Chapter 58: Saintess Lena's Matchmaking Guide

Brilliant ice crystals drifted from the ground into the sky like snowflakes, the chilling frost rapidly dissipating in the sunlight, leaving behind only a faint, lingering cold... Only before the frost-white meadow, a river whose tumbling splashes were frozen mid-air remained entirely encased in ice.

With her back to Ayni, the Saint Lena held her long sword, her hands trembling slightly, and her heaving chest rose and fell violently for reasons unknown.

"Wa~~~!!!"

Ayni's eyes sparkled as she excitedly clapped her hands.

Lena turned to look at the little girl, the sapphire on her chest shimmering gently as if somewhat restless.

"Ayni, what strange things are you looking at..." Lena let out a soft breath, the air nearly freezing in its wake.

"Clang, clang, clang! It's *The Rise of the Hero*, it's all filled with great deeds related to Lord Mino!"

Ayni introduced it with an expression of pure adoration: "Sister Lena, you are also amazing. Can you teach me how to become a successful woman like you?"

Lena's icy blue eyes shifted slightly. Looking at Ayni's innocent face, she remained silent for a moment before squatting down and extending a slender, delicate finger:

"Ayni, then I will only teach you this once. I have never imparted this to anyone else."

"Okay!" Ayni's cheeks flushed with excitement.

"First, you must make more friends."

Lena said in a flat, natural tone: "Share delicious food when you have it, play with your friends when there is fun to be had, and be the first to help them when they encounter difficulties, building good friendships with them."

"Mhm... I understand!" Ayni thought for a moment, her eyes lighting up:

"This is teaching me the importance of companions, just like when the Hero Mino and Chief Sacred Mage Lak jointly annihilated the evil Dark Minion Brood Mother! As long as you have deeply bonded companions, you can..."

"Just establish a good reputation within your social circle," Lena interrupted expressionlessly.

"Re... reputation?"

Ayni blinked, not quite understanding.

Lena continued, her words devoid of any warmth: "That way, when your reputation reaches others' ears, you won't end up being labeled as 'Ah, that somewhat gloomy woman', 'A rather aloof creature whose thoughts are unreadable', or 'Ah, was there even such a person in the village?'—a reputation that completely ruins any favorable impression of you before you're even acquainted..."

"Mhm...?"

"Instead, you'll get a good reputation like 'A wonderful woman', 'So sweet and kind', or 'Wow, she's so popular!' With a reputation like that, you can gain the upper hand in battle—"

"Bat... battle?" Ayni stood frozen in place, feeling as though the battle in Lena's mouth had turned into something terribly complicated.

"Secondly," Lena raised a second finger:

"You must frequently visit places like the Adventurers' Guild, the Royal Academy, and the Royal Library... find women who are locally famous and very popular, and learn from them!"

"I get it!" Ayni finally understood this part. She said with a look of yearning: "We must learn from our seniors, right? High-rank adventurers from the Adventurers' Guild, academy presidents from the Royal Academy, and library administrators who embody wisdom—they all have so many things worth learning from! I'm going to learn from them..."

"Fashion coordination!"

Lena's words abruptly cut off Ayni's train of thought. Ayni blankly raised her head, staring at Lena's utterly serious face: "Eh?"

"You must learn their gorgeous fashion and styling..." Lena's expression was grave and resolute: "As renowned public figures, their outfits must undoubtedly be the trendiest and most aesthetically pleasing."

"That way, you won't end up being talked about as 'That horribly dressed person I don't even want to go near', 'Even my grandma dresses better than her', or 'Ew, the classic indoor-hermit outfit', getting completely looked down upon. Momentum—momentum is extremely important!"

"Once you lose the upper hand in momentum at the very first glance, then you have completely lost!!!"

Ayni's little face turned pale with fright as she stammered: "Sister Lena's battles are actually... this dangerous?"

"And then," extending a third finger, Lena's icy gaze did not soften in the slightest: "You must master the skill of seeing through words!"

"I know this one!" Ayni regained her spirits, punching the air lively with both fists:

"The Ice Saint can see through anyone's lies, or so the storybooks say. This must be a skill honed through countless battles! As long as you can see through the enemy's lies in battle, you can..."

"You can quickly figure out whether the man in front of you is an absolute scumbag."

Her words choked off in her throat once more. Ayni looked up to find Lena's expression terrifyingly cold.

"Phrases like 'How did you get here today?', 'Do you like eating rye bread?', or 'Today seems to be Thursday, doesn't it?' are nothing more than low-level ploys: in truth, those materialistic men are just probing your family background."

"If you give even a slightly careless answer, you'll be rewarded with an excuse about needing money for family troubles and an endlessly long bill..."

"As for questions that seem like attempts to deepen understanding, such as 'How have you managed not to date for so long?', 'Are your father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, grandpa, and grandma all still alive?', or 'Do you have younger siblings?', have no doubt, the other party is assuming there is something wrong with your physical or mental health—and the moment your tone gets even slightly agitated, it will immediately scare them off..."

"The most hateful ones are things like 'Did you bring your ID today?', 'What time is your family curfew?', or 'I think we really hit it off!'—absolute, one hundred percent scumbags! Wretches who play with women's emotions!!!"

Lena said with absolute confidence: "When you encounter such men, don't hesitate—splash red wine directly in their faces!"

"Ah?" Ayni's pupils trembled gradually, as if her worldview was being overhauled.

"Lastly, and most importantly." Opening her fingers one by one, Lena pressed both hands onto Ayni's shoulders, her tone softer than ever before:

"You must find a reliable man before reaching marriageable age and tie him to your side—"

"Only then can you stand undefeated on the battlefield of 'blind dates'!"

"Blind... dates?" Ayni muttered blankly.

A look of vague incomprehension appeared in her eyes before she raised her head and asked in confusion: "But Sister Lena, I was asking how to become a successful woman?"

"No, you are wrong, Ayni."

"What kind of woman do you think a successful woman is... One who possesses immense power? Outstanding wisdom? Or exceptional character?"

"None of those! There are only two kinds of women, you see..."

Lena gripped the sapphire on her chest, her tone as steadfast as ice:

"Either you are a loser... or you are a home-wrecker!!!"