She had once felt pity for her and deliberately lost to her, allowing her to win a potion capable of fully healing all bodily injuries. Yet she had refused it right in front of her.
Even now, she remembered what that woman had said.
"I already owe that person a great debt, one I may never be able to repay in this lifetime. So I cannot owe you another favor. I'm sorry."
Eleanor silently withdrew her gaze and sensed the changes in her body. Not only had every injury from this duel been healed, but even the tiny wounds left behind from the past had been repaired.
At that moment, she felt better than ever before, and her cultivation had unknowingly improved as well.
Looking at the two fully healed girls, Velin clasped his hands behind his back, his smile fading as he said solemnly, "In the clash between ice and fire, I saw the bearing of two true warriors."
"Keep growing, knights of the future. I look forward to the day you stand at the pinnacle."
Eleanor clenched her right hand into a fist and struck her left shoulder heavily. "Thank you for your blessing, Lord Eternal Dawn Knight. I, Eleanor Leokataia, swear here and now that I will never betray your expectations. Even if I die, I will die upon the road forward."
"I like that spirit."
Velin nodded approvingly, then turned to look at the other young knight.
The weight pressing upon Malvina's body suddenly eased, and she could not help but lose herself in the sensation.
But clearly, this was not the time to dwell on the changes in her body.
"Lord Eternal Dawn Knight, thank you for granting me new life. I swear in my own name, before My God's witness, that I will carry