At the sight of the so-called Holy Maiden of the Church, even Jody—reborn twice over—could not help but inhale sharply.
Beautiful… overwhelmingly beautiful.
Her pristine white gown could not conceal the lithe elegance of her figure; each step she took was as graceful as a fox gliding through moonlight. Yet it was her eyes that were most bewildering. For the first time, Jody felt the intoxicating allure of a gaze that seemed to weave a spell of its own. She expressed no emotion, yet their simple exchange of looks carried an almost hypnotic power, as if her very presence could ensnare the soul.
This was no mere Holy Maiden—dress her in black leather and give her wings, and she would be a top-tier succubus incarnate.
Of course, Jody only dared think this privately; outwardly, he concealed any trace of astonishment.
The Holy Maiden approached slowly, her gaze fixed solely on Jody, ignoring Ellie entirely. She spoke softly:
"You two seem to be from the Magic Academy. Just now, I was the one under attack; my guards were alarmed and inadvertently offended you. I apologize on their behalf. This poisonous rain is likely a divine reprimand. Let us both step back today, and I shall visit the Academy in the future to properly extend my apologies."
The knight beside her shifted forward, evidently unwilling to fully acquiesce, but a single glance from the Holy Maiden quelled him. He lowered his head, silent.
Jody, unwilling to prolong the formalities, glanced at Ellie before replying:
"Your pardon, Holy Maiden. We are but fledgling mages; when the assassins appeared, we could offer little aid. Please do not hold it against us."
"You jest, young mage," she said lightly. "I am unscathed, but dragging innocents into peril—that would be a sin even the gods could not forgive. Yet, I see that both of you, despite your youth, possess remarkable magical talent. Have you not yet shared your knowledge?"
Jody waved his hand modestly. "I am but a rustic lad from the countryside, newly arrived in the capital. You may call me Jody." He smiled, innocuous and harmless.
Ellie remained expressionless, simply replying, "Ellino."
The Holy Maiden paid no heed, inclining her head ever so slightly. "Then we shall part ways here." She turned to leave.
Jody blurted, without thinking, "And your name?"
A volley of sharp, questioning gazes fell upon him, yet the Holy Maiden dismissed them with a wave of her hand, then looked back with a smile:
"Maizi. My name is Maizi."
…
"…Still thinking about her, even though she's walked away!" Ellie smacked Jody on the head. "What, has a single Holy Maiden bewitched you?"
"Not at all," Jody rubbed his head, "but she is remarkable, truly."
"Oh? In what way?" Ellie pondered. "I'd heard of her before, but this is my first time seeing her."
"Firstly, throughout the ambush, she remained perfectly composed within the carriage. Either she has absolute confidence in her guards or unwavering faith in her own strength."
Ellie nodded. "The Church's Sacred Warriors are indeed formidable, reputed even for their indomitable will. For her to ascend to Holy Maiden, her magical aptitude must be exceptional. And secondly?"
"Secondly, that knight attempted to strike me with the broken sword—whether to test or assert dominance. If he denied intent, there was no proof, so I conjured a little… 'divine retribution' of my own. Maizi understood that; neither of us could act overtly without losing leverage. Yet she claimed it was 'divine punishment,' cleverly gilding her own image. That showed her temperament, which I must admit gives me pause."
Ellie's curiosity sharpened. "So that poisonous rain… how did you manage it? You can sense water elements? And it corrodes armor?"
Jody merely smiled, remaining silent.
Ellie turned her head, sighing in resignation. "Fine, I won't ask. And thirdly?"
"Thirdly," Jody's expression darkened, "didn't you notice the second knight on the carriage? From start to finish, he did not intervene at all."
…
"Can you discern their strength?" Maizi, now mounted on the carriage in place of her knight, asked with a hint of deference.
"That woman is undoubtedly a high-level mage, but the young man—I cannot quite gauge him," came the reply.
"And the rain—was that a spell?" she inquired further.
He shook his head and remained silent.
The knight who had acted carried the unconscious assassin on foot, his expression still one of unyielding defiance.
…
"Alright, senior, thanks for blocking that strike and covering me. But the opponent is a high-level martial artist—if it came to a real fight, could you manage?"
"This is the capital; no one's going to start a fight so easily," Ellie replied with her usual playful tone. "Besides, with all the commotion I caused, do you think the instructors could miss it?"
Jody conceded silently.
The two resumed strolling through the streets, though the previous turmoil had left the avenue unusually quiet. Around the next corner, Ellie halted before a shop.
"We're here," she said.
Jody looked up at the sign: Dada Smithy.
"You mentioned wanting to learn martial techniques, so I'm gifting you a weapon—a token of thanks." She strode inside.
Jody followed, taking in the array of armaments: blades, swords, and spears predominated, reflecting the era's martial preferences.
"May I choose freely?" he asked, noting that, while these ironworks could not rival modern metallurgy, their craftsmanship surpassed the standard of this age.
Ellie smiled at his careful inspection. "Dada's is one of the capital's finest smithies, its master recognized as the greatest swordsmith in the land. But the gift for you is not from the display; follow me." She led him further into the inner hall.
Staff at the front were attending other customers. As Ellie passed, they recognized her, bowing deeply. "Lady Ellino, you honor us with your presence!"
Ellie nodded gracefully and entered the inner hall.