediately drawn to a small, pitch-black Rawhide Ball resting on the workbench—