A sudden golden light appeared, and a figure leapt out from within—it was Elise.
Looking at her surroundings, it seemed to be a lake, much larger than the spring she had bathed in earlier.
"There shouldn't be any problem here."
This time, Elise had simultaneously activated both teleportation and portal. The distance she crossed was vast—at least a hundred kilometers away from the shrine.
"Can you come out now, Est?"
Silently reciting Est's name in her heart, Elise covered the spirit seal on her body, carefully sensing the power within.
That power known as "Divine Power"—although Elise could feel it inside her, she was unable to use it.
She decided to call Est out and have a proper talk.
"Of course, Master."
Amidst a pure white light, a white silhouette gradually appeared and finally fell into Elise's arms.
Knee-length white hair, eyes as blue as the sky, and that petite, lacking figure…
Ehehe!
Elise and Est—mountains and valleys.
But Est really wasn't wearing anything at all. Except for the black stockings covering her legs from toes up to thighs, the rest of her body—upper and lower—was completely exposed!
Yes, just as Elise remembered—this was indeed Est!
On the white-haired loli's face there was not a trace of expression. She simply looked quietly at Elise.
"Master, do you have some matter?"
Est looked at her new master, waiting for a command.
"Although you look very beautiful like this, Est, I must remind you—put on clothes properly!" Elise pointed to Est's flat chest. "In human society, if you don't wear clothes, you'll be treated as a pervert!"
"You must remember this well!" Elise pressed a finger against Est's heart, her expression very serious.
Of course, don't get the wrong idea. How could a perfect-bodied saintess possibly have any improper thoughts toward a petite loli?
She really just intended to properly remind Est!
Even if she was a white-haired loli, it was the same!
"Is that so?"
The small loli tilted her head, seemingly unable to understand the meaning behind such human customs. Still, she obeyed Elise's words and changed into a set of pure white clothing.
Judging by the style, it seemed modeled after Elise's own clothes.
"I'll remember, Master."
"Alright, back to the earlier topic. I want to ask about Divine Power."
"Divine Power… hm, it's like this." Bound to Elise by contract, Est immediately understood what she meant.
"The reason I was able to form a contract with you was because I sensed Divine Power within your body. But now… I can't feel it anymore?"
Est seemed puzzled. Normally, a person either always possessed Divine Power, or never did. There shouldn't be a case in between.
But someone like Elise, who suddenly possessed Divine Power and then had it vanish completely—that was something Est had truly never seen before.
"If there is no Divine Power, then I can only use my own power to become a Spirit Weapon…"
"But my form will be very limited. Aside from a longsword, I cannot change into anything else."
Elise understood. Back then, in order to contract with Est, she had simulated the Divine Power, Est released, allowing her to successfully complete the spirit contract.
But after the contract was formed, Elise had no intention of continuing to maintain it, so the Divine Power vanished from her body.
That was why Est was confused.
Whether it was a transmigrator, a reincarnator, their existence was a huge variable to the worlds they entered!
Elise couldn't help but sigh. She had taken away the male protagonist's primary weapon. What, then, would Kamito Kazehaya fight with in the future?
Could there be a second, or even a third Est in this world?
"Oh right, there's one more thing, Est."
Elise suddenly remembered something and reached out to pat Est's head.
"Do you need something, Master?" Est, being patted on the head, revealed an expression of pure enjoyment.
"You should change the way you address me—you can't keep calling me Master."
"It makes me sound like the head of some shady organization… or someone with strange fetishes."
The title of "Master" wasn't something that could be used casually, especially in this quasi-medieval world. If overheard, she might end up arrested by a knight order or the constabulary.
"Then… Mom?"
Est tilted her head, and the title she spoke left Elise speechless.
"Why Mom? Normally, wouldn't it be Sister?"
"Alright then, Sister. But you feel more like a Mom to me—just like the human mothers I've seen before." Est seemed to be trying hard to recall past memories.
As a saintess, Elise naturally exuded a certain maternal radiance, something children especially liked.
One only had to recall her visits to the Church's orphanage—she always blended right in with the children, playing together with them.
Although Est's actual age didn't count as that of a child, when held in Elise's arms, she really did look like a daughter embraced by her mother.
"Then it's decided—call me Sister."
"Mm, Sister!"
"Ah…"
Est looked drowsy. She hugged Elise and pressed her small head against the spirit seal on Elise's body.
"Est, what are you doing…?"
"So sleepy. Sister's body has no Divine Power. I already consumed a lot of power during the contract…"
"Now I'm running low on Divine Power…" The little loli's voice grew faint and intermittent, her eyes already half closed.
"If that's the case, Est, try this power instead."
The problem of Divine Power was indeed serious. Without sufficient Divine Power, Est's usefulness would be greatly reduced.
A miscalculation!
But aside from faith power, Elise's body already possessed a second kind of energy. The question was whether Est could absorb it.
Prana!
Through the dual bond of their contracts, Est should be able to absorb Prana.
Starlight glimmered faintly at Elise's fingertip as she pointed toward Est's forehead. The Prana flowed slowly into Est's body along her finger.
"Nngh!"
The white-haired loli furrowed her brows, as if enduring discomfort, but soon her expression relaxed.
"A power I've never seen before—but I can absorb it!"
Success!
That was Est's answer—she could absorb it!
Normally, energy from different worlds shouldn't be able to connect. But if there was a medium to convert it, perhaps it could work?
And clearly, that medium was Elise.