Yona woke up to the morning sunlight streaming through the carriage window.
Her consciousness had already been awake for a while, but she was just lying there with her eyes closed, reluctant to get up.
However, it was now truly time to rise, so Yona carefully unbuttoned her sleeping bag.
As usual, Rubina, who was snuggled up against her, had drooled all over the front of her nun’s outfit.
It wasn’t a big deal; she could just wash it. But the problem was that Rubina had tightly wrapped her arms around Yona, fussing with her chest and, for some reason, sucking on Yona’s chest over her nun’s robe as she slept.
‘Should I just keep sleeping using Rubina as an excuse…’
How many people can truly shake off the temptation of morning sleep?
Yona herself was known for loving her snooze time, but after that mess last night, she was feeling a bit anxious. If she lazed around in the morning, she wouldn’t hear any good words. So, she cautiously detached Rubina and laid her back in the sleeping bag before stealthily slipping out.
As she stretched her back, a series of cracking sounds echoed throughout her body.
Habitually, she closed her eyes again and took a deep breath.
A warm energy wiggled around her lower abdomen and suddenly spread throughout her entire body.
‘Looks like I’m safe today too.’
Hehe.
With an inward chuckle, Yona summoned her divine power.
The warm energy flowed through her body, gently rising around her arm, where it mingled around the Sacred Barrier.
‘The divine power seems fine…’
It was still early morning with no one else awake.
Yona made sure to be quiet as she opened the carriage door and stepped outside.
In the nearby Holy Knight Brigade’s temporary encampment, some knights were already bustling around getting breakfast ready.
“Hmm.”
Watching them while lightly stretching, Yona suddenly remembered the maces they had been swinging around.
Or was it a morning star?
That morning star was really something to behold.
As she did some jumping jacks to shake off the fatigue from the night, Yona realized that some of the Holy Knights’ gazes were directed at her.
‘Is this the first time they’ve seen someone warm up?’
The best way to loosen up a stiff body in the morning is with stretching.
Although Yona was probably the only one who knew it as ‘stretching’…
Regardless, doing calisthenics is something everyone does.
And among those exercises, jumping in place is included, so it’s a bit confusing why they were staring at her like she was some kinda spectacle.
It’s hard to understand why everyone is staring at me like I’m some kind of marvel just because I’m here.
The knights of the brigade were gradually increasing in number and staring this way, or more accurately, at Yona.
Some of them were standing a bit awkwardly.
“Phew.”
Taking a deep breath, Yona quietly thought to herself that maybe she should learn some weapon skills.
*
The Holy Knight Brigade is a place where you can join only after thoroughly checking one’s martial arts skills, faith, and even family history—if you’re an orphan, your history in the orphanage is scrutinized too.
It’s that difficult to join, and once you’re admitted and receive your Morning Star as proof of being a member, that Morning Star symbolizes honor and faith.
Bantein is a newbie who hasn’t been in the Holy Knight Brigade for long.
Though they don’t distinguish ranks among members, there’s a difference according to the year of joining, which makes Bantein the so-called youngest.
Being the youngest means taking on all the tough jobs, including preparing breakfast during field missions.
Waking up early to prepare breakfast for his seniors and the higher-ups in that carriage can be irritating, even for the youngest.
Plus, one of the breakfast guests is a lowly adventurer, so it’s really annoying for a proud knight of the Holy Knights to be preparing a meal for an adventurer.
However, at least for this moment, Bantein wasn’t annoyed at all.
Having grown up in the orphanage of the cathedral, he had never had any relationship with women.
That’s why the incredible bouncing in front of him was truly shocking.
The sister’s outfit was bouncing like it might burst, yet the white-haired sister seemed oblivious to her appearance as she continued with her calisthenics.
“…Wow.”
Bantein hadn’t even realized that his senior knight was right next to him until he heard a small gasp.
“S-Sir—”
“Shut up.”
Cutting him off before he could even greet, the senior knight stared blankly at the sister.
It wasn’t just one knight; several other seniors joined, quietly watching her.
Then, at that moment when the sister was jumping in place—
“…Wow, seriously. Oh my god.”
“Right? Oh my god.”
“Oh god…”
The knights of the Holy Brigade couldn’t help but be amazed.
It was as overwhelming as their rustling.
“Um, uh…?”
“Uhh…?”
The nun was approaching them.
In the brilliant morning sunlight from afar, the sight of the nun coming toward them was stunning enough to leave them momentarily spellbound.
Considering that many members of the Holy Knight Brigade had no defense against women, she was particularly beautiful.
As she drew closer, her beauty stood out, swiftly plunging the knights into confusion.
“Did we stare too blatantly? What can we do if our eyes are drawn to her? Did she notice we were all staring at her?”
While these thoughts crossed their minds, the nun reached right in front of them.
And with her crimson lips moving—
Just as the members of the Holy Knight Brigade were about to swallow their breaths, wondering what beautiful words she would share.
“Hey, sir, please don’t stare so obviously. I have a favor to ask.”
And with a choice of vocabulary that was enough to shatter their fantasy, the nun spoke.
“Well, technically, that’s not supposed to happen.”
“I know. Ugh, this is so heavy… really, this is too heavy.”
It was a request to just lift the morning star once, which, under normal circumstances, would be an outrageous request, but the problem was that there aren’t many men who could refuse a beauty’s request outright.
Bantein, with the permission of his seniors, handed his morning star to the nun, who introduced herself as Yona.
However, since it was a morning star used by the Holy Knight Brigade, it was practically a hunk of metal, and as soon as Yona received it, she could barely hold it up, let alone lift it with one hand.
She could probably lift it with two hands, but since her right hand couldn’t grip a weapon, she was essentially left with just her left hand, making it utterly nonsensical.
“Guess this isn’t going to work either.”
Yona thought this wasn’t going to work.
Not being able to lift it, let alone swing it—what was the point of this?
“Is there a reason you’re saying that?”
“Uh, well…”
Yona hesitated for a moment.
She wondered if it was okay to speak the truth, but really, there wasn’t anything to hide or be ashamed of.
“I’ve felt while dealing with the dead that I should at least have one means to protect myself.”
“Let’s go.”
It’s even more amazing that there’s nothing.
Bantein didn’t voice that thought out loud.
Yona had something to say in her own way as well.
None of the adventurers expected the healer to have combat abilities.
Not even Alex did.
The healer’s primary role is healing and also survival.
Surviving longer than anyone else and supporting the survival of the party members.
Quickly noticing the injuries of party members with a broad view and extending a healing hand without delay.
That alone is enough for a healer to do their part, and asking a healer to fight up front is utterly ridiculous.
However, after yesterday’s incident, Yona thought she should at least learn to protect herself.
Feeling overwhelmed by Scarlet and shaking like a leaf, it was only after being protected by Alex that she could finally breathe.
“Then the Morning Star is inappropriate.”
Bantein declared.
The Morning Star has an absolutely forward-leaning weight distribution.
You need to have the strength and grip to swing it without ever dropping it, and you must have the sense to recover any openings created after swinging.
Because of that, even after receiving this Morning Star, the Holy Knight Brigade had to train accordingly once again.
To think this beautiful nun would wield it is impossible.
“I’ve never seen a woman properly use a Morning Star. It’s not an easy weapon to handle, so I wouldn’t want to recommend it to the nun.”
“I see, understood.”
Yona reluctantly handed over the Morning Star and turned decisively.
That wasn’t a weapon Yona could use, so she had to think of other means.
A weapon she could swing with one hand, use with her left hand, and handle quickly.
As she walked, Yona quickly swished the hem of her nun’s robe to the side.
She heard a gasp from behind, but Yona paid no mind.
Tied to her snowy white thigh was a hunting knife.
With this, wouldn’t it be possible— she thought.
Moreover, this knife had significant meaning.
‘That guy gave it to me—’
“Yona! What are you doing over there?!”
Alex was calling.
Fiddling with the hunting knife, Yona quickly slid it back into its sheath and hurried her steps.
“I’m going, let’s go! Move it, you pain in the neck!”
Things were about to get busy.
Today was the day to return to the Infura Church Region.
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