The blond girl didn’t speak.
Instead, she suddenly lunged forward, using all her strength to hug Celia around the waist, burying her pale face deep into the elf’s embrace.
“Wait—!”
Celia’s cry carried a hint of genuine panic.
The moment the girl pressed against her, an electric shock surged up her spine without warning.
Even through the light armor, she could feel the other’s body heat and softness.
To her terrifyingly high Sensitivity Value, this sudden intimate contact was no less than a heavy punch delivered directly to her nerves.
She instinctively pressed on the girl’s shoulders to pull some distance between them.
“Ugh…”
The girl was gently pushed away, her small face looking up, filled with confusion.
Tears still clung to her eyelashes, and a thick mist of moisture quickly gathered in her pale gold eyes.
“Don’t—don’t misunderstand! My armor… there is blood on my armor. It’s dirty,” Celia explained quickly, her cheeks involuntarily beginning to burn.
The excuse was only half true.
While there were indeed traces of enemy blood on the plating, the real threat she faced was the risk of exposure after removing the armor.
She hurriedly reached back to undo the clasps of her breastplate and pauldrons, her movements slightly clumsy due to haste and a faint, imperceptible tremble.
With a few soft clicks, the light armor was quickly removed and placed on a nearby branch.
Now, she wore only a thin, form-fitting dark undershirt.
The soft fabric outlined her overly lush curves without reservation.
She didn’t even dare to breathe deeply.
She could only maintain her stiff posture and look at the girl, trying to make her voice sound as calm as usual.
“…This is better.”
As if the words were a signal, the girl crashed into her embrace again the moment she finished speaking.
“Nng!”
A short, muffled groan escaped Celia’s throat.
This time, there was no barrier between them.
The girl’s burning tears, her trembling body, and her slender arms wrapped around Celia’s waist and the… sensitive areas of her back.
Every sensation surged through the thin shirt, hitting her nerves with magnified clarity.
She could clearly feel every tremble of the girl’s body and the scalding tears quickly soaking the fabric over her chest.
The damp chill pressing against her fullest curves made her scalp tingle.
The suppressed whimpering finally turned into a full-release wail.
The girl clung tightly to Celia’s waist and back, her fingers unconsciously clutching the fabric of Celia’s shirt as if to vent all her fear, sorrow, and helplessness through this hug and her cries.
Her sobbing sounded exceptionally loud in the silent woods.
Celia’s entire neck and ears turned bright red, her body stiff as a board.
However, she knew that pushing away this collapsing girl right now would be nothing short of cruel.
Gritting her teeth, she forced her muscles to relax slowly.
She then wrapped her arms around the trembling, crying little body, holding her cautiously while maintaining a subtle distance.
One hand stiffly patted the girl’s back, while the other carefully stroked that soft blond hair, her fingertips touching only the strands as much as possible.
“Cry. It’s okay to let it out,” she said.
Her voice was deeper than usual as she struggled to control her breathing.
“I’m here. You’re safe.”
She stopped offering useless words of comfort and simply held her in silence.
She could feel the girl’s cries transition from intense to intermittent, finally turning into faint sobs of exhaustion.
The tense body gradually went limp, her full weight leaning against Celia’s chest.
**[Title “First Hug” has been acquired]**
After a long while, the sobbing subsided, leaving only the occasional small intake of breath.
Sensing that the girl had calmed down a bit, Celia loosened her arms slightly and looked down at her.
Her eyes were swollen like peaches, her nose was red, and her entire face was a mess from crying, making her look both disheveled and pitiful.
She seemed a bit embarrassed.
With tears still clinging to her long eyelashes, she timidly looked up at Celia.
Her pale gold eyes were still shimmering with moisture, overflowing with gratitude.
Celia used the pad of her thumb to gently wipe away a tear track on the girl’s cheek.
The movement wasn’t very practiced, but it was earnest enough.
“Feeling better?”
The girl nodded and used her own hands to rub her eyes vigorously, trying to regain some composure.
She looked at the large wet patch on Celia’s chest from her tears, her face turning slightly red.
Her voice was as thin as a mosquito’s buzz.
“I-I’m sorry… for getting your clothes wet… and, thank you.”
“The clothes don’t matter,” Celia said, shaking her head.
‘Actually, it’s wet down there, too.’
“Now, can you tell me? Who are you? Why were the Tiliano Rose Knights hunting you down at all costs, even going so far as to enter the Elven Lands?”
The girl took a deep breath and performed a Holy Kingdom prayer gesture toward Celia.
“I… I am Ilyas, a Saintess Candidate of the Holy Kingdom. Originally… I was at the Tiliano Dawn Monastery under the guidance of several Elders for my final silent cultivation. Three days ago, we suddenly received an urgent secret order from Her Holiness the Pope. I was to return to the Holy City immediately and without a word, escorted in secret only by this squad of Church Guardians.”
“We… we were very careful the whole way. We even bypassed the regular trade routes and chose to cross the edge of these Elven Lands. I didn’t expect…”
Celia felt things were becoming suspicious.
“An urgent secret order from the Pope? For what reason?”
Ilyas shook her head blankly.
“The order was very brief. It only said the divine decree had changed and to return quickly. Captain Ron and the others didn’t know the specific reason either. They only said it was a top-level directive that had to be followed.”
This sounded far too unusual.
“Ilyas,” Celia’s voice grew even gentler.
“Think carefully. Besides this secret order, are you carrying anything special? Or has anyone given you an unusual item recently? Anything that might… make them willing to pay such a price.”
“Anything special…”
Ilyas furrowed her delicate brows, trying hard to remember.
Suddenly, her expression shifted slightly, and her hand instinctively moved to her waist.
“Yes… there is. The night before we left, His Excellency Archbishop Lucius of the Tiliano Empire visited me in secret. He said there was an extremely important confidential letter that had to be presented to Her Holiness the Pope in person. He claimed the matter was of great importance and begged me, as a Saintess Candidate, to carry it secretly back to the Holy City and hand it to the Pope personally.”
Celia’s heart sank.
“Where is it?”
Ilyas pulled a Pure White Scroll from her bosom.
“It’s this. The seal on it contains the dual power of divinity and contract. Only the Pope herself, or at least someone with the Holy Power of a Cardinal, can safely open it. Forcing it open will immediately destroy the contents inside.”
“Put it away. Hide it well and do not mention it to anyone, including… anyone who claims to be from the Holy Kingdom. Unless you see the Pope with your own eyes and can confirm her identity 100%.”
Intimidated by Celia’s serious tone, Ilyas nodded quickly and carefully tucked the scroll back against her body.
“We have to leave here immediately.”
Celia stood up, placed her armor in her bag, and took out an overcoat to put on.
“The Rose Knights are elites. After an operation fails, there will likely be follow-up pursuers. The smell of blood is too strong here; we can’t stay long.”
**[Title “Escape” has been acquired]**
She quickly scanned the surroundings.
“You are going to the Holy Kingdom. I have business passing through there as well. I will escort you until we reach a safe zone or the Holy City.”
Ilyas stood up hurriedly.
Her tears weren’t fully dry, and her face still bore lingering fear. Her voice was small.
“Th—thank you.”
**[Title “Companion” has been acquired]**
“Just call me Celia,” Celia said as she quickly pulled out her cloak and wrapped it around Ilyas’s shoulders without leaving room for argument.
“Wear this. It gets cold at night.”
The cloak still carried Celia’s body heat and a faint scent, completely enveloping Ilyas.
A second later, Ilyas felt her body lighten as her field of vision suddenly rose.
Celia had bent down, one hand sliding behind her knees and the other around her back, steadily picking her up in a horizontal carry.
“Ah!”
Ilyas gave a soft cry, her hands instinctively clutching Celia’s shoulders.
“I-I can walk on my own…”
She said in a small voice, her face heating up.
“This is faster,” was Celia’s short and blunt reply.
**[Title “Master of Flirting” has been acquired]**