Chapter 13: The Saintess’s Spatial Gift and the Vigilant Captain

She had certainly lingered in the cemetery for a considerable while. However, the true exhaustion stemmed from the almost incessant travel of the preceding days. Even if she could now bestow more blessings upon herself, the profound weariness in her spirit would ultimately persist.

Alice shook her head, momentarily pushing back the encroaching drowsiness. She then fixed her gaze upon Eve, who remained nestled within the coffin. “Eve-chan,” she inquired gently, “beyond this coffin, is there anything else you wish to take from here?”

“Nothing,” Eve replied.

Eve shook her head. Her soiled little dress and the very coffin that had served as her birth point were, in essence, her sole worldly possessions since her arrival in this realm.

Upon hearing Alice reiterate the question, Eve instinctively knew their departure from the cemetery, led by the Saintess, was imminent.

“However, this coffin is rather heavy. I doubt it can be moved without a considerable number of people…”

Eve cast a troubled glance at Alice.

Alice, only marginally taller than herself, possessed a high combat level yet remained, at her core, a mere priest. How much physical strength could a healer truly wield?

It seemed insurmountable for two delicate young women such as them.

Yet, Eve quickly dismissed this as a minor concern. She remembered Alice mentioning she hadn’t arrived unaccompanied; a contingent of knights awaited them just beyond the cemetery gates.

Indeed, a Saintess would invariably travel with a retinue.

Eve’s logic was straightforward: should Alice summon the knights to assist in carrying the coffin, their predicament would be swiftly resolved.

Alas, her understanding of the world remained, in many ways, quite limited.

Alice gracefully rolled up her sleeve, unveiling an exquisite, deep-blue bracelet. With a fluid motion, she removed the ornate band and tapped it lightly against the coffin.

A beam of blue light flashed, and the massive coffin vanished into thin air.

This sudden “coffin conjuration” left Eve utterly spellbound.

Alice, however, merely waved a hand with an air of casual ease. “There’s truly no need for such fuss,” she explained. “One simply stores it within a spatial bracelet.”

“Its use is precisely as I demonstrated. Simply touch the desired object with the bracelet, and it will be stored. Retrieving items is equally straightforward: holding the spatial bracelet allows you to sense its contents, and a gentle shake will bring forth whatever you require.”

Speaking, Alice casually slipped the bracelet into Eve’s hands. At the same instant, a notification materialized before Eve’s astonished gaze.

[You have obtained a Legendary Item: Heart of the Ocean – Eternal Flow]

As if to underscore the bracelet’s exceptional nature, the entire notification window shimmered with a blinding golden hue.

Eve inhaled sharply, tearing her gaze from the dazzling notification. She then stared, bewildered, at Alice. “Alice,” she stammered, “this—this bracelet must be incredibly precious… and you simply gave it to me?”

Alice tilted her head playfully. “Precious, you say? I find it rather ordinary. The merfolk gifted it to me over a decade ago, and I even possess another identical one. Look~”

As if performing a parlor trick, another bracelet materialized in her hand.

It, too, was a deep sapphire, its craftsmanship equally refined. The two bracelets seemed to be a perfect pair, unmistakably the work of the same master artisan.

Alice stepped closer, a warm smile gracing her lips, and gently took Eve’s hand, personally fastening the bracelet onto her wrist. “There, Eve-chan,” she cooed, “please accept this as my token of gratitude. In the past, you bestowed upon me countless priceless treasures; compared to those, this bracelet is truly negligible. Moreover, carrying such a spatial artifact proves immensely practical when venturing abroad, preventing any further dilemmas concerning the transport of cumbersome items, just as we faced moments ago.”

Having adorned Eve, Alice then casually slipped the matching bracelet onto her own wrist.

Yet, the gesture did not conclude there. The Saintess’s delicate hand, rather than withdrawing, mischievously entwined itself with Eve’s, their fingers lacing together in a tender clasp.

As the bracelets on their wrists drew near, their intricate纹理 suddenly burst forth with a dazzling luminescence, pale blue streams of light intertwining and reflecting off each other.

GazIng at the small hand tightly intertwined with her own, Eve could not deny the burgeoning realization: she was, undeniably, being “kept” by the affluent Saintess.

Despite her ongoing internal struggle, Eve, with a bittersweet acceptance, ultimately chose to embrace this “soft rice” arrangement, tears welling in her eyes.

“Thank you, Alice. I will treasure this bracelet!”

Alice beamed, her smile radiating pure joy and contentment, much like a child whose most cherished birthday wish had just been granted.

****

At the cemetery’s entrance, a handful of undead, attempting to breach its confines, had barely stepped into the outside world when they were met by three swift, silver sword-lights, felling them instantly.

A knight, his helmet adorned with a crimson steel feather, advanced with measured steps. As he sheathed his blade, he simultaneously drew a crucifix pendant from his chest, whispered a brief incantation, and watched as the relic shimmered with a soft luminescence.

With a decisive sweep of his hand, he then transmuted all the fallen undead on the ground into mere dust.

His actions were impeccably clean and efficient, utterly devoid of hesitation.

Within the ranks of the Silverwing Iron Cavalry, status was clearly delineated, and the method of discerning it was remarkably simple: one merely had to observe their helmets.

A common knight, for example, bore a single silver steel feather upon their helm.

Above the ordinary knights stood the captains, leaders of hundred-man Iron Cavalry units, whose steel helms featured a distinctive crimson steel feather.

Indeed, the knight who had just acted was Joedi, the esteemed captain of the Silverwing Iron Cavalry. Despite his mere thirty-seven years, his formidable strength had already reached the terrifying Fifth Tier!

A mere handful of freshly summoned lesser undead were no more challenging for him than crushing an ant.

Having concluded his task, Joedi resumed his vigilant patrol, continuously surveying the area under his charge.

With the Saintess herself intervening, success was an absolute certainty.

Particularly now, the Saintess’s mastery of Light magic granted her an overwhelming advantage against the undead.

The instigator of this undead uprising would, in all likelihood, be brought to justice and vanquished before long.

His duty was simply to obey orders and await the joyous tidings the Saintess would undoubtedly bring.

For example, he had naturally observed the several disturbances emanating from the cemetery’s depths earlier. Yet, he remained utterly unperturbed, even finding the commotion rather subdued.

Soon, however, Joedi reconsidered.

Perhaps the benevolent Saintess, ever mindful of the sleeping townsfolk, had consciously refrained from employing large-scale magic.

“Oh, praise the Goddess of Light! The Saintess is truly magnificent!”

Joedi clutched the crucifix nestled against his chest, and, overcome with an outpouring of devotion, his face etched with fervent piety, he immediately began to pray for the Saintess.

Following his prayer, he felt a profound sense of contentment and renewed vigor, continuing his patrol and diligently attending to his duties.

As a Holy Knight, faith served as the principal wellspring of his formidable strength. Such prayers fortified his conviction.

With unwavering faith, his power would invariably ascend.

Indeed, who could resist the exhilarating sensation of burgeoning power?

A significant portion of Joedi’s current formidable prowess stemmed from his unwavering discipline; he meticulously adhered to a regimen of three prayers daily—morning, noon, and night—without fail, come what may!