Time rewinds half a month.
A plain still quite a distance from Ignar.
"Phew..."
Leah Siya settled into a horse stance, enduring the impact of the waterfall.
It wasn't until her legs trembled and the skin on her shoulders and back turned red that she came out, picking up a towel to wipe her body.
"Leah, you have a letter."
Just as she was preparing to put on her clothes, she heard a voice.
"Master."
Miss Leah respectfully lowered her head and bowed. As she bent over, the muscle lines on her abdomen became pronounced.
"Your physical fitness has already reached its limit; there's no need to try and break through further. Doing so might only bring injury."
"..."
A bonfire was lit.
Leah skillfully gutted the fish she had caught, cleaning it thoroughly. She skewered them evenly and stood them by the fire.
Only then did she have time to read the contents of the letter.
[To my dearest sister]
[Come home quickly. I have good news to tell you, wonderful news. Come back quickly, come back quickly.]
[...]
[Signed: Your loving sister]
What exactly was this saying?
"Is it from your friend?"
The older woman asked.
"Uh, it's from my sister."
Leah opened the next one.
[Sister misses you, come back quickly.]
[There's definitely a surprise.]
[PS: I'll give you the butterfly dagger you wanted when you return.]
[...]
She opened four or five in a row, and the contents were almost the same.
"It shouldn't be anything important. Just a letter from home."
Leah scratched her head.
She wore capable short hair, originally wanting to cut it as short as a man's. But after being severely scolded by Rose, she finally compromised on a length just reaching her neck.
But because she was often exposed to the sun and rain, and trained hard, her skin had turned wheat-colored, and as a woman, she had tough muscles.
If her childhood dream was to become a knight, then later, after coming out of the fog, Leah's dream became: since their family had no man, she would become a "man" with fists hard enough.
"..."
Setting the letters aside, Leah didn't plan to reply immediately.
She just silently picked up a grilled fish, peeking at the older woman in front of her.
She didn't like reading books and couldn't come up with particularly good words to describe her... Anyway, it was probably something like pale skin, beautiful face, long legs, big breasts, slender waist, and a perky butt? Not elegant enough, but absolutely true.
Especially those pointed ears, which were particularly eye-catching.
But if one thought she was easy to attack just because of her beautiful appearance...
"Is it not cooked?"
Whoosh.
Just like that, she could suddenly conjure fire out of thin air. Spraying flames to cook the fish more.
Witchcraft?
Leah didn't know; she only knew she was saved by the woman in front of her half a year ago. Whether she was a witch or something else, it didn't matter.
"Why aren't you speaking?"
"Isn't it time to tell me some interesting stories about you sisters? That was the condition for teaching you."
"..."
The reason she called her "Master" was just Leah shamelessly calling her that.
Not to mention the other party had witchcraft, her fists were also hard enough. The reason for saving her was even more casual, saying it was because she saw that when Leah was on the verge of death, she wasn't worried about her own safety, but cutely cried out "What will Sister do?"... so she saved her.
"..."
What else could she tell? Interesting stories between sisters were few when they were little, and after establishing the Church, everyone was too busy.
The time she spent staying at the Church was even more limited.
"Just a reminder, I'm interested in the part involving your sister as a nun and a man."
"Th-this... Actually, I don't know much either. My younger sister was quirky and clever back then, and I was the only one who seemed like a fool."
"Mmh, but fools also understand some things when they grow up?"
"..."
Leah's face turned red.
Even though over a hundred years had passed, thinking of the things she did as a child still made her very shy today. Because she was scared, she had asked Silas to go pee with her. She even naively asked why her brother-in-law didn't squat down to pee together.
These were actually all fine.
After all, who hasn't done absurd things as a child?
"Once, we were at the dinner table. Discussing how to get out. I couldn't hold it back."
Leah paused before speaking again, "I said, I always hear Sister crying at night. Then brother-in-law and the others said something about Sister crying tears of joy because she was too happy."
"And then?"
"And then... I definitely understand now. No matter how you look at it, it was brother-in-law and Sister doing that kind of thing. Like a fool, until we left that place, I thought Sister was a virgin, and it wasn't easy for her and brother-in-law to fall in love, but they didn't have time for anything."
"..."
"Let me talk about something serious instead; I later realized that brother-in-law's swordsmanship is more like a style of his own..."
"Elaborate on the part about crying tears of joy."
"Why does Master only like hearing these erotic things..."
"Because, I rarely see people. Plus, I'm tired of hearing about swordsmanship and such. I understand you really admire this so-called brother-in-law, even more than me."
"Ah, that..."
"That's good. It proves you won't forget the past just because you found someone better or feel that my strength is formidable."
"..."
Leah didn't notice any change in the expression on the woman's face; it was always calm. As if she was really just listening to a story.
This was also one of the reasons she sincerely wanted to call her Master.
She wanted to never panic under any circumstances.
But it was probably coming to an end, right? She had never responded to the title of "Master."
It was just a chance encounter. A rescue in passing. She didn't expect to be taught strange witchcraft; just being guided on how to train her body was already very good.
"Is something on your mind?"
"...Master, I might have to go back."
"Back where?"
"To the Church I mentioned, where my sisters are. I've been out for half a year without going back; they must be very worried. Rather than writing a letter back, I plan to just go back for a trip."
"Oh."
The older woman nodded, her pointed ears twitching slightly.
"..."
Leah remained silent for a moment. She looked at the short dagger next to her hand. That thing was exquisite a hundred years ago, but with constant use, even with repairs and sharpening, it looked a bit worn. Only the small gemstone on the hilt still looked valuable.
"Master, this is for you."
"Mmh?"
The older woman paused, "I remember, this was a gift from your brother-in-law? It's very precious to you."
"This is the only thing of any value I have on me... Besides, my brother-in-law probably wouldn't want me to be overly attached to an old thing that's almost unusable. The gemstone should be worth some money."
"..."
Seeing the dagger being taken away, Leah felt a bit sad.
Having used it for so many years, it was almost like a part of her body. But that's just how it is, right? It's too old to be used, so she might as well use it to repay a debt of gratitude. When her brother-in-law gave it to her back then, he probably didn't think she would use it for so long. It could be considered a natural end to its lifespan.
Whoosh.
A flash of fire suddenly appeared before Leah's eyes. When she regained her senses, she found her Master spraying flames from her left hand out of thin air, while holding a stone and hammering with her right.
"Master?"
"..."
In less than ten minutes, the very sharp dagger returned to her hands.
"It hasn't reached the point where it's unusable. Keep it."
"But..."
If that was the case, Leah couldn't think of anything else she could use to repay her.
"I'm also going to the Holy City."
"Eh?"
Leah was stunned.
"The prophecy tells me that what I'm looking for is there."
"Prophecy?"
"Mmh."
The older woman brushed back her hair, revealing her pointed ears more fully, "Besides, at the very least, I must ensure my beloved disciple returns home safely."
"..."
Leah's eye sockets began to grow hot. For half a year, she had expected to be accepted as a disciple many times.
"I have seen your diligence and hard work; even if you may not have the talent to learn 'arts', it's enough."
"Master!"
Leah suddenly threw herself into the woman's arms.
"When we get to the Holy City, I'll definitely introduce you to Sister and the others!"
Leah didn't think too much.
About the woman's origins, or why she could use witchcraft. None of it mattered.
What was important was that she could continue to receive guidance. She could still become stronger, and after coming out for a trip, she gained an elder with unfathomable strength.
The letter talked about giving her a surprise, but she was the one bringing back a surprise.
With her Master's help, she would have a bit more confidence in this world that seemed stranger the older she grew.
So...
"The prophecy Master mentioned, what is it looking for? If it's in the Holy City, I might know."
"A man."
"Ah, Master... is actually interested in men?"
"No interest. Just following the prophecy to see. Could you get off my chest?"
"Hehe, leaning on Master's chest always feels about the same size as Sister's. By the way, didn't Master want to hear about my brother-in-law and Sister? There's a very erotic one... it involves clamping with the breasts..."
"..."
"Master, why are you blushing? Could it be, you've never heard that it could be done like this?"
"Your body hasn't reached its limit yet; go back to the waterfall and train."
"Ah? I've already done four sets today!"
"Go train."
"..."
After driving Leah away, the older woman sat there somewhat desolately.
How could she have not heard of it?
Not only had she heard of it, she had done it. Precisely because of that...
If the prophecy was false, and he wasn't there. Where should she go? And how would she exact her revenge?