Super Soldier in the City

The Holy Maiden’s face darkened upon hearing this. She nodded slightly and said, "Alright, esteemed elders, I’m also tired. I’ll go back to rest and heal."

"Hmm, go ahead, I’ll tell you if there’s any news!" Elder Mus nodded, his eyes full of regret. Just like that, the Holy Maiden was defeated, and the hopes of a generation were dashed.

A crowd of elders and important members also watched the Holy Maiden depart with various expressions and methods. It was at this moment that Elder Babua suddenly stepped forward and shouted, "Wait, I still have questions left to ask."

"Babua, what questions do you have?" Grand Elder Andisto looked at him and asked.

The Holy Maiden stopped, turned around tiredly, and looked at Elder Babua, asking, "Elder Babua, what questions do you have?"

"You said you failed, didn’t you?" Babua ignored others and walked towards the Holy Maiden, asking.

The Holy Maiden responded with a hum, "Yes, I failed!"

"So that means you can’t go any further, right?"

"Yes!" The Holy Maiden nodded, expressionless.

Babua’s mouth curled into a cold smile. He gave a small snort and said, "So that means you must give up the position of Holy Maiden."

As soon as these words were spoken, many in the hall changed their expressions. Many had thought about this, but no one expected Babua to bring it up just after learning of the situation. Is it right to press the Holy Maiden like this? The Holy Maiden has served as the Holy Maiden for many years and has contributed greatly to the organization. Babua asking her to step down now is indeed a bit ruthless.

Although this was their thought, few actually voiced it. Elder Mus forcefully struck his cane on the ground, even cracking the hard marble. He too snorted and said, "Babua, you’re going too far. Although the Holy Maiden failed, she is not a useless person. She still possesses great strength. Why should she relinquish the position of Holy Maiden?"

Grand Elder Andisto, however, remained silent, looking at others, his thoughts unknown. With Elder Mus’s opposition, other elders also spoke up. The female elder said, "Indeed, Babua, if the heart demon fails, the regulation is to step aside. However, this case is special. Someone attempted to frame and assassinate the Holy Maiden. I believe we must investigate this thoroughly before considering the position of the Holy Maiden."

"I disagree. Some matters indeed call for an immediate resolution. The position of Holy Maiden is sacred to the organization, revered by countless followers. We cannot let her stay in that position just because she still has strength. Of course, the organization will not mistreat you. Although you may not become an elder in the future, your future will still be promising. However, the position of the Holy Maiden, in my opinion, should be relinquished by you."

"I do not agree. I believe we must clearly investigate the entire matter before making a decision. Cultivating a Holy Maiden takes too long a time to easily dismiss her. You just said the Holy Maiden holds symbolic significance; how can it be so easily dismissed? In any case, I do not agree! Removing the Holy Maiden before things are clear is unacceptable." Elder Mus’s eyes were filled with anger. He stomped his foot, exuding an imposing presence, and loudly said, "Some people are so eager to remove the Holy Maiden, I can only speculate if it was your drone that wanted to blow up the Holy Maiden!"

"You... Mus, this is reckless speculation, irresponsible guessing!" Babua immediately stomped his foot, his eyes slightly red with excitement, saying, "You are the one talking nonsense. I, Babua, would never do such a thing!"

"Then let’s set this matter aside for now. Removing the Holy Maiden before the investigation is completed surely raises suspicions about some people’s motives!" the female elder said disdainfully.

The Holy Maiden remained silent, slightly lowering her head while observing everyone. Mus and that female elder spoke in her favor, likely because they had a good relationship previously. Babua, on the other hand, opposed and suggested removing her. The Holy Maiden had anticipated this but was still surprised. Could it have been Babua? His previous reactions inevitably lead to doubts.

However, this alone doesn’t mean he’s the one who harmed her.

As both sides argued, more joined the discussion. The Holy Maiden remained indifferent until someone called her. She lifted her head, looked at everyone amidst the cacophony around her, which suddenly seemed to quieten down. It was an experience she never had before: people arguing right next to her but seemingly unheard, with only mouths opening and closing and excited expressions visible.

This state lasted a few seconds or perhaps much longer. When the Holy Maiden regained her senses, she heard Babua saying, "I can take responsibility for investigating the drone incident. This concerns the face of the entire organization. If it indeed happened, I will discover the truth. But the position of Holy Maiden must be relinquished."

"For what reason? Although she failed, she doesn’t have to join that Golden Eagle. After all, the opponent was blown up, and the Holy Maiden remains pure, sacred, and inviolable. Furthermore, Babua, if you remove the Holy Maiden, can you conjure up a new Holy Maiden for me?"

Babua certainly couldn’t produce a second Holy Maiden, but he still said, "The Holy Maiden must maintain purity and unwavering faith. The current Holy Maiden is no longer pure. Her faith is also questionable!"

"Nonsense!" Mus stomped his foot, pointing at Babua and cursing, "You old bastard, you’ve lived so many years in vain. The Holy Maiden may be defeated, but she still has strength and remains the faith of countless in the organization. You slander her this way; today, I will teach you a lesson on behalf of the Holy Maiden!"

The Holy Maiden suddenly felt touched. Adversity reveals true feelings; she hadn’t expected Mus and that female elder to support her. Of course, the Holy Maiden knew their support might not be purely altruistic, perhaps they had their own motives, like trying to win her over, but it all didn’t matter. The Holy Maiden understood such motives.

And Babua was not alone; several others agreed with his views, causing a commotion.

In the end, it was Grand Elder Andisto who calmed everyone down, saying, "Don’t argue for now. The matter requires investigation. However..." At this point, Grand Elder Andisto looked at the Holy Maiden and said indifferently, "Holy Maiden, what is your opinion regarding Elder Babua’s suggestion?"

As the question was asked, Mus and the others’ expressions changed dramatically. It implied that Grand Elder Andisto might agree with Babua and his followers. Could it be... that they really were going to abandon the Holy Maiden? Some elders wanted to dissuade her, but the Holy Maiden spoke up first. Her face still devoid of joy or sorrow, she looked at Grand Elder Andisto and said, "Grand Elder, I am willing to relinquish the title of Holy Maiden. After all, I have already failed. According to the organization’s regulations, I am indeed unsuited to continue as the Holy Maiden, so I have nothing to say."

Mus and the other elders didn’t expect the Holy Maiden to relinquish her title so decidedly. They were too late to persuade her to retract what she said, their faces full of anxiety and regret.

Babua and his supporters’ faces showed joy, as if winning a battle, with Babua himself clapping and smiling, saying, "That’s how it should be. It should have been done long ago. Although the role of Holy Maiden no longer belongs to you, the organization will not treat you poorly; an appropriate position with excellent benefits will be offered to you."

"That won’t be necessary, Elder Babua. Bearing the responsibility of a Holy Maiden for so many years, I’ve also grown a bit weary. Letting go is quite a relief!" The Holy Maiden said indifferently. Her voice was not loud, yet it seemed to reach the heart of everyone. Some felt regret, some sympathy, others joy, and some disdain.

Being a Holy Maiden is glorious. Countless people vie for the position, and if not for this heart demon ordeal, it could take decades before this generation of the Holy Maiden would step down, giving others a chance; it’s like a huge, unique cake.

This generation’s Holy Maiden was chosen by the late Grand Elder and theoretically does not belong to Andisto, Babua, Mus, or anyone else, forming a faction of its own. Thus, Andisto would agree to Babua’s suggestion immediately. Regardless of anything else, the priority was to strip the Holy Maiden of the title, allowing a significant opportunity to vie for the vacated highest symbolic authority position.

The Holy Maiden understood this, so she couldn’t be bothered to argue. She simply resigned, disinterested in being anyone’s puppet or under manipulation.

"Holy Maiden, I still hope you will reconsider. Cultivating a Holy Maiden is a lengthy process. Although you failed against the heart demon, your strength remains. You can ignore some voices..." The female elder walked over to the Holy Maiden and said.

The Holy Maiden, however, lightly shook her head and said, "Thank you for your concern, elder, but I am currently injured and unsure when I will recover, making me unsuitable for the Holy Maiden position. However, I do have a request for the elders."

"Please speak!" Andisto said.

"I want to know who wanted to kill me, going so far as to use a military unmanned aerial vehicle to launch missiles. If you find out who was responsible, please let me know. I want to ask them why they harbor such hatred against me!" As she said this, the Holy Maiden’s gaze lingered on Babua and a few other elders for a brief second or two, which was enough. Many understood what her pause meant. After speaking, the Holy Maiden turned and walked out. Many were left with various thoughts. Could it be that things would soon become unsettled within the organization? This was a thought in some people’s minds, while many other elders began to focus on the vacated Holy Maiden position, now a significant opportunity. After all, the Elder’s Court’s ten elder positions are fixed, having always been ten since the Holy War Organization was established, and cannot be expanded by one.