"However, what you all spoke of regarding the... mental state, what exactly is wrong with it?"
Even though she had lived for quite some time and understood a good amount of magic, she was not very knowledgeable about spiritual magic and curses.
As the White Snake asked, the soldiers around, all fully alert, quietly pricked up their ears.
After witnessing the fall of the Corrupted Phoenix, experiencing the baptism of Unpaid Love, and seeing the Sergeant's resurrection, their respect for the Hero had become deeply ingrained in their hearts.
Although not all of them were under the Church, the cruising bishop's respectful title for the Hero, "Lady Saintess," had invisibly become their symbolic reference for her.
"Previously, the bishop also mentioned that this curse isn't destructive, meaning the Hero's mental state wasn't damaged and she wouldn't lose the ability to think. Nor is it distortionary, so her personality won't change because of it."
The military mage's words made the White Snake and the surrounding soldiers breathe a sigh of relief.
"However, Miss Hero, at present, once she has a thought, will act upon it immediately without considering the consequences.
"This is something the Sergeant might have experienced similarly."
He could focus his consciousness to gain more destructive power, which was an extreme of martial arts and the strength he had cultivated. Correspondingly, when he drew his sword, he would eliminate all distractions, with no possibility of sheathing it again, even if a trap or other plot lay ahead. He wouldn't stop or hesitate mid-action.
Actions were quicker than thoughts.
"And now the Hero basically is in a similar state," the military mage continued to explain. "For example, when she feels happy, she will smile directly, not caring if it's a serious occasion."
The military mage carefully chose his words, withholding crude descriptions out of care for the Holy Maiden, striving to express with a gentlemanly attitude.
"Like now, even though the Ancient Heroic Spirit just left, she neither cried nor shed tears, instead falling silent. This shows she didn't feel excessively sorrowful, but rather happier for helping fulfill their wish, and a bit lonely because of the separation."
The military mage briefly described what it meant to wear one's emotions on one's face.
"In the absence of external stimuli, she mostly stays in this state of minimal reaction, since she won't proactively think unless she feels hungry or has other needs. In other words, we just need to watch over her as we are now."
The military mage's tone gradually turned serious.
"Though it may seem like there isn't much of a problem, upon returning to a normal environment, it won't be that simple. The tricky part of this curse is its unpredictable consequences.
"Most of the time, it may only cause minor inconveniences in daily life. But sometimes, when we despise someone, even with a murderous intent, most people will choose to endure due to legal and rational constraints. Yet, if the curse acts up, once such murderous intent arises, the Hero might take action without hesitation, delivering a fatal blow."
The soldiers looked at each other, expressions instantly tense.
"Even if she's inherently kind and carries little malice towards others, there could be dangerous or suppressed thoughts that reality has held back from being realized, for example—"
2. Negative examples♛
2. Visit a long-lost friend
3. Return a deceased person's belongings
10. Critical Success/Extreme Failure
Before the military mage could continue, a gust of hot wind suddenly blew in, interrupting him.
He, along with the Sergeant and the cruising bishop, turned surprised to see the Hero suddenly enveloped in vivid golden-red flames.
She turned her head, her previously indifferent face blooming into a radiant smile, dreamlike under the flames, rendering everyone momentarily dazed.
Then the Hero, with eyes shining, nodded in thanks to the military mage.
"I know what to do now, thank you!"
After handing over the Martial Princess's long blade, regarded as a relic, to the White Snake and watching her solemnly encase it in ice, the Hero fell into deep contemplation.
She pondered what she was thinking about.
It truly was a profound question.
Whenever a thought arose, it seemed as though it fell into a bottomless abyss, vanishing without a trace, without even a ripple, erased by the infinite descent and thus forgot what it was.
Everything seemed caught in a never-ending loop, leaving the Hero standing still as if frozen.
Yet she had to do something.
People must do something.
Thus, an almost ultimate answer surfaced in the Hero's heart.
[The Hero's Intelligence approached the end of the Extraordinary Realm]
Ingenious ideas and creativity were her weapons, knowledge and experience her strength.
True wisdom could overcome all challenges.
This power would further enhance her other abilities.
7. Extrasensory Sensation
9. Flame Blood Light Vein
10. Critical Success/Extreme Failure
[Hero's Charm Skill: Calamity enhanced to: Innocence]
Honesty was the greatest wisdom.
A sincere heart could achieve goals better than clever words.