"Eh?"
Jane was slightly stunned for a moment, seemingly not expecting Syl to ask her to stay. After all, Syl didn't look like the type of child who would rely on others.
Thinking that she couldn't go anywhere anyway since the Ivisa District was in chaos, Jane sat back down and asked curiously:
"What's wrong, Syl? Is something the matter?"
At this moment, Syl was still thinking of a way to stall for time. Finding a random excuse, she looked at Jane and said:
"I wanted to ask, have you ever fought before?"
"Fought?" Jane tilted her head.
"Yes, combat," Syl waved her small fist in the air. "Like fighting someone of the same rank using supernatural abilities."
"Hmm... no," Jane frowned and thought for a moment before saying, "Whenever there's danger, General Mix comes to help me... he's the Archbishop of our church. They usually hold important positions in Great Saya."
Syl became interested in this. Since she was just chatting to kill time, she asked casually, "They all hold important positions?"
"Yes, it's related to the acting for our Holy Medicine. The Fourth Holy Rank is [Leader]; one must become a Leader who guides others to better digest the Holy Medicine." Jane didn't hide anything from Syl and answered her question directly.
"I see..." Syl nodded thoughtfully.
It seemed that General Mix was the person sent to protect Jane.
But... Jane didn't have any combat experience?
If she didn't have any combat ability, why keep increasing her rank?
To be a trophy?
This was somewhat thought-provoking.
"Are you learning combat knowledge, Syl?" Speaking of this, Jane also seemed to get excited and asked curiously, "By the way, do the people of the Church of the Goddess of Hope have any combat skills?"
"I wouldn't say none..." Syl raised her hand, and a few specks of black light flickered in her palm, giving off an ominous feeling.
Syl looked at the black light in her hand, sighed, and said, "They're just very weak."
"Don't worry, my skills are mostly offensive. I'll protect you when the time comes." Jane patted Syl's shoulder and said, "You can just provide support from the back."
"Hmm? Why say that all of a sudden?" Syl suddenly felt that this didn't sound like something Jane would say.
"Uh... maybe treat it as practicing in advance?" Jane scratched her cheek and said somewhat awkwardly, "Does it not sound like me?"
"Practicing for what?"
"The next Holy Rank after [Arbitrator], [Hero]."
"Oh..." Syl nodded. "That name sounds very reassuring."
"Right?" Jane also laughed heartily, as if Syl were praising her.
"By the way, Jane, can I see your Divine Arts?" Syl asked curiously.
Right now, Syl only knew that there were seven paths of Holy Medicine and the five Holy Ranks for each path, but she didn't know what specific skills the other Holy Ranks had.
She was curious, very curious.
"Divine Arts? No problem."
Jane nodded, then reached out and gripped the air. Her entire body turned into a faint silhouette before gradually disappearing, with only her voice coming from her direction.
"This is [Stealth], a Divine Art that almost all Knight-Errant ranks have. My Divine Arts are [Academic Plagiarism] and [Righteous Disguise]. The former can steal others' Divine Arts or spells currently being cast, while the latter allows me to disguise myself as someone for a period of time."
"As for the Divine Arts I obtained in the [Arbitrator] rank, they are [Divine Great Shield], [Righteous Protection], and [Death Judgment]. The first two are defensive skills; my main method of attack is [Death Judgment]."
Hearing this, Syl asked in confusion, "Why do they all sound like defensive Divine Arts?"
"Ahem... it's fine. Once I advance to [Hero], I'll definitely obtain stronger offensive skills. I just lack offensive skills temporarily." Jane's expression looked calm and composed, but her slightly weak tone betrayed her inner uncertainty.
"Sigh... lucky you, at least you have an attack skill that sounds cool." Syl sighed and said, "I only have that Hand of Suffering, and it doesn't seem like it would be very painful."
"It's okay... maybe your other skills are very practical," Jane comforted Syl by patting her shoulder. "You can try using it on me, and I'll evaluate it."
"Alright... then let's try Self-Sacrifice."
Syl also gave up on her internal conflict. Seizing the time she had someone to practice with, she began to use her Divine Arts.
Looking at Jane, Syl silently recited in her heart: "Divine Art: Self-Sacrifice."
Syl's entire body suddenly blurred. Immediately after, a faint silhouette appeared on Jane's back. If one looked closely, it looked a bit like Syl.
"Eh? What kind of ability is this?" Jane looked at Syl in front of her and then at the silhouette behind her, asking curiously, "I feel like my mental power and strength have increased quite a bit."
"It's just a Divine Art that helps enhance your physical stats and helps you take damage." Syl's tone was a bit disappointed.
Syl now completely saw through it. This Divine Art was basically a "Magic Cat" or "Yao" that could help take damage.
It was hard not to be disappointed.
Jane seemed to see Syl's current sadness, so she comforted her:
"It's okay... maybe you'll learn a powerful Divine Art in the next Holy Rank."
Then Jane seemed to think of something and added, "Don't you have other Divine Arts? I want to see those too."
"There are no more. Besides Divine Art: Basic Elemental Control, there's only the one from last time."
"The one from last time?" Jane's expression seemed a bit confused, then she seemed to recall the scene in the carriage and her neck shrank slightly. "Oh... Basic Elemental Control, that sounds very powerful."
A very clumsy topic-changing technique.
"It's not very useful. At most, it's an elemental shield, and activating it consumes a lot of mental power." Syl shook her head, then looked at Jane and said, "Jane, I want to see if my Hand of Redemption has been strengthened."
"Ah?"
"I feel like my Hand of Redemption has other effects, but I can't feel them when I use it on myself... I want to try and see if there are any changes after drinking the Holy Medicine."
"Ah, this..."
Jane almost pressed her entire body against the back of the chair, looking as if she were terrified.
"Well... if you're unwilling, then forget I said anything." Syl smiled and withdrew her right hand, which she had just started to extend.
Syl's current appearance made Jane think of Syl's lonely expression from earlier.
Although she didn't know why... Syl really seems to want to become stronger... Jane thought to herself.
As if she had made a decision, Jane took a deep breath and said, "I think it's fine. Come on."
That expression looked as if she had made some major decision.
"Thank you, Jane."
After Syl finished speaking, she smiled and unceremoniously stood up, moved her stool next to Jane, and sat down.
Syl grabbed Jane's hand, which was clenched tight due to nervousness. Without needing any extra movements, the faint light of the Hand of Redemption began to flicker from Syl's hand.
Syl practiced the Hand of Redemption every day, and it had already formed a sort of muscle memory for release.
Almost instantly, after Syl's Hand of Redemption was released, Jane's clenched fist relaxed. Her entire body was no longer tense but went limp and leaned toward Syl.
Jane slumped onto Syl. Syl's body fragrance seemed to stimulate Jane further, and Jane's face gradually turned red.
Syl immediately stopped the release of the Hand of Redemption. Her right hand supported Jane's slender waist while her left hand patted Jane's back, asking nervously, "Jane? Are you okay?"
"Mmm..." Jane just nuzzled into Syl's embrace like a kitten, letting out an ambiguous groan, but she didn't answer Syl's question.
Just as Syl wanted to ask something else, Jane slowly raised her head in Syl's arms, looking at Syl with blurry eyes, and said:
"Si... comfortable... more..."
"Don't stop..."
Syl was completely dumbfounded.
This time Syl truly understood. Her Hand of Redemption might really not be a normal healing skill. After her Holy Rank trended toward perfection, the effect became even more powerful.
She looked at Jane, whose expression in her arms was a bit strange, and felt flustered.
But Jane's body... a young girl's body... was truly soft. It felt completely different from hugging herself.
"Although I really don't want to disturb the current atmosphere, but... is this something I can watch for free?"
Syl even ignored the system's small notification box.