A forest outside Vidona City was a frequent haunt for low-level magical beasts.
Slish—!
The sharp blade sliced through flesh, echoing through the woods. A pained howl accompanied the sound as a first-tier Flame Tiger collapsed to the ground, its lifeblood gushing from a gaping wound in its abdomen, staining the earth beneath it.
A petite, pink-clad figure, clutching a blood-stained ring-blade, let out a soft huff. She then placed a foot on the dying Flame Tiger’s head, scrutinizing its fur.
Just then, a joyful voice chimed from behind her.
“Isha, we have a new instructor!”
“Huh?”
She turned her head to see a young woman with long, pale blue hair waving a magic communicator in the distance. A gentle smile graced her delicate features.
The young woman was named Aurora. Like Isha, she was a teammate of Celia’s.
“Let’s go find Celia. I hope she hasn’t left yet.” Aurora took Isha’s small hand and hurried with her towards Vidona.
Although Isha allowed herself to be led, she scratched her head, her large eyes filled with bewilderment.
“Leave? Why would she leave?”
Isha was completely unaware of what had transpired with Celia. Facing such an innocently clueless teammate, Aurora patiently explained everything as she led her towards Vidona.
Celia had never discussed these matters with them, but the observant Aurora had long noticed something amiss with her.
Upon returning to Lena’s villa, Isha pushed open the door. She immediately spotted Celia, who was seated on the sofa, engrossed in a book.
“Celia!”
Calling out her name, she rushed towards Celia with open arms, tackling her onto the sofa. Simultaneously, she rubbed her cheek against Celia’s soft chest.
“You don’t have to leave! A Senior Hero has agreed to be our instructor!”
“What? Really?”
Already accustomed to Isha’s affectionate gestures, Celia gently pushed her away. She then looked at Aurora, who stood behind Isha, her expression one of surprise.
“Check your magic communicator; there should be a message from Guild Master Sharlene,” Aurora prompted.
Hearing this, Celia hastily pulled out her communicator. Her face lit up with joy upon seeing the message.
Immediately after, as if remembering something, her eyes quickly dimmed again.
“But even if a Senior Hero agrees to be our instructor, they might still leave later. It’s not as if this hasn’t happened before…”
The previous Hero instructors had all done so. In her view, the current new instructor would likely resign just as quickly.
Aurora, however, held a different opinion.
“The previous Senior Heroes didn’t know about your background, Celia, which is why they resigned soon after becoming instructors. This new instructor is different.”
“The entire Hero Guild knows your identity and background, yet a Senior Hero is still willing to be our instructor, and Guild Master Sharlene has agreed…”
“This Senior Hero’s identity is definitely not simple.”
Her words caused Celia’s dimmed eyes to sparkle once more. Beside them, Isha hugged Celia’s arm, swaying playfully as she pleaded:
“Let’s go meet them! I still don’t know what the new instructor looks like!”
“Alright, let’s go meet them.”
Celia gently patted her head, not refusing.
And so, the three of them set off together for the Hero Guild.
The moment they stepped into the Hero Hall, Celia sensed that the atmosphere was subtly off. The Heroes within the hall now looked at her with vastly changed expressions.
If their previous gazes had been filled with apprehension, they now held more envy. Those Heroes who had originally sought to curry favor now looked at her with even greater eagerness.
Disregarding them, Celia pushed open the Guild Master’s office door.
“You’ve arrived?”
Sharlene adjusted her glasses and gestured towards Dorothy, who was seated on the sofa. “This is your new instructor, hmm…”
“Dorothy.”
“Yes, Miss Dorothy.”
Compared to the title of Silverbloom Sword Princess, her true name was almost entirely unknown. It was no wonder Sharlene hadn’t known her name.
Celia and the other two also introduced themselves briefly. What struck Dorothy as odd, however, was that Celia didn’t recognize her as the Silverbloom Sword Princess.
Then again, it made sense. As a Hero from over two decades ago, any portraits of her would have long vanished. Celia had likely only heard tales of the Silverbloom Sword Princess’s deeds but had never seen her true appearance.
Even if Celia had seen her, without Dorothy revealing her identity, it would be difficult for Celia to connect her to the Silverbloom Sword Princess. At most, she might simply think they bore a resemblance.
Sharlene waved the application form in her hand, smiling as she addressed Celia. “Celia, if you wish to rejoin the squad, you just need to complete another set of procedures.”
Having just left the squad yesterday, only to rejoin today—such was the unpredictable nature of life.
Celia, however, did not immediately agree. She glanced at Sharlene, then at Dorothy, seemingly still harboring reservations and hesitating to make a decision.
“Celia, is something troubling you?”
At that moment, Dorothy stepped before her, meeting her gaze directly.
The black-robed young woman before her was no taller than Celia herself. Yet, Celia sensed an aura of seniority emanating from her.
“Senior Hero… will it be difficult for you to be our instructor?”
‘Was she worried about me? Afraid I couldn’t contend with the Fiona family?’
Dorothy understood her concerns.
“What kind of Hero exists in your heart?” She did not answer directly, instead posing an unrelated question.
Celia pondered for a moment before answering, “Gentle, kind, never giving up hope even when plunged into despair. They can turn the tide in times of crisis, shining like a beacon for all people!”
“Just… just like the Silverbloom Sword Princess of old.”
‘Is that truly how I appear in a child’s eyes?’
Dorothy’s cheeks flushed faintly, a touch of shame stirring within her.
The Silverbloom Sword Princess was hardly that perfect.
“But true Heroes are not like that. They are actually not much different from ordinary people. Even the Silverbloom Sword Princess in your heart has her… cowardly and pathetic side.”
“Furthermore, being a Hero doesn’t mean glory and splendor. Bloodshed, sacrifice, and eternal farewells are their unchanging constant.”
“Even so, do you still wish to become a Hero?”
To Dorothy’s surprise, Celia took a deep breath before answering the question with unwavering resolve: “Yes, no matter how dangerous it is, I want to become a Hero like the Silverbloom Sword Princess!”
Without any hesitation, she had long prepared herself mentally to become a Hero.
“Since Celia has said as much, then go chase your dreams. This Senior Hero isn’t as easily intimidated as you might think.”
As she spoke, Dorothy tilted her head slightly, her silver hair brushing her shoulders. Her smile was as warm as sunshine.
A strange pang of bitterness suddenly pierced Celia’s heart. She stared blankly at the Senior Hero before her, her eyes welling up with tears for no apparent reason.
An indescribable emotion spread through her heart. She yearned to embrace the Senior Hero, to revel freely in the warmth of her arms, yet she feared a negative reaction and hesitated to take that step.
In the end, she chose to hold back.
She was no longer a child; adults should know how to conceal their emotions.
Rubbing her eyes, she nodded vigorously. Then, she took the squad application form from Sharlene’s hand and signed it.
“Welcome back to the Provisional Hero Squad!”
The moment she put down the pen, Isha suddenly embraced Celia from behind with a giggle. Celia let out a startled cry, stumbling forward and inadvertently tackling the Senior Hero onto the sofa.
Realizing she had pushed the Senior Hero over, Celia anxiously tried to get up. However, Dorothy wrapped an arm around her waist, preventing her from moving.
Gently ruffling Celia’s hair, Dorothy’s smile was filled with nothing but doting affection.