"Hahaha, got it!"
The orange-gold haired girl, relying on her Divine Blessing, swiftly moved through rooftops and alleys, running and leaping. Using the crowd as cover, she quickly shook off the owner who was chasing her.
"The emblem! I lost her!" The silver-haired girl anxiously looked around, her purple eyes constantly searching for the thief who stole her item.
"We lost her, huh? This will be a headache for Emilia. It's a pity I can't be too far from Emilia, otherwise, with my ability, that light-fingered child wouldn't have escaped." A small cat with gray ears and a white belly appeared out of thin air on the silver-haired girl's shoulder.
"However, that light-fingered child has the favor of wind on her; she probably has a speed-related Divine Blessing."
"That emblem is very important, Puck. I hope we can find it quickly, otherwise it will be troublesome." Emilia's brows were filled with worry.
That emblem was the symbol of a "Royal Candidate."
If she couldn't even protect the emblem, it meant she couldn't protect anyone. Even if she didn't lose her status as a "Royal Candidate," she would find it difficult to move forward.
Her identity and appearance as a half-elf already caused discrimination from the kingdom's adults.
"Emilia, don't worry so much. I'll do my best, but try to find it before dark. At night, I won't be able to protect you. I don't want to fulfill that promise." Puck said earnestly.
For it, nothing mattered except Emilia's safety.
Of course, it also hoped that Emilia could find happiness and joy.
"Shh~ Emilia, someone is following us."
Just then, Puck whispered into Emilia's ear.
"When we were chasing that light-fingered child just now, three girls also followed, and their target seems to be you, Emilia."
"Are they accomplices of that thief?" Emilia quickly turned around, her purple-tinted eyes sharp, looking fierce.
"I don't think so. Their auras have no similarity at all, and the three girls who followed have very strong power within them." Puck's small cat face became solemn.
Who were those three girls who followed? The power they possessed made even it, one of the "Four Great Elemental Spirits," feel threatened.
Although the threat wasn't enough for it to feel it couldn't be defeated, it meant that it couldn't guarantee absolute protection for Emilia.
"Very strong power? Stronger than Puck?" Emilia asked.
"Of course not! I'm the greatest Great Spirit." Puck proudly hugged its small cat paws.
"I didn't sense any hostility from them, but it's still better to be cautious."
Footsteps approached, the rhythm of the steps very light, clearly a sign of confidence in their own safety.
"Holy Son, why are we following her?"
"Is it because that girl is an elf? By the way, there are elves in this world! This is my first time seeing one in real life."
"Of course not. It's just that my 'Guidance' is telling me that girl will lead us to our trial."
"Trial! Found it so quickly? This is too fast."
"How do we approach her, Holy Son?"
"By being sincere and honest, of course. Do we need to design some encounter scenario? Sima Wei Zhi, sincerity is the ultimate weapon."
"I was just saying it, you actually took it seriously."
"It's just that if what you say is half-true, you'll be suspected."
"Tendo Kisara, you stubborn straight girl, you deserve not to have had a chance to get close to Lord Xia Wei yet."
"Tch, as if you've gotten close. Lord Xia Wei isn't interested in us until we're adults, alright."
Emilia and Puck looked at each other.
Puck grumbled, "This is the first time I've seen such undisguised loud scheming."
The footsteps grew closer, and three girls, whose appearances were on par with Emilia's and whose temperaments varied, came around the corner.
Their mere temperaments proved that the three of them were not ordinary people; at the very least, they were noble young ladies.
"Hello~ It looks like you knew the three of us were following and waited for us specifically." Sima Wei Zhi greeted Emilia, her overly familiar manner showing no sign of treating herself as an outsider.
After all, her divinity was "Commerce," so being overly familiar was just a basic skill.
"Ha, hello?" Emilia had never seen such a greeting before, and being greeted so familiarly by strangers made her awkwardly return the greeting.
"Haha, my daughter is rather shy. I can answer anything on behalf of my daughter." Puck also familiarly stood in front of Emilia.
"So, three beautiful maidens, why are you following my lovely daughter?"
Puck was smiling, but there was a hint of danger in its smile.
Even if these three girls had no hostility, it had to guard against anything that could threaten its daughter's life.
"Wow, a talking cat! Could it be, is it a witch's familiar? It's so cute, I want to adopt one too." Tendo Kisara's eyes sparkled with little stars, and her fingers twisted uncontrollably, about to reach out her "demonic claw" towards Puck.
"Ahahaha, no, I only let my good daughter pet me." Puck quickly dodged, feeling a bit strange in its heart.
Witch? Do they know something? And this emotion is too strange; they clearly have such strong power,
but they don't seem to show any threat. These actions and expressions are completely genuine.
"Is that so? Then can you introduce any of your relatives or friends to become my familiar?" Tendo Kisara regretted, then suggested.
"You're really humorous. And I'm a spirit, not a lowly familiar, nor do I have relatives or friends like me."
"What a pity." Tendo Kisara was disappointed.
"Spirit? A small cat spirit? Then what about her? Isn't she a spirit? The understanding of this world is so strange." Sima Wei Zhi pointed at Emilia, full of surprise.
"This world?" Puck's eyes narrowed.
"I, I'm certainly not a spirit. I'm a fae, a fairy, a half-elf—"
Emilia was suddenly asked and quickly waved her hands, her cheeks flushed, and her heart couldn't help but race.
This was her first time speaking to strangers like this. They didn't seem to discriminate against her because of her appearance at all. Although they were just strangers meeting for the first time, her goodwill towards the three of them surged.
"Oh? Is that so? Spirit, fae, half-elf." Tendo Kisara looked at Emilia's ears and nodded, "Her ears are indeed shorter than what I thought elves would have."
Emilia became shy hearing someone so seriously comment on her appearance. This was the first time she had heard someone evaluate her like this, apart from fear and disgust.
"Oh oh, my daughter is shy. But Emilia wouldn't like girls, would she?"
"No, I wouldn't!" Emilia was startled and angrily puffed out her cheeks, looking at Puck who was teasing her.
"I'm just kidding." Puck, of course, knew that its daughter was just flustered because it was her first time talking to strangers who didn't despise or discriminate against her, and the other party was so familiar. A shy and insecure daughter would naturally be at a loss.
"Well then, the three of you should talk about following my daughter." Puck narrowed its eyes.