Chapter 9: A Sister’s Unwavering Loyalty

Allow me to refuse, Miss Julie. I will only ever team up with the Head-Chopping Nun you mentioned. Now, please be on your way.

Upon hearing Attestor’s resolute words, Julie felt a surge of indignation. In her estimation, a nun’s combat prowess was never the paramount concern; rather, their most crucial function lay in augmenting and safeguarding their allies. A Head-Chopping Nun like Lucia, who offered no assistance to her comrades and merely plunged headfirst into battle, was, to Julie, nothing short of a heretic within the Church.

How could Julie possibly accept that such a heretical Head-Chopping Nun had ascended to the revered status of a Saintess?

Lovelenica, too, was cut from the same cloth; neither of them would offer any support to their teammates, embodying the very essence of heresy passed down through their shared lineage.

The thought of Lovelenica brought to Julie’s mind Attestor’s fleeting, yet unmistakable, expression of aversion when the Crimson Family had been mentioned just moments before.

This, combined with Attestor’s unwavering insistence on Lucia, led Julie to surmise that some intrinsic connection must exist between them.

“Heh heh, don’t be so quick to dismiss me, Attestor. Surely, you wouldn’t wish for Lucia to endure further torment at that woman’s hands, would you?”

A subtle undercurrent of menace laced Julie’s otherwise playful tone.

True to Julie’s expectation, a flicker of hesitation crossed Attestor’s features.

“What precisely do you mean by that? Are you implying you possess the means to prevent that woman from ever harming Lucia again?”

“Naturally. That woman is merely a distant branch, whereas I belong to the main lineage. Should you choose to join our ranks, Lucia will be spared such treatment in all future training sessions.”

A faint smirk played on Julie’s lips. While her words painted a convincing picture, she harbored no true certainty of being able to command Lovelenica. Indeed, she had no genuine intention of fulfilling her promise; even if Attestor were to accept her invitation, Julie planned to renege on her word once the Monster Hunt exercise concluded.

Attestor hesitated, a brief pause suggesting she was indeed moved by Julie’s proposition. Yet, a seed of distrust remained: could Julie genuinely command Lovelenica?

Furthermore, judging by the subtle nuances in her voice, Julie’s relationship with Lucia hardly seemed amicable. Would she, then, truly honor her word?

And what if Lucia were to learn of her decision to team up with others? Would that news wound her?

As Attestor’s mind swirled with a multitude of considerations, Lucia’s voice, clear and distinct, carried to her from a short distance away.

“Tor, don’t agree to her terms.”

Witnessing Julie’s audacious intrusion into the training grounds to accost Attestor, Lucia and Imeline, who had initially intended to wait, followed closely behind. They, too, had naturally overheard Julie’s persuasive overtures to Attestor.

Upon hearing Lucia’s firm words, Attestor’s resolve instantly solidified, and she unequivocally rejected Julie.

“I refuse. Do not compel me to repeat myself, Miss Julie. Now, please, be gone.”

“You!”

Julie whirled around, leveling a furious glare at Lucia. She had been on the cusp of triumph, only for this accursed Head-Chopping Nun to sabotage her efforts.

“Just you wait! We shall see how that parasitic woman deals with you later!”

“Teacher would never treat me in such a manner!”

Recognizing the futility of her efforts, Julie decided against further entanglement and promptly departed from the Knights’ encampment.

****

While Lucia remained steadfast in her disbelief that Lovelenica would continue to torment her, Imeline and Attestor held a starkly different view.

“Lucia, it has been far too long since our last meeting. Have you sustained any injuries recently?”

Attestor gazed at Lucia with a profound sense of worry. Despite Lucia’s regenerative capabilities making it impossible to discern any outward signs of injury, Attestor’s concern for her friend’s recent well-being remained palpable.

Attestor’s relentless dedication to training stemmed entirely from her devotion to Lucia. She harbored an unwavering desire to liberate Lucia from Lovelenica’s clutches. Attestor firmly believed that with sufficient strength to attain greater status and resources, she could, in concert with Imeline, surely rescue Lucia from Lovelenica’s grasp.

Consequently, Attestor had been unceasingly engaged in arduous cultivation, her current strength now verging on the fourth tier.

“Not at all, Tor! There’s no need to fret over me. Teacher was merely testing my willpower before, and I’ve since passed her trial.”

“Alas.”

Observing Lucia’s vivacious and cheerful demeanor, Attestor let out a soft sigh, shaking her head with an air of resignation.

“Lucia, you’re uttering those very same words once more.”

The Lucia of old had spoken similarly, convinced that Lovelenica was merely testing her resolve, only to emerge battered and bruised each time.

“Tell me, how is it that you two suddenly find yourselves with time to seek me out? Is that person’s training not notoriously rigorous?”

“Teacher granted me a day of leisure today, which is why I have the chance to come find you, Tor. This year, shall we participate in the Monster Hunt exercise together as well?”

“Haha, absolutely!”

In stark contrast to her earlier exchange with Julie, Attestor graced Lucia with a radiant smile, accepting her invitation without a moment’s hesitation.

As childhood friends who had blossomed together, how could Attestor possibly decline Lucia’s heartfelt invitation?

With no other seniors to contend against them this time, Attestor held a firm conviction that their trio would undoubtedly emerge victorious, claiming the top spot in this Monster Hunt exercise.

Beyond that, their immediate goal was to rescue Lucia from that woman’s clutches. They envisioned attending their eighteenth birthday coming-of-age ceremony as a trio, then continuing their adventures together, safeguarding the Kingdom of Arcadia, eradicating the heretics who defiled their world, and ultimately, living out their lives in shared happiness.