[Vol. 8] Chapter 268: Both Teacher and Friend
The young man smiled and did not try to hide or avoid the topic. He simply nodded slightly.
“I’ve long heard that the newest generation Judgment Saintess of the Holy Empire is a true genius. Back then, when you were only about twenty, you already witnessed a legend and became the wielder of the [Judgement Holy Sword]. You’ve had great victories and made your name feared everywhere. Now that I see you in person, I think the rumors were not exaggerated at all. In fact, they were a little too modest.”
“To cross that great barrier and transform yourself when you’re only about thirty years old… not only among all past Judgment Saintesses, but even in the whole Holy Empire, or the whole world in hundreds of years, few could match you. Lady Frederica, you are indeed far more outstanding than those before you. The Goddess Church has truly produced a rare talent.”
The Saintess’s expression became serious.
If someone knew her true identity, yet could still speak to her calmly like a senior giving advice, without arrogance but also without fear, it meant that person had an extraordinary background and confidence. His true age was likely the same as Lady Violet’s, far from what his youthful face suggested.
And he had instantly seen through the truth about her current power. Even she, who had only just broken through into a higher realm, could keep her appearance at its youthful peak. So how much more so for the man who had supposedly surpassed that realm over a hundred years ago?
“You… are you really the one known as the only living Saint in this age, founder of the Swift Wind Style, the strongest in the Austre Empire, the Swift Wind Sword Saint, Bevis Bernard?”
“That’s a bit too many titles, don’t you think?”
Bevis chuckled and shook his head, but he did not deny it.
“Sword Saint is a fancy enough name, and I suppose not many would dare to pretend to be one. But as for being the ‘only’ or the ‘strongest’… I can’t accept such praise. There are far more mysteries and strong people in this world than what is seen on the surface. My road is still long.”
Seeing that Frederica seemed doubtful and did not reply right away, the Sword Saint quickly smiled again in a gentle way.
“You don’t have to worry, Your Holiness the Saintess. Even though people often call me the Austre Empire’s number one warrior, that’s only because my training hall happens to be there, and I spend more time working and making contacts in that area.”
“I’m not actually from the Austre Empire, and my students come from all over the world. I’ve never shown bias or discrimination, and I have no wish to take part in disputes between the two nations. This time, I’m just here to deal with some old matters and take a casual walk through the Holy Empire to relax.”
Since he had made his position so clear, Frederica could not press him further. She glanced at the student standing beside Bevis. Although the young man’s aura was indeed quite weak, only slightly stronger than a true ordinary person, which seemed unfitting for the student of a Sword Saint, she decided not to meddle in another person’s affairs.
“If that’s the case, then please make yourselves comfortable. As long as you don’t do anything extreme or break our laws, the Purple Mist City welcomes all guests from afar.”
Then she turned toward the Lightborn tribe girl who seemed somewhat unhealthy. This time she did not need Lady Violet to introduce them, and she nodded slightly on her own.
“We meet again, Miss Ayla. I didn’t expect you to come to this border battlefield as well.”
As one of the Three Saintesses and the highest authority in the Holy Empire, Frederica naturally knew the identity and appearance of every chosen hero, including this one, the Hero of Wisdom.
After the trial for the Chosen Heroes ended, each hero, with help from the church, chose their own assistants and left the Holy Capital. They went on training journeys or to find their mentors. Only Miss Ayla was an exception.
Because of her special skills, she didn’t leave the Angel City. Instead, she stayed there, using the artifact given by the Goddess to study day and night. At first, the church wanted to send her to the academic city, Sainz, for further study. But when the war with the Austre Empire began, it became unsafe for a hero to cross the border alone, and Ayla herself had no interest in going. So, they gave up on that plan.
Only a certain priestess in the group knew that, in a way, the one called Eilush was actually Ayla’s “hero mentor”, one of the very few people in the world who could truly help the “Hero of Wisdom.”
The two first met by chance.
As a doll without a lifespan limit or need for food, Eilush wandered the world freely after being separated from Violet and the others in the Ten Thousand Demons Mountains. She traveled here and there, seeing many things, and always looking for inspiration for her new inventions. Life was quite carefree.
Later, during the Fourth Demon War, Edwina Cecilia led thousands of elite troops across the dangerous Star River and attacked the enemy from behind, becoming one of the key turning points of the war. In that battle, the “Artificial Flying Wings” played an important role and became a hot topic of discussion everywhere.
When Eilush heard about this during her travels, the more she listened, the more it sounded like the flying wings she had invented. Curious, she went to the Holy Capital to see for herself.
There, through certain channels, she met Ayla, who also loved academic research. They hit it off right away, became friends, and decided to live in the Holy Capital together.
Later, because of a failed experiment, Eilush’s laboratory exploded. Although she was an artificial doll with power equal to legendary level beings, meaning even such an accident couldn’t truly kill her, she still temporarily lost the ability to move. So Ayla had to take her in and began looking everywhere for materials to “heal” her.
This was why, before the Chosen Heroes’ trial began, the scholar Ayla often had contact with the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild, and why Violet happened to notice her.
After gaining Ayla’s trust, the priestess soon met a certain fool lying in bed groaning “ow ow ow.” For normal creatures, repairing her damage was nearly impossible, but for another doll made by the same great creator, it wasn’t a big problem.
Using the space teleportation gate left in the Ten Thousand Demons Mountains, Violet took Eilush back to the Spirit Puppet Forest, which had since grown to several times its size and was now home to tens of thousands of Spirit Puppets. There, Eilush was personally repaired (and scolded) by her elder sister, Ini.
After recovering her full energy, she shamelessly followed the priestess back to the Holy Capital to continue research.
Because she had no interest in things like being a hero or glory, she never appeared on the stage of that grand event. But even Violet had to admit, although most of Eilush’s inventions were strange and impractical, sometimes she did make something truly useful.
For example, the “Flying Wing Troops” that had become one of the Holy Empire’s key trump cards.