With his approval, Sylph drew a deep breath. A flicker of guilt toward her mother and inner struggle crossed her face, but that hesitation was soon replaced by a firm resolve to "seize the opportunity and cling to the strong."
She thought to herself, Mother, you must rise to the occasion! This is a heaven-sent chance for us to escape our plight and perch on a higher branch! With your timid, trouble-fearing nature, you certainly won't dare resist.
With that thought, she hesitated no longer. She pushed open her mother's door and motioned for Li Chen to follow.
Li Chen maintained his stance as a spectator, curious to see how this drama would unfold.
Steam swirled through the room. Bilodis, Sylph's stunningly beautiful Half-Elf mother, was soaking in the warm bath, gently wiping her smooth shoulders and arms with a wet towel.
Hearing the door suddenly swing open, she turned her head in surprise. When she saw her daughter entering with a man in a dark cloak whose presence felt mysterious and unfamiliar, her amethyst eyes, so like Sylph's, widened instantly, brimming with panic and helplessness.
Instinctively, she tried to cover herself with the towel or her arms, but it was already too late.
Knowing her mother's temperament well, Sylph gave her no chance to think or refuse. She immediately spoke in an emphatic, reverent tone. "Mother! Come out and welcome him! This is a Holy Order Cleric sent by the Holy See to investigate an important matter in secret! He is a Saint Realm expert, even stronger than Clan Head Lotherma!"
Those words struck like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, hitting precisely what Bilodis feared most: power and absolute strength.
The Holy See's name alone was enough to inspire awe in ordinary people, while the words "Saint Realm"