After the night passed and dawn was just breaking, Sylvia was already up, tidying herself.
To avoid disturbing Caili’s sleep, Sylvia had specifically gone outside the tent to stretch her limbs.
The night before, Sylvia had asked Caili to bring out some toiletries from her hairpin.
Combined with Sylvia’s skilled hands, despite the unfamiliar environment, she managed to prepare herself as well as usual.
Sylvia scanned the grassland and saw the outline of the sun on the horizon. The sun was about to rise.
It was time to wake Caili.
The deep, dreamless sleep was broken by a barely noticeable disturbance. Caili’s consciousness was like a shell resting at the bottom of a warm sea, slowly lifted by gentle currents.
The first thing she sensed was the lingering warmth enveloping her body, but the weight leaning on her and the familiar rhythm of breathing seemed to have changed subtly.
Sylvia slipped back into the tent and slowly climbed onto Caili, who was still dreaming and drooling from hunger.
Sylvia’s voice was soft as she brushed past Caili’s ear and gently tapped her cheek.
Caili responded with a vague sound and a little smack of her lips.
“Alright, time to get up. Today, we’re going to visit the Blood Spirit Empire.”
Caili’s awareness awakened. Hearing Sylvia’s words, although she still hadn’t opened her eyes, she replied in a lazy, adorable voice.
“Mm… okay…”
Caili struggled to lift her heavy eyelids. The tent was dimly lit, with only a thin layer of light filtering through the top, barely outlining the nearby shapes.
Sylvia’s face was right before her eyes. The pair of eyes that had been filled with gentle affection last night were now clear and bright, like the brightest star before dawn.
“It’s almost daylight. We’ll wash up and leave soon.”
Sylvia lowered her voice further, with an unyielding tenderness.
“Okay~”
With Sylvia’s help, Caili got up, changed clothes, and washed herself.
She was wearing the outfit Sylvia had provided on the first day—the panties that always made Caili blush, silky white stockings, a pleated skirt, and the blouse Sylvia had bought.
Since she had worn them once before, the clothes no longer felt uncomfortable.
Everything was completed smoothly. After washing up, the two of them packed the campfire and tent carefully back into the hairpin and continued on their journey toward the Blood Spirit Empire.
Along the way, they chatted and laughed. After all, a long journey would be terribly boring if they just rushed through it, so Sylvia brought up various topics to engage with Caili.
Of course, more often than not, it was to tease Caili and make her show shy expressions, satisfying some particular mischievous whim of Sylvia’s.
The grassland morning carried a moist chill and the unique freshness of vegetation.
The breeze was light, so the grassland’s usual “jingling” sound was faint.
Caili was still a bit sleepy, tugging at her outer garment silently as she followed Sylvia.
The early grassland was quite cold; dew still clung to the grass blades, soaking through her white stockings whenever touched.
Although the wind was light, it was colder than during the day. Every time it blew against Caili’s lower body, she shivered involuntarily, especially when the breeze swirled under her skirt.
In stark contrast, Caili recalled the intimacy and warmth from last night’s tent. Now, facing Sylvia, a persistent flutter of heartbeats and embarrassment lingered in her chest.
Sylvia, on the other hand, was energetic and lively. Her black hair shimmered faintly in the morning light, and her profile looked especially delicate under the soft glow.
She seemed in a good mood, her gaze occasionally falling on the still-drowsy Caili beside her, carrying a barely perceptible smile.
After walking a while, Sylvia suddenly asked about last night, her voice as clear as morning dew: “Caili, did you sleep well last night?”
The seemingly casual question carried a different meaning in Caili’s ears after what had happened the previous night.
Her mind flashed with memories of being pressed close under the covers, the heated breaths, and the gentle weight on her body. Her cheeks instantly blazed red.
She didn’t dare look at Sylvia, instead walking with her head lowered, eyes fixed on her toes, mumbling, “Mm… it was… okay.”
“Is that so?” Sylvia chuckled lightly. “I saw you sleeping soundly later, like a satisfied little kitten curled up in my arms, not moving a bit.”
She deliberately emphasized “in my arms,” her tone full of teasing.
Caili’s face turned even redder, almost burning up. She felt her ears heat up and instinctively wanted to quicken her pace to put some distance between them.
“Sy… Sylvia!” she whispered in protest, embarrassed. “Don’t bring up last night again! You told me those things were normal!”
Sylvia pretended not to hear her objection, deliberately slowing her pace to walk beside her, their arms almost touching.
She tilted her head slightly and lowered her voice, an enticing undertone threading through her words: “Speaking of which… you smell so nice today. Is it from last night, or…”
Her gaze casually swept over Caili’s slender neck. “Or is your own scent just this alluring?”
“Ugh!”
Caili felt her heart leap to her throat. Sylvia’s words were like tiny hooks, piercing her most sensitive and bashful spots.
She abruptly turned her head and met Sylvia’s teasing eyes.
Those eyes were especially beautiful in the morning light, like amethysts filled with starlight, clearly reflecting her flushed, flustered face.
“N-no way!” Caili stammered, her voice weak and unconvincing. “Besides, didn’t I just wash up normally? It must be the smell of the toiletries! It definitely is!”
She scrambled for an excuse, her gaze darting nervously, her body trembling.
“Oh?”
Sylvia raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a more pronounced smile.
She suddenly reached out and gently brushed a dew-covered wild grass beside the road, her fingertips gathering a drop of crystal-clear water.
Then, she swiftly tapped the dewdrop from her finger onto Caili’s burning cheek. At the same time, she summoned a wind spell from behind her, sending a cool breeze blowing toward Caili.
The cold wind hit an awkward angle and swirled twice under Caili’s skirt.
“Eek!” The chilly sensation and cold wind made Caili let out a soft cry, her body shuddering slightly.
Sylvia, watching her startled reaction like a startled fawn, smiled even wider.
She withdrew her finger, stopped the magic, and leisurely said, “Caili, why is your cheek so hot?”
Boom—! Caili felt like smoke was about to pour from her head.
Sylvia’s breath, words, the lingering coolness on her fingertip, and the burning heat on her cheek all blended together, completely paralyzing her thoughts.
“St-stop it!”
Unable to bear it any longer, Caili pushed Sylvia’s arm lightly, her tone tinged with coquettish annoyance, trying to create some distance. But the force was more like an invitation than rejection.
Sylvia caught her wrist effortlessly, not tightly, but with an undeniable grip.
She didn’t continue with verbal teasing but simply held Caili’s wrist, gently stroking the smooth skin inside her wrist with her thumb in a soothing, slow motion.
This was even more nerve-wracking than her earlier words. A tingling sensation ran up from where she was touched, her head still steaming, and her mind crashing in confusion.
“All right, I won’t tease you anymore.” Sylvia finally let go, releasing her hand, but the fondness and amusement in her eyes deepened.
“If I kept going, my little Caili would turn into a ripe tomato, and we wouldn’t be able to continue the journey.”
Looking at Caili’s still-flushed cheeks and her shy, downcast expression, Sylvia felt joyful. She took lively steps and returned to her usual cheerful tone:
“Let’s go. See that thicket in the distance? Once we pass through there, we’ll be at the border of the Blood Spirit Empire. After that, we can explore other places in the empire.”
Caili covered her still-warm cheeks, watching Sylvia’s tall and graceful figure in the morning light, both embarrassed and heart pounding faster.
She stomped her foot and finally jogged to catch up, her heart pounding like a restless little rabbit.
This Sylvia always caught her off guard… Caili bit her lip but couldn’t help sneaking glances at Sylvia’s profile, the blush on her face lingering long after.
The journey suddenly didn’t feel so dull—or maybe it had never been.
Just as Caili caught up and was about to tickle Sylvia back in playful revenge, the unexpected happened.
Sylvia seemed to sense something immediately, grabbing Caili’s hand and turning sharply before leaping away a few paces, tumbling on the ground a few times.
The sudden incident caught Caili off guard.
“Sylvia, what are you doing!”
“There’s danger, watch out!”
***
In the next second, a glowing knight’s spear pierced the spot where they had just been standing. The spear then floated away into the distance, leaving behind a large crater and splattered earth.
“Whoa! That was scary! Some villain tried to hurt us, Sylvia!”
The scene had startled Caili badly. If Sylvia hadn’t pulled her away just now, she probably would have been pierced through and ready to leave a last will.
“Who’s there! Come out! Stop sneaking around!” Sylvia turned toward the path they came from, stretching a hand in front of Caili protectively.
With the command came a flash of golden light.
Caili looked and saw several unfamiliar faces.
At the forefront was a tall, young man with short, flowing blond hair. His handsome face was bright and his sharp eyebrows gave him a striking appearance, like a small sun.
He wore golden armor adorned with a cross, looking like some kind of knight king.
Next to him stood another knight with blue hair, wielding a golden two-handed sword. The two men looked like brothers or comrades, their armor styles very similar and equally impressive.
However, the blue-haired knight was colder, more taciturn than the blond one, his gaze filled with lethal intent.
Both were tall and muscular; Caili guessed their armor concealed impressive physiques. Compared to them, she barely reached their chest height.
Behind them stood a nun holding a staff.
She stood quietly with dignified poise, dressed in a simple black habit. The wide sleeves and floor-length skirt concealed her figure completely.
Her features were clear and gentle, with a straight nose and defined lips tinted a natural light pink, pressed into a firm line, revealing inner strength.
Most striking were her eyes—a pair of clear, deep gray orbs.
Her thick, dark brown hair was neatly tied beneath a white nun’s coif, with only a few subtle strands framing her smooth forehead and ears, adding a soft human touch.
“Come with us, Sylvia.”
The blond knight stepped forward and addressed Sylvia directly.
“No.”
Sylvia’s response was firm, coming almost immediately after the blond knight spoke.
“This is the kingdom’s order. You cannot leave.”
But the blond knight clearly didn’t accept Sylvia’s decision and pressed on with his purpose.
“Um, who are you? Sylvia said she didn’t want to go back, right?”
Caili peeked out from behind Sylvia and asked the three with a playful tone.
From their appearances, Caili found it hard to associate them with villains, so she thought it best to try communicating.
“Oh, who are you? What are you doing following the Hero?”
The blond knight ignored Caili’s question and instead countered with his own.
Uh… well, you look pretty handsome, so I’ll let it slide this once and introduce myself.
Caili thought to herself but answered anyway.
“Ahaha, I’m Caili, and I’m good friends with Sylvia!”
The three on the opposite side froze for a few seconds at this.
Finally, the nun broke the silence, folding her hands and resting them against one side of her face, speaking happily.
“It’s rare. After all these years, Sylvia has made a friend again. That’s a good thing.”
Her mature and intelligent voice was quite different from Sylvia’s youthful softness.
“So, who exactly are you?”
Caili blinked and repeated the question.
The three finally realized what she meant.
The blond knight spoke first, followed by the blue-haired knight, then the nun.
“My name is Leon. I was sent to retrieve the Hero, Sylvia. This is my brother, Vidal.”
“Hello, I’m Margaret, a nun of the sanctuary. We’re a small squad with the two knights, and we’re all friends with Sylvia.”
“Oh, so you mean you’re here to take Sylvia back to the capital?”
“Yes.”
Leon answered calmly with just two words.
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