While the Third Imperial Princess, Hillena, was burning the candles at both ends to close the gap with Second Prince Felit and compete for first place, it seemed like she desperately needed a powerful assistant to help her.
And as he reminisced about the only beautiful figure he had seen in his life, Xiya's heart felt ablaze with motivation.
If only he could gain her favor and become that irreplaceable person for her.
He knew he had to work even harder.
With that thought, the blonde youth clenched his fist, making a decision in his heart.
At that moment, soldiers around suddenly whistled.
"Captain Xiya, your sweetheart is here."
Someone nudged the blonde youth's elbow.
Caught off guard, Xiya instinctively looked toward the figures splitting the crowd and walking toward him.
A Subhuman Race girl with bronze skin, a muscular female warrior carrying a massive hammer, a petite assassin covered in black veil...
Though it was worth mentioning that all the squad members were females, everyone's attention was focused on the young girl in the center of the crowd.
She was a girl clad in a light green dress, wearing mithril chest armor and steel boots, holding a moon-white Alchemy Staff.
Her demeanor was icy, her expression detached, with a stunningly beautiful face pristine like white porcelain. Though her frame was slender, it was also impeccably shaped.
However, these weren't the main points.
The focus was on the girl with light brown long hair and pointed ears, seemingly retaining characteristics of the Elf Race.
Oblivious to the stares from all directions, the girl acted like a puppet without any awareness.
If Lynn had been there, he would have noticed something odd.
Both were detached by nature, but Miss Witch's indifference was the result of witnessing everything over tens of thousands of years, having no interest in mundane matters.
This young girl was different.
While similarly cold in demeanor, unlike Miss Witch, her coldness was like that of a heartless puppet, moving instinctively, devoid of human emotions.
That was why she appeared so indifferent to the attention around her.
But now, the girl who was usually as cold as ice, upon setting her eyes on the blonde youth in front of her, surprisingly showed a hint of tenderness.
It was as if Captain Xiya was extremely important to her.
Seeing this, Xiya smiled warmly, "Tiya, is all your luggage ready?"
Upon hearing this, the girl named Tiya nodded gently, "Captain Xiya, shall we go?"
Even though she lacked the normal range of human emotions, she was still a neat freak.
This smelly military fortress was a place she couldn't stand for a moment.
Her visit to the Saint Faros Fortress was not only to aid Captain Xiya in hunting the Fifth Rank Legend but also pertained to certain missions from the Silent Church.
As a Holy Maiden, she could not defy the orders of the church.
"If that's the case, let's go."
Looking at the glaringly bright Jump Transition Matrix before him, Xiya reached out his hand to Tiya.
Seeing this, the girl with features reminiscent of the Elf Race hesitated for a few seconds before carefully placing her slender hand into Xiya's warm palm.
But the next second, her face turned extremely pale, and pain flickered across her brows.
She withdrew her hand from Xiya's palm and instinctively hugged her shoulders, shivering as if chilled.
"Still not possible?"
Seeing this, a concerned look crossed Xiya's face, though a barely noticeable trace of frustration flashed in his eyes.
Tiya nodded and bit her lower lip, "I'm sorry, Captain Xiya, I..."
It was her innate curse.
She felt extreme disgust and rejection toward all males born in this world.
It wasn't just psychological—physical contact with them would even result in physiological adverse reactions.
Over time, she had grown accustomed to being alone, not interacting with any male.
Until one day, when a nun from the Silent Church discovered her talents and initiated her into the church, participating in an awakening ceremony.
The result had stunned everyone.
She turned out to be a rare affinity of the goddess, essentially a divinely chosen seedling, destined to receive the affection of the Bright Moon Goddess from birth till death.
Therefore, it could be said that Tiya becoming the Holy Maiden was a certainty.
She had thought she would serve the Goddess for all her life, dying alone.
Unexpectedly, after meeting this golden-haired young man, everything had completely changed.
As a devotee of the Goddess, she was supposed to maintain lifelong purity for her faith, yet she found herself moved by a man.
"I should be the one apologizing," Xiya shook his head, "I actually forgot about your physical condition, I'm really sorry."
Seeing him understand her so, Tiya's feelings became even more complicated.
Normally, the young man would make some excessive little requests during their interactions.
However, due to physical reasons and the guilt brought by her faith in the Goddess, she chose to refuse every time, never satisfying him.
Over time, this guilt had built up in her heart, difficult to relieve.
Seeing the young man slowly ascend the Jump Transition Matrix, surrounded by squad members, a flicker of determination crossed Tiya's eyes following behind.
Brother Xiya, wait for me just a little longer.
After the Moonlight Festival, the "curse" on me might truly be lifted.
Then... I will devote all of me to you.
With the Jump Transition Matrix emitting an unprecedented bright white light, the elf girl slowly closed her eyes, silently thinking to herself.
In the Imperial City of Glostin, at the Saint Laurent Military Building, in front of the Jump Transition Matrix facility.
Looking at the matrix on the platform emitting light, hundreds of civil military personnel stationed at the headquarters lined up here.
As the military upper echelon on duty this week, Colonel Haydn watched the scene on the platform with a solemn expression, waiting for the crowd soon to arrive.
Tonight there would be two groups coming; it was unknown which would arrive first.
From the composition of the personnel, neither group was easy to deal with.
Captain Xiya, a war hero closely associated with the military, was a subordinate of the Great Imperial Princess Hillena.
The other group was even more outrageous, consisting of the Third Imperial Princess Ivyst and her subordinates, who had just quelled a rebellion in a border city—at least that was the official message relayed to the outside world.
Both groups had just accomplished monumental feats for the Empire and were returning to the Imperial Capital to receive their rewards.
But just then it was the time of the King's election, so Colonel Haydn decided not to show any political leanings to avoid misinterpretation by the public, treating this only as a routine reception ceremony.
Just as he was lost in thought, the voice of a subordinate suddenly came from beside him.
"Colonel, Her Highness has come herself and is waiting outside the door right now."
Just what he had feared.
A flash of headache crossed Colonel Haydn's eyes, but he still waved his hand.
Moments later, accompanied by a crisp sound of footsteps, a tall woman wearing a cloak slowly approached surrounded by guards.
When she removed her hood, all the military personnel present immediately bowed down, kneeling on one knee, performing the most ancient shoulder touch ceremony of the Saint Laurent Empire.
Facing a royal family member of such high status, especially one of the direct bloodline, even military personnel had to show intense respect.
"Greetings... Princess Hillena!"
"No need for such formalities," the woman's gentle voice seemed to possess some magical power, instantly soothing the nerves and impatience in everyone's hearts, "I'm here simply to welcome that incompetent subordinate."
"In the days he spent in the military, he must have caused you all quite some trouble, hadn't he?"
Colonel Haydn shook his head, "Captain Xiya is a war hero honored by the military, a protector of the citizens, and only a brave warrior like him actively participating on the Demon Clan battlefield can ensure the stable functioning of society behind the Empire."
Hearing her subordinate being praised, the woman's lips curled into an almost imperceptible smile.
Then she casually asked in a soft voice, "By the way, I heard the Third Imperial Princess and her entourage are also using the Jump Transition Matrix to return to the Imperial Capital tonight?"
Colonel Haydn broke into a sweat, "Yes."
Indeed, her real purpose was probably the Third Prince.
He had no idea what the situation would turn into later.
Anyway, it didn't concern him now.
"This victory banquet can't go on without her, the great hero who saved the border; even Father Emperor will be attending in person."
"If that's the case, we might as well bring Princess Ivyst back with us," the woman said softly, almost to herself, "It's been a long time, and I really miss her."