Chapter 30: The Nature of a Heroic Spirit

‘So, Wennya, you were aware that you had been revived?’

Under the gaze of such adoring eyes, Eve felt an immense weight settle upon her. Had Wennya’s adoration for the original Eve truly reached such a fervent pitch?

She felt like a cuckoo, having usurped the nest, a villain poised to be struck down by a pure-hearted warrior for defiling such an innocent bond.

In stark contrast to Eve’s burgeoning guilt, the little maid Wennya, upon hearing this, solidified her earlier suspicions. With renewed vivacity, she exclaimed, “Yes, yes! Only you, Miss Eve, possess such incredible power!”

“Though I cannot fathom the price you paid, Miss Eve, to revive me, Wennya promises to serve you even—even more diligently from now on, to repay your boundless kindness!”

The little maid Wennya, brimming with renewed vigor, clenched her tiny fists, as if steeling her resolve.

‘A price, you say…’

‘What an incredibly naive child she was…’

‘It felt as though a mere lollipop would be enough to lure her home.’

Eve herself felt a sudden urge to string herself up from the nearest lamppost in shame.

Clearing her throat, Eve extended a hand to point at herself, then asked tentatively, “Tell me, Wennya, do you sense that your Miss Eve has changed? That I’m perhaps a little different from before?”

The moment the words left her lips, Eve’s tension mounted. She pricked her ears, poised to discern any hint that the little maid might have noticed a discrepancy.

Wennya blinked her wide eyes, then tilted her head, a bewildered expression clouding her features. Clearly, Eve’s question had left her somewhat perplexed.

Nevertheless, as it was her mistress’s inquiry, Wennya meticulously observed Eve before candidly voicing her thoughts: “There is a difference, indeed…”

Eve’s heart gave a sudden, heavy lurch.

‘So it was true, then…’

‘Of course. After all, Wennya had grown up alongside the original Eve. Two distinct souls inhabiting the same body were bound to possess their…’

“Miss Eve has become even more beautiful and adorable than she was before!”

Wennya’s excited voice abruptly shattered Eve’s melancholic reverie. The sheer unexpectedness of her declaration left Eve utterly speechless.

Extending a hand, she gently tapped Wennya’s forehead, a wry, exasperated chuckle escaping her lips. “You truly have the sweetest tongue, don’t you?”

‘Whether I am adorable or not, surely I know best myself?’

Despite being an undead, she carried no strange stench. After a thorough cleansing, she resembled a delicate porcelain doll, so much so that Alice constantly yearned to cling to her.

With Wennya’s unexpected interjection, Eve’s mood lightened considerably. She withdrew her hand and probed further, “And what about beyond my appearance? Did you notice any differences in other aspects, perhaps my personality or speaking habits?”

Wennya rubbed her forehead, letting out a couple of soft, foolish giggles. “Not at all! If anything, Wennya feels that even after all this time, Miss Eve remains precisely as she always was!”

“Though sometimes strange, unintelligible words escape your lips, and you occasionally exhibit a flighty, easily startled nature, in truth, you are gentle to everyone.

“Even towards a servant like Wennya, you never put on airs or act like a demanding mistress. And what’s more, through that invisible bond, Wennya can sense that from the very beginning, you, Miss Eve, have been constantly considerate of Wennya’s well-being in every possible way…”

“Such unparalleled kindness, such profound thoughtfulness for others—that could only be you, Miss Eve!”

“Whether it’s your outward appearance or your innermost soul, if Wennya were to speak her mind…”

“Miss Eve is still the same Miss Eve that Wennya knows and loves best!”

Wennya clasped her hands together over her chest, speaking with utmost sincerity. Her fervent, earnest demeanor made Eve feel as though, in the next instant, Wennya might break something to solemnly swear her unwavering fealty.

Eve had never imagined that, despite the short time since their initial encounter, Wennya’s perception of her could be so incredibly high.

That unwavering certainty in her voice, claiming even her soul felt familiar, made it seem as though she truly *was* the original Eve…

But could such a possibility truly exist?

Eve instinctively dismissed the notion as highly improbable. After all, she was merely a player.

Wennya’s conviction was most likely a consequence of their limited time together. This, coupled with the profound joy of encountering her long-lost mistress after rebirth, had undoubtedly eclipsed any opportunity to discern anomalies.

Instead of continuing to clash with Wennya over this, revealing the truth and correcting her current, albeit misguided, perception, which would only lead to significant discord, it would be far better to allow time to slowly unravel everything. Then, when the moment was opportune, she could gently guide Wennya towards the truth.

Having finally reached this understanding, Eve ceased her internal struggle, feeling a wave of profound relief wash over her entire being.

With that, she deftly shifted the conversation. “Well, Wennya, I’ve actually been keeping something from you since we started talking.”

“Now that you’ve sensed it, I suppose I should be frank. I am currently an undead, and your present state, Wennya, cannot be classified as a true resurrection.”

“Instead, you are an Heroic Spirit. You may not fully grasp the term, but it’s quite alright. Wennya, you can simply think of yourself as akin to a summoner’s summoned creature.”

Wennya nodded, a look of adorable comprehension on her face. “No wonder sometimes, Wennya would simply float upwards while walking…”

As she spoke, she merely rose onto the tips of her toes, exerting no discernible effort, and her entire body lifted from the ground, hovering effortlessly in mid-air.

“Just like this! Wennya even thought she had learned to fly before! To think this was the reason all along!”

Despite her words, Wennya, hovering effortlessly just above the ground, was in truth not far removed from actual flight.

Wennya beamed with unbridled delight. Far from being frightened by her current state, Eve’s explanation had, instead, piqued Wennya’s intense interest in her newfound abilities.

Evidently, Wennya had entirely missed the crucial point.

Eve gently corrected her. “Wennya, that’s not the main point. The crucial aspect of your current situation is that I might summon you for battle in the future. Are you not afraid of that?”

At Eve’s words, Wennya’s movements momentarily froze. Then, with an ecstatic burst of joy, she cried, “So Wennya can fight for Miss Eve, just like a knight!”

“If it means fighting for Miss Eve, Wennya is not afraid in the slightest! Hmph hmph hmph! No matter who dares to harm my mistress, Super Wennya will appear and send them flying with a single punch!”

Eve: ?

‘Aren’t you supposed to be a delicate little maid? Why are you so utterly thrilled at the mention of battle? Housework is your forte, isn’t it?’

The little cowlick on Wennya’s head seemed to spin with her fervor, her excited demeanor, with tiny fists pumping, craving battle, was utterly contrary to Eve’s every expectation.

Eve couldn’t decide if this was a testament to Wennya’s boundless optimism or if her trust in her mistress had simply reached its absolute zenith. Perhaps it was a combination of both?

Eve simply did not know. However, since the girl had chosen to place such unwavering faith in her, Eve had no intention of betraying that trust.

Gazing at the lively, sun-kissed girl, the little undead found herself speechless, her thoughts confined to the recesses of her mind.

‘System, do Heroic Spirits ever truly disappear?’

[Once an Heroic Spirit completes its transformation, its essence is nurtured within the Hall of Heroic Spirits. It will only vanish, returning to the embrace of the heavens and earth, if the player explicitly chooses to abandon it.]

[Should its life force deplete to the point of incapacitation in battle, the Heroic Spirit will automatically return to the Hall of Heroic Spirits for a gradual recovery.]

‘Is that so… *A sigh of relief escaped her.* Then that is truly good.’

Eve’s heart eased, and her most significant apprehension vanished entirely. With the Heroic Spirit intrinsically bound to her talent, it implied that so long as Eve herself remained undefeated, Wennya’s existence would be virtually indistinguishable from immortality.