Chapter 83: Safiros Became My Minion
As I exited the Hill Forest, dragging a fox impaled by icicles, the thunder in the sky ceased, but the rain seemed to intensify.
I tightened my hood and rode my great beast back to the village, which was surrounded by hundreds of knights. The search parties outside were spreading through the misty rain like a giant, impenetrable net, trying to catch all the heretics that might be hiding within miles.
“Hey, little squirt!”
Not long after entering the village, I spotted a bald head in the crowd waving and shouting at me.
Isaac was surrounded by quite a few people, including some familiar Knight Captains and Bishops, with more Golden Armored Knights standing behind them, gazing up at the jagged ice peaks in the distance, whispering among themselves, their expressions filled with disbelief.
“Little squirt, come over here—”
What’s up now?
Why are you shouting so loudly…
I dangled my feet on the beast’s back, holding the reins with one hand while the fluffy unicorn fox hung by my side. I sauntered over, and the knights in front instinctively parted to let me through. Their eyes… how should I put it? A bit too excited and fervent?
Why?
I’m so scared.
Avoid eye contact…
I sniffed and instinctively cradled the dead fox, hiding it under my cloak as I approached Isaac and the others, slowly dismounting from the beast.
The massive shadow loomed over me as Isaac stepped to my side and took the reins of the horned horse. I looked up at him from the ground, scrunching my nose, and asked, “What’s the deal?”
Did you find someone?
“Any discoveries?”
“Not yet.”
Isaac shook his head, his gaze fixed on the fox meat in my hands.
…He’s looking at my meat!
I quickly took a step back, feeling suspicious: “This is mine.”
“What? You just ran off to the Hill Forest and somehow got yourself a Red-Horned Marten… The fur looks pretty nice, but it’s got a hole in it.”
Red-Horned Marten?
This is clearly a unicorn fox.
Isaac reached out toward my little fox: “Let me see… What are you bringing this thing back for?”
Slap!
I ruthlessly swatted his hand away.
“No way am I letting you eat this.”
“Eat?”
Isaac paused for a moment, then broke into a grin: “Who would even eat a Red-Horned Marten? It’s sour and fishy, doesn’t matter how well you cook it, you can’t chew it; if you swallow it whole, you’ll just get poisoned. Otherwise, the nearby villagers would have eaten it all by now—wouldn’t wait for you to catch it. It’s only good for making warm fur coats.”
“Ha.”
I scoffed in disdain.
Trying to trick me out of my meat?
Only a fool would fall for that…
At that moment, a Knight Captain standing beside Isaac spoke up: “Miss Silvya, I’ve heard you killed a tough, third-stage heretic with just one blow?”
He pointed towards the frozen area in the rain, eyes brimming with admiration and excitement. He bowed politely: “I’ve never seen a Pope Knight possess such an astounding talent. Your strength instills awe in the First Knights Order. Please accept my heartfelt reverence…”
“Honorable Miss Silvya, on behalf of all members of the Faith Organization, I express my deep gratitude to you.” Another young Bishop chimed in, bowing as well and showering me with compliments, “Your power is as outstanding as your beauty, heh… I can’t wait to see how ridiculous those little rodents from the Eastern Continent look after experiencing your strength on the battlefield.”
“Mmm…”
Something felt off, and I couldn’t help but pout.
You’re laying it on thick…
That Bishop must be trying to butter me up.
However, out of politeness, I smiled back: “I’m just one person. The Knights Order and the Faith Organization are the backbone in resisting heretics.”
I finished my formal bow: “May the moonlight be with us.”
Seeing this gesture, the young Bishop smiled: “Almost forgot, Miss Silvya hails from the royal family of the Valen Empire… I’m the head of the Primrose Parish of the Empire and a member of the Holy Faith Organization. I’ve had the honor of meeting your father a few times; he’s quite an impressive figure.”
“When this conflict with the Silvya ends, I believe Duke Skarlick will be very proud of you, my beautiful and powerful lady.”
“Thank you for your kind words, Bishop.”
Ah…
I felt my smile becoming a bit stiff.
“Ugh, enough with the pleasantries!”
Isaac’s gruff voice cut through our flowery exchanges. He didn’t seem to enjoy this back-and-forth small talk, frowning with irritation: “Little squirt, the Pope just instructed me to send a small team of knights to follow you.”
The bald man slapped the shoulder of the knight next to him, then raised his fist to thump his chest, eyes blazing: “Miss Silvya, from now on, I will accompany you with my Judgment Fist Squad six, pledging allegiance to you and following your commands. Together, we will fight for honor, and any heresy shall fall at our feet until the last one is eradicated!”
“…Huh?”
What did he just say?
I stared wide-eyed at the Knight Captain’s fierce face, flicking my gaze back to the bald guy, my head filled with question marks.
Follow my orders?
What a joke; I have no clue how to lead a troop…
Seeing my confusion, the Knight Captain puffed out his chest again and said, “We’ve all witnessed your power; this is an honor for Squad Six, Miss Silvya. May the deity be with us!”
I furrowed my brows: “But…”
Isaac interjected: “No buts; this is the Pope’s order. If you refuse, the one who’ll be in trouble is him… no, it might just be me.”
Uh…
I wasn’t sure what to say as I stared at the Knight Captain, exchanging wide-eyed glances.
After a moment, my shoulders slumped.
Alright, alright…
Whatever Angel says goes.
“What’s your name?”
“Safiros, my lady!”
“Sa—cough, cough…”
I almost choked on my spit.
Is that you?
The guy who fell from the sky.
“You… are named Safiros?”
“Yes, my lady!”
“……”
“Is there a problem?”
“…No, none at all. Great name.”
So that means, Safiros is now my minion.
Can I make him take off his helmet and check if he has a flowing mane of white hair underneath?
I also want to ask if he’s hiding a cool wing…
But the words stuck in my throat.
“Thank you for the compliment, Miss Silvya.” The Knight Captain expressed his gratitude.
I shook my head at him: “Don’t call me ‘lady.’”
“Then what should I call you?”
“Just call me Silvya.”
“No way, I can’t address you by your first name; it’s disrespectful…”
“Just Silvya.”
I didn’t want to dwell on this topic any longer, redirecting the conversation: “Do you have any fire stones?”
The Knight Captain blinked in surprise: “We do have some…”
I extended my hand towards him: “Give me one to use.”
“What do you need fire stones for?” Isaac asked, perplexed.
Of course, to start a fire for cooking meat…
Though I can use infernal fire now, it’s way too hot and would burn the meat to a crisp… So I still need a regular fire stone.
But I didn’t want to tell him that.
What if I cooked the meat perfectly and he tried to steal it?
I didn’t respond to him, and after stuffing the fire stone in my skirt pocket, quickly changed the subject: “If we truly can’t find a way, just let me go to the collapsed area—”
“There’s a path on the eastern side of the Hill Forest leading to the Femar Mountain Gorge,” Isaac interrupted me before I could finish. “It’s not marked on our marching map, and we’re unsure where it leads, so it needs further confirmation. The only survivor in the village is that little boy. Once he wakes up…”
“Miss Silvya!”
Suddenly, a cleric approached, whispering to me: “The Pope wants to see you.”
Angel?
Since the march began, he’s warned me, “Stick close to the team, don’t wander off,” making it almost impossible to see anyone else. I feel like he’s been appearing and disappearing at will; I have no idea if he’s even in the team… And now he’s looking for me?
I’m still hungry…
…Oh well, let’s go see him first.
It might be something important…
“Where’s the Pope?”
“On the hillside outside the village. We just buried the corpses of the heretics over there,” the cleric said.
“Oh…” I nodded. “Lead the way.”
