?"Shweee!" The little sparkling forest sprites happily danced around Eli as if asking for her praises. They were tiny fairy-like creatures that resemble the baby''s breath flowers.


    Seeing their actions, Eli let out a soft melodious chuckle, stretching out her hand as she mumbled, "You did very good today! So I''ll treat you with a caramel apple!"


    She looked at them with an indulging smile.


    On top of the hand that she stretched out appeared a little array. Her other hand essed her space pouch and pulled out a caramel apple that she had prepared beforehand and put it inside the array.


    The forest sprites were known to be adorable and docile faeries. They were one of the gentlest kinds of faeries in Prasinos. The faeries that Eli contracted were no exception.


    Moreover, they were extra adorable to Eli''s eyes because these faeries loved sweets as Eli does. That is why, from time to time, she would indulgingly feed them with sweets of any kind after a long day of work.


    "Sheee~~~~" Hearing Eli''s words, the little forest sprites expressed their excitement as they went inside the array on top of Eli''s palm in an orderly manner.


    After all the sprites entered her contracted familiar''s realm, she summoned Baobao and prepared their way home.


    With the little time she spent with the Silver Dew Forest and the Argentum to cultivate and train herself, she was able to improve at a miraculous rate.


    Her summoning abilities enabled her to contract more than a hundred sprites whom she uses to assist in tending the garden. Her aptitude for summoning magic increased from the C ss to the mid-level B ss.


    Her casting skills were also now at the level of C ss as she can now continuously cast elemental spells of all attributes. However, of course, there would be a lot of improvements in her casting abilities.


    The devourer''s ability was the hardest one to cultivate for her, as she both needed to train her physical body while cultivating her aptitude. But with the duties in the garden and her task to enable herself to be familiar with using spiritual powers, she simply had no time to focus on improving her devourer''s ability.


    The most rewarding part of her mission in the Silver Dew Forest and Argentum was the proportionate increase of her improvement in using her spiritual powers as she trained her magic powers.


    The tending in the garden contributed significantly to her endeavor. The constant feeding of the nts with her spiritual powers until her body reached its limits had undoubtedly helped her.


    "I wonder what the lesson is for today…" She mumbled with an expectant voice as she rode on Baobao''s back and headed back to the Argentum.


    The sun had notpletely set when she reached Argentum, her home for the past few weeks. With great familiarity, she entered the inner courts and proceeded immediately to the training ground.


    However, before she reached the training grounds, the Argentum''s butler and a man wearing a familiar temple servant uniform weed her with anxious expressions on their faces.


    "Mr. Butler, Sir Julian?!" Eli was equally surprised to see Julian in the Argentum instead of the High Priest Enoch.


    But observing the look on their faces and the fact that this was the first time she saw someone from the Temple other than the High Priest made Eli think that something must have happened in the capital.


    "Lady Eli…" Julian greeted with a nodding expression, they were escorted by the butler to a waiting room for them to have a serious talk.


    "Sir Julian, for you to be here, something big must have happened to the capital. Did His Majesty start to arrest the Vess?" Eli carefully asked with a serious expression.


    Although she did not know about the murder cases in the capital, she had known the ns of the Empire to punish the Ves for siding with the evil, this she came up with this conjuncture.


    "It is as you said, but also not as you said…" Julian tried to exin theplications that happened in the Empire, of course leaving out the fact that a mysterious enemy was already targeting her.


    He exined how it was carefully nned by the Emperor to arrest all the sinners and also how they were caught off guard by the attacks that happened earlier that day.


    "I see…" Eli was left for words. Although her expression was as calm as a deep ocean, her heart was already trembling in shock about how clueless she was about the struggles they had in the capital.


    She couldn''t help but think of High Priest Enoch, who was equally busy helping with the matters in the capital while still going beyond his way to meet her for a few hours for training. Then there''s Leon and Kayden, and everyone.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She thought that she was having a hard time trying to improve all aspects of her powers while also tending the garden of herbs, but to think that she had shamefully underestimated the sacrifices that Leon and the others did for the Empire''s safety.


    Indeed, the burdens were too heavy for everyone to sustainably carry.


    "I understand… I''ll go back to the capital…" Eli knew that her training had to be halted no matter how she feltcking in her improvement.


    The lives of the people in the Capital were at stake!


    Julian expected Eli''s affirmative response, however, he still felt anxious that Eli would have to prematurely involve herself in the battle. But they were left with no choice.


    Even the pre-agreed arrangement where the Temple would only involve themselves during the trial stage was immediately abolished because of the sudden attack.


    "The Temple and the Empire would be eternally grateful for your help, Lady Eli." Full of thanksgiving in his heart, Julian bowed sincerely as he expressed himself.


    "Oh… no...no… Please do not do that! Only bow to The One above, who Himself gave me these abilities." Eli immediately let Julian stand up because she knew that she did not deserve Julian''s treatment.


    "I will be the one to tend the cultivation garden in your stead, My Lady. It might not be that obvious, but I happen to have a little bit of spiritual power too…" Upon recovering, Julian lightly scratched his nose as he exined the arrangements for Eli''s departure.


    And so, in the next moments, Eli turned over her responsibilities to Julian. It was fortunate that High Priest Enoch had sent an advanced notice to Chief Eirllon to allow Julian to step into the inner portion of the Forest. With this, the transition went smooth and Eli became ready to depart for the capital the night of the same day.


    "I really apologize Mdy, Eli for not being able to escort you back to the capital. We are really short-handed due to the sudden matters in the capital." Julian once again apologized to Eli.


    Eli was helpless towards Julian''s guilt, smiling with an understanding expression, she replied, "It''s alright nobody is at fault here."


    "Do not worry Mdy, the Captain of the Temple Knights would be the one who would assist you as you arrive in the Capital. He would be the one who will be protecting you and leading you to the tasks that have to be aplished." Julian recalled as Eli stepped into the array.


    "Alright then. Mr. Butler, please thank everyone for taking good care of me during my stay. Sir Julian, I entrust to you my garden." Eli bade her goodbye as she started to disappear through the teleportation array.


    "Mdy! Come back safely please!" The two men also anxiously bid their farewells to Eli.


    Washed by the blinding light for a few seconds, Eli had sessfully teleported to the underground temple dungeons.


    She blinked her eyes for her vision to adopt at the dimly lit dungeons until she saw a tall figure waiting for her arrival at the array station.


    The man was wearing thick steel armor that looked like it weighed several pounds. Eli''s image of the Temple Knight''s Captain would be somewhat simr to Joab and ze''s bulky and brusque figure.


    However, all Eli had in mind was totally contradicting the Captain''s actual appearance. His entire stature and appearance would not be suitable to be called handsome, but it was rather, beautiful!


    Hair as white as snow, she thought that she was one of Celeste and Amihan''s biological brothers, with his eyes as regal as the purest gold. His thin well-shaped lips were like the ripest cherries harvested in the morning sun.


    His tall stature which carried the heavy armor with ease could note to terms with his uncanny appearance!


    Upon looking at Eli, who had just emerged from the teleportation array, he stood from his stool and examined her features.


    "ck hair, dark obsidian eyes, and a petite appearancepared to his height…This must be the famed Subject of the Oracle, Lady Eli of the Farauld and Forgeworn Family." The captain thought to himself while observing Eli briefly. Upon determining these facts, he stepped forward and saluted respectfully to Eli.


    With a valiant and well-modted voice, he greeted Eli, "Mishael, the acting captain of the Seirende Temple Knights, sincerely greet the Subject of the Oracle!"


    ",